Have you ever built something successful—only to realize it wasn't sustainable?

In this episode, I'm sharing why I walked away from my membership model after two years. Not because it was failing financially—but because it wasn't aligned with my constitution, season of life, or the depth of transformation I wanted to facilitate.

This isn't about memberships being "wrong." It's about discovering what's right for you.

Together, we'll explore:

• Why monthly recurring revenue isn't the holy grail for everyone (and what matters more)
• The hidden energetic costs of always-on business models—and how to recognize them
• What I learned about myself after running two different membership experiments
• How cohort-based programs can still offer recurring income (it's not all or nothing)
• The palpable difference in depth and transformation when everyone walks the journey together
• 10 essential questions to help you determine YOUR right business model
• Why trusting what you already know about yourself matters more than following trends

Whether you’re currently running a membership, considering launching one, or simply sensing that something in your business model feels off, your business model should honor your unique wiring. Your creative process. Your season of life.

And yes—it can still be profitable. Maybe even more so.

Ready to design a business that truly fits you?

Join me December 5–6 for Design Your Dream Business—a 2-day, IFS-based virtual planning retreat to create your 12-month business map, aligned with your deepest Self.

✨ Learn more & save your seat: www.saraavantstover.com/dream

Resources:

• Join the “Design Your Dream Business in 2026” Retreat 
• Episode 232: What a Cease and Desist Letter Taught Me About Soul-Powered Leadership 
• Subscribe to Sara’s Sunday Journal
• Connect with Sara on Instagram
• Connect with Sara on LinkedIn

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Do you ever create a business plan in January—only to abandon it by February?

If so, you’re in good company. (And no, it’s not a discipline problem.)

Welcome to Episode 2 of “The Season of Slow Business,” a five-part series exploring what it means to lead and grow from rhythm, rest, and feminine wisdom—instead of push and urgency.

In this episode, I share how one mentor’s radical advice completely transformed my approach to business (and life). And I’ll show you why understanding your natural rhythms is only half the equation for  stewarding your sacred business.

Together, we’ll explore:

• Why spaciousness is a strategy, not a luxury—especially for sensitive women
• The signs your business is draining your energy (and how to shift that)
• Nature’s blueprint for sustainable business growth through the seasons
• How to discover your personal energy map—and why it matters more than any “expert” formula
• Why most business plans fail (and a more holistic approach that makes a plan actually work)
• How to design your year around your rhythms—not someone else’s 

If you’ve been trying to force yourself into more masculine business models—or you’re tired of creating plans that only one part of you wants to follow—this episode offers a saner, more soulful alternative.

Your business can honor your sensitivity. Your need for spaciousness. Your unique energy.

And yes—it can still be successful. Maybe even more so.

Ready to design your 2026 in this way?

Join me December 5–6 for Design Your Dream Business—a 2-day, IFS-based virtual planning retreat to create your 12-month business map, aligned with your deepest Self.

✨ Learn more & save your seat: www.saraavantstover.com/dream

Resources:

• Join our “Design Your Dream Business in 2026” Virtual Retreat 
• Subscribe to Sara’s Sunday Journal
• Connect with Sara on Instagram
• Connect with Sara on LinkedIn

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After two years of publishing weekly content, I arrived in France this autumn and felt a deep truth drop in—what once felt aligned had turned into pressure. My body, my spirit, and my nervous system were asking me to slow down.

This episode marks the beginning of 'The Season of Slow Business,' a five-part series exploring what it means to lead, create, and grow from rhythm, rest, and feminine wisdom—instead of urgency and overfunctioning.

In this opening episode, I share a story I’ve never told publicly—and how that experience is speaking to me again now, as I turn 48, navigate perimenopause, and begin a new chapter in France.

Together, we’ll explore:

• What the Slow Business Movement really is (and what it’s not)
• How autumn invites us to release what's no longer sustainable in our businesses
• Why slowing down might be the most radical and strategic move you can make right now
• How to begin creating a business that honors your body, your nervous system, and your season of life

If you’re moving through a transition, craving more space, or simply tired of pushing through, this episode will meet you where you are—and offer you a new path forward.

Because your business doesn’t need more pressure. It needs more presence. And so do you.

⭐ And, as a special gift, I want to offer you free access to one of my most popular programs, “The IFS Kickstarter Kit.” This will teach you the foundational concepts of the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model—a proven framework that has helped me and countless others navigate challenges, build inner clarity, and create thriving, soul-aligned businesses.

Through this 7-part video series, you’ll gain a deep understanding of how IFS works and how to apply it to your own life and business. These are the same principles I teach in my advanced programs, now made accessible in an introductory format.

To receive your complimentary “IFS Kickstarter Kit,” all you have to do is:

1) Leave a review of this podcast. 

2) Email a screenshot of your review to [email protected]

It’s as simple as that!

Resources:

• Order Sara’s books 
• Subscribe to Sara’s Sunday Journal
• Connect with Sara on Instagram
• Connect with Sara on LinkedIn

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What if the exhaustion you're feeling isn't just about being busy—it's about where your attention is actually going?

In this episode, I sit down with Amelia Hruby, author of Your Attention is Sacred, to explore what happens when we reclaim our attention from the platforms designed to fragment it. Amelia left social media over four years ago, and her journey from creator to someone who gardens their attention with intention offers both wisdom and hope for anyone feeling trapped in the endless scroll.

We talk about:

• The difference between paying attention and giving attention—and why this shift matters
• How social media creates "loops of similarity" that trap us in algorithmic bubbles
• The grief of leaving social media and the unexpected loneliness that follows
• Simple noticing practices to understand what needs social media is meeting in your life
• Why breaking free from convenience reveals what we're actually avoiding
• How attention becomes more textured and alive when we unplug
• The connection between our household relationship with money and scarcity economics
• Simple exercises to help you get out of your algorithm

Amelia gets beautifully honest about the full arc of leaving—the creative surge, the return to human pace, the work of rebuilding genuine connection, and ultimately, the gift of presence that comes from no longer performing your life online.

Whether you're considering leaving social media or simply want to cultivate a more conscious relationship with your attention, this conversation offers a roadmap back to yourself.

Resources:

• Get Amelia Hruby’s new book: Your Attention is Sacred 
• Subscribe to Sara’s Sunday Journal
• Connect with Sara on Instagram

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Here we are, almost two months after our wedding, recording from the floor of a bedroom in our Bordeaux Airbnb, surrounded by eight duffel bags—everything we own after selling most of our belongings and moving to France.

This episode is about what happens when major life transitions collide with running a business, and how to navigate massive change while staying true to your soul's calling. 

It's also the first time my husband Chris joins me on the podcast, turning the tables to ask me the questions.

Also: her Self CEO enrollment is open now through October 2nd. This 20-week cohort program blends Internal Family Systems with practical business strategy to help spiritual women create profitable, sustainable businesses from their wholeness.

Learn more at herselfceo.com

Resources:

• Join us in her Self CEO 
• Visit Chris’s website
• The Art of We "Relationship Agreements"
• Subscribe to Sara’s Sunday Journal
• Connect with Sara on Instagram

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If you’ve been feeling called to grow your business differently— with more soul, more spaciousness, and less self-abandonment, I invite you to tune into this limited-time replay.

In The Sovereign Shift workshop, I share what has been the missing piece for both me and my clients:

1. How to stop leading your business from fear, performance, or overgiving
2. The three key shifts that help you root your work in clarity, structure, and self-trust
3. Why trauma-informed, IFS-based inner work must go hand-in-hand with smart, sustainable business strategy
4. And how to grow at any stage of business— when you lead from your Sovereign Self

You’ll also be guided through a powerful visualization to meet your future self—the version of you who’s grown her business from alignment, not exhaustion.

If this conversation resonates, I’ll share how we can walk this path together inside her Self CEO, my program for soul-led women ready to build sustainable businesses from the inside out.

Doors are open until October 2. You can learn more and join us here.

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When mastery meets messiness behind the scenes

Several years ago, I lost an entire retreat curriculum—hours of teaching notes, insights, and debrief reflections—because I couldn’t remember where I’d saved the file. That moment sparked a total reorganization of how I run my business.

But what I’ve realized since then is this: I wasn’t alone.

So many brilliant, intuitive women—coaches, healers, service providers—are masterful at what they do, yet feel scattered, behind, or even ashamed of the backend of their business. And the truth is, the shame isn’t helpful—but it is telling.

This episode is about what happens when your craft grows faster than your systems, and how to create a business structure that actually supports your energy, your gifts, and the season of life you're in.

HERE ARE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1️⃣ You’re not failing at business—you’ve just outgrown your systems

We’ll explore why chaos often signals growth, and why structure that honors your feminine rhythms and values is the missing piece.

2️⃣ Your systems should serve your soul—not suppress it

Discover what “feminine structure” really means, and how to build a business that’s sustainable, spacious, and true to how you work best.

3️⃣ The root of disorganization often lives deeper than your to-do list

We’ll connect the dots between inner fragmentation and outer overwhelm—and how integration, not perfection, is the real game-changer.

✨ Ready to bring more ease, alignment, and clarity to your business? Join me for The Sovereign Shift, my free workshop where we explore how to stop overgiving, start leading, and build a business that truly serves.

Save your seat at saraavantstover.com/shift.

Resources:

• Free Workshop: The Sovereign Shift 
• Subscribe to Sara’s Sunday Journal
• Connect with Sara on Instagram

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What if the very qualities that make you so capable… are also what keep you stuck in overdrive?

In today’s episode, I’m unpacking one of the most deeply ingrained patterns I see in women leaders, helpers, and healers: over-responsibility.

From skipping vacations to working through weekends and pushing self-care to “someday,” it’s easy to fall into the trap of constantly holding space for everyone but yourself.

Together, we’ll explore where this pattern really comes from—ancestral conditioning, “good girl” programming, spiritual bypassing, and the entrepreneurial systems that reward over-functioning—and what it’s actually costing your energy, visibility, income, relationships, and health.

More importantly, I’ll walk you through how to shift from martyrdom to sovereignty, so you can lead, create, and live from a place of fullness.

HERE ARE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1️⃣ Over-responsibility is a survival strategy, not a character flaw

Learn the three root sources of this pattern and how they’ve shaped the way women show up in business, relationships, and leadership.

2️⃣ Boundaries, systems, and rest aren’t indulgences—they’re essential infrastructure

Discover the four sovereign shifts that support you in leading from your center instead of your exhaustion.

3️⃣ Your business can become a source of energy—not a drain on it

Explore what becomes possible when your inner and outer structures align with your values, energy, and season of life.

✨ If this episode resonated, I invite you to join me in The Sovereign Shift, my free workshop where we’ll go deeper into how to stop overgiving, start leading, and build a business that truly serves.

Save your seat at saraavantstover.com/shift.

Resources:

• Free Workshop: The Sovereign Shift 
• Subscribe to Sara’s Sunday Journal
• Connect with Sara on Instagram

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What if the discomfort you’re feeling in your business… is actually a divine invitation?

After a nourishing summer sabbatical—complete with getting married and moving to France—I’m back with a timely solo episode.

If you’ve ever felt like you’ve evolved beyond your current business or career path, today I’m sharing the 7 signs that you may have outgrown the business you built. 

These signs are drawn from my own journey and the women I mentor—high-achieving, heart-led entrepreneurs who sense something deeper is calling.

This isn’t about burning it all down. It’s about shedding old skins, realigning with your truth, and creating a business that meets the woman you’re becoming.

If this episode resonates, I’d love for you to join me inside The Sovereign Shift. You can save your seat at saraavantstover.com/shift, or just click the link in the show notes.

HERE ARE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1️⃣ Success Can Feel Hollow When You’ve Outgrown It

You’re hitting your goals, but it doesn’t feel fulfilling. That misalignment isn’t failure—it’s your next evolution calling.

2️⃣ Your Soul Might Be Asking for a Bigger Expression

Whether it’s messaging that feels forced, clients that drain you, or a vision that no longer fits your business model—these are sacred invitations to expand.

3️⃣ You’re Not Alone in This Transition

I created a free workshop—The Sovereign Shift—to help you navigate this with more clarity, grace, and support. You don’t have to do it alone.

Resources:

• Free Workshop: The Sovereign Shift 
• Subscribe to Sara’s Sunday Journal
• Connect with Sara on Instagram

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What if some of the energy you’re carrying… isn’t actually yours?

As part of our special summer sabbatical series, I’m sharing conversations that have expanded my understanding of healing in profound ways—and today’s episode with Robert Falconer is one of the most paradigm-shifting.

A longtime IFS practitioner, teacher, and co-author of Many Minds, One Self, Robert brings a grounded and deeply compassionate approach to one of the more mysterious elements of internal work: working with foreign energies.

This isn’t about labeling parts as bad or broken. It’s about exploring the possibility that some burdens may have been taken on from outside your system—and learning how to release them with care, consent, and clarity.

Whether you’ve ever felt stuck in patterns that don’t feel like yours, sensed something “off” inside, or simply want to expand your perspective on what healing can look like, this episode is an open-hearted invitation to explore what’s possible.

1️⃣ Some Energies Aren’t Yours to Carry

Robert explains the concept of unattached burdens and non-native parts in IFS—and how recognizing them can open up new levels of healing and freedom.

2️⃣ Your System Knows How to Discern

We explore how the Self can recognize, relate to, and release foreign energies—not through fear, but through clarity, compassion, and inner leadership.

3️⃣ You’re Not Broken—You’re Just Holding Too Much

This conversation offers a powerful reminder that much of what we struggle with isn’t a personal failing—it’s often a sign of what we’ve absorbed, inherited, or tried to carry for others.

Resources:

• Robert Falconer 
• Free Guide: 7 Hidden Ways Your Unresolved Wounds Are Sabotaging Your Business 
• Subscribe to Sara’s Sunday Journal
• Connect with Sara on Instagram

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