Embracing the Messy Middle of Entrepreneurship

Finding Your Way Back to Yourself

A conversation with Sara Ann on intuition, pivoting, and building a business that actually fits

This week on the podcast I sat down with Sara Ann of Jade Scott Design — interior designer turned business owner, and someone who's built not one but two businesses by learning to trust her own intuition over the noise of what everyone else says you're supposed to do.

This conversation stuck with me because it's such an honest look at what it actually takes to evolve, not just your business, but who you are inside it.

We got into what it looks like to start a business with zero plan and figure it out as you go, how to actually hear your intuition when decision-making has never come easily, and why giving yourself permission to pivot, even after you've already "arrived", might be the most important skill you build.

If you've ever felt like your brand or the way you're showing up doesn't quite fit anymore, keep reading, then go listen to the full thing.

You Don't Need a Plan, You Need to Start

Sara Ann started her business in 2017, jumping in from a corporate project management job in healthcare with, in her words, no real business plan and no structure.

She spent the first five years flying by the seat of her pants, which she now sees not as a failure to "do it the right way," but as a necessary part of figuring out what actually works.

There's a lot of pressure, especially for women building businesses, to feel like they should have it all figured out before they start.

But the uncomfortable middle - the stumbling, the "I think this is the direction but I'm not sure", is where the real growth and confidence actually gets built. You don't arrive at clarity first. You act your way into it.

Learning to Trust Your Intuition (Even When Decision-Making Has Never Been Easy)

One of the most striking parts of this conversation was Sara Ann's honesty about how hard decision-making used to be for her, down to something as simple as picking a restaurant.

That pattern traced back to not having much of a voice growing up, and it showed up in her business too: constantly looking at what everyone else was doing instead of trusting her own read on things.

Her shift came through studying intuitive guidance and learning that everyone receives it differently.

The turning point was almost deceptively simple - standing at her kitchen sink one day, she heard: "Start with the women already on your path." 

She reached out to two women in her network and asked if they needed support. Ten months later, that single moment of trust had turned into a second business with eight steady clients and a community of 35 women.

If you're someone trying to figure out how to actually hear and act on your own intuition, this is a good searchable rabbit hole: how to trust your intuition in business decisions. 

It's less about having some big mystical download and more about noticing the quiet, specific nudge and being willing to act on it before you feel fully ready.

Giving Yourself Permission to Pivot

Sara Ann didn't sugarcoat how terrifying it was to pivot away from interior design after going full-time in it - only to realize a few months in that it might not be what she wanted anymore.

She sat with that feeling of failure alone for a while before she was able to own it: she likes change, she evolves, and some things are meant to fall away so something else can take their place.

This is the piece so many business owners get stuck on - the idea that once you've built something, you're locked into it.

But your lived experience is your credibility. You don't need another certification to justify a shift. You need permission to trust that the version of you now knows something the version of you five years ago didn't.

Sara Ann's take: "If you're afraid to pivot… you're probably meant to."

What a Heart-Aligned Business Actually Looks Like Day-to-Day

We also got into the practical, unglamorous side of this - what it actually looks like to build a business around who you are rather than who you think you should be.

For Sara Ann, that means starting her day with 45 minutes completely alone before anyone needs anything from her, tending to her home and her kids first, and only then moving into work -intentionally, with a plan she's already outlined the night before.

Her point on boundaries was one of the most honest parts of the conversation: she's the one most likely to break her own boundaries, so she has to actively call herself out and practice the follow-through, not just the awareness.

Boundaries aren't a policy you set once - they're a muscle.

Listen to the Full Episode

There's so much more in the full conversation - including how Sara Ann's two businesses (supporting overwhelmed women at home and overwhelmed women in business) actually weave together, and her advice for building community before you feel "ready" to ask for support.

Find Sara Ann at jadescottdesign.com, or check out her free monthly community, Women Gathered — link in the show notes.