As a female entrepreneur and CEO, I get asked all the time – “Jourdan, how do you do it all and stay sane?” How do I manage the business, lead a team, be a wife, and just breathe as a human? 

Girl, let me tell you – the world is the wilderness out here. But over my 3 years as a CEO, I’ve put 4 essential non-negotiables in place. Non-negotiables that have helped me flourish professionally and maintain my mental health. When I’m not sticking to these, I can feel it instantly.

A non-negotiable means it’s not up for debate or changing – it’s required for me, period. So let me break down the 4 game-changers that keep me grounded and align my priorities.

The 4 non-negotiables:

1. Boundaries
2. Abundance Mindset
3. Therapy
4. Time off

Boundaries are where it all starts for me. In my daily life, with my team, clients – everything. Setting boundaries can feel intimidating at first. You might think “What will people think? Am I being mean?” 

I used to be available 24/7 for clients, answering emails at night, overworking myself. But I had to put an end to that. Now I have boundaries like no Slacking with my team outside work hours. Do Not Disturb on my phone. Even time limits on social media (because you can be consuming more than creating!)

Setting boundaries can get crunchy, I won’t lie. But enforce them consistently, and people will respect them. Look at your week and figure out where you need firmer boundaries. Are you letting your laptop sneak into the bedroom? Peeking at Slack after hours? Put a stop to it.

Boundaries only work if you actually follow through. How are you going to set a strong boundary, then be flimsy about upholding it? We ain’t playing those games.

Non-Negotiable #2: Abundance Mindset

I truly believe there is always more out there for me to receive and achieve. Whenever I invest in coaching, courses, or mentorship (which has been multi-five-figures for me!), I go in knowing it’ll pay back tenfold. My mindset is that coaching will be great, I’ll learn amazing strategies, and I’ll get an incredible ROI whether financially, mentally, or otherwise.

This abundance mindset shifted how I viewed sales calls too. I used to feel so defeated if someone said “no” to working with me. But then I realized: no doesn’t mean no, it just means not right now. Sure enough, I’ve had clients circle back 6 months later ready to invest and say “Take my credit card, let’s go!”

When you believe there is always more opportunity out there, you stop getting hung up on little nos and setbacks. You know your time is coming. This is something I talk alot about in my FREE training Social Media that Sells– check it out.

Non-Negotiable #3: Therapy

Entrepreneurship is a constant journey of self-discovery. If you’re doing it right, you’ll keep uncovering new things about yourself that need unpacking. For me, it was unchecked habits like comparison where I’d think “I should be so much farther along than I am.”

Therapy keeps me grounded through the evolution of business and personal growth. It helped massively when I had to navigate grief after my mom’s unexpected passing in 2021. Having a third party to process everything with has made me a better leader who can have hard conversations.

Listen, therapy is not just for when you’re struggling – it’s maintenance, plain and simple. Therapy is mind maintenance, the same as hitting the gym. You’ve got to get all the highs, lows, wins, losses, and everything in between out in a safe space.

If you’ve had a bad experience with therapy before, I encourage you to try again and be patient finding the right fit. When you know, you’ll know. My therapist has been a gamechanger.

Non-Negotiable #4: Time Off  

Sis, time off is non-negotiable for me. You are not a machine or AI – you’re human. And you cannot be firing on all cylinders 24/7 without eventually resenting your business.

Time off is how I recharge and get creative again. It doesn’t have to be an exotic vacation either (though a baecation in Cancun does hit!). Time off is unplugging from social for a weekend. It’s going to a coffee shop alone to read fiction. It’s exploring museums in my city solo.  

After big launches or periods of going live a lot, I make sure to block off 3 full days minimum of totally unplugging from work. I don’t take calls or handle anything business. That recharge time is sacred.

And I absolutely love a staycation – getting a cute hotel in my city for a night or two to rest, order room service, explore neighborhoods, and just chill. No content creation or laptop allowed.

You cannot love your business down by only living in the office or studio. You have to take real breaks to protect your passion for the grind. I don’t mess around with burnout.

Conclusion

Those are the 4 non-negotiables that helped me build an unstoppable business and mindset as a boss: boundaries, abundance mentality, therapy, and time off. It wasn’t an overnight process figuring this all out. It took trial-and-error going through different seasons.

But now when I’m slipping on these 4 pillars, I can feel it in an instant. And I quickly get myself realigned with what my mind, body, and business really need from me.

I’ve got plenty of other non-negotiables that keep me in my bag as a CEO too. If you want to hear more about those, let me know! I’m always down to continue the conversation on what we simply cannot tolerate as unapologetic business owners.

I want to encourage you to think about what your own “non-negotiables” could be for thriving, not just surviving, in entrepreneurship. What rituals or mindset work might allow you to stay grounded? Don’t be afraid to be unapologetic about your needs.

At the end of the day, you set the tone and culture for your empire. Don’t let the internet, a coach, or anyone else define that for you. Build the business you cannot wait to wake up for AND take guilt-free time off from. You can have it all, sis – just don’t bend on what’s truly non-negotiable.

Be sure to catch the Building Unapologetically Podcast for a deep dive into more topics just like this.

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