Breaking Free from Striving and Overwhelm
Finding Joy in Business: Taming the Chaos with Nicole Roth
Running a business is often described as a rollercoaster—full of exhilarating highs and exhausting lows. Many entrepreneurs start with a passion for their work, only to find themselves buried under financial pressures, demanding clients, and the never-ending to-do list. At some point, the joy they once had starts to fade.
But what if joy wasn’t something that had to be lost in the process of running a business? What if joy could actually be a foundation for how you work, lead, and grow?
This is exactly what I explored in a conversation with Joy Coach Nicole Roth. We dove deep into how business owners—especially those who are faith-driven—can stop striving and find joy in the midst of financial and operational chaos.
“I have literally written in my journal: ‘I can’t go like this forever.”
Striving vs. Surrender: What’s Driving Your Business?
“God made me the way that I am… so how do I not be who I was created to be, and yet at the same time, how do I not have a heart attack by the time I’m 40?”
Many business owners struggle with an underlying belief that their worth is tied to their work. They feel the pressure to keep saying yes, to hustle harder, and to push through—even when their bodies and spirits are screaming for rest.
Nicole shared how her own journey of battling health issues led her to realize that striving was killing her—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It wasn’t until she truly surrendered and trusted God’s provision that she found the ability to live with joy instead of exhaustion.
For many business owners, the fear of slowing down is tied to their financial livelihood. But here’s the truth: God never called us to carry the weight of our businesses alone. Rest isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity for sustaining the energy, wisdom, and clarity needed to grow.
The Connection Between Business Stress and Your Health
If you’re constantly pushing, your body is feeling it—even if you don’t realize it yet. Stress impacts blood sugar, sleep, digestion, and even hormone regulation.
I shared my own experience of tracking my blood sugar and realizing how significantly it improved when I was truly at rest. The numbers didn’t lie—peace produced physical healing. If our bodies respond that clearly to stress, how much more is our spiritual health being affected?
“Your nervous system tells the truth. If you’re always in ‘fight or flight,’ your body is going to show you. Blood sugar, sleep, digestion—everything is affected.”
Saying No Is an Act of Trust
“I hear the voice in my head saying no… but somehow what comes out of my mouth is totally the opposite.”
One of the biggest struggles for high-achieving business owners is learning to say no. It’s easy to feel like if we say no, we’re missing out on an opportunity, letting someone down, or failing to provide.
Nicole challenged me (and all of us) to reframe the idea of saying no. Every yes you give that isn’t aligned with your calling is taking away from something else God has for you. Even more than that—by always jumping in, you might be robbing someone else of their chance to step into what God is calling them to do.
Instead of rushing to say yes, pause and pray. Ask God if this opportunity is truly for you. If it’s not, let it go without guilt.
Your Business Is Not Your Provider—God Is
“Papa Trump is not our supplier. The economy is not our supplier. Our jobs are not our suppliers. Our clients are not our suppliers. But God supplies all of our needs.”
At the end of the conversation, I reflected on something that hit me deeply: our business is not our supplier. Neither is the economy, our clients, or the government.
God is our provider. Just like He supplied daily manna to the Israelites in the wilderness, He supplies exactly what we need today. When we trust in that truth, we can release the pressure, lean into His direction, and rediscover the joy in what we do.
The Call to Rest
As business owners, we’re always told to have a "call to action" at the end of everything. But maybe today, the best call isn’t to action—it’s to rest.
Take a moment to pause. Breathe. Check in with where your stress levels are. And remember: you were never meant to do this alone.
Want to work with someone who understands both the financial and emotional weight of running a business? I help Kingdom-minded business owners bring order to their financial chaos so they can grow with confidence. If you’re ready to step into financial peace, let’s talk.
If you want to dive deeper into finding joy in business and breaking free from striving, connect with Nicole Roth:
📺 YouTube: She Abides in Joy
📩 Work with Nicole: [Insert her contact or website link here]
She’s an incredible resource for business owners looking to shift from burnout to joy!
Join me every Tuesday for Taming the Chaos of Entrepreneurship, a live LinkedIn/Facebook series where I sit down with entrepreneurs and business owners who have faced the same hurdles—and come out stronger on the other side.
