Do you, boo. ‘Cause I’mma do me.

In the biz world, there is a lot of pressure (often, self-imposed pressure) to “go big.”

Seven-figure product launches. Sold-out mastermind programs. International workshop tours. NY Times bestselling books. Sipping Chardonnay with Michelle Obama and Beyonce. That’s what we’re conditioned to admire and strive for.

Sometimes, it can feel like if you are not reaching for those kinds of lofty goals, you’re some kind of underachieving bum who is not “reaching for her full potential.”

(And when Oprah finds out about your small, humble aspirations, she is going to personally bitch-smack you for refusing to “shine your light” or “raise your vibration” or whatever the spiritual buzz-phrase of the week may be).

But what if (gasp!) you don’t actually want to “go big”?

What if you want to run a quiet, chill, intimate kind of business?

What if you want to make $50K a year (or $80K or $100K or whatever number appeals to you) and… uh… pretty much just hang out at that income level until you retire? (Instead of trying to earn more, more, moooore every single year?)

My take:

If you don’t want to “go big”… there is nothing wrong with you.

It doesn’t mean you’re an underachiever or a spiritual-slacker.

It doesn’t necessarily mean you are failing to realize your potential.

You are allowed to build whatever kind of life and business you want, and if that means a “small but mighty” empire, not a Jay-Z sized one, then that’s fantastic.

You are allowed to be a happy thousand-aire, if that suits you. (It suits me just fine).

Not a millionaire.

What I have found — after 25 years of self-employment — is that the idea of “going big” is very alluring. It’s easy to get dazzled by it. So easy, in fact, that we forget to ask ourselves:

“Wait… is that ACTUALLY what I want? Or just what I’ve been conditioned to want? What kind of career / business model is actually going to make me happy?”

Here is what makes me happy:

– Serving approximately twenty five – thirty clients every week doing 1-on-1 Tarot readings, which I LOVE to do more than anything else. (This is my passion, my bread & butter, the core of my business. I love the intimacy of this kind of work. I never want to lose that.)

– Creating a small, boutique-style collection of e-books and courses for people who really dig me and want to access my ideas in other ways.

– Mentoring biz owners and doing seminars (like my upcoming Tarot workshop in Portland) occasionally, when it feels right in my gut, but not a ton.

– Blogging, tweeting, rockin’ out my six-second Tarot videos on Instagram.

– And, uh, yeah. That’s basically it.

Would it be nice to double or triple my income? Sure, I guess, but it would come with a hefty price tag — working longer hours, hustling hard to sell more products, investing a lot of time doing media outreach, trying to get booked on high-profile radio programs and TV shows, potentially hiring a team to manage the extra workload.

For me? None of that sounds worth it. I’m content where I’m at. I have enough. I earn enough. So, where I’m at is where I’d like to stay.

My advice to all entrepreneurs:

Grow your business until it’s the right size, shape and income level for YOU.

And once you arrive there?

You have permission to stay there.

(Gasp. Shock. I know. But it’s true.)

You have permission to hang. Chill. Savor what you’ve built. For years. Decades, even. As long as it continues to feel good.

Become the Jay-Z of your industry if you want to.

But know that… you don’t have to.

In the immortal words of Kevin Hart:

“Do you, boo. ‘Cause I’mma do me.”

Blessings,