In this episode, I’m tackling a spicy one: the story so many of us were sold, that going out on your own and doing it all yourself is the path to freedom and financial abundance. As someone who has studied business formally, I was shocked to see how many heart-centered founders were never given the fundamentals that would show them otherwise.

I break the myth into three parts: capacity (why one person can’t do all eight core areas of business well), capabilities (knowing what you’re skilled at, what you actually want to do, and where you need support), and the money itself. I share how I made my first hires, an assistant and a bookkeeper and fractional CFO, from day one of the incubator, even though I have a finance background. And I get into a stat from the IRS that stopped me in my tracks the first time I saw it.

If you’ve been grinding as a solopreneur and wondering why the freedom and income haven’t shown up, this episode is your permission slip to question the story you were told.

In This Episode:

• The solopreneur freedom story is a myth, and the data backs that up.
• A business has eight core areas, and one person can’t give them all equal energy.
• Capability isn’t the same as desire. You can be able to do something and still shouldn’t.
• The average solopreneur earns around $50K a year, but teams of three to five see over $300K.
• Revenue grows faster than headcount when you add skills, not just hands.
• Adding team or partners works best with a plan, not a blind hire.

Resources:

Sign up for Momentum By Design Event October 23rd (Live in Littleton, CO) or October 30th (Online)
https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/momentumbydesign

Learn more about the Spiritual Business Incubator:
https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com

Purchase my book here!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1966346050/

Podcast website:
https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/newageceopodcast

View the full show notes for this episode:
https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/blog/episode22

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/annanicholsmba

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/annanicholsmba

Connect with Anna Nichols:
Instagram: @iamannanichols (https://www.instagram.com/iamannanichols/)

I'm sharing something a little different: two energetic exercises that have profoundly shifted my relationship with money, and why this inner work matters just as much as the practical side of building a business. I get honest about my own money wounds, rooted in my family's immigration story and old beliefs about earning money for things I didn't actually want to do.

I walk you through two exercises I've personally practiced: first, visualizing the embodiment of your relationship with money (and being willing to look at what shows up, even if it's uncomfortable), and second, identifying the size of your energetic "vessel" for receiving and holding money. I share vulnerable stories from both, including a childhood memory of church collection bowls that shaped my early relationship with giving and receiving.

This episode is a reminder that expanding your capacity to receive isn't just a mindset shift. It's an ongoing practice, just like the practical financial planning we teach inside the incubator and at Momentum by Design.

In This Episode:

• Our early experiences around money (family, culture, religion) often shape subconscious beliefs we're still carrying as adults.
• Visualizing the "embodiment" of your relationship with money can surface wounds you didn't know you were carrying.
• We each have an energetic "vessel" with a symbolic capacity for how much money we can receive and hold.
• A container too small for the flow of money you're calling in can create overwhelm, not abundance.
• Expanding your capacity to receive is an ongoing practice, not a one-time fix.
• Energetic work and practical financial planning aren't separate. They work together to move your business forward.

Resources:

Sign up for Momentum By Design Event October 23rd (Live in Littleton, CO) or October 30th (Online)

https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/momentumbydesign

Learn more about the Spiritual Business Incubator:
https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com

Purchase my book here!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1966346050/

Podcast website:
https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/newageceopodcast

View the full show notes for this episode:
https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/blog/episode21

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/annanicholsmba

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/annanicholsmba

Connect with Anna Nichols:
Instagram: @iamannanichols (https://www.instagram.com/iamannanichols/)

I'm digging into a stage so many founders find themselves stuck in: solopreneurship. It's an amazing place to start a business, but for many of us, it was never meant to be the final destination. I talk about how to know when solopreneurship has stopped being aligned, why so many of us stay stuck delivering everything ourselves instead of stepping into the next level, and what it actually takes to evolve rather than burn out or dissolve.

I break down the real reasons solopreneurship becomes misaligned (your vision was always bigger than one person, your human design points to partnership or team, or your life circumstances are shifting) and share a personal example using my husband's journey as a manifestor to illustrate how understanding your own energy changes how you build. I also share a wild statistic on why founders inside structured incubators are far more likely to still be in business five years from now.

This episode is an invitation to stop asking "how do I do more" and start asking "what's the aligned next structure for my business."

In This Episode:

• Solopreneurship is a powerful starting point, not necessarily the end goal.
• There are three real reasons solopreneurship stops being aligned: your original vision, your human design, or your life circumstances.
• Businesses inside structured incubators are 85% more likely to still be operating five years later.
• Taking action without a comprehensive plan disperses your energy instead of building real momentum.
• Understanding how your unique energy flows (hello, human design) changes how you structure your business.
• Evolving past solopreneurship requires both internal work and practical, structural business decisions.

Resources:

Sign up for Momentum By Design Event October 23rd (Live in Littleton, CO) or October 30th (Online)

https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/momentumbydesign

Learn more about the Spiritual Business Incubator:
https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com

Purchase my book here!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1966346050/

Podcast website:
https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/newageceopodcast

View the full show notes for this episode:
https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/blog/episode20

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/annanicholsmba

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/annanicholsmba

Connect with Anna Nichols:
Instagram: @iamannanichols (https://www.instagram.com/iamannanichols/)

In this episode, I'm coming to you fresh off Colorado Startup Week, where I've spent the week talking to founders, investors, and venture capitalists managing hundreds of millions (in some cases billions) of dollars. I share what happened when I started explaining how we use human design at the Spiritual Business Incubator to help founders build businesses faster and more intentionally, and why investor after investor paused, leaned in, and told me this was genuinely innovative.

I get honest about a fear I've carried for a long time: that blending the "woo" with real business fundamentals wouldn't be taken seriously. This week proved otherwise. I talk about what investors are actually looking for (a fast, reliable return), why alignment and intentional timing directly impact how quickly a business moves through its growth stages, and why "hustle" isn't a dirty word when it's rooted in genuine mission and alignment rather than burnout.

This episode is part reflection, part pep talk, and a reminder that the parts of you that feel too spiritual, too different, or too "out there" might actually be your biggest business advantage.

In This Episode:

• Investors care about one thing above all: getting a return in the quickest timeline possible.
• Human design and alignment can directly speed up how fast a business moves through its growth stages.
• The fear of not being taken seriously often says more about self-doubt than reality.
• Hustle isn't inherently bad. Hustle rooted in mission and alignment looks completely different than hustle rooted in burnout.
• Founders and investors want real, numbers-driven conversations, not just inspiration.
• Bridging practical business fundamentals with spiritual alignment isn't a compromise. It's a competitive advantage.

Resources:

Sign up for Momentum By Design Event October 23rd (Live in Littleton, CO) or October 30th (Online)

https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/momentumbydesign

Learn more about the Spiritual Business Incubator:
https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com

Purchase my book here!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1966346050/

Podcast website:

https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/newageceopodcast

View the full show notes for this episode:
https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/blog/episode19

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/annanicholsmba

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/annanicholsmba

Connect with Anna Nichols:
Instagram: @iamannanichols (https://www.instagram.com/iamannanichols/)

In this episode, I dive into momentum, but not the "force yourself to push through" kind. I'm talking about momentum by design: an intentional, conscious way of moving your business forward that blends practical business structure with divine wisdom. This is also the name of our very first Spiritual Business Incubator all-day event, happening live in Littleton, Colorado on October 23rd and virtually on October 30th.

I share why so many heart-centered founders end up piecemealing their businesses, not because they lack drive, but because they're missing a clear framework for what to focus on and when. I talk about the six stages of business development, why group energy actually accelerates progress (hello, human design), and how Momentum by Design walks you through building your decision framework, mapping your business model and one-year financial forecast, and identifying your top three strategic priorities.

I also get into something more personal: my own journey exploring conscious entrepreneurship, regenerative finance, and what it really means to build a business rooted in both spreadsheets and soul.

In This Episode:

• Momentum isn't sheer willpower. It's intentional movement through real business structure.
• Piecemealing happens when you have ideas but no framework for what to focus on.
• Group energy fills in the gaps of your own design. None of us are meant to build alone.
• Businesses move through six clear stages, and knowing them changes how you make decisions.
• A one-year financial forecast doesn't have to be scary. It's a tool for clarity.
• Conscious entrepreneurship means using both your intuition and your spreadsheet.

Resources:

Sign up for Momentum By Design Event October 23rd (Live in Littleton, CO) or October 30th (Online)
https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/momentumbydesign

Learn more about the Spiritual Business Incubator:
https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com

Purchase my book here!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1966346050/

Podcast website:
https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/newageceopodcast

View the full show notes for this episode:
https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/blog/episode17

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/annanicholsmba

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/annanicholsmba

Connect with Anna Nichols:
Instagram: @iamannanichols (https://www.instagram.com/iamannanichols/)

In this episode, I share something I was honestly a little nervous to record: the difference between piecemealing your business and stepping into true business maturity. This topic came up in my mastermind, and my clients insisted it needed to be its own episode.

I talk about how so many of us start our businesses by piecing things together: an offer here, a strategy there, advice to "just put something out and see what happens." That approach can work for a while, but it's not how you build something sustainable, scalable, or legacy-worthy. I get into why business planning is my gift, why "slow down to speed up" isn't just a nice idea but a real strategy, and why so many of us avoid looking closely at our own businesses because it feels scary, like cleaning out from under the bed and not knowing what you'll find.

This episode is an invitation to forgive yourself for what you didn't know before, and to step into the next level of leadership your business (and your future) is asking of you.

In This Episode:

• Piecemealing your business keeps you stuck. Planning is what lets you scale.
• Business maturity isn't about having the biggest business. It's about leading with intention.
• Avoiding your numbers or your mistakes only prolongs the piecemeal cycle.
• A flexible plan calms your nervous system and changes how you show up for clients.
• Growth requires shedding old stories, mistakes, and failures you're still holding onto.
• Maturity as a business leader is a new identity, but you've already built this skill elsewhere in your life.

Resources:

Learn more about the Spiritual Business Incubator:
https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com

Purchase my book here!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1966346050/

Podcast website:

https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/newageceopodcast

View the full show notes for this episode:
https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/blog/episode17

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/annanicholsmba

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/annanicholsmba

Connect with Anna Nichols:
Instagram: @iamannanichols (https://www.instagram.com/iamannanichols/)

This episode is a personal follow-up to Episode 15, where I shared the story of an investor who built and lost a $300 million portfolio. If you haven't listened yet, I'd start there, but this one stands on its own.

Here, I open up about the fear of failure that surfaced for me in the days after that event. Not just fear of losing money, but something deeper tied to my family history, my identity, and my sense of legacy. I talk about my parents' journey immigrating from Poland, the $4 million loss my father experienced, and how that shaped my earliest understanding of risk. I also get honest about the fears I've faced building the Spiritual Business Incubator — including a moment I broke down crying, questioning whether moving my family to Denver was the right choice.

This episode is a reminder that fear of failure isn't a red flag. It's often a sign you're doing something that matters.

In This Episode:

• Fear of failure often masks deeper fears: identity, belonging, worthiness.
• Family history shapes how we relate to risk, often without us realizing it.
• Pursuing a soul-aligned business risks more than money: relationships, stability, sense of self.
• Human design and Gene Keys can explain why certain fears hit harder for you.
• You can hold grief and gratitude at the same time.
• Legacy isn't just what you build. It's what you model for the people watching you.

Resources:

Learn more about the Spiritual Business Incubator:
https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/about

Purchase my book here!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1966346050/

Podcast website:
https://www.spiritualbusinessincubator.com/newageceopodcast

View the full show notes for this episode:
https://spiritualbusinessincubator.com/blog/episode16

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/annanicholsmba

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/annanicholsmba

Connect with Anna Nichols:
Instagram: @iamannanichols (https://www.instagram.com/iamannanichols/)

This episode comes straight from the heart, inspired by a serendipitous conversation at a live event this past weekend. I met a woman who had built a $300 million real estate investment portfolio, only to lose it all in a dramatic bankruptcy when the market shifted beneath her. Despite the devastation, she is rebuilding again, more grounded, more intentional, and more spiritually rooted than ever before.

What makes this story so powerful isn't just the scale of the rise and fall, it's how she responded to it. Rather than letting the loss define or destroy her, she treated it as a spiritual lesson in humility, a reminder that no matter how much success you've built, the fundamentals of business (and of self) are what carry you through. This conversation is contrasted with a deeply personal story about my father, who lost $4 million after decades of hard work and never recovered emotionally from the shame of that loss. Together, these two stories illustrate the difference that business fundamentals, spiritual grounding, and self-worth can make when everything falls apart.

Success isn't only about hustle. It's about understanding the repeatable fundamentals of building a business, staying humble enough to keep learning, and staying spiritually connected enough to know that setbacks are lessons, not verdicts.

In This Episode:

• Why business fundamentals are repeatable: once you understand how to build one business, you have the tools to build (or rebuild) any business, in any industry.
• The difference between "hard work" and "foundational knowledge": and why working hard alone isn't enough to sustain long-term success.
• How ego and overconfidence can quietly erode the systems that got you successful in the first place: and why humility has to scale with success, not disappear with it.
• Why diversification and intentional risk management matter even when big, bold risk-taking is part of your entrepreneurial DNA.
• How spiritual grounding and practical business wisdom work together: not as opposites, but as two halves of true entrepreneurial resilience.
• Why shame and silence around financial failure can be more devastating than the failure itself: and the importance of processing loss openly instead of carrying it alone.

Connect with Anna Nichols:
Instagram: @iamannanichols (https://www.instagram.com/iamannanichols/)