A Holistic Approach to Business Strategy That Actually Feels Good

Written by Lauren Lea Fenn-Ellis, Agency Founder and Fractional COO

Lauren Lea Fenn-Ellis, founder and CEO of OBM Associates, leads a globally trusted business management agency. Named a Top 10 Disruptive Entrepreneur, she helps founders scale with clarity, strategy, and operational excellence.

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Running a business isn't just about crunching numbers and hitting revenue goals. For purpose-driven founders, true growth comes from aligning your strategy with your energy, vision, and values. In this article, I’ll share how I redesigned my strategy day to balance both the practical and the intuitive, ensuring that my business not only thrives but also feels good. If you're ready to design a business strategy that aligns with who you are, read on and discover how to reconnect with your vision and lead with clarity.

How I designed a strategy day to align my business with my energy, vision, & values

Most strategy sessions focus on numbers. Revenue goals, KPIs, marketing plans. And while those matter, they’re not enough, especially for purpose-driven founders. Because growth isn’t just about scaling profit, it’s about staying aligned with the why behind your work.

After years of leading a fast-growing OBM agency, I realised I needed a different kind of strategy day, one that balanced vision with data, and structure with space. A day that considers not just what I wanted to build, but how I wanted to feel while building it.

Here’s what that looks like, and how you can create your own.

Step 1: Start with space, not strategy

Before you open a spreadsheet or dive into goals, pause. Clear the noise. Create space to think.

For me, that looks like journaling to empty out the mental clutter, a quick meditation to get centred, and grounding practices that connect me back to my purpose. It’s about showing up as the leader, not the task-doer.

Then, I reconnect with my bigger “why.”

What do I really want?

What season am I in creatively, emotionally, and financially?

I call this desire mapping, it’s where business goals meet real-life alignment. Because strategy without vision? That’s just busy work.

Step 2: Financial clarity is emotional freedom

Once you’ve grounded yourself, it’s time to face the numbers, but not in a stressy, spreadsheet-overload kind of way.

In my own session, I carried out a full annual review. Our systems are set up so we can submit year-end accounts right on time, which makes it easier to look at real data without delays. My bookkeeper also sends me a monthly P&L to review, so I always have a handle on my numbers, but this was about digging in further.

From there, I dig into:

• Q1 performance

• Revenue stream analysis

• Team costs

• Systems and operations costs

• Marketing and PR costs

• Tax planning (hello, 2027 tax pot!)

And yes. I gave myself a little bonus using the Profit First method.

For you, it could be as simple as:

• Reviewing the last 3 months of income and expenses

• Checking which revenue streams are actually profitable

• Starting a tax buffer (even a small one)

• Asking: where is money flowing with ease, and where is it leaking?

• Noting where you’re spending most of your time, and if you don’t know, start using Toggl to track it so you have real data to review

Financial clarity isn’t about perfection; it’s about peace. The goal here is confidence. You don’t want to obsess, you want to understand. So you can make calm, informed decisions from a place of power (not panic).

Step 3: Audit your time like it matters (because it does)

You might feel like you’re always working, always in motion, but is that actually true?

You can’t shift what you can’t see. That’s why I’ve tracked my time to the minute for the last five years. It’s not about being rigid, it’s about being real.

Last year, I worked 897 hours. That averages out to just over 18 hours per week.

With that data, I reviewed:

• Where my time actually went vs. where I thought it did

• Energy drains and time leaks

• What to Automate, Delegate, or Delete

• How my time aligns with my role as CEO

Your time allocation is your real strategy. This step always gives me clarity and permission to protect what matters most.

Step 4: Audit your energy, not just your time

Here’s something no spreadsheet will tell you. Some tasks look efficient on paper but feel like a total drain. Others light you up and move the needle, without wiping you out.

That’s why I don’t just audit time. I audit energy.

I ask myself:

• What activities fuel me?

• Where am I pushing through something that no longer fits?

• Which parts of the business give me life, and which quietly deplete me?

• What boundaries have slipped that need reinforcing?

To help with this, I use an Oura Ring (not sponsored, just obsessed, but you can get 10% off with my link). It gives me a deeper read on how my sleep, recovery, stress, and daily energy levels are actually tracking (not just how I think they are). It’s been a game-changer for spotting patterns between my work and my well-being.

I also use it with my clients, because when I’m supporting someone personally and professionally, it’s powerful to see the connection between their well-being and their work. It’s been a game-changer for spotting patterns and making changes that actually stick.

Your energy is the currency that matters most. Because if you’re building a business that burns you out, what’s the point?

Step 5: Realign the vision & reinforce the boundaries

As your business grows, it’s easy to drift. The vision that once felt clear can start to blur under the weight of day-to-day demands.

That’s why I take time each season to check in. Is the direction still right? Does it still feel like me? Am I building what I actually want? Or just responding to what’s coming at me?

I also reset my boundaries. What gets a yes right now? What’s a no, even if it looks good on paper? This filter helps me protect my time, my energy, and the focus of the team.

Clear boundaries don’t limit growth; they protect it. When your team knows where you’re headed and what matters most, everything flows with less friction.

Step 6: Let the marketing match the mission

Marketing feels difficult when your vision gets unclear.

If it feels like you’re constantly pushing content, second-guessing your message, or burning out on visibility, you’re not doing it wrong; you’re probably just out of alignment.

I’ve been there. When I notice resistance around content, I know it’s time to check back in. Does the message still reflect where the business is going? Does the channel feel aligned with how I want to show up? Am I saying things because they’re true for me? Or just because I think I should?

During your own strategy day, try this:

• Look at what channels feel good vs. what feels like a chore

• Ask: “Is our messaging still aligned with our vision?”

• Choose one new idea to test this quarter (don’t overload your plate)

• Find one place to simplify without sacrificing connection

You don’t need to be everywhere. You just need to show up in a way that’s real.

When your message matches your mission, marketing feels less like a task and more like a natural extension of who you are.

Step 7: Design a schedule that supports the season you’re in

I used to build my weeks for maximum efficiency. Back-to-back calls, zero breathing room, always in motion. But now? I build my schedule to breathe. To support the version of me I’m becoming.

If your weeks feel tight, reactive, or off-balance, take a step back and ask:

• Does this structure support the life I actually want?

• Where am I prioritising urgency over intention?

• What would it look like to schedule around my energy, not just my tasks?

Here’s what works for me:

I block space for strategy, content, and movement (midday Walk & Talks are a must). I protect white space like it’s a client meeting. I honour my creative windows instead of forcing productivity at 3 pm when I know I’m toast.

What would that version of scheduling look like for you?

What would become possible if you gave yourself one day to realign?

This isn’t about squeezing more into your calendar. It’s about stepping out of the noise long enough to hear yourself think again.

A holistic strategy day isn’t just planning; it’s a reset. A chance to clear your mind, reconnect with your vision, and create space for the business (and life) you actually want to lead.

Because when you’re aligned, decisions come more easily. Your time stretches further. The work flows better. And the growth? It starts to feel like freedom, not pressure.

So ask yourself. What would become possible if you gave yourself just one day to realign?

If you want more practical ways to step out of the noise and into clarity, join my newsletter. It’s where I share the behind-the-scenes strategies, mindset shifts, and operational tweaks that free you from the day-to-day so you can lead at your best.

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Read more from Lauren Lea Fenn-Ellis

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Lauren Lea Fenn-Ellis, Agency Founder and Fractional COO

Lauren Lea Fenn-Ellis is the founder and CEO of OBM Associates, a globally trusted business management agency supporting high-growth entrepreneurs. With nearly two decades of operational leadership experience, Lauren and her team partner with visionary founders to scale intentionally through strategic systems, high-performing teams, and operations designed for clarity, efficiency, and scale. Named one of the Top 10 Disruptive Entrepreneurs, her work turns operational friction into focused momentum. For founders who are ready to step out of the day-to-day and into confident, sustainable leadership, OBM Associates builds the structure that sets them free.