How Losing Everything Became the Catalyst for My Greatest Business Success
- Brainz Magazine
- Jul 1
- 5 min read
Written by Suzanne Butler, Feng Shui Expert
Suzanne Butler is a Business & Life Strategist from Australia who uses Feng Shui & Mindset modalities for successful entrepreneurs to bring balance, harmony, and abundance into their lives & business and the lives of their families to increase happiness and joy.
Twelve years ago, I walked away from the corporate world and unknowingly into the biggest life lesson I’ve ever lived through. I left a recruitment agency I’d worked at for five years to become a self-employed virtual assistant. I’d just moved to Brisbane and was determined to build something of my own. I picked up a few clients early on, enough to cover the basics, but that was it.
Behind the scenes, life was anything but stable. I was in a relationship with a man whose ego never placed him in the wrong, had big desires, and even bigger spending habits, even when we didn’t have the money. So, I did what most women in business do when they’re trying to keep it all together: I hustled.
Three businesses. Late nights. No sleep. No support.
I had two clients on $1,000/month retainers, giving them a minimum of 40 hours of work per month. I didn’t want to seem greedy. I was “new” to business, after all.
In between learning how to manage the trades industry, I was also launching a martial arts school and navigating the chaos of Queensland Building Code Commission compliance. I had no safety net. No one to lean on. Just me, patching it all together with willpower and duct tape.
Then everything collapsed. My partner fell gravely ill. I was diagnosed with adrenal fatigue shortly after. But I kept going because that’s what women do when we feel like the whole world is on our shoulders.
Sure, I had accountants and lawyers, but only when something went horribly wrong. I’d scrape together enough money to fix it, then go right back into reactive survival mode.
I scoured cheap networking events and downloaded every freebie I could find. I kept thinking I was just one PDF away from everything falling into place.
I wasn’t investing in myself. I had no idea what I wanted my life to look like. And I was failing. Miserably.
Faking it ‘til I made it. I was staying up until 2 a.m., building websites for “exposure”, for people who wouldn’t even pay full price themselves. I wanted testimonials so badly, I was giving my time and expertise away for free, hoping someone, somewhere, would finally see my worth.
Then something shifted. The martial arts school started to show promise. I joined a group called Martial Arts Business Success, and unlike most of the ‘free advice’ I’d been following, theirs actually worked. The community was real, the support was solid, and for the first time, I saw what was possible.
I implemented what they taught. I showed up. I even went to one of their weekend conferences, and my eyes were opened.
Suddenly, I wasn’t hoping for a win, I was planning for one.
I had spreadsheets that projected I’d make $140K that year. It felt real.
But just five weeks later… Everything. Fell. Apart.
My partner ended our relationship, blindsiding me. I was too tired and worn down to see the signs. Later, I discovered he’d been cheating.
I lost the business. I lost the momentum. I lost the community that had started to believe in me.
And worst of all, I lost myself.
I was so ashamed, I walked away from everything.
But what I hadn’t walked away from… were the debts. I was still legally liable. My name was on it all.
So, I made a decision that changed everything:
I would never go into business with someone again without legal protection.
I would never start a new venture without a mentor or coach.
And I would never try to do it on zero budget again.
When the opportunity came to start my Feng Shui business, I didn’t wing it. I invested. Even though money was tight, I put what little I had into a coach, not for strategy, but to understand what I needed to do to finally be seen.
I went on retreats. I walked into rooms full of million-dollar business owners. I stopped waiting for the perfect time. I stopped hustling. And I stopped settling.
Have I gotten it right every time? Of course not.
But I’ve learned.
And the biggest lesson?
Doing it all alone was keeping me small. I was constantly reacting, never receiving. I didn’t know how to ask for help, and I didn’t think I deserved it.
Until I did the work.
Because if you’re not willing to invest in yourself, why should anyone else?
If you haven’t healed your past, how will you guide others through theirs?
If your personal life is a mess, what kind of clients will show up in your business?
There’s a quote by Lenka Lutonska that lives rent-free in my head:
“Your personal life will show up in your business.”
And it’s true.
Your energy doesn’t lie.
How you do one thing… is how you do everything.
So, my question for you is this:
How are you showing up?
If you’re done trying to build your business on hustle, perfectionism, and late-night Googling, let me introduce you to The Elevated Entrepreneur.
It’s not just another coaching container; it’s an energetic recalibration of your entire business and life using Classical Flying Stars Feng Shui. We balance your home, your mindset, your environment, and your systems to support the version of you who knows she’s here for more.
Inside, you’ll get powerful mentorship, customized energetic blueprints, Human Design integration, and the support you’ve been craving, all rooted in alignment, not exhaustion.
It’s time to stop doing it all alone. Your elevation starts here.
Complete the quiz here for guidance on your next step!
Read more from Suzanne Butler
Suzanne Butler, Feng Shui Expert
Suzanne Butler is a Business & Life Strategist from Australia who uses Feng Shui & Mindset modalities for successful entrepreneurs to bring balance, harmony, and abundance into their lives & business and the lives of their families to increase happiness and joy.
Suzanne has been using Feng Shui to create her dream life for close to 10 years and has seen a resounding change in her circumstances from escaping a DV relationship to living her life on her own terms. Suzanne’s life experiences have equipped her well to assist her clients through an array of challenges with great results, including increased wealth, closer family units, relationships, and significant business success.
