What would change if work actually worked for you?

10 things I did that drastically improved my life and business

Hey, Lara here 👋 Welcome to Give A Sh*t 🌐 - a space for the movement makers and purpose-led founders who believe a better world is possible.

If you’re here, it’s because you care - about people, the planet, and building a more just, profitable world. One where money and power are distributed fairly, not hoarded by a few.

This is the media arm of Found & Flourish - a movement supporting founders to bridge the gap between purpose and profit. It’s more than a community. It’s a call to action ✊

New here? Welcome, you’re in the right place subscribe for free and be part of the movement. 🌍

For anyone who’s newer here, Give A Sh*t exists because a couple of years ago I found myself paralysed by grief, guilt, and disbelief at the state of the world.

As genocide after genocide unfolded, the news became more and more devastating - and yet so many people seemed to carry on as if this level of suffering was somehow normal. I couldn’t make sense of it. It felt like humanity was sleepwalking into apathy.

I tried to anchor myself in the brilliant people I followed online - those who were paying attention, who did care - but in my day-to-day life I felt deeply disconnected. Most of the people around me weren’t talking about it. And I didn’t know where to put the weight of what I was feeling.

Give A Sh*t started there.

Not as a brand, but as a movement. A conversation starter. A permission slip for people who cared deeply and wanted to say so - and to share what they were doing, in their own way, to make the world a better place.

It became a space for me to vent, to question, and to explore something that felt uncomfortable but essential: how do we show up for the world without burning ourselves out? And how do we care deeply while also building enough power, stability, and resource to make a real difference?

Because whether we like it or not, impact requires money.

The last two years have been… a ride🎢

As I’ve explored this work more deeply - bridging the gap between purpose and profit - something has finally clicked. The conversations are richer. The thinking is clearer. The methodologies are forming. And the level of commitment I’m seeing - in myself and in others, keeps rising.

Which brings me here.

I’ve been reflecting on all the things I’ve said no to over the past year - as a direct result of finally aligning my values with my actions and my goals.

And that alignment has quite literally changed everything.

It’s shaped how I grow my business, who I work with, and what I say yes to. I’m working with genuinely brilliant clients, the community feels alive and supportive, and I’m being invited into conversations and speaking opportunities around what matters most to me: community and purpose.

There’s also a lot unfolding behind the scenes - including four women already joining The Table, with a few more exploring it this week. It feels spacious, intentional, and deeply aligned - not rushed, not forced - exactly how I want to be building.

Before I go any further, a heads up: this piece mentions depression and baby loss.

The truth is, the last few years caught up with me.

😷 Lockdown.
💔 A miscarriage.
🏥 Getting pregnant again and experiencing hyperemesis gravidarum.
🍉 And alongside my own life, the weight of the world - Afghanistan, Ukraine, Palestine, Sudan, Congo to name a few.

For a long time, I wasn’t just holding my own pain - I was holding the pain of the world. And I realised last year, something had to shift. Not because I stopped caring, but because I needed to recalibrate.

I had to get clear on what mattered to me. What was in my power to change. And what simply wasn’t mine to carry.

Rather than looking away, I chose to lean in - to the places where I could genuinely have impact. I stayed informed. I stayed aware. But I doubled down on protecting my energy so I could show up as the best version of myself - at home, and in my work.

Here’s what changed:

1. I decided the world’s pain was not mine to personally own.

2. I made a conscious decision to earn more - so I could give more. To put money into the hands of people and organisations who are best placed to help.

3. I went back to therapy after a ten-year break. In that decade I’d become a mother, lost my brother in law, lost a baby, navigated a co-founder leaving - it was time.

4. I got honest about what was no longer serving me and built boundaries to protect myself. No more Sunday night newsletters “because that’s how it’s always been done.” No more saying yes to every request because I wanted everyone to be happy. (Hello, childhood patterns.)

5. I committed to Mondays off - properly. This is now my ‘Me-day’ for the gym, sauna, ice bath, brunch with friends and anything else I want to do before I start the working week on Tuesday.

6. I invested in a coach, then a mastermind. Both were game-changers for my mindset and my business.

7. I asked for more. And I let myself receive support.

8. I sat in the discomfort. It felt really, really shit - but I knew I was shedding something, and I trusted the process.

9. I started moving my body regularly. The gym became a non-negotiable - not for aesthetics, but because it makes me feel strong, grounded, and clear.

10. I began healing my relationship with comfort - noticing when I reached for sugar or food instead of listening to what my inner child actually needed.

I wasn’t planning to write this.

But these words came to me this morning, sitting in bed after sharing instagram stories yesterday about how much better I feel now - and being asked what actually shifted. Why things feel like they’re finally working.

The answer is simple, even if the work wasn’t:

Alignment. Radical honesty with myself. And the courage to change things when they weren’t working.

So I’ll leave you with this: What are you willing to change about the way you work - so your work actually works for you?

Not the other way around.

Care to share?

Big love and wishing you a wonderful week ahead.

Lara ✌️

P.S. want to join the Found & Flourish community? Come on in - doors are wide open and we’d love to see you!

Thanks so much for reading! If this resonated with you, let me know - drop a comment or hit reply. I genuinely love hearing from you. 🫶

If you give a sh*t about creating real impact, here’s where to go next:

🌍 Join the conversation - Subscribe to The Community for thought-provoking articles, interviews and expert insights on activism, impact and using your voice for change.

💡 Build with purpose - Check out Found & Flourish for business strategies, visibility, and revenue-building that align with your values.

📩 Pass it on - Know someone who gives a sh*t? Forward this to a friend who’s passionate about impact, community, or making the world a better place.

Let’s keep the momentum going. 🚀✨