An Important Lesson I Learned in Real Time About Being An Entrepreneur

From Thanksgiving to a Wake-Up Call

Last week, we talked about planning your business and how critical that step is. But today, I want to shift the focus just a bit. A single moment a couple of weeks ago taught me a lesson that shook me — both personally and professionally.

The Back Story

It was Thanksgiving, and we traveled to New York to be with family. The day felt special — we hadn’t all been together under one roof in a long time. Walking into my mom’s Brooklyn apartment hit me with waves of nostalgia. That space had birthed so many ideas — business plans, poetry, even book chapters.

And then there was the smell. My mom’s oven-roasted turkey, seasoned just right, melting in your mouth. (And here’s the thing: I don’t even like turkey!)

My youngest was in the kitchen helping my mom, my eldest was chatting with my stepdad, and I set the table while we laughed, joked, and half-watched the TV. Grace was said, plates were filled, and just like that, the evening unfolded the way family time should — food, laughter, and long conversations about everything from current events to neighborhood stories.

Time flew. Before I knew it, we were hugging our goodbyes and heading for the subway. At one point I stumbled, just slightly. My son asked if I was okay. I nodded, brushed it off as nothing, and we made it home to New Jersey without incident.

But about twenty minutes later, what felt like an ordinary Thanksgiving turned into a series of what-just-happened events.

What Happened

While getting my youngest ready for a shower, I blew my nose — and suddenly, a relentless nosebleed started. Deep red, unstoppable. When it wouldn’t quit, we called 911.

From the second the EMTs arrived, everything felt surreal. My blood pressure was sky-high. They rushed me to the hospital, calmly prepping me for what might come. The moment I got there, I heard two words that still rattle me: “Code Stroke.”

In seconds, I was surrounded — stripped, hooked to IVs, machines beeping in unison, nurses and techs moving with sharp precision. Tests. Scans. And finally, admission.

Two days and two nights in a hospital bed. Walking lessons with a cane. Prescriptions that I was told would now be part of my life. In three days, my world flipped upside down.

The Why

The official diagnosis is still pending, but here’s what they did find:

• High blood pressure

• Low sugar levels

• High cholesterol

• Low iron

My body was completely out of alignment - and when I looked at my habits, it wasn’t hard to see why. I wasn’t eating on time — or sometimes at all.

My blood sugar was crashing. My blood pressure was spiking. I’d get lost in formatting templates or writing proposals, telling myself, “I’ll eat right after this.” But “right after this” turned into school pick-ups, homework, dinner prep… and the skipped meal was gone.

If I was writing, forget it. Once I fell into my story world, time — and food — disappeared.

Sound familiar?

The Lesson

Taking care of your health isn’t optional. Not personally. Not professionally.

As business owners — especially those of us running solo — when you go down, so does your business. There’s no one else to take over the client onboarding, the projects, the flow of income.

You are your business. And if you’re not well, your business can’t function.

Where I Am Now

Grateful. Shaken, yes — but grateful.

Now, I’ve built in structure:

• Set work hours

• Actual lunch breaks

• Early mornings that start with breakfast before the school run

• Sunday meal prep so I have no excuse not to eat

  
  

My diet was already low-sodium and pretty healthy — the missing piece was simply eating on time.

I hope you don’t need a wake-up call like mine to make changes. Please, learn from me. Prioritize your body, your mind, your health. Because once it gets shaken the way mine did, you won’t ever want to feel that again.

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✨ Because skipping meals almost cost me everything, I created a quick guide to help you avoid the same trap. Download your free Meal Prep Checklist now.✨

Meal Prep Tips.

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