Doing Business Gently - Online Business, Work From Rest, Midlife Christian Women, Aligned Business

For years I called it burnout. Tired, unmotivated, running on empty. Burnout was just the word that fit, so that is what I used.
I am done calling it that.
In this episode, I am walking through what I have learned after eighteen years in business and with the help of a counselor during a difficult season. That what feels like burnout is often something else entirely. It is misalignment, and it shows up in three specific ways: depletion, disconnection, and growth your business has not caught up with yet.
I am not talking about burnout as an abstract idea. I am walking through a recent project of my own, one that stressed me out for weeks before I finally had the words for what was actually going on, and what changed the moment I named it.
Depletion is not the same as disconnection, and disconnection is not the same as outgrowing your business. Each one asks for something different, and none of them are solved by simply pushing through or resting harder.
If you have not listened to the rest series yet, start with Episode 109. Then come back here, because this episode builds directly on what rest makes possible.
Curious whether what you are feeling is burnout or something else. Take the Business Alignment Audit at https://selahstudios.co/alignmentaudit, and join me for the next episode as I start digging into the pillars of building a business that actually fits you.
Related Episodes: Episode 109: Kicks off the series "Rest & The Entrepreneur"https://selahstudios.co/ep-109-entrepreneurs-rest-rest-isnt-a-luxury-its-a-business-strategy-the-5-types-youre-missing/Episode 114: A special panel discussion, "Permission to Rest for the Chronically Capable Entrepreneur"https://selahstudios.co/ep-114-permission-to-rest-for-the-chronically-capable-entrepreneur/Let's Connect: 
Website: https://SelahStudios.co

You already know how to keep going. This episode is for the part of you that doesn't know how to stop.
In this special Selah Sessions panel replay, you'll sit in on an honest, unscripted conversation with three women who have each had to relearn what rest actually means, not the Pinterest version, the real one. Diane Cunningham Ellis, Danielle Ralston, and Dr. Melissa Oden join Marta to talk about the seasons they ignored their bodies until their bodies stopped giving them a choice: addiction, an MS diagnosis, a season that ended in the ER with blood pressure numbers that should have killed her. 
If you've ever felt the weight of being the responsible one, the capable one, the one who holds it all together, you'll find yourself in this conversation.
What You'll Learn
Why "chronically capable" women tend to ignore the warning signs their bodies are sending them, and what that costs over time
How each panelist defines rest beyond sleep: through play, community, boundaries, and simply asking for help
Why self-care became a checklist item, and how to shift toward rest as restoration instead
What it looks like practically to work from a place of rest day to day, not just in theory
Why Christian women in particular struggle with permission to rest, and how scripture actually models rest
Related Episodes
Ep. 109: Series intro, burnout, and the "chronically capable entrepreneur"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/109-rest-isnt-a-luxury-its-a-business-strategy/id1691564245?i=1000775125976
Ep. 110: Mental resthttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/110-youre-not-lazy-youre-mentally-maxed-out/id1691564245?i=1000776091006
Ep. 111: Emotional resthttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/111-why-you-need-emotional-rest-and-what-it-feels/id1691564245?i=1000777031944
Ep. 112: Physical resthttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/112-you-are-the-asset-and-physical-rest-is-how-you-protect-it/id1691564245?i=1000780200890Ep. 113: Spiritual resthttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/113-spiritual-rest-you-can-do-everything-right-and/id1691564245?i=1000783095364
Links & Resources Mentioned
Selah Sessions Panelist Information & Links: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xRl8al2cCXMNQ5FWaFre_hUs7CpIecsP/view?usp=sharing
Gentle Business Mastermind: https://gentlebusinessmastermind.com
Business Alignment Audit: https://selahstudios.co/alignmentaudit
It Starts With Rest quiz: https://itstartswithrest.com/quiz

You've done the work. You've built in mental rest, emotional rest, physical rest... and yet maybe you still feel like something's off. That gap is real, and it has a name: spiritual rest. In this final episode of the rest series, Marta walks through what spiritual rest actually means for entrepreneurs and how something as simple as prayer, journaling, or community can reconnect you to the why behind your business.
In This Episode, You'll Find Answers To
What is spiritual rest, and how is it different from mental, emotional, or physical rest?
How often should I be reviewing my business purpose and vision?
What does prayer as a "business meeting with God" actually look like in practice?
How can community support spiritual rest, not just accountability?
Do I need an hour a day for this to count, or can five minutes work?
Related Episodes
Ep. 109: Rest Isn't a Luxury, It's a Business Strategy (the 5 types you're missing)
Ep. 110: You're not lazy, you're mentally maxed out
Ep. 111: Why You Need Emotional Rest (and what it feels like when you don't get it)
Ep. 112: You Are the Asset and Physical Rest Is How You Protect It
Coming next: a special panel episode from the Selah Sessions, featuring three guests discussing what rest looks like across different seasons
Links and Resources
Take the rest quiz: https://ItStartsWithRest.com/quiz
Journaling for business podcast series 
Gentle Business Mastermind 

If you've ever felt like physical rest just means "go take a nap," this episode is going to challenge that. Continuing the series on the types of rest entrepreneurs need, you're diving into physical rest: what it actually looks like, why you've likely learned to ignore your body's signals, and how to start listening again, even when it feels a little strange at first.
You'll hear about the practice of the body check, the idea of "restivities," and why pacing (not pushing) is the path to sustainable success. Plus, a reminder that you are the asset of your business, and what it means to actually treat yourself like one.
What You'll Learn
Why physical rest is about more than sleep, and what else your body might be asking for
How to do a simple body check to start tuning back in to what you need
What "restivities" are and why they matter more than passive downtime like scrolling or TV
Why capacity isn't fixed: it's resource dependent
How pacing (taking the time, making the space, finding your pace) leads to sustainable success
In This Episode, You'll Find Answers To
Why do I keep ignoring what my body is trying to tell me?
What does physical rest look like beyond "just get more sleep"?
How do I actually start listening to my body when it feels unfamiliar or even uncomfortable?
What's the difference between rest and restivities?
Why does pushing past my limits keep catching up with me?
Related Episodes
#109 - Rest Isn't a Luxury, It's a Business Strategy (the 5 types you're missing)
#110 - You’re not lazy, you’re mentally maxed out
#111 - Why You Need Emotional Rest (and what it feels like when you don't get it) 
Coming up next: spiritual rest, followed by a special panel discussion on finding the rest you need
Resources Mentioned
Take the Rest Quiz: https://itstartswithrest.com/quiz

You know that feeling when you can't quite put your finger on what's wrong, you're just... off? That restless, angsty feeling that shows up out of nowhere, especially in the middle of a busy season or a caregiving stretch? That's often a sign you're missing emotional rest, and it's easy to miss because we don't always know to look for it.
In this episode, part of the ongoing series on the five types of rest, you'll learn what emotional rest actually is, why it's different from mental rest, and how to start building small, doable practices into your life and business to get more of it.
What You'll Learn
The difference between mental rest and emotional rest, and why they get confused
Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith's definition of emotional rest from her book Sacred Rest
How setting boundaries with clients, family, and yourself creates space for emotional rest
Why journaling by hand works differently than typing, and what the research says
How naming your fear can loosen its grip on you
Why community and safe spaces to express yourself matter for your emotional health
In This Episode, You'll Find Answers To
What is emotional rest, and how is it different from mental rest?
What does it feel like when you're not getting enough emotional rest?
What are simple ways to build emotional rest into a busy season?
Why does writing by hand matter for processing emotions?
How do boundaries support emotional rest?
Related Episodes
Episode 109: Rest isn’t a luxury, it’s a business strategy (the 5 types your missing)
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/109-rest-isnt-a-luxury-its-a-business-strategy/id1691564245?i=1000775125976
Episode 110: Mental Rest https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/110-youre-not-lazy-youre-mentally-maxed-out/id1691564245?i=1000776091006
Episode 112: Physical Rest (coming next)
Links & Resources Mentioned
Sacred Rest by Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith - https://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Rest-Recover-Energy-Restore/dp/1478921676
Blog posts about journaling by hand: 
Journaling by Hand: https://selahreflections.com/benefits-of-journaling-by-hand/
Journaling for Business: https://selahstudios.co/category/journaling/ 
Gentle Business Mastermind: https://selahstudios.co/mastermind 

You know that feeling of being tired without quite knowing why? Not physically tired, just... foggy, unfocused, maxed out, even when nothing on your calendar looks that demanding?
In this episode, Marta continues the series on rest for entrepreneurs by digging into mental rest: the type of rest that gets skipped most often because it doesn't look like anything on the outside. As a "chronically capable" entrepreneur, you're used to over-leveraging your mind: troubleshooting, coaching, creating, deciding, all day long, without ever seeing how much energy that actually takes.
Marta shares her own history as a self-taught workaholic, what changed when she started treating mental rest as a business necessity instead of a someday/maybe, and practical, doable ways to build intentional mental breaks into your schedule, including a simple practice she uses before every coaching and mastermind call.
What You'll Learn:
>> Why mental rest gets overlooked even by entrepreneurs who take rest seriously in other areas>> The signs your brain is overleveraged: indecision, irritability, spinning in circles, staring at your laptop>> Why capacity is resource dependent, not fixed, and what that means when you feel like you've hit your limit>> Simple, low effort ways to build in mental rest: margin between calls, brain dumps, a capture system, gratitude practice>> The ADMAR practice Marta uses to help herself and clients release mental tension before diving into deep work
In This Episode, You'll Find Answers To:
>> Why am I so tired when I haven't done anything that looks physically demanding?>> What's the difference between self-care and actual rest?>> How do I know if I'm mentally maxed out versus just having an off day?>> What's a quick way to give my brain a break without taking a whole day off?>> Why does capacity feel like it shrinks some days and not others?
Related Episodes: 
>> EP 109: Rest and the Chronically Capable Entrepreneurhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/109-your-business-plan-needs-to-include-rest-its-not-a-luxury/id1691564245?i=1000775125976
Links & Resources:
>> Take the rest quiz: https://itstartswithrest.com/quiz>> Learn the ADMAR practice: EP 27: You need a simple weekly business examen review practice: https://selahstudios.co/27>> Gentle Business Mastermind: https://selahstudios.co/mastermind

Rest… too often we view it as something we have to earn in our businesses. It’s time we change that. 
We’re kicking off a new series on rest for what I call “the chronically capable entrepreneur”: the ones who show up for everyone else and in the process forget to show up for themselves.
I’m sharing five types of rest every entrepreneur needs: mental, emotional, spiritual, physical, and rest from work itself.
What You'll Learn:
Why "just getting more sleep" rarely solves burnout
The five types of rest, and why most of us only think about one
Why you are the most valuable asset in your business, not just the person running it
How to build rest into your week as an action step, not an afterthought
Related Episodes:
Episode 1: Why we need to work from a place of rest: https://selahstudios.co/1
Episode 53: Tired? Learn to rest, not quit your business: https://selahstudios.co/53
Links & Resources:
Take the What Type of Rest Do You Need quiz: https://itstartswithrest.com/quiz
Sacred Rest by Dr. Sandra Dalton-Smith: https://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Rest-Recover-Energy-Restore/dp/1478921676
Gentle Business Mastermind: https://selahstudios.co/mastermind

Why Asking "Why" Is the Most Powerful Thing You Can Do for Your Business Right Now
You've built your business. You've shown up, served your clients, done the work. But somewhere along the way, you may have stopped asking one of the most important questions of all: why?
In this episode, Marta shares why asking "why" isn't just a reflective exercise... it's one of the most intentional, purposeful things you can do as a business owner. She gets personal about her own season of questioning, and why not having all the answers right now is actually okay.
In this episode, you'll find answers to:
Why regularly asking "why" protects you from burnout and misalignment
How to apply the "why" question to your products, services, and marketing channels
Why your original reason for starting your business may no longer fit, and what to do about it
How community and safe spaces can help you dig deeper than you can alone
Why you are the most important asset in your business, and how asking "why" helps you protect that
RELATED EPISODES: 
The Reason You Feel Disconnected From Your Business - EP 104
Disconnected From Your Business? You’re Not Alone - EP 105
Do You Need to Know the WHY Behind Your Business? Maybe, Maybe Not!
WORK WITH MARTA: 
Gentle Business Mastermind: https://selahstudios.co/mastermindSelah Strategy Sessions: https://selahstudios.co/private-coaching/ 
MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE: 
Business Alignment Audit: selahstudios.co/alignmentaudit

In this episode of Doing Business Gently, Marta shares what it really looks like to lose your voice in business, not once, but twice, and the concrete steps she took to find it again. She gets honest about what survival mode did to her business during the hardest season of her life, why leaning too hard on outside voices (yes, including AI tools) contributed to the disconnect, and how she rebuilt from there. This episode is part of an ongoing series on reconnecting with your business, and it sets the stage for the upcoming "Confidently Connected" workshop at the end of June.
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
Why losing your voice and losing connection with your business are directly linked
The negative cycle that keeps established entrepreneurs stuck, and how to break it
The three core practices Marta used to find her voice
How AI tools can help or hurt your reconnection process, and how to use them without losing yourself
Why better input always leads to better output, from AI tools and from yourself
What to expect inside the "Confidently Connected" workshop on June 26, 2026
LINKS: 
Confidently Connected Workshop - June 26, 2026 https://selahstudios.co/confidently-connected/ 
Episode 106: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-a-gentle-business-actually-looks-like-feat-kim/id1691564245?i=1000772176723
The listener survey: https://forms.gle/FHYroAQR61djquN87
My favorite Podcasting tool: https://www.descript.com
 
TIMESTAMPS
[00:00:00] Welcome and series overview: reconnecting with your business 
[00:01:20] How voices get buried: busyness, fear, and survival mode 
[00:02:00] Marta's story: "I've outgrown my business" and what that realization changed
[00:04:30] The survey that reshaped this series and the upcoming workshop 
[00:05:45] Step 1: Journaling... getting below the surface to what's really going on 
[00:07:00] Step 2: Conversations and manual analysis, finding themes and patterns 
[00:08:30] The second season of survival mode: caregiving, loss, and rebuilding 
[00:11:30] Step 3: Recording yourself, and why it works differently than writing 
[00:13:00] Using AI tools with your voice as the input, not theirs 
[00:17:00] What "Confidently Connected" will cover and how to join 

In this special conversation, I’m sitting down with two members of the Gentle Business Mastermind, Shelby DellaRosa and Kim Steadman, to talk honestly about what building a gentle business actually looks and feels like from the inside.
Shelby is a coach and mentor for women who have walked through caregiving and loss and are figuring out what comes next. Kim is an inspirational author and writer coach who helps other authors get true to their why. Together, they bring candor, humor, and hard-won wisdom to a conversation about voice, boundaries, focus, and the freedom that comes when you stop trying to be everything to everyone.
What You'll Learn in This Episode
What "a gentle business" means to each of them, and why that definition matters more than any strategy
How setting boundaries around who you market to, where you show up, and whose voices you let in has changed their businesses
Why narrowing your focus is a mental health decision as much as a business one
How caregiving seasons, health challenges, and major life transitions shaped the businesses they're building today
The role of community in keeping you on track, off the comparison treadmill, and connected to your own voice
Why rest is not the opposite of growth... it's what makes growth sustainable
Learn More About the Gentle Business Mastermind at https://GentleBusinessMastermind.com
Let's connect: Website: https://SelahStudios.co
Business Alignment Audit: https://selahstudios.co/alignmentaudit