As this year winds down, I’ve been thinking a lot about something most business owners avoid: looking back honestly.

Not the highlight reel.
Not the “look how far I’ve come” version.
But the real reflection—the decisions that didn’t pan out, the growth that cost more than it gave, the moments where something felt off and I kept going anyway.

Because here’s the truth: you can’t change direction if you refuse to look in the rearview mirror.

In this episode of Success by Design, I’m joined by fellow design firm owner Michelle Lynne for a candid, experience-driven conversation about the mistakes we’ve made in business—and what they taught us. Not from a place of regret or shame, but from the clarity that only comes when you’ve lived through it.

Together, Michelle and I talk about why growing for the sake of growth is one of the most common traps designers fall into. How hiring more people, taking on more work, or chasing bigger numbers doesn’t always solve the real problem—and sometimes makes it worse. And why “being busy” can actually hide misalignment, inefficiencies, and burnout until it’s too late to ignore.

One of the biggest themes that kept coming up in our conversation was intuition. Almost every costly mistake we reflected on had the same root: ignoring a gut feeling we couldn’t quite explain at the time. A person who didn’t feel right. A project that drained more energy than it was worth. A business direction that looked good on paper but felt heavy in practice.

But intuition alone isn’t enough—and that’s where so many designers get stuck.

Michelle and I also dig into the importance of pairing intuition with data. Numbers don’t lie, but they also don’t mean much if you’re afraid to look at them. Avoiding your finances because they feel overwhelming doesn’t make problems disappear—it just delays the moment when they demand your attention. When intuition and data are aligned, decision-making becomes clearer, faster, and far less emotional.

There’s also a concept I return to again and again in this episode: what I call the “toll of the soul.” Some work looks profitable on the surface but quietly drains you over time. That resistance you feel? It’s information. And ignoring it long enough almost always leads to resentment, burnout, or a business you no longer recognize.

This episode isn’t about beating yourself up for past choices. It’s about extracting the lessons so you can move forward smarter, more confident, and more aligned as you head into 2026.

If you’ve felt the tension between what your business looks like on the outside and how it feels on the inside…
If you know something needs to shift, but you’re not sure what…
If you’re ready to stop chasing growth and start choosing alignment…

This conversation with Michelle Lynne is for you.

Listen to the episode and give yourself permission to reflect—not with regret, but with intention.