how I almost didn't become a biz owner
overcoming the real obstacles of being a highly sensitive entrepreneur and living the digital nomad dream
Hello love,
December 2017, I'm sitting cross-legged on a wooden deck in Phú Quốc, Vietnam , slurping my coconut juice straight from its shell right after having taught my online lessons for the day. The humid air clings to my skin, the waves of the sea create their soft melody in the background, and I can hardly believe this is my life now.
Just a few months before, I had been "just a teacher.” I had the stability anyone should desire, especially in conservative Europe. Yet, I was spending my days wondering how long it would take me to die of boredom in my classroom. My nights, scrolling through Pinterest travel photos or watching early youtube vlogs of families who had ditched it all to explore the world in their minivan with their unschooled kids.
My heart was constantly whispering that there's something bigger waiting for me, whilst my brain was telling me I was crazy for even wanting it.
Soon enough though, that whisper turned into a roar, and I did what so many of us secret dreamers eventually do: I took a leap of faith.
I remember so vividly starting my entrepreneurial journey, knowing nothing about this world and naively hoping that my experience, passion, and enthusiasm would be enough to build a successful online business.
(Spoiler alert: it wasn't – but what happened instead was even better.)
It started with a simple Google search: "How to teach languages online." (Yes, really. We all start somewhere!). I took a bunch of online courses & training, read mountains of books on marketing and self-development, made an impressive amount of mistakes, and I found myself. I built something I never could have imagined back in that classroom.
Except I almost didn't.
I almost didn't become an entrepreneur at all
It would be a wonderful fairy tale if I had told you that after taking a course and hiring a coach, my entrepreneurial journey naturally unfolded. That I worked peacefully and creatively every day, having found the perfect balance between developing my business and caring for my family and for myself. That I had one plan and that I confidently followed it, taking one step after the other and reaching success in no time.
It would also be a lie.
My journey was anything but linear. It was full of pitfalls, of moments of despair on the verge of quitting, of too long hours in front of my screen taking classes that were completely useless, following advice that was altogether misaligned and of countless wasted hours doubting myself, second-guessing my decisions or even my ability to succeed at this.
Every month, I was full of renewed motivation, but as soon as I’d start taking action, I’d feel completely blocked:
External "shoulds" and my internal "can't" meant I would procrastinate on taking action outside of my comfort zone. Turns out a big part of the things I needed to do fell into that category.
The pressure to make money would push me to focus only on tasks that could potentially bring instant gratification, like social media, instead of investing in long-term game-changing projects, like hosting my podcast or writing my blog.
The crippling sensations of feeling small, invisible and not standing a chance in this competitive world (and this was before 2020!)
Truth is, at this time, I’m not sure I really understood what it meant to be an entrepreneur. In my mind, I was still very much “just” a teacher and I was secretly hoping that this could be enough. That taking another course on how to do marketing would be enough,. And I didn’t see how my inner stories were hindering me and keeping me small.
If you have found yourself procrastinating on taking action to market your services, a course on how to do marketing is rarely a sufficient answer. Of course, you need to know this stuff, but not knowing what to do is never the whole problem. In fact, it's an easy fix.
The part that's not easy - and so underrated, is that you also need to learn how to regulate your thoughts + your emotions + your inner stories that actually prevent you from marketing and selling your offers
these voices that tell you that you're not special enough, you don't have anything interesting to share, you don't have enough energy, or time, or both.
the feelings of worthlessness, of being inadequate, ridiculous.
the fears of being rejected or judged, that you're trying to hide behind a mask that you hope people will take seriously because deep down, you don't.
the difficulty to ask for good money in exchange for doing something you love.
the beliefs that clients are hard to find or that it’s bad to sell.
the comparison that kills you every time you realise you're not anywhere near what your competitor have accomplished, thinking you should be so much further by now.
You don't know how many times I've been crushed and paralysed by these thoughts myself. It made me seriously question if I was cut out to be a business owner or a freelancer at all.
Being an entrepreneur isn’t for everyone
Being an entrepreneur or a freelancer isn’t for everyone. It’s a path that asks for resilience, self-trust, and the willingness to take risks. But when you have the right tools, the right support, and people who look like you that you can look up to, those challenges feel less daunting.
When I started out, I wish I’d integrated better that I didn’t have to figure it all out alone. I had a few models to give me inspiration, but they somehow still were foreign because they didn’t show much of their vulnerability. Amongst coaches, there’s still general tendency to want to give a polished image of yourself as “the one who has it all figured out”, and I’m not sure if this is truly helpful.
We need to see that there are other highly sensitive women out there who are successful even if their circumstances aren’t always optimal. Leaders who maybe have some childhood trauma, who don’t have all the answers about what to do, and who sometimes struggle with anxiety or even full-blown panic attacks like decent human beings - and who keep showing up despite it all.
That’s what’s inspiring to me. Having guidance and examples like that to follow from the very beginning makes all the difference: it gives you a foundation to lean on when things get tough. You get to remember that you’re not alone, and if these women who are just like you can do it… so can you.
The real game-changer is below the surface
The real game-changer in building a business isn’t about knowing the latest strategies or staying on top of every trend, it’s what happens below the surface.
It’s about your mindset, the inner work, and the strength you cultivate within yourself.
That’s where your true power lies.
You could have the most sophisticated strategic plan, without solid grounding and resilience, and the courage to face the doubts that creep in, you will not likely act on them consistently.
This is why I work as a holistic coach: because business isn’t just an external game, it’s an inner journey. When you tap into your own inner power, aligned with the right practices, you’re creating something sustainable and authentic, rooted in who you are.
That’s the foundation that makes everything else flow.
You consolidate yourself, finding your inner grounding and tranquil confidence in what you do. You start trusting your approach and your talents.
You reconnect to your purpose, to your story, to the uniqueness of you and you feel ready to show it in your work, unapologetically. Because what makes you different is what makes you stand out from the crowd.
You find power in a business vision that deeply aligns with your vision of a fair world, in which your success contributes to the success of others.
You see clearly your path ahead of you, you know where to start, what to prioritise and what to leave for a later time so you can take small daily actions that actually make a difference.
You learn to balance out all the areas of your life, making sure that your business plays only a role in your fulfilment and you still have time and energy to be a parent, to pursue friendships, romance, creative projects and fitness goals. So you avoid burnout and keep shining your light, long term.
You choose marketing and visibility strategies that match your energy and don’t trigger you every single day. To me, that meant breaking up with social media.
You learn to distance yourself from your business, removing your ego from the definition of success and you reconnect to your inner worth - the one that is completely separate from your work.
This is what has made it possible for me to still be here today. And to be honest, a lot of these lessons I learned only after I burned out and during my 2-year mommy break.
This is not the kind of transformation that you can learn in a course. It’s not a result you can purchase, nor that can be done for you. But the good news is, it doesn’t mean that you must do it alone.
Key takeaways to overcome your business obstacles.
Today, I’m still on this journey, though with a lot more clarity and inner strength.
Building a business that aligns with my soul means constantly doing the inner work to avoid falling into the same traps:
I keep up an inner work routine that helps me stay grounded and clear-headed.
I’ve learned the power of delegation—letting go of tasks that drain my energy and giving them to people I trust so that I can focus on what I do best.
Strong boundaries are now a core part of how I approach my work and my clients. This means setting time aside just for me, taking days off to recharge, and staying true to my values rather than trying to please everyone.
My mindset around money, selling, and client work has also evolved. I no longer let doubts dictate my actions or allow the outcome to define my worth.
Detaching from the idea of success as an ego-driven goal and focusing instead on the impact and fulfilment my work brings is my true north. If I can help one person…
With each step, I’m building a business that feels purposeful and sustainable—one that serves me as much as it serves my clients.
Journal your own roadmap to a business & life you love
If you're feeling called to build a business that lights you up from the inside out, I’d love to support you.
I’ve created a free guide, Celebrate, Plan, Manifest, to help you clarify your vision, align with your goals and start taking intentional action toward your dreams. It’s your journal that helps you create a practical yet soulful roadmap to bring you closer to a business and life you love.
I hope you enjoy it.
Power and light,
Jessica