The Balanced Business Blueprint
Module 2: Diagnose your feast and famine cycles

Welcome to the second video of The Balanced Business Blueprint. Now that you’ve defined what you want your business to look like and how it fits into your life, let’s look at one of the most common challenges solopreneurs face—the feast and famine cycle.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re either drowning in work or panicking because there’s none, this video will help you understand why that happens and how to start breaking the cycle.

I started my business almost eight years ago to better manage my health,I had recently been diagnosed with a life changing condition and I was burnt out, so physically I was struggling and then my mental health was basically in the bin. 

But I was always kind of running on fumes, so when I first started my business, I thought the feast and famine cycle was just part of the deal. I’d have weeks where I was so swamped with client work that I barely had time to eat lunch, let alone think about marketing or planning ahead. Then, once the projects wrapped up, I’d stare at my empty calendar and panic. I’d scramble to find the next gig, and the stress of it all would drain whatever energy I had left.

For me, this cycle felt especially overwhelming because I was also juggling my health and life responsibilities. Chronic illness doesn’t care if you have shit to do. And for those of us with kids, caring for loved ones, or other commitments, time isn’t just limited, it’s precious. It’s no wonder so many of us end up stuck in this pattern.

But here’s the thing, you’re not alone in this, and the good news is that we can break the cycle. It all starts with understanding why it happens.

Remember the vision you created in the first video? Breaking out of the feast and famine cycle is one of the first steps to achieving it.

Let’s talk about what the feast and famine cycle actually looks like. It’s that rollercoaster ride where you’re either overwhelmed with work (feast) or panicking because there’s none (famine).

In feast mode, you’re hyper-focused on serving your clients. You tell yourself, “I’ll focus on marketing once I get through this busy period.” But by the time the projects are done, there are no new leads waiting. You’re back at square one, scrambling to fill your calendar again.

This isn’t just stressful, it’s exhausting. And for those of us with limited resources, like time, energy, or health, it can feel downright impossible to keep up.

So why does this cycle happen? Let’s look at a few common triggers:

1. Inconsistent Marketing:
   When you’re in feast mode, marketing is the first thing to fall off your plate. You’re too busy working on client projects to think about social media, emails, or building relationships.

2. No Systems in Place:
   Without systems to keep your business running smoothly, everything depends on you. And when you’re juggling life, caregiving, or chronic illness, there’s just no bandwidth left for planning ahead.

3. Limited Time and Energy:
   This is a big one. Whether you’re a parent managing school drop-offs or someone navigating health challenges, your time is already stretched thin. It’s no wonder marketing and business development feel like luxuries you can’t afford. Or you might feel like client work has to be the primary focus in your limited time and energy.

Does this sound familiar? I want you to know that it’s not a personal failing. It’s the reality of running a business when you have limited resources.

Let’s get personal. Think back over the last 3-4 months. Can you pinpoint when you were in feast mode, working long hours on client projects? What about famine mode—those stretches where you were chasing leads or waiting for work to come in?

Maybe you had a big project that took up all your energy, and you told yourself you’d start marketing again once it was done—but then, nothing new came in. Or maybe you had to take time off because of family or health, and getting back into the swing of things felt overwhelming.

Here’s your first task: Download the workbook and complete the "Feast & Famine Assessment." Write down your business activities over the last few months. Map out when you were busy and when things slowed down. Then, identify what triggered those feast and famine periods.

For example, was it a sudden surge in client work? Or maybe a period where you didn’t have the energy or time to market because life got in the way?

By identifying these patterns, you’ll start to see the rhythm of your business and how it aligns with your life circumstances.

To help you get started:

• Identify 1 feast period and 1 famine period: Write down when they happened.

• Find 2 triggers for each period: What caused the feast, and what led to the famine?

This isn’t about judgment—it’s about awareness. Once you understand your patterns, you can start making small but meaningful changes to smooth out the rollercoaster.

I’m so excited for you to dive into this exercise! Remember, the first step to creating a balanced business is understanding your unique challenges. Once you know what’s causing those highs and lows, you can start designing a business that fits your life.

We’re not just here to build the business of our dreams, but the business of our life, the business which fits around us and our lives, not the other way around. 

When you’ve completed the assessment, join me in the next video, where we’ll talk about how to make the most of the small pockets of time you have in your week.