Be Where Your Feet Are: Breaking Up with the Productivity Myth in Entrepreneurship

There’s a sticky note on my desk that simply says:
Be where your feet are.

It’s small. Simple. Easy to overlook. But that little phrase has become one of the most powerful tools I have as a business owner navigating the noise of modern entrepreneurship.

As someone who identifies as a Type A personality, a Type 1 on the Enneagram, and a recovering perfectionist, I know what it’s like to chase the next goal, the next plan, the next win. It’s baked into the culture of entrepreneurship — especially in the online space — to always be producing, planning, pivoting.

But here’s the truth I’ve come to learn (the hard way):
You don’t have to always know what’s next to be successful.
You don’t have to sacrifice your wellbeing to build something impactful.
You don’t have to live in constant motion to be a “real” entrepreneur.

I recently sat down with Dr. Julie Granger of Illuminate Freedom Coaching on her brilliant podcast, Sink and Swim, to talk about the myths of entrepreneurship we’re all fed — and what it looks like to finally let them go.

The episode airs Wednesday, May 7, and it’s one of the most honest conversations I’ve had publicly about how entrepreneurship really feels behind the scenes and my own journey of wading through the muck. We dove into the high cost of hustle culture, the myth of constant productivity, and why it’s so hard (but so necessary) to slow down and simply be in your business.

In this episode, we talk about:

• The unrealistic pressure to always be “on” as a founder

• How to navigate uncertainty without losing momentum

• My personal reminder to “be where your feet are” — and why it’s now part of my daily practice

• What rest, reflection, and intentional slowness can actually unlock for your growth

• How sometimes the painful journey of self-discovery unlocks more than we could have ever imagined

As a business coach and founder, I’ve worked with dozens of women who are navigating the same tension: they want to grow, but they don’t want to burn out doing it. And they’re tired of feeling like they’re doing it wrong if they don’t have every single thing figured out.

This is why conversations like this one matter.

Because here’s what I want every entrepreneur to hear:

You’re allowed to pause.
You’re allowed to not know.
You’re allowed to grow slow. (PS I have to remind myself of this one daily….it’s a practice)

And you’re still an incredible, visionary, capable founder.

So if you’ve ever felt behind, overwhelmed, or like you’re the only one struggling to keep up with the grind... this episode is for you.

🎙 Tune into Sink and Swim with Dr. Julie Granger on Wednesday, May 7

➡️ Listen to the episode here (debuting Wednesday 5/7! Until then, check out Julie’s other amazing conversations with visionary women)

In the meantime, maybe you need this reminder too:
Be where your feet are.
Not in next month’s strategy.
Not in yesterday’s mistake.
Not in someone else’s version of success.

Just right here.
Right now.
One grounded step at a time.

XO,
Ashley