I'm pulling back the curtain on exactly how I'm preparing to make 2026 my most profitable year in business, and it has nothing to do with working harder, cramming more clients into my calendar, or forcing myself to scale in ways that don't feel good.

This year is about reclaiming my energy, my leadership, and my standards so I can build a business that actually feels fun again while also making more money than ever.

In this first part, I'm sharing the real reason my growth has felt capped over the last few years, even though my skills, results, and offers are solid. I walk you through the identity shift I'm making to stop giving my power away through people pleasing, over-accommodating misaligned clients, and following industry rules that don't match with how I'm wired.

If you've hit an income ceiling, feel scattered or resentful, or know you're ready to lead with more conviction and fewer apologies, this episode is for you.

Timeline Highlights

[00:00] Why 2026 will be my most profitable year without working harder, and why saying no is essential
[01:07] The realization that changed everything: I was not stuck because of skill or offers, I was giving my power away
[02:39] The three transformations I'm focusing on in 2026: identity, offer design, and messaging
[05:16] How being good at everything led to over-delivering, scope creep, and exhaustion
[11:07] Why responding and accommodating is not how I'm meant to lead or grow my business
[14:14] The truth about evergreen enrollment and why I'm reintroducing cohort-based experiences
[18:38] My new boundary around "desperation hires" and who I will and will not work with moving forward
[26:27] How a past high-level peer experience impacted my confidence in positive and negative ways, and why I'm taking my power back for good
[37:52] Designing my business and schedule around the life I actually have now as a mom of two
[40:27] Why this is Part 1 and what's coming next with offer structure and messaging
[42:27] Invitation into the Nourished Business Accelerator and who it is designed for

Top 5 Quotes from the Episode

1. "2026 is going to be my most profitable year ever, and it has nothing to do with working harder. It has everything to do with taking my power back."
2. "Every single time I tried to accommodate instead of lead, I drained myself, dimmed my impact, and settled for less than what I'm actually capable of."
3. "I was confusing being responsive with being of service, and that mistake was slowly exhausting me."
4. "I finally had to accept that I can't rescue anyone, no matter how hard I work or how much I care."
5. "Being happy, energized, and fully myself isn't selfish. It's actually what creates the best results for my clients."

Links and Resources

• Instagram: @LauraSchoenfeldRD
• Apply for Nourished Business Accelerator

Closing

If this episode resonated with you and you're ready to take your power back in your business, make sure you follow the Nourished CEO podcast so you don't miss Part 2.

And if you enjoyed this conversation, I would love it if you would rate, review, and share the show with someone who needs the reminder that growth does not require more hustle.

Running an online business has always come with ups and downs, and after more than 12 years as an entrepreneur, that part isn't new to me.

What is new is the level of emotional exhaustion and volatility I'm seeing lately, especially among high-performing women who are doing everything "right" but still feel drained, on edge, or mentally stuck.

In this episode, I'm joined by Hope Pedraza, a functional practitioner and Nourished Business Accelerator alum who takes a truly holistic approach to burnout, nervous system regulation, and emotional resilience in business.

We talk about why business feels heavier right now, how hypervigilance and dopamine-driven patterns sneak in, and what it actually takes to stay grounded and clear when growth isn't linear… without sacrificing your health, boundaries, or sense of self in the process.

[01:28] – Why remembering that business has ups and downs isn't always enough

[05:14] – The rise of hypervigilance, uncertainty, and "waiting for the next shoe to drop"

[07:15] – How obsession with numbers turns into mental spirals and anxiety

[11:22] – Why perfectionism and the need for things to "work the first time" blocks growth

[13:26] – Reframing business growth as "up and down on the way up"

[16:23] – A real-life example of setting boundaries — and why the body can react so strongly

[33:26] – Dopamine hits, identity, and how validation-driven business leads to burnout

[41:50] – Practical first steps to detach from outcomes and regulate your nervous system

1. "Your business is only as healthy as the body you have to build the business."

2. "Running a business in constant hypervigilance is a huge energy suck."

3. "Growth isn't about "getting there" it's about who you're becoming along the way."

4. "If you need more and more wins to feel okay, that's not excitement... that's dopamine."

5. "Discomfort doesn't mean it's wrong. Sometimes it just means your nervous system doesn't feel safe yet."

• Hope Pedraza on Instagram: @thehopepedraza

• Website: hopefulandwholesome.com

• Podcast: The Hopeful and Wholesome Podcast

• Free Resource: Holistic Energy Detox
  
  

If listening to this episode made you realize that your business feels heavier than it needs to — or that you're ready for more income, alignment, and confidence without burning yourself out — I'd love to support you inside my mentorship, The Nourished Business Accelerator.

Inside the NBA, I help coaches and experts create premium offers that reflect the real transformation they deliver and build clean, ethical systems for enrolling dream clients... without cold DMs, manipulative tactics, or high-pressure sales calls.

Click HERE to apply for the NBA program

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with another business owner who needs to hear that emotional exhaustion isn't a requirement for success.

In today's episode, I'm talking with my client Chris Sandel, an eating disorder nutritionist who runs a high-ticket hybrid program helping clients fully recover from longstanding eating disorders.

Chris has been in business since 2009, but when he came to me, he wanted a more dependable, sustainable way to grow without relying on trends, burnout-level content, or the hope of going viral.

Together, we rebuilt and elevated his premium hybrid offer, clarified his messaging with a clean, repeatable framework, and implemented a simple but powerful marketing system that now allows him to consistently enroll aligned, high-paying clients.

A huge part of that has been helping Chris develop a content approach that actually fits his personality and values, including returning to Instagram after years away and learning how to make the platform work for him, not the other way around.

And because of this work, Chris doubled his revenue and had his highest income year yet... in a year when many practitioners struggled!

If you've ever wondered what sustainable growth looks like without sacrificing your integrity or your energy, this episode will give you clarity and inspiration.

1. "I truly believe that people can fully recover… it doesn't matter whether it's been a couple of years or multiple decades."

2. "I like the messiness of people's lives and how that interplays with nutrition."

3. "I want to be able to find the thing that people want and message it in a way that entices them to come in."

4. "There was just a trust... I will figure this out, and the only way I'm going to figure it out is by keeping at it."

5. "I'm not one for dancing or doing trends, so I just focused on simple carousels where I can eloquently convey a single thought... and it works."

[0:22] – Why Chris's fundamentals-first approach helped him grow sustainably in a difficult year for online practitioners.

[4:03] – Chris shares how he became an eating disorder nutritionist and why he believes full recovery is possible.

[12:13] – The turning point that led Chris to build a scalable high-ticket hybrid program, and why earlier group offers never stuck.

[17:09] – How we structured his hybrid offer and created a messaging framework that allowed him to communicate its value with confidence.

[28:01] – Chris's return to Instagram, why he refused trends, and how simple, thoughtful carousels now bring in major reach and new clients.

[37:22] – How sending more frequent emails increased connection, engagement, and conversions.

[46:41] – The transformation: clarity, consistency, and doubling his revenue without burnout or performative marketing.

• Connect with Chris:

• Website – https://seven-health.com

• Instagram – @sevenhealthcompany

• Work with me inside The Nourished Business Accelerator (NBA)

If Chris's story encouraged you to take a more grounded, sustainable approach to your own business, I'd love for you to rate, review, follow, and share the podcast.

It truly helps more practitioners build aligned, profitable businesses without compromising who they are. Thanks for listening, and I'll see you next week on The Nourished CEO Podcast!