CONNECT with Sheila Botelho Podcast

From Solo Hustle to Sustainable Success - The Power of Strategic Connection | EP 481

• Sheila Botelho

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You’ve built something meaningful. You’ve grown, pivoted, and stretched yourself in ways most people wouldn’t understand. But perhaps you’ve reached a point where even your wins feel weighty.


In today’s solo episode, I’m sharing the mindset shift that took me from doing everything alone to creating sustainable success through aligned, strategic connection. I open up about a season in my business where I felt stuck—creatively and relationally—and how a surprising move into a new space opened the door to an entirely new level of inspiration, visibility, and ease.


Whether you’re on the edge of burnout, craving your next breakthrough, or simply wanting to feel more supported as you grow, this is a grounded conversation about letting go of over-functioning, leaning into your intuition, and reimagining what business gets to feel like. You don’t need to do more—you need to do what matters, with the right people by your side.



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Sheila:

you're not burnt out because you're doing too much. You're burnt out because you've been doing too much alone. In this episode, I'll show you how the smartest, most successful founders I work with create exponential growth, not by adding more to their plate, but by strategically choosing who sits at the table. And if you've been secretly thinking, I should have figured this out by now, this episode is for you. Hi, welcome to the Connect with Sheila Botelho podcast. I'm committed to help you reconnect to your purpose, elevate your wellbeing and build your version of a happy, successful life. Today, on the solo chat, I am sharing about something I've been sitting with for a while, because it's about a shift that I've noticed, not just in my clients but in myself at various times in my life and business, and it's one that often comes after years of building something, of perhaps scaling it and being the one person who's holding the vision to bring everything to life. And you may find yourself there right now. You're moving into a new range of business, new profitability, new market. Perhaps, and you might feel it too, the success that you have built is real, and yet so is the weight of it all, and so today I wanted to talk about the power of strategic connection, not networking, of strategic connection, not networking, not just collecting contacts, but the kind of aligned connection that actually supports your growth while supporting your nervous system.

Sheila:

When I first started this podcast, I was in a very different season of business and life. I was testing things, saying yes to a lot of new ideas and, like many of us, building in the margins of an already full life, and I was solo in many ways at doing these things. Even though I had support in different areas, I was still the person thinking through everything what is the content, what are the offers? What type of launch do I want to do? What is the messaging? How does operationally? How does this look operationally? And I was really proud of that until I wasn't, because, the truth is, pride in being the one who can do it all is often masking exhaustion, and I was craving something, but I didn't quite know how to articulate it. And what I've realized since, both in my own journey and while working with others who are building incredible businesses, is that what we're often missing is aligned collaboration. What we're often missing is aligned collaboration.

Sheila:

There was a time in business where I wanted to expand in a new direction, but I felt like I couldn't, and it wasn't because I didn't have the ideas, but because the relationships I had built were tethered to a specific agreement and I needed to honor that. And perhaps you found yourself in that place too, where you have made a decision and you've taken a business down a certain road and you're happy with where that's growing and now you want to start something else. But you realize you need to let that well-oiled machine do its thing and you don't want to cannibalize that business and also you want to honor the agreements that you have with the people in that business. So you're starting from scratch in a sense. But really are we ever starting from scratch? Because there are so many people in our lives who are not involved in just one area of our lives. So I really felt at a crossroads and I realized that in honoring that, it also gave me an opportunity to look at the whole big picture and I really felt stuck.

Sheila:

Actually, my creativity for who to collaborate with fell flat. And this was before the social media boom, when especially the women's entrepreneurial communities were not as easy to access. There just weren't as many, and definitely not in my area. So I did something that wasn't strategic, it wasn't part of a funnel or a plan. I followed a feeling. I got involved in a nonprofit initiative, something that aligned with my values and, through that, just the practice of doing something different and being in a completely different arena. I started meeting new people, different industries, different stages of life, with zero business agenda and, interestingly, you know what happened? Well, ideas started flowing again and I remembered how fun it was to connect without expectation and, wouldn't you know it, new collaborations came from that, not just business opportunities, but new ways of thinking, new skill sets, new energy. And that moment taught me something I've come back to again and again, and now I share it with my clients, and that is this when we shift environments, even temporarily, we shift possibility. Here's what I found. Possibility, here's what I found.

Sheila:

Strategic connection doesn't mean jumping into every group program or masterminding with every business owner that you meet, but it is about getting clear on what kind of support that you need right now. Maybe it's someone to help you zoom out on the big picture. Maybe it's someone who makes your nervous system feel safe when you share your real numbers. Maybe it's someone who shows you a model of success that doesn't require selling your soul and every minute in your schedule. Sometimes it's someone you don't even realize that you needed, until a conversation sparks something that changes everything.

Sheila:

I've had the honor of working with founders at every stage, from best-selling authors and TV personalities to wellness entrepreneurs bringing out their second and third offers. And one thing is always true out their second and third offers. And one thing is always true they all doubt themselves when stepping into a new space, even if it's just a little bit. That doubt just lives in their minds. Sometimes that might surprise you, but it's so important to say out loud, because what I want you to know is this you're not behind for feeling a little unsure, you're just human. Does that make you feel better? Because sometimes the best thing we can do is interrupt the spiral by stepping into a different room, a different energy, a different rhythm, a different rhythm. And what's interesting is when I look back at that time, the pause from my usual business focus. It wasn't just about stepping away, it was a reorientation.

Sheila:

That philanthropic work brought me back to a version of myself. I hadn't spent much time with the creative connector, the storyteller, the person who loves seeing potential in people and bringing it forward. That part of me wasn't gone. It had just been buried under task lists, metrics, launch cycles, all the rules. You know what I mean the things that we need to look at as business owners. But those things also can really cloud our inner compass if we don't balance them with connection and creativity. And here's what I realized Sometimes, when we're stuck in our business, it's not that we're missing the right funnel or the right team member or the right productivity hack.

Sheila:

We're missing ourselves. Right team member or the right productivity hack. We're missing ourselves. We've outsourced so much of our energy to performance that we forget how much wisdom we actually carry. When we slow down enough to hear it and when we do reconnect with that version of ourselves the intuitive leader, the visionary, the community builder something clicks, decisions become clearer, boundaries sharpen and the right people seem to arrive right on time. And that is not magic, that's resonance, and it happens when we stop trying to force clarity alone. So if you've been feeling like you're at capacity, but still not quite there, wherever there is, it might be time to not ask what am I missing? But who am I not in conversation with yet? Because the right conversations shift timelines. They bring things forward that were already inside of you, but just waiting for the right mirror to reflect them back.

Sheila:

I can't tell you how many times I've had opportunities land in my lap that I was not looking for. I was not even aware they existed. So there is this cultural pressure. I will say that I've noticed, and when I really slow down, I see it when I'm not stuck in my own linear thinking about okay, let's move forward and I notice this especially for women and it is to prove that we can do it all before we're allowed to receive help. And what I want to call out is this thing right now, because that is not strength, that is survival.

Sheila:

Strength says I want to grow and I want to feel good while I do it. I want to grow and I want to feel good while I do it. It also says I'm ready to receive support, not because I'm weak, but because I'm resourced. Strength also says I don't need to suffer to be successful. This is what I mean when I talk about self-care for business. It's not bubble baths between Zoom calls, I mean, although that's kind of a nice idea, it's not bubble baths between Zoom calls, I mean, although that's kind of a nice idea. It's proactively designing your growth so it supports your well-being, your time, your values and your vision.

Sheila:

So now let's talk about vision. You've heard this before your network is your net worth. But I think we're missing something there. Your network isn't just about money, it's about meaning. And money's fabulous, right. It gets us to our desires, it allows us to do the exchange. It's fabulous. But the meaning, oh my goodness. The people around you either reinforce your current reality or they expand it. So if you've been feeling like the conversations you're having lately just don't light you up. Or if you're walking away from calls feeling more drained than energized, that's data for you. That's information I want you to really look at.

Sheila:

It's okay to outgrow rooms. You're allowed to seek connection that feels nourishing, not just useful to the bottom line. You're allowed to want depth, reciprocity, fun, and you're allowed to also say no to any space that doesn't feel like a fit anymore, even if it once did. So just take a breath right now, and I'm going to invite you to ask yourself some questions. Number one is am I clear on the kind of energy I want around me this season? Think about that. I invite you to journal on that. One Another question is is my calendar reflecting that it's a follow-up question. Okay, look at who's around you and what is your calendar telling you and then ask yourself who's in my corner and who might I need to release or gently move to a new part of my life or timeline?

Sheila:

This is a really powerful kind of inner housekeeping, if you will. It doesn't require drama. It really requires honesty with yourself, because you know the answer. You have people's names floating through your mind right now and you know what the answers are. It's just we don't want to have these uncomfortable conversations, right? We don't want to upset people. We want everybody to be happy, right there with you, and I really want you to prioritize your own happiness, because when you do, when you are in your full joy, that's when everyone around you feels that energy and also starts to see what's possible for themselves if they're open to it. Because if you're holding a big vision and I believe you are, if you're still listening to this, you need people around you who are not just impressed by it, but who also believe in it so deeply that they'll help you protect it. Those are the kind of connections that scale not just your business, but your joy, not just your business, but your joy.

Sheila:

I want to leave you with this Growth does not always look like more. Sometimes it just looks like better, better boundaries, better support, better conversations, better rest and, yes, better outcomes, but only because they're flowing from a more resourced you. Because while strategy matters, we can all agree on that, but if you are not feeling connected, you're not going to want to implement that strategy. One of my gifts is curating aligned communities, not just with powerful curriculum, but with the kind of people who see you, who challenge your work and who walk beside you. And this is the power of strategic connection. If you're craving that right now, you are not alone. You're in a powerful transition right now, one where you don't have to hustle your way forward anymore. You get to align, you get to choose ease, you get to collaborate, and that's the energy inside the season's growth accelerator. And it's something I've intentionally built for founders like you who want to grow with less overwhelm and more impact. And when you walk with me, you don't just get me, you get a map, a mirror and a village. So if you've been craving that next level support and you want a space that honors your pace, your growth and your whole beautiful self, the wait list is there for you. Head to the link in the show notes. The wait list is there for you. Head to the link in the show notes and you can learn more details there.

Sheila:

Your next level. It does not require doing more. It requires doing what matters with people who truly, truly get it. I would love to hear your story and where you find yourself right now. Tag me on Instagram and tell me everyone's journey has value to share that others can benefit from hearing. So, also, if you're ready to step into this next season of growth with full alignment, I find it very helpful for people to actually download and do my free resource, the Embodied Success Method and Meditation. That is also in the show notes and it's a nice first step that allows you to see what could be next for you and how best to take action on it. Thank you so much for listening. I am so grateful for you and I hope you have a beautiful rest of your day. Big blessings.