Breakdowns, Breakthroughs & the Privilege of Pursuit | Podcast Recap | Episode 18

A summarised edit of Mindset, Mess & Magic / Episode 18 / Breakdowns, Breakthroughs & the Privilege of Pursuit

Catch the full episode here!!

Well, hello — it’s been a hot minute…

I’m welcoming you…and I’m welcoming myself back. Earlier this year I put a pin in the podcast because life got loud: launching a restaurant, raising a family, still chasing big, sparkly goals. Classic me — ambitious, optimistic, “I’ve got this.” And honestly? It’s been incredible. I feel grateful, proud, and deeply aware of the fruits of hard work.

But I couldn’t let this go. This space — writing, speaking, connecting — lights me up. I’ve benefited so much from people who share their words and their work. So here I am again, pressing record (and publish). If you’re here with me: thank you. I’m so glad we found our way back to each other.

“If you wake up with the capacity to actively pursue a dream, you’re already doing really, really well.”

2025: The Year That Burned Things Down (So New Growth Could Rise)

If my DMs and conversations are anything to go by, 2025 has been a lot for many of us. I’ve heard it called a “year nine” — the end of a cycle — and it certainly felt like the great burn-down before the bloom.

For me, it came with a beautiful, life-rearranging surprise: I’m becoming a grandmother. My gorgeous daughter, Phoebe, is welcoming a little boy named Devon (yes, after the place my heart belongs to). As I write this, he’s due tomorrow. We’re heading to the hospital for an induction, and my heart could burst. Watching my daughter step into motherhood has been profoundly healing — a chance to show up for her in the ways I once needed, with compassion for previous generations who didn’t have the resources we do now.

The Dark Night (and What It Taught Me)

Somewhere between running The Chubby Frog, loving our blended family of five, writing my book, and serving clients, I hit a wall. Overwork. Under-rest. Saying yes to everyone and everything but myself. My body started whispering…then it started screaming. (Pro tip from the future: listen to the whispers.)

I reset. I slept. I ate better (Domino’s and I needed a conscious uncoupling). I stopped polishing my pauses and let this be imperfect and real. And on the other side of that dark night, I found something invaluable: clarity.

5 Truths I’m Taking Forward

1. Breakdowns often precede breakthroughs. The heaviness isn’t punishment; it’s feedback and refinement. Sit with it. Listen.

2. Big dreams require big, sustained effort. I’m anti-burnout, but I’m also allergic to the myth that “if it’s hard, it’s not for you.” Extraordinary outcomes ask for extraordinary, consistent action.

3. Time will pass anyway.

   
   

   Two years from now, you could be two years into the thing. Keep going. Slow is still forward.

4. It’s a privilege to pursue a dream. When you’re not fighting for food, shelter or safety, you get to create. That perspective shifts everything.

   
   

5. Your body is your business partner.

   
   

   Hydrate. Sleep. Move. Nourish. If you don’t listen to the whispers of your body, you’ll be forced to hear the screams.

“Change happens through friction. Resistance isn’t a stop sign — it’s proof you’re reshaping something.”

Re-Aligning My Work: Speaking Directly to My People

For years I said I served “women in business.” True, but too broad. I was diluting my message — censoring the crystals, the ritual, the woo, the creative chaos that’s actually me. So I’m naming it:

I serve spiritual entrepreneurs and creatives.

The multi-passionate makers, mystics, artists, writers, brand builders — the ones who want strategy that honours soul, and action that respects energy.

I’ve been an artist, a photographer, and now a restaurateur who still paints the signage and styles the brand. Creativity is my mother tongue. When I stopped filtering myself, the message landed. If you’re still here reading this, it probably landed with you, too.

Letting Go of Timelines But Keeping the Vision

Yes, I still want the literary agent and the book on shelves. And yes, I’d love it by 40. But I’m letting timelines loosen their grip. The time will pass either way. My job is to keep showing up with radical responsibility, self-compassion, and aligned action — my holy trinity.

What’s Next

This post is my “hi, I’m back” — tea sips, tangents and all. Next up, I’m diving into Soul-Aligned Strategy for your life and business: the practical, gentle systems that help you create consistent momentum without burning out the magic.

If you’re in the messy middle, read this part twice:

• You’re not late.

• Resistance is normal.

• Rest is productive.

• Your dream is patient — but it needs you to keep going.

If this episode resonated and you’re a spiritual entrepreneur or creative who’s ready to recalibrate with soul (no hustle-cosplay required), I’m opening a handful of 1:1 sessions this month. We’ll clarify your next aligned moves, reset your rhythms, and map a simple strategy you can actually keep.

Love & Magic,

Hayley x