Ep 79 – The Secret to Designing a Business That Supports Your Life

ByDonna Dube Published On

Timestamp Overview:

00:00 Design the lifestyle you want and make that dream a reality.

02:26 Designing your year goes beyond revenue and even beyond your business.

03:05 Visualize your ideal day 1 year from now.

04:30 Think about what intentional change you can make.

07:04 Narrowing down to your business.

07:46 Evaluate whether you have the revenue to support your ideal life.

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Welcome to the second episode in the Dream Big, Plan Smart series! (Missed the start of the series? Click here.) Today, we’re diving into something I think is both exciting and deeply important—designing your year. But this isn’t just about setting business goals or hitting revenue targets. It’s about stepping back to dream bigger and creating a life you love, supported by a business that works for you.

This approach draws inspiration from Cameron Herold’s Double Double, where he encourages looking three years ahead to design your future. But instead of focusing on three years, we’re zeroing in on just one. A year is tangible—it’s close enough to feel achievable but long enough to create meaningful change.

Visualize Your Ideal Life

Imagine it’s one year from today. Picture your perfect day, starting when you wake up. Maybe you start your morning in a calm, intentional way—coffee in hand, reading a book, or taking a quiet walk instead of immediately diving into emails. Perhaps you’re heading to your favorite workout class or savoring breakfast with your family.

A soft chair with a blanket, books and a cup of coffee carefully balanced on top

Later in the day, you’re working on the parts of your business you enjoy most—maybe brainstorming new offers, collaborating with a team you trust, or connecting with ideal clients.

When the workday wraps up, you have time for yourself: cooking a meal you love, taking a yoga class, or indulging in a creative hobby like painting or gardening.

This exercise isn’t just about business goals. It’s about imagining your routines, relationships, and what makes you feel fulfilled.

For example, a few years ago, I realized I was spending my mornings reacting to my inbox instead of starting my day intentionally. I decided to shift my routine, carving out time for myself before starting my computer. It seemed like a small change, but it completely transformed my mindset and energy for the rest of the day.

Upgrade Your Life and Business

Think about the areas in your life where small upgrades could make a big difference. Maybe it’s finally taking that long-postponed family vacation or creating a home workspace that energizes you. Perhaps it’s making time for daily walks, which might seem minor but could leave you feeling refreshed and recharged.

For instance, one of my clients decided to rearrange her schedule to include two hours each morning for creative work. Perhaps you want to set aside Fridays for strategy planning and self-care. Both changes, though simple, bring noticeable improvements to your quality of life and productivity.

The same applies to your business. Where could small changes create significant results? Could delegating tasks to a virtual assistant free up hours of your week? Or could upgrading your project management software eliminate confusion and make collaboration smoother?

When your first start your business, you wear all the hats—answering every email, handling all the admin, and delivering client work. Once you are able to  hire help for repetitive tasks, not only does your workload lighten, but you also have space to focus on strategy and growth.

Connecting the Dots

Here’s the key takeaway: Your business should fund the lifestyle you want—not the other way around.

Yet too often, business owners scrape by, leaving themselves whatever’s left after covering expenses. This isn’t sustainable. Your business needs to pay you consistently, covering both your personal needs and long-term goals.

This is where tools like my Get Paid Like a CEO Calculator come into play. It simplifies the process, helping you calculate the revenue needed to fund your dream lifestyle. The workbook for this series includes space to map these numbers out, so you can clearly see where adjustments might be needed.

For example, if your dream includes upgrading your home office, taking a dream trip, and paying yourself a higher salary, you can plug those goals into the calculator and see exactly what your revenue target needs to be. It’s a game-changer for making informed decisions about your business.

Bridging the Gap

Once you’ve outlined your dream life and the numbers to support it, compare that vision to where you are now. If there’s a gap, don’t be discouraged. Instead, see it as an opportunity to get creative about how your business can bridge that distance.

For example, could you introduce a premium offering that provides high value to your clients while significantly increasing your revenue? Or perhaps simplifying your services would allow you to focus on what’s most profitable and enjoyable.

One of my clients recently decided to cut her low-ticket services, which were draining her time, to focus solely on high-ticket packages. Within months, not only did her revenue increase, but she also found herself with more time to spend with her family.

This isn’t about working harder. It’s about working smarter, aligning your business with the life you want to create.

Take some time to reflect, dream, and put your ideas on paper.

Your future isn’t something to wait for—it’s something you can design. Let’s make this the year your business truly supports the life you want to live.

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Donna Dube is a Certified Director of Operations and former RN and Nurse Manager. She works with physician coaches, consultants, and clinic owners to build the operational foundation their business needs to grow without chaos. Her approach combines healthcare fluency with operational expertise so physicians get support from someone who understands their world before they say a word.