Build a Business That Wears In, Not Out

What my fashion hobby taught me about growth & refinement in my work life

Mar 07, 2025

At some point within the past 5 years, I got really into fashion. Or maybe I should just say clothes? This feels cringey to admit because 50% of the time, I still go into existential crisis when trying to get dressed.

And because the other 50% of the time, I’m likely in mixed-matched, not-Instagram-or-Zoom-ready “house clothes” that are minutes away from being wet or stained. Mom life, you know?

And because I live in an uber casual beach town where opportunities for “dressing up” are few & far between.

And because I swear I look different on any given day, which I blame on having curly hair, which I know makes no sense, but I’ve convinced myself makes it impossible to have a consistent aesthetic or signature style.

TRULY, I could keep going on all of the reasons I’m unqualified to even remotely consider myself a “fashion girly”.

Okay, maybe I just like following & learning from the fashion girlies??

Whatever. Regardless, it’s become a hobby of sorts for me … curating a style board on Pinterest, planning outfits for trips & special occasions via Canva, saving my go-to’s and wish list items to LTK or ShopMy, attempting to build seasonal capsule wardrobes, watching influencer shopping hauls on YouTube … you get the idea.

Admittedly, it consumes a lot of my limited free time.

But here’s the thing: all the effort I’ve put into it over the years has led to ease. i.e.:

Less frustration standing in front of my closet. → A uniform of sorts: Levi’s, Babaton Function tee, Anine Bing sweatshirt, & a pair of sneakers.
Fewer impulse purchases that don’t fit my lifestyle. → Ahem, yet another blazer and pair of 4” heels I’ll rarely, if ever, wear. They just call to me!!
More confidence knowing that what I already own works for me. → And if it doesn’t? It’s time to donate it or put it on Poshmark.

This isn’t about perfection—far from it! It’s about creating a rhythm that works.

And honestly? The forethought & seemingly silly planning has saved me many a’time. No more last-minute panic when getting dressed for a holiday or event, realizing I have nothing that fits the bill or feels good.

While I could go on and on, I’ve also been thinking … this is the same rhythm I want to find in business, too.

What “Wearing In” Looks Like in Business

I’ve spent years experimenting, scaling, tweaking, testing, and trying to keep up with the industry tide.

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly the latest prescribed approach to business rolls in, only to roll right on back out.

But since becoming a mom—and navigating drastically different constraints on my time & energy—I’ve been craving a rhythm in business that fits like a pair of well-worn jeans.

Because the goal isn’t to build a business that constantly demands more, more, more—but one that wears in, not out.

I realize that metaphor may not seem obvious at first, and it’s far easier said than done — so allow me to connect the dots.

01 - Reworking What Growth Means

Shortly after gaining momentum as a solopreneur, my vision was to grow a team. To be the go-to copywriting team. To lead, to provide growth opportunities, to build something that felt expansive and inspiring—not just for me, but for others. I imagined fun things like photoshoots, team retreats, industry events, and collaborations.

Some of that happened. Some didn’t.

But somewhere along the way, I started realizing the real cost of ‘bigger.’ Not just financially, but energetically.

Because more people meant more managing. More responsibility. More systems that weren’t just built for me, but for everyone else, too.

And I started questioning whether more was actually better—or if I was just chasing a version of success that wasn’t fully my own.

Now, I’m more interested in optimizing for what fits. Not forcing myself into something that looks impressive but doesn’t feel sustainable.

02 - Rethinking Work in a Way That Sustains Me

I’ve long believed in paying attention to personal capacity—because, let’s be real, it’s often in flux. Just like our wardrobes with the change of seasons.

At times, I’ve felt limitless, ready to take on anything. Other times? I’ve been one email away from deleting the internet.

So lately, I’ve been wondering:

What rhythms actually work for me?
What’s enough? Not just manageable, but deeply sustainable?
Where do I need to actively protect my capacity before I hit a wall?
How can I redefine the way I see myself, my title(s), my career?

Because I don’t want to build something that constantly demands bigger, louder, more. I want to build something that gets better, deeper, stronger.

As a side bar: I recently came across the work of Anna Mackenzie and the growing popularity of the term “portfolio career” and let me tell you, so much clicked for me. I’m sure I’ll touch on that more in a future post.

03 - Letting Go of What No Longer Fits

One of the biggest shifts I’ve made? Pruning.

Not to add multiple metaphors to this post or anything, but how could I not draw the comparison to how a vintner tends to their vines? 🍷

Because pruning isn’t about cutting for the sake of cutting—it’s about guiding growth.

Vintners prune their vines with intention, shaping the plant in certain directions and for particular purposes. By cutting away unnecessary branches, they allow the remaining ones to thrive—yielding better fruit, not just more fruit.

So lately, I’ve been looking at what I actually need. Which has entailed:

Letting go of tools & software that weren’t worth the cost (bye bloated tech stack).
Switching project management systems (hiiii, Notion). This has been a big one. Although it’s been time-consuming up-front to make the switch, it’s bringing that whole effort-meets-ease pay-off. Thanks in large part to Anna’s Portfolio Career Operating System template.
Returning to automated over manual backend processes. Let’s just say my Dubsado + Zapier accounts are going to be working on overdrive.
Reassessing time commitments and ensuring they match my real capacity. (“Waitttt, it takes how many hours to deliver this signature service of mine?”)

When something no longer fits, you don’t force it.

You don’t keep squeezing into clothes that once felt like you but now feel constricting. You don’t let a cluttered closet (or a cluttered business) weigh you down.

Instead, you prune. You refine. You adjust. You create margin.

04 - Listening to Resistance & Leaning Into What’s Already Strong

I’ve always known where I’m strongest—brand messaging and website copywriting have been the foundation of my business from day one.

But even when you know your lane, there are seasons where things feel…off.

Not necessarily broken. Not requiring a massive overhaul. Just…resistance.

And I’ve learned that resistance isn’t always a sign to burn everything down—sometimes, it’s just a prompt to get curious.

So instead of forcing my way through it, I’m trying to pay closer attention:

Where does my work feel most energizing? (And how do I do more of that?)
What small adjustments would make a meaningful difference? (Instead of reinventing, how can I refine?)

I don’t know the full answers yet.

But I do know, the answer is not always a full reinvention. Sometimes, it’s just a refresh. A few new ‘pieces’ in your proverbial (or actual) closet that make it easier to get dressed.

I’m curious — have you felt the urge to refresh, too? What feels like “wearing in” instead of wearing out for you right now?

P.S. - Speaking of refinement … last week I mentioned I was working on a new resource. I need just a littleeee bit more time with it, but I promise I’m sharing it and slightly revised services for 2025 very soon!

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