A Breakdown That Became My Breakthrough

Photo by Dev Asangbam on Unsplash

Have you ever had a moment where you felt like everything was falling apart?

I mean really falling apart—the kind of moment where you’re not sure how you’ll get through the next day, let alone the next month or year.

Most people know me as someone who helps others explore business ownership, find the right franchise, and create a lifestyle they love. But what most people don’t know is that I didn’t always have it all together. In fact, just a few years ago, I was $500K in debt, overwhelmed, and at a breaking point.

Let me take you back to one of the hardest days of my life...

It was one of those days in my coffee/smoothie franchise. Another 90-hour week behind me, and nothing to show for it—at least, nothing that felt worth the exhaustion. I was driving home, the weight of the world pressing down on me. $500K in debt, lawsuits piling up, and the pressure to keep my family afloat mounting with each passing day.

And then, I broke. Full-on heaving, sobbing so hard I could barely breathe. I had to pull over on the side of the road. Sitting there, hunched over the steering wheel, I felt like I was drowning. How did I get here? How could it all have gone so wrong?

And then, in the middle of that storm, something shifted. A song came on the radio—Kelly Clarkson’s “What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger.” I started laughing (literally) through my tears. It was like the universe was speaking directly to me, telling me I wasn’t done yet. That this breakdown wasn’t the end—it was the turning point. I told myself “Stacey, this is your new theme song. You were given this message for a reason. Do something with it.”

I drove home, looked in the mirror, and decided it was time to stop blaming everyone else. The problem wasn’t outside of me—it was inside. I hadn’t been playing to win; I’d been playing to survive. That’s when everything changed.

I stopped trying to do what everyone else was doing. I stopped thinking small. Instead, I focused on what was actually working. A simple change of focusing on catering instead of selling smoothies and coffees one at a time transformed my business and my life. I zigged when others zagged. Two years later, that $500K in debt turned into a 7-figure profitable business.

But it all started with that moment—crying, laughing, and realizing that the only way out was to take control, do things differently, and realize that if it didn’t work “What doesn’t kill you makes you smarter” and I would learn from it and pivot.

So, let me ask you: What’s your turning point? What moment in your life has pushed you to make a change you didn’t think you could make?

#YouGotThis #BreakdownToBreakthrough #ZigWhenOthersZag #BusinessTransformation