Our founder, Justine, knows the story intimately.
Her business was growing, clients were happy, and revenue was solid. On paper, it was the definition of success. But behind the scenes, her personal life was paying the price. Her marriage was frayed, she felt absent from her own family, and she carried a quiet, heavy shame that it was somehow her fault.
This is a story we hear from so many new clients. They’ve built incredible businesses, yet they feel trapped … working harder than ever just to keep things from falling apart.
The most important lesson Justine learned, and the lesson at the core of everything we do at The Lever, is this:
You are not the problem. The way your business is structured is the problem.
Your exhaustion isn’t a personal failing; it’s a design flaw. It’s the classic sign of a business bottleneck, where everything is forced to go through you.
Here are six signs the issue isn’t you, it’s your systems.
The Shift: From Fixing Yourself to Fixing the System
Recognising these signs is the most empowering step a founder can take. It moves the focus from self-blame (“I need to be more resilient/organised/better”) to objective analysis (“This process is no longer serving my business”).
You can’t hustle your way out of a structural problem. You have to redesign your way out.
This is the foundational work we do with our clients. It’s not about adding more to your plate; it’s about building a new plate entirely. Because building a business shouldn’t mean losing yourself in the process.
What That Future Looks Like
In a recent client check-in, Justine asked Jen to share a win from her week.
Her answer: “We have this project running, and Bethany’s been overseeing it. We see the chat in Slack with the team, but she’s managing it, not me! She’s like, ‘no, we’ll show Jen and Steve once we’re ready for them to review.’ It’s so weird, because we’ve never had a project that someone else was running for us. We’ve run every project. That’s a massive win.“
That’s the future. Not you doing less work, you doing different work. Strategic work. Leadership work. Work only you can do.
A project running without you in every meeting. Trusting your team to solve problems, not just complete tasks. Growth feeling light again. “Success” not being about how many hours you work, but how present you can be with your family.
That future isn’t far off. It’s a design. And it starts by getting clear on where the current design is broken.
Your First Step to Getting Unstuck
If you recognised yourself in this article, you know something needs to change. But the thought of adding another massive project to your plate is exhausting.
Clarity is the first step.
That’s why we created the Visionary Reset Quiz. It’s a diagnostic designed to pinpoint the exact type of bottleneck that’s draining your time and energy.
Instead of guessing where to start, you’ll get a personalised result that not only explains why you feel so stuck but also outlines the first, most impactful step you can take to start getting free.
No sales calls. No pressure. Just immediate insight.