The Year I Stopped Trying to Be Everything

A Story About Growth, Alignment, and the Courage to Change

A few years ago, I made a decision that felt counterintuitive for most business owners: I redesigned our service offerings so that LinkHR could work with fewer clients.

Yes, fewer.

In the first five years of business, I would work with any organization that came through the door. Back then, I thought being flexible and accessible to everyone was the best way to grow. But slowly, quietly, that openness turned into chaos.

Some clients only wanted short-term help. They weren’t interested in becoming better employers or stronger people leaders. They wanted quick fixes; someone to put out fires and then disappear until the next one started. And even though our revenue was strong and the business looked successful on paper, the work left me feeling drained and unfulfilled.

Looking back now, I realize I offered too much flexibility. Yes, flexibility is one of Link HR’s values, but I’ve learned a business cannot be everything to everyone. When I thought about the type of clients we truly wanted to support (organizations striving to become employers of choice, leaders who want to build healthy workplaces and intentional cultures), it became clear that our service offerings needed to reflect that.

So I started removing packages. Slimming down our offerings. Clarifying what we do, and just as importantly, what we don’t do. And in 2025, I refined them even further.

Over the last couple of years, I’ve also learned to be more comfortable telling new clients what they actually need to start. I used to leave the decision entirely up to them—but most didn’t understand their own gaps, or the scope of the work ahead. Now I confidently put together a proposal outlining the first three to six months. After that, once they’ve built foundational knowledge, they can choose how they want to move forward.

Today, we work with fewer clients, but they’re long-term partners, not quick hits.

We’re doing more meaningful work. We’re building deeper relationships. We’re investing in their leadership teams and talent strategies in a way that simply wasn’t possible when we were spread too thin.

Working with fewer clients has given us the gift of time: time to think, not just react. Time to plan, not just respond. Time to create the kind of proactive resources that help our clients grow well into the future.

And that leads me to my New Year’s resolution. One that’s less about the business, and more about me as a founder.

My resolution is to stop taking myself so seriously.

When I started LinkHR in my late 30s, I felt enormous pressure to prove myself. I dressed a certain way. Spoke a certain way. Acted the part of the “serious professional,” thinking credibility had to be earned through performance rather than presence. I thought I needed to know everything.

Ten years later, I no longer feel that way. I don’t need to prove myself to anyone, not to clients and certainly not to strangers. I’ve helped transform dozens of businesses, guided countless leaders, and been trusted through some of the most sensitive and defining moments in organizations’ lives.

Now, I’m focused on creating the best possible founder experience for myself. HR Professionals are invested in creating an optimal #EmployeeExperience and one day I came to the realization that I also need to do that for myself in my own business.

What do I need, as the Founder and  first employee of my own company? What helps me stay inspired, fulfilled, and grounded? What does the business give me and what can I give back to it?

This year, I’m making more time for developing and maintaining meaningful relationships with partners, supporters, and friends – the people who keep me centered and fuel my creativity. I’m also carving out space for creative  and deep work: the ideas I’ve been carrying for years but never prioritized. I know that if I finally give them attention, they will have a huge impact on my long-term fulfillment.

And this time, I’m not going to wait.

As LinkHR enters a new chapter, my hope is simple: to keep building a business that reflects who we truly are—thoughtful, intentional, and committed to real partnership. I’m excited for the clients we’ll meet, the workplaces we’ll help shape, and the ideas that will finally get the space they deserve. If the first ten years were about establishing credibility, the next ten are about alignment, authenticity, and joy.

I’m ready.