Messy Business - with Libby Langley

If you’re the "I’m fine" one (even when you’re falling apart inside), this episode is for you.I’m talking about the exhausting pressure to perform competence in business - always sounding sorted, always polished, always upbeat - and why that performance layer is one of the fastest routes to burnout (even when nothing is technically wrong).This episode is about presence over polish, honesty over performance, and building a business that’s actually sustainable to live inside.In this episode, I cover: Why “sounding fine” has become an unspoken expectation in business The difference between being professional and being performative How performance sneaks in to tone monitoring, smoothing edges, and managing perception Why curated doesn’t have to mean dishonest; but constant performing is draining The “false binary” of business: either polished and upbeat or disappear completely The power of the comfortable middle: steady, human, unexaggerated you Why your message lands more cleanly when you stop trying to be impressive A reminder: you don’t need to be “fine” to be effective 💥 If this episode sparked something, message me on Instagram or LinkedIn, or email me, and tell me what’s going on for you.🧡 If you want support getting reorientated in your business, take a look at the Messy Business ThinkSpace: https://libbylangley.com/community.📙 And if you’d like more of this thinking in book form, you can read Life in Business here: https://libbylangley.com/book.

In this extra episode, I talk openly about what it really looks like to run a business when the world feels overwhelming, frightening, and chaotic. This isn’t about “being resilient” or pushing through; it’s about steadiness, sanity, and staying connected to yourself when everything around you feels shaky.I reflect on how global events seep into our nervous systems, why this affects our capacity, decision-making, and spending behaviour, and why feeling stuck, overthinking, or avoiding things doesn’t mean you’re “bad at business”.In this episode, I cover: Why business doesn’t happen in a vacuum; and why it’s normal that the state of the world is affecting you How overwhelm often shows up (overthinking tiny decisions, avoidance, “busy” without doing what matters) Why “better strategy” isn’t always the answer; and why clearer thinking often is Why having solid foundations in your business matters so much (and why marketing comes last) Why more courses, systems, and content rarely fix an overloaded brain The difference between needing tactics vs needing space to think Why rest, steadiness, and support are not luxuries; they’re essential 💥 If this episode sparked something, message me on Instagram or LinkedIn, or email me, and tell me what's going on for you.🧡 If you want support getting reorientated in your business, take a look at the Messy Business Community: https://libbylangley.com/community.📙 And if you’d like more of this thinking in book form, you can read Life in Business here: https://libbylangley.com/book.

Motivation gets an unhealthy amount of hype. In this episode, I’m discussing why motivation is an unreliable (and often unhelpful) thing to chase, and what to pay attention to instead if you want to actually move forward in your business without forcing yourself into a performance.This isn’t about “try harder” or “push through”. It’s about realistic positivity, a bit of readiness, and building momentum through small, aligned actions, especially if you’re tired, neurodivergent, or allergic to the rah-rah internet.In this episode, I cover: Why motivation is a flimsy foundation (and disappears quickly) The difference between motivation and momentum Why “readiness” is a quiet thing that often shows up after you begin A better set of signals to watch for: calm, relief, curiosity, less dread How to use tiny “yes” actions to build momentum (without needing any bro-energy) Why demand-avoidance and nervous system capacity matter more than hype A simple reframe: don’t ask “Am I motivated?”; ask “Am I able?” 💥 If this episode sparked something, message me on Instagram or LinkedIn, or email me, and tell me what's going on for you. 🧡 If you want support getting reorientated in your business, take a look at the Messy Business Community: https://libbylangley.com/community. 📙 And if you’d like more of this thinking in book form, you can read Life in Business here: https://libbylangley.com/book. 

In this episode of Messy Business, I’m talking about capacity - what it actually is, how it feels when it’s low, and why pushing through isn’t always the answer.🟠 Motivation and capacity are not the same thing. You can want to do the work and still not have the mental, physical, or nervous-system capacity to hold it - and that doesn’t mean you’re uncommitted or doing anything wrong.🧡 I share honestly what low capacity has looked like for me over the past couple of years, including grief, burnout, life upheaval, and the unseen exhaustion that builds when you keep overriding yourself.🟠 You'll hear: Why everything feels heavier when capacity is low The difference between procrastination and genuine exhaustion How resentment builds when you keep pushing past your limits Why winter, grief, and the state of the world matter more than we admit What “capacity-appropriate” work actually looks like in real life Why doing less - with honesty - is often the most sustainable option 🧡 This isn’t a doom-and-gloom episode. It’s about sustainability, trust, and learning to build your business around who you actually are, not who you think you should be.🟠 If things feel harder than usual right now, you’re not alone. You might just be tired.Helpful links:📙 Read my book: Life in Business - https://libbylangley.com/book🌍 Visit my website - https://libbylangley.com

People talk a lot about “finding your sweet spot” in business, as if it’s a destination you eventually arrive at once you’ve tweaked enough, learned enough, or built the perfect offer.In this episode, I talk honestly about why that idea kept me stuck for years, and how I’ve come to understand my own sweet spot not as something I had to create, but something that was revealed once I stopped forcing, polishing, and over-engineering everything.This is a reflective, grounding episode about exhaustion, burnout, simplification, and what happens when you stop trying to be impressive and start paying attention to what actually feels right.We explore why chasing the “perfect niche” or “perfect offer” often pulls you further away from your sweet spot, not closer; and how relief, calm, and ease can be much more reliable signals than excitement or hype.🧡 Why your sweet spot isn’t something you engineer, it’s something you uncover🧡 How removing pressure, packaging, and performance can bring unexpected clarity🧡 The difference between proving your expertise and quietly trusting it🧡 Why feeling less busy, less impressive, and less urgent might mean you’re closer than you think 🧡 How orientation - not optimisation - helps when you feel lost, tired, or disconnected from your work 🧡 The signs you’re near your sweet spot (and why you don’t need to name it yet)If you’ve been feeling weighed down, disoriented, or are fed up with chasing the next thing, this episode is an invitation to pause, notice what’s already working, and let simplicity do some of the heavy lifting.Helpful links: 📙 Read my book: Life in Business 👉 https://libbylangley.com/book🌐 Visit my website 👉 https://libbylangley.comIf something in this episode landed for you, I’d genuinely love to hear what it stirred. You can find me on Instagram - https://instagram.com/libbylangley - or via my website; and if you’re feeling disoriented in your business right now, you’re very much not alone.

Digital clutter isn’t just a bit annoying. It’s cognitively demanding - the invisible weight you carry around in the background that slowly drains your focus, decision-making, and energy.In this episode of Messy Business, I’m talking about the mental load of digital clutter: the tabs you never close, the old offers you don’t run anymore, the Canva designs you’ll never use, the dusty folders called some meaningless name, and the inbox that gradually becomes a list of things asking something of you.This isn’t an episode about productivity, inbox zero, or becoming some kind of minimalist monk. It’s an orienteering episode, because when everything feels foggy, heavy, scattered, or “I don’t know what I’m doing anymore”, sometimes the most stabilising thing you can do is remove the background noise.I share what it’s felt like to start 2026 by making small, doable edits - like closing 65 Chrome tabs (yes, really), getting my inbox down from 1,256 emails to 35, and deleting photos so I’m not paying for endless iCloud storage. Not because I became a new person overnight, but because I needed to feel lighter. We talk about: Why digital clutter often feels heavier than physical clutter (because it’s always with you) How it keeps you tethered to past versions of yourself Why it’s not the time it takes, it’s the attention it steals How deleting is actually an act of self-trust (not ruthlessness) Why “lightness” is one of the clearest signals your nervous system gives you And why you don’t need to know what’s next before you let something go If your head feels full, your business feels noisy, or you can’t hear what you actually want anymore… this episode will help you reorient. Not by adding more, but by removing what no longer belongs.✨ Sometimes the most supportive thing you can do isn’t to plan better. It’s to delete what’s been under-the-radar asking something of you for years.Helpful links:📙 Read my book: Life in Business - https://libbylangley.com/book 🧡 Visit my website - https://libbylangley.com  If this episode resonated with you, I’d love to hear about it. Tag me on Instagram https://instagram.com/libbylangley and tell me what you deleted (or what you’re finally ready to let go of).

It’s January 2026 and the internet is screaming fresh start! and big year energy! - but this episode is the quieter truth underneath that.Because sometimes the most honest place you can be in business is this: you know what can’t continue… but you don’t yet know what’s replacing it.In this episode of Messy Business, I share what it’s actually felt like to close my main programme at the end of December - a decision that came from capacity, health, burnout, shingles, life being life… and the realisation that carrying on would’ve meant showing up as a husk of myself. I talk about the mix of emotions (relief, sadness, fear, pride), and why that huge sense of lightness is often the clearest sign you’ve made the right call.We explore the difference between ending something gracefully and burning everything down dramatically - and why ending doesn’t mean failing. Sometimes it simply means the structure no longer fits who you are and what you can hold.I also talk about what I’ve outgrown: the business model that relied on scheduled Zoom calls. Not the people, not the support - the structure. Because it wasn’t the calls themselves that were the problem… it was the fact they existed in the diary, acting like a constant constraint when life was already full.This episode is a reminder that being good at something, or being known for something, doesn’t mean it’s still right. And it’s also a gentle nudge to stop keeping things alive purely because past-you set them up.Along the way, I share what I do know about 2026 - even without a shiny plan: I’m not building my business around endless Zoom calls I’m not creating content for algorithms The podcast stays front and centre I’m leaning into more creativity, flexibility, and experimentation And there will be simpler ways to access my brain without me holding a huge container And I leave you with reflective questions that might land hard (in a good way): What are you doing purely because past-you set it up? If nothing was required of you for three months, what would you naturally gravitate towards? Where are you overriding your body and brain because you said you would? What are you saying yes to that leaves you resentful… and what lights you up without trying? ✨ You don’t need a dramatic rebrand or a big announcement. Sometimes the first move forward is just quietly not renewing something.📙 Read my book: Life in Business - https://libbylangley.com/book If this episode resonated with you, I’d love to hear about it. Tag me on Instagram https://instagram.com/libbylangley and tell me what you’re ready to stop forcing in 2026 - and what you want to make space for instead.

This isn’t a strategy episode. It’s a wondering-out-loud episode. An episode about curiosity, colour returning to things that felt grey for far too long, and what might happen if we let joy, not pressure, lead the way. In this episode of Messy Business, I talk honestly about how fun kind of left the business room. How work became performance, value became output, service became self-sacrifice, and visibility replaced connection. And how easy it is to stay competent while feeling absolutely nothing. I share why joy isn’t frivolous or unprofessional; it’s essential. How play expands capacity, creativity unlocks solutions, and why clients want presence far more than polish. I talk about the invisible cost of being dependable, the pressure to keep proving yourself, and the freedom that comes from finally saying, I don’t need to do that anymore. This episode also marks a shift. I explore what joy-led work might actually look like in 2026 - slower, smaller, more human. Experiments instead of funnels. Conversations instead of campaigns. Depth over volume. Creativity without monetising every spark. And trusting that being yourself isn’t a risk; it’s the whole point. I share my predictions for where business is heading next: less AI slop, more real voices; less polish, more rough edges; more in-person connection; more neurodivergent-aware, capacity-led business models; and a collective fatigue with performing for algorithms instead of living real lives. ✨ Business isn’t meant to be endured. You don’t need to prove anything. Fun isn’t a bonus; it’s a compass. 📙 Read my book: Life in Business — https://libbylangley.com/book   If this episode resonated with you, I’d love to hear about it. Tag me on Instagram https://instagram.com/libbylangley and tell me what fun looks like for you - big or small - and what you’re ready to let joy lead towards in 2026.

This episode is being released on Christmas Day - and if you’re listening today, I’m really glad you’re here. Whether you’re hiding from chaos, peeling potatoes, avoiding small talk, or simply enjoying some quiet, this one is for you. This isn’t an episode about planning, goal-setting, or using the time between Christmas and New Year wisely. There’s no strategy here. Instead, this is a breathing-space episode, a gentle pause in the noise of business, life, and the online world. I talk about why proper time off feels harder than ever, especially when our businesses live on our phones and in our heads. We explore the myth that we have to be available all the time, the pressure to fill every gap with content or productivity, and why making space for what actually matters isn’t a luxury - it’s essential. I share reflections from my own business after closing my group programme, going into this quieter period without pressure for the first time in years, and noticing how creativity returns when you stop forcing it. We talk about the beauty of doing less, why volume isn’t the answer, and how human connection has been quietly replaced by clicks, likes, and noise. This episode is also an invitation to step back, to stop narrating everything, to let yourself enjoy moments without turning them into content, and to remember that business is not your whole identity. ✨ You don’t need to optimise this moment. You’re allowed to rest, exist, and make space for what matters, without explaining yourself. 📙 Read my book: Life in Business — https://libbylangley.com/book   If this episode resonated with you, I’d love to hear about it. Tag me on Instagram https://instagram.com/libbylangley and tell me where you’re listening from - especially if it’s Christmas Day and you’re out for a walk, hiding from the family, or enjoying some quiet.

This isn’t a shiny year-in-review. It’s the truth. I’m sharing the most honest reflection I’ve ever recorded - a look back at a year that stretched me, broke me open, and forced me to finally accept myself in ways I’ve been talking about for years but hadn’t truly lived. I talk candidly about the emotional, physical, and practical weight of 2025 - from a country that feels heavier and more divided, to global politics seeping into daily life, to the financial strain so many of us have felt. I share the reality of my husband working away for months, the chaos of selling and buying a house, renovating a doer-upper with no kitchen for weeks, my dad being in hospital, and the slow, creeping burnout that finally caught up with me. I open up about what it’s like to hold space for clients while actually falling apart, the difference between being able to support and feeling able to support, and the bone-deep exhaustion that made even joyful things feel heavy. I talk about the shingles that forced me to stop, the guilt I’ve carried, and the realisation that my capability has far outpaced my capacity. And then - the shift. The letting go. The relief. You’ll hear about the programmes and structures I’m releasing, the too-many Zoom calls I’m never repeating, the creativity I’m bringing back into my life, and the excitement I feel for 2026 - a year with less noise, more life, and space to rediscover the sparks I’ve lost along the way. ✨ You’re human. And if this year has stretched you thin, you’re not alone. 📙 Read my book: Life in Business 🧡 Visit my website If this episode resonated with you, I’d love to hear about it. Tag me on Instagram and tell me what you’re ready to leave behind in 2025, and what you’re making space for in 2026.

After 14 years in business, something finally forced me to stop - burnout, shingles, and life all colliding at once. The surprising thing is when you stop pushing, things don’t fall apart. They soften, they slow, and you begin to hear yourself again. In this episode of Messy Business, I’m sharing what truly happens when you stop forcing your business forward and give yourself space to just be. We talk about the difference between "can" and "should"; how self-marketing can become a trap; and why stepping back isn’t the beginning of the end, it might be the beginning of clarity. You’ll hear the story of the moment I almost quit back in 2017 - and how letting go opened the door to unexpected opportunities that sustained my business for years. And I’ll walk you through what this most recent burnout has taught me about capacity, creativity, and rebuilding slowly, joyfully, and on your own terms. ✨ You’re allowed to stop before you break. Taking space isn’t stepping backwards; sometimes it’s the only way to hear what comes next. If this episode resonated with you, I’d love to hear about it. Tag me on Instagram and tell me what you’re ready to stop forcing. 📙 Read my book: Life in Business 

Fourteen years in business - and about fourteen thousand lessons along the way. In this milestone episode of Messy Business, I’m sharing the 14 biggest things I’ve learned since starting out in 2011, from burnout and boundaries to creativity, capacity, and what success really means. I talk candidly about my own burnout this year, how easy it is to drift out of alignment even when things look fine on the surface, and what I’ve realised about the difference between can and should. From learning that burnout isn’t too much work - it’s the wrong work - to remembering that fun isn’t unprofessional, these lessons are a love letter to everyone building a business that feels human, not just impressive. Whether you’ve been here from the start or you’re new to Messy Business, this episode is your reminder that longevity in business isn’t about scaling or hustling - it’s about staying. ✨ The real flex isn’t scaling - it’s staying. Success doesn’t need to be big. It just needs to be alive. Helpful links: 📙 Read my book: Life in Business 🧡 Work with me: Inner Circle If this episode resonated with you, I’d love to hear about it. Tag me on Instagram and tell me which of the 14 lessons hit home for you.

Things are going fine. You’ve got clients, your systems are working, and you’re not firefighting every five minutes - so why does it all feel a bit… flat? In this episode of Messy Business, I’m talking about the part no one ever mentions: the quiet middle of business. The bit that isn’t thrilling, but is actually a sign that everything’s working exactly as it should. We’ll look at why your brain mistakes calm for stagnation, how chaos can become a comfort zone, and what to do when stability feels like boredom. I’ll share how to stop sabotaging what’s finally working, why consistency isn’t complacency, and how to enjoy the “comfortable middle” - that lovely stretch where your business runs smoothly and you get to have a life again. ✨ Boring isn’t bad. It’s progress without panic - and it’s where real freedom begins. Helpful Links: 🔶 Download the free guide: Feeling Stuck 📙 Read my book: Life in Business 🧡 Work with me: Join Rebootcamp If this episode resonated with you, I’d love to hear about it. Tag me on Instagram @libbylangley and tell me what your “comfortable middle” looks like right now.

You know you’d feel better if you slowed down - so why do you keep piling more on your plate? In this episode of Messy Business, I’m exploring the resistance we feel when we try to do less, and why simplicity can feel so uncomfortable (even when we know it’s what we need). I talk about where that resistance comes from - the stories we’ve absorbed about worth being tied to productivity, the fear of being forgotten if we stop producing, and how our nervous systems get hooked on busyness. I also share real examples from my clients and my own life, plus simple ways to make “doing less” feel safe, not scary. Because doing less isn’t laziness - it’s leadership. It’s how you protect your energy, create space for the work that matters, and show up sharper for your clients and yourself. ✨ Doing less isn’t failure - it’s focus. You don’t need to earn your rest. Helpful Links: 🔶 Download the free guide: Feeling Stuck 📙 Read my book: Life in Business 🧡 Work with me: Join Rebootcamp If this episode resonated with you, I’d love to hear about it. Tag me on Instagram @libbylangley and tell me what “doing less” looks like for you this week.

That feeling when your business still looks successful on paper, but something about it just doesn’t fit anymore? This episode of Messy Business is for you. You’ve changed. Your energy, priorities, and boundaries have all evolved - but your business might not have caught up yet. I’m talking about what it means to outgrow your way of working, how to spot the signs (like dreading calls or feeling boxed in by your own systems), and what to do to realign your business without burning everything down. I’ll share what I’ve changed in my own business - from scrapping free discovery calls to simplifying my offers - and how to rebuild your rhythm around who you are now, not who you used to be. Because outgrowing things isn’t failure. It’s proof of growth. ✨ You’re not doing anything wrong. You’ve just outgrown your old way of working - and that’s something to celebrate. Helpful links: 🔶 Download the free guide: Feeling Stuck 📙 Read my book: Life in Business 🧡 Work with me: Join Rebootcamp If this episode resonated with you, I’d love to hear about it. Tag me on Instagram @libbylangley and tell me what part of your business you’ve outgrown.

Perfection isn’t the goal - peace is. In this final episode of the Messy Business rebrand series, I’m sharing the heart of what this podcast stands for: the Messy Business Manifesto. It’s a collection of ten truths about what it really means to build a business that fits you - and a reminder that success has nothing to do with having it all together. I walk you through each of the ten Messy Business Truths, from why you can forget things and still be brilliant, to how you can rest without guilt, make good money without chasing growth, and be both messy and professional. This is the promise I make to you - that your business can be calm, joyful, profitable, and perfectly imperfect. If you’ve ever needed permission to stop trying to fix yourself and start building a business around who you really are, this is it. ✨ You don’t have to have it all together to be successful. You just need solid foundations underneath your glorious mess. Helpful links: 🔶 Download the free guide: Feeling Stuck 📙 Read my book: Life in Business 🧡 Work with me: Join Rebootcamp If this episode resonated with you, I’d love to hear about it. Tag me on Instagram @libbylangley and tell me which of the Messy Business Truths hit home for you.

You left your 9–5 for freedom - but does your business now feel just as restrictive as your old job? In this episode of Messy Business, I’m exploring how we unconsciously recreate the very structures we were trying to escape, and what it really takes to design a business that gives you the life you wanted in the first place. I share the story of how I accidentally built myself another job - complete with staff, office hours, and burnout - before realising I had the power to rebuild everything around how I actually work best. We’ll talk about how to spot when your business has turned into a cage, how to redefine success beyond 10K months or endless consistency, and why stability and freedom can happily coexist. If you’ve ever wondered why your business feels heavy or out of alignment, this episode will help you see what’s really going on, and give you permission to build the structure that truly supports your freedom. ✨ You don’t need more discipline or consistency. You need to rethink the way you work, and build your business to fit you. Helpful links: 🔶 Download the free guide: Feeling Stuck 📙 Read my book: Life in Business 🧡 Work with me: Join Rebootcamp If this episode resonated with you, I’d love to hear about it. Tag me on Instagram @libbylangley and tell me what part of your business you’re ready to rebuild for more freedom.

If your business feels unsteady, confusing, or like it’s taking more than it gives - this episode is for you. I’m walking you through the four foundations of a solid business base: Belief, Alignment, Structure, and Ease. These are the cornerstones of my Rebootcamp framework - and the key to rebuilding your business so it finally fits you. We’ll talk about what each foundation really means, why most business owners skip straight to tactics before sorting their base, and how to know which part of your own foundation needs strengthening. From believing in your purpose, to aligning your business with real life, to creating simple structures that conserve energy, this episode gives you a clear, practical way to make business feel lighter, calmer, and more sustainable. ✨ When your base is solid, you can handle all the mess. Belief, alignment, structure, and ease - that’s your foundation for success. Helpful links: 🔶 Download the free guide: Feeling Stuck 📙 Read my book: Life in Business 🧡 Work with me: Join Rebootcamp If this episode resonated with you, I’d love to hear about it. Tag me on Instagram @libbylangley and tell me which part of your foundation feels strongest, and which needs rebuilding.

If your business feels heavy, misaligned, or like it’s draining you - it’s not you, it’s your business. In this episode of Messy Business, I’m talking about what really happens when you and your business fall out of sync (and how to get back on the same page again). You’re not flaky, inconsistent, or lazy - even if it sometimes feels that way. What’s more likely is that your business simply doesn’t fit you anymore. Maybe your energy has changed, your priorities have shifted, or the version of success you built for yourself no longer feels like success. And that’s okay - it’s fixable. We’ll talk about what causes that disconnect, why so many brilliant solo business owners blame themselves, and how to rebuild your structure so your business fits your life again. I share stories from my own 14-year journey, including the highs and lows of team building, rebrands, and realising that I’m happiest when my business feels calm, human, and sustainable. ✨ You’re not the problem. Your business just needs rebuilding to fit who you are now - and that’s something you can absolutely do. Helpful links: 🔶 Download the free guide: Feeling Stuck 📙 Read my book: Life in Business 🧡 Work with me: Join Rebootcamp If this episode resonated with you, I’d love to hear about it. Tag me on Instagram @libbylangley and tell me what part of your business might need a little couples therapy.

Welcome to Messy Business! It feels so good to say that. After 156 episodes of Life in Business and Unstuck, this new chapter is all about embracing the beautiful chaos of running a business - and finally letting go of the idea that you need to have everything perfectly together to succeed. In this episode, I share why the podcast has evolved, what Messy Business stands for, and how it connects to the heart of my work inside Rebootcamp - rebuilding your business so it fits you. We’ll talk about what it really means to have a “solid base” underneath the mess, why perfectionism is overrated, and how trying to fix yourself (instead of your business structure) keeps you stuck. You’ll hear the behind-the-scenes story of the rebrand, the lessons that led to it, and why I’m now proudly calling myself a business therapist - part coach, part therapist for your business. Because you don’t need to fix yourself. You just need a business that fits you. ✨ You don’t have to have it all together to be successful. You just need solid foundations underneath your glorious mess. Helpful Links: 🔶 Download the free guide: Feeling Stuck 📙 Read my book: Life in Business 🧡 Work with me: Join Rebootcamp If this episode resonated with you, I’d love to hear about it. Tag me on Instagram @libbylangley and tell me what messy but successful looks like for you.