What if success isn’t about doing more…

But about choosing less?

In this episode of The Moxie Movement, I’m sitting down with Erika Clarkson — Melbourne artist, mum of two, and Done By Three Club member. Who went from breastfeeding with 47 business ideas and zero focus… to earning $1,500 before 2pm drawing on shop windows.

And still making school pick up.

This is the real story of what happens when you stop glorifying hustle, start asking what you actually want, and build a business that fits your life.

Not “overnight success.”

Just consistent action, brave decisions, and a whole lot of belief shifts.

✔ Why having “too many ideas” is actually fear in disguise

✔ The lie about success that keeps women stuck

✔ How scheduling her time changed Erika’s income and her nervous system

✔ The mindset shift that helped her stop undervaluing her work

✔ Why consistent action beats big bursts of motivation

✔ How she went from reactive chaos to calm, aligned growth

✔ What it really looks like to earn well and still be present at school pick up

The Belief Shift

After being knocked back for a big job, Erika found herself crying and questioning everything. Not because she wasn’t capable but because her entire sense of success was tied to someone else saying yes.

That had to change.

For years she believed success was for “other people.”

Not for someone sensitive.

Or with ADHD tendencies.

Or with a brain that moves fast.

Sound familiar?

She had to drop the belief that success wasn’t for her and replace it with one simple truth:

You have to believe you can do it before you’ll take the steps.

The system that changed everything.

Scheduling.

Not a colour-coded Pinterest fantasy.

Actual time ownership.

Instead of walking into her office asking “What should I do today?”

She decided in advance.

She schedules:

1. Sales
2. Life admin
3. Date night
4. Self-care Friday
5. School pickup space

And she deleted her to-do list.

That shift alone moved her from reactive to proactive, from overwhelmed to aligned.

The money shift.

Erika stopped:

1. Overdelivering for free
2. Taking whatever paid
3. Hoarding money in the business account “for safety”

And started:

1. Valuing her time
2. Charging for the extra mile
3. Paying herself properly

Now?

She’s had $1,500 days finishing at 2pm.

Drawing koalas in Christmas hats on shop windows.

(Yes, the police once stopped her to check she was “sanctioned.” 😂)

The biggest truth in here?

You can have it all.

You just can’t do it all at once.

And you don’t need to sacrifice being a mum to make serious money.

Erika earned well last year and still made 80–90% of school pickups.

That’s what alignment looks like.

If this episode hit home:

🎧 Make sure you subscribe to The Moxie...

If you’re an overwhelmed business owner who says she wants help… but still struggles with delegation anxiety, this episode is for you.

Because task hoarding in small business doesn’t look dramatic.

It looks like:

Doing payroll from a hospital bed.

Working when you’re sick because “no one else can do it properly.”

Redoing your team’s work at 10pm.

Micromanaging because it feels safer.

This isn’t about being bad at leadership.

This is about identity, control, and learning how to delegate without losing control.

And for female entrepreneurs — especially mums running businesses — this pattern is incredibly common.

✔ Why delegation anxiety in small business isn’t a character flaw

✔ The identity shift from “doer” to CEO leadership

✔ How to delegate in your small business without micromanaging

✔ The 80% rule of delegation (and why it unlocks momentum)

✔ How to choose low-risk tasks to delegate first

✔ Why business growth without burnout requires backup

When you stop delegating because it feels uncomfortable, you create:

1. A business that only works when you’re working
2. Constant mental load
3. No backup during school holidays or sickness
4. Burnout disguised as “high standards”

Being indispensable feels powerful.

Until you realise it means you can’t step away.

If your nervous system goes into fight-or-flight every time life happens, that’s not a systems problem.

That’s a delegation problem.

Here’s the shift:

Delegation isn’t about someone doing it your way.

It’s about someone doing it well enough so you don’t have to.

80% done by someone else is more powerful than 100% done by you.

Because leadership in small business isn’t execution anymore, it’s direction.

If you want to scale your business without burnout, you must move from task hoarder to leader.

If you’re wondering how to delegate in your business without blowing it up:

Start with low-risk tasks.

Admin.

Accounts.

Repetitive prep work.

Follow-ups.

If the business won’t collapse if it’s done imperfectly, it’s safe to hand over.

And instead of micromanaging steps, define outcomes:

“What does done look like?”

Clarity reduces anxiety for you and for them.

🎧 Subscribe or follow The Moxie Movement Podcast for weekly episodes on delegation, leadership, business systems, and growth without burnout.

📲 Follow us on Instagram and Facebook and submit your questions for upcoming podcast episodes.

Stay Moxie.

WORK WITH SARAH:

// The Done By Three Club: The only business model for Mum’s with an established business wanting to be Present Before 9, Done by 3 and Profitable in between. Learn more: https://go.themoxiemovement.com/the-done-by-3-model

// The Moxie Business Advantage: Application only program to provide complete business support and structure - 4 Spots available each month. Apply via a quick 15 min phone call to see if we are a fit and that we can help.

The hours between 3pm and bedtime can feel like absolute chaos.

You’re trying to finish work, cook dinner, manage homework, regulate everyone’s emotions… and somehow be present too.

If you’ve ever thought, “Why does it feel like I’m failing at everything between school pickup and bedtime?” this episode is for you.

You’re not bad at being present, your business just isn’t designed to let you leave.

In this episode of The Moxie Movement Podcast, I’m giving you what I call The School Run Strategy a simple and powerful way to contain your business so it stops bleeding into family time and draining your energy dry.

This isn’t about working less because you’re “not ambitious”.

It’s about designing a business that works with your real life not against it.

1. Why split attention is the real reason you feel guilty everywhere
2. What “Done By Three” actually means (and what it doesn’t)
3. How to create a hard stop that protects your energy and your evenings
4. Why decision-making after 3pm is costing you more than you think
5. The 4 non-negotiable rules that stop work spilling into parenting time
6. How buffers (not better time management) change everything

1. Why trying to do two full-time roles at once is exhausting you
2. How role separation leads to better business decisions and calmer evenings
3. Why “no new starts after 2pm” will instantly reduce mental load
4. How to start small without burning out or rebelling against your own rules

Pick one day this week and try a true hard stop.

Clock out. Shut it down. Leave the business where it belongs.

And if you want to go deeper into building a business that’s designed to be Done By Three this is exactly what we build inside my world.

Here’s how to stay connected:

1. Subscribe or follow The Moxie Movement Podcast so you don’t miss an episode
2. Follow along on Instagram and Facebook for behind-the-scenes, real talk, and tools you can actually use
3. Got a question you want answered on a future episode? Submit it over on socials

Love + Moxie,

Sarah

WORK WITH SARAH:

// The Done By Three Club: The only business model for Mum’s with an established business wanting to be Present Before 9, Done by 3 and Profitable in between. Learn more: https://go.themoxiemovement.com/the-done-by-3-model

// The Moxie Business Advantage: Application only...

You did the thing, built the business and money’s coming in.

So why does it feel like you can’t breathe?

If you’ve got a business that looks successful from the outside paying you well, serving clients, ticking the “should be grateful” boxes but you can’t switch off, can’t step away, and can’t imagine a holiday without your laptop… this one is for you.

In this episode, I’m unpacking what I call the golden handcuffs. When your business pays you just enough to keep you trapped, but not enough to buy back your time, energy, or thinking space.

This isn’t a personal failing, it’s a structure problem.

✔ Why successful businesses can feel heavier instead of easier

✔ How capable women accidentally build businesses that rely on them for everything

✔ The 3 signs your business is leaning on you too hard

✔ Why making more money won’t fix your exhaustion

✔ The difference between being a paid doer vs a true business owner

✔ A simple audit to spot where you’re handcuffed to your business

1. The “well-paid job” trap that keeps you permanently on
2. Why being the main sales generator keeps you stuck
3. How becoming the default problem solver drains your brain
4. What happens when your role doesn’t evolve as your business grows
5. Why structure creates relief not revenue alone
6. How to start redesigning your business without burning it down

If you’ve ever thought:

“I should be grateful… so why am I this tired?”

Then your business just needs a different architecture.

Subscribe or follow The Moxie Movement Podcast so you don’t miss future episodes.

Follow along on Instagram and Facebook and submit a question for a future episode while you’re there.

If this episode hit, listen again with a pen and paper. You’re not meant to cope harder you’re meant to redesign smarter.

WORK WITH SARAH:

// The Done By Three Club: The only business model for Mum’s with an established business wanting to be Present Before 9, Done by 3 and Profitable in between. Learn more: https://go.themoxiemovement.com/the-done-by-3-model

// The Moxie Business Advantage: Application only program to provide complete business support and structure - 4 Spots available each month. Apply via a quick 15 min phone call to see if we are a fit and that we can help.

https://go.themoxiemovement.com/mbt-podcast

// VIP Thailand Retreats: If you’re after a complete done-with-you business experience with a side of tropical relaxation we’d love to host you at our island villa in Thailand - 6 spots left in 2026. Apply by sending RETREAT in a private message here

Back to school.

Back to business.

Back to carrying everything… again?

If you’re a mum running a business, this season probably feels familiar.

Uniforms. Stationery chaos. Permission slips. Lunchboxes you hope were emptied last term.

And that quiet belief whispering in your head: “Once this settles down… then I’ll focus on my business.”

But it never settles down.

In this episode, Sarah is calling time on the “I’ll start when life calms down” trap and walking you through how to actually build a business that works inside school terms, school holidays, sick kids, and the mental load you’re already carrying.

No fantasy schedules. No perfect weeks.

Just real systems that hold you even when life is messy.

✔ Why waiting for the “right time” is quietly killing your momentum

✔ How to do business before your bandwidth disappears

✔ The power of fewer priorities and tighter execution

✔ How to decide what actually matters in your business (and what you can stop doing)

✔ Why your business model must be designed around school terms

✔ How to plan term one without burning yourself out in week one

1. The myth that school holidays = a break for mum business owners
2. Why perfect weeks don’t exist (and never have)
3. Doing less, but doing it better in life and business
4. Critical success factors vs busywork that doesn’t move the needle
5. How to choose one or two six-week projects instead of trying to do everything
6. What not to plan during back-to-school weeks (hint: big decisions)
7. Practical back-to-school systems that reduce your load year after year

1. You feel excited for the kids to be back at school… and exhausted at the same time
2. You keep telling yourself “next week I’ll focus on my business”
3. You’re tired of carrying the mental load at home and at work
4. You want your business to fit around mum life not fight against it
5. You’re done with fantasy schedules and ready for something sustainable

👉 Subscribe or follow The Moxie Movement Podcast so you don’t miss future episodes

👉 Follow us on Instagram and Facebook and submit your question for an upcoming podcast

Because your business doesn’t need more of your time or energy.

It needs a system that actually works for the life you’re living.

Stay moxie.

Sarah x

WORK WITH SARAH:

// The Done By Three Club: The only business model for Mum’s with an established business wanting to be Present Before 9, Done by 3 and Profitable in between. Learn...

That Behind Feeling? Let’s Talk About It.

Ever feel like everyone else has kicked into full work mode…while you’re still juggling kids, snacks, uniforms, camps, activities, and a half-working brain?

That tight chest a sprinkle of low-grade panic. That rather annoying thought loop of “I should be further ahead by now.”

This episode is your permission slip to stop beating yourself up.

Because that “behind” feeling?

It’s not a sign you are failing or lazy and I promise it’s not a personal flaw.

It’s a split-season of capacity and once you see it clearly, everything changes.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Why feeling behind is a feeling, not a fact

How shame sneaks in when we compare mismatched seasons

What “split attention season” actually means for mums in business

Why focus follows capacity (not the other way around)

How to use January for preparation, not pressure

What phased momentum looks like for real-life business owners

Simple ways to calm the comparison spiral and reclaim your energy

What we cover in this episode

Why January is not the starting line we think it is

The emotional sabotage of comparing yourself to people with totally different realities

How to plan now so execution feels lighter (and faster) later

Using low-brain tasks and idea parking to protect your future self

Choosing calm instead of letting the internet dictate your pace

Setting a clear restart date so you can stop feeling “in limbo”

Your reminder (because it matters):

You are not late. There is no race. And there is no universal start line.

You’re not behind; you're in a split season of capacity. And once you plan for that, everything feels lighter.

👉 Ready for your next step?

✔ Subscribe / Follow The Moxie Movement Podcast so you don’t miss what’s coming next

✔ Follow us on Instagram & Facebook — and submit a question for an upcoming episode

You don’t need to push harder. You need a plan that matches your season.

Stay moxie. 💛

There’s a version of you 90 days from now.

She’s checking her bank balance. Doing the mental maths. And she’s not stressed because things are “quiet”… she’s stressed because nothing was decided earlier.

Welcome to your loving-but-direct reminder that business results are lag metrics.

What feels hard in 90 days from now didn’t start in March. It started with what you did (or didn’t do) right now.

And no, this isn’t about hustling harder during school holidays.

It’s about doing enough so future you doesn’t panic.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. Why cash flow stress is almost never a surprise (even when it feels like one)
2. How inaction now creates the “March money wobble” so many mums experience
3. What minimum viable visibility actually looks like during busy seasons
4. How to stay seen without being chained to your laptop or phone
5. The one thing you should be watching weekly to protect future cash flow

We talk about:

1. Why business, parenting, health, and relationships all work on lag metrics
2. The seasonal patterns that trip women up every single year (hello March/April)
3. Why blaming the economy later is easier than making small decisions now
4. Simple, realistic ways to keep sales ticking over while you rest
5. How to decide once now… so you don’t have to panic later

This is not about doing more. It’s about doing something.

A phone call.

A follow-up.

One post a week.

One visibility channel.

One decision that future you will be grateful for.

Your next steps:

✔ Subscribe to The Moxie Movement Podcast so you don’t miss future episodes

✔ Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for real-life business conversations

✔ Submit a question for an upcoming episode over on socials

Future you is watching.

And she’s begging you to pay attention now.

If you’ve opened Instagram in January and felt immediately behind…

If you’re being told this is the year to reinvent yourself while you’re still dusting sand out of the sheets, refereeing screen-time negotiations, and acting as unpaid Uber driver…

This episode is for you.

January is not supposed to be a stick to beat yourself with. For us it’s supposed to be a time to gently reenter, not reinvent.

I’m calling BS on the New Year, New You pressure, especially for mums running businesses in the middle of school holidays, Christmas fallout, and real life.

Because January is not the time to demand miracles. It’s a re-entry season, not a reinvention season.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. Why January is actually the worst time to expect peak performance
2. The difference between reinvention and re-entry (and why it matters)
3. The 3 counterintuitive “Moxie rules” for surviving January without sabotaging the rest of your year
4. How to protect your income without burning yourself out
5. What future you will be grateful you handled now

What we dive into

1. Holiday brain fog (yes, it’s real)
2. Why “starting strong” is unnecessary and unhelpful for mums
3. Lowering the bar on purpose and why that’s smart business
4. Choosing ONE revenue-protecting task instead of doing all the things
5. How to gently reconnect with your business without losing momentum
6. Protecting February, March, and beyond with small, low-energy decisions now
7. Why sustainable businesses don’t demand peak performance in survival seasons

My 3 Moxie Rules for January:

✔ Lower the bar intentionally for stability over acceleration

✔ Choose one revenue anchor touch the flywheel, don’t spin it flat out

✔ Protect future you small actions now = less stress later

No massive goals or unrealistic expectations.

And please, no pretending this is a holiday for you when it’s clearly not.

Just permission to do less, stay connected, and enjoy the summer with your kids without blowing up the rest of your year.

And while you’re here:

1. ✔ Subscribe to The Moxie Movement Podcast so you never miss an episode
2. ✔ Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for real-life business conversations
3. ✔ Submit a question there to be answered on a future podcast episode

Remember:

There is no such thing as being behind.

This is not a race.

January is allowed to be gentle.

Stay moxie 💛