Why You’ll Never Find Balance in Your Business

The Mission Driven Business Podcast

Balance is one of the most talked about goals in entrepreneurship, and one of the most elusive. In this episode, Brian Thompson gets honest about why balance isn’t something you achieve once and move on from, and why chasing that perfect equilibrium might be the wrong goal entirely. Coming off a particularly intense tax season, Brian shares what his own body was telling him, and what it made him realize about the way entrepreneurs expect themselves to show up all year long.

 

What Does Business Balance Actually Look Like?

This year’s tax season hit differently for Brian. For the first time, he experienced consistent sleep disruption throughout the season, something he had never dealt with before. Between the pressure of high-stakes returns, a new employee on the team, and pushing his workouts harder than his body could handle, something had to give. When his body started reacting in a new way, he took it as a signal that something was off. That signal led him back to a question he keeps returning to: what does balance actually mean for a business owner, and is it even something we should be chasing?

 

Businesses Are Never Truly In Balance

Businesses tend to operate in seasons more than an overall balance like we’ve been told. There are sprint seasons: the launches, the deadlines, the tax seasons, the big projects. There are maintenance seasons marked by: steady work, consistent systems, and reliable routines. And there are recovery seasons: where rest, reflection, and reconnection take priority.

The mistake entrepreneurs make is expecting to show up the same way in all three – same energy, same output, same routines, regardless of what the season is actually asking for. When that doesn’t happen, it’s easy to feel like something is wrong. Most of the time, you’re just in a different entrepreneurial season.

 

Questions Mission-Driven Businesses Should Be Asking

These questions rarely come up in conversations about entrepreneurship. Brian suggests that you ask yourself:

  • Who are you when your business is asking more of you than you feel comfortable giving?
  • When the stakes are high and the pressure is constant and your body is pushing back, do you push harder?
  • Do you ignore the signals? Do you keep up the appearance that everything is fine?

That pattern of faking it is something Brian wants to change the conversation around.

 

Three Things to Consider When Looking for Balance

Brian leaves listeners with three practical areas to reflect on when it comes to finding a version of balance that actually works.

Identify your entrepreneurial season and cycles

Ask yourself honestly, “Am I in a sprint, a maintenance phase, or a recovery season right now?” Your expectations and capacity should match the season you’re actually in, not some idealized version of what balance is supposed to look like.

Build self-awareness around your warning signs

Start paying attention to the signals your body and mind are sending you. For Brian this year, the signal was sleep. For you it might be irritability, lack of focus, avoiding decisions, overworking, or underworking. Those signals tend to show up early, and the sooner you recognize them, the easier it is to adjust before they become bigger problems.

Create a reset ritual for self-care, mental health, and productivity

Brian’s current reset is attending a financial planning conference in San Diego. A chance to step out of the day-to-day, reconnect with colleagues and friends, and work on the business rather than in it. A reset doesn’t have to be elaborate. It just needs to bring you back to yourself with more energy and appreciation than you left with.

 

Your Action Step

Take a moment to reflect on two questions: What season are you in right now, and where might you need to give yourself a little more flexibility and grace? Balance is something you come back to, adjust, and renegotiate based on what your life actually needs in the moment. If this episode resonated with you, share it with another entrepreneur who might need the reminder. And as always, keep building your mission-driven business.

 

Resources + Links

 

About Brian and the Mission Driven Business Podcast

Brian Thompson, JD/CFP®, is a tax attorney and Certified Financial Planner® who specializes in providing comprehensive financial planning to LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs who run mission-driven businesses. The Mission Driven Business podcast was born out of his passion for helping social entrepreneurs create businesses with purpose and profit.

On the podcast, Brian talks with diverse entrepreneurs and the people who support them. Listeners hear stories of experiences, strength, and hope and get practical advice to help them build businesses that might just change the world, too.