If you’ve been wondering why I’ve been quiet for nearly a month, I explain it all in the podcast episode linked above. But, in the meantime, here’s the story of how, I, someone who helps founders and business owners bring clarity and momentum to their ideas, got tangled in a web of my own.
The Year Started With So Much Hope (And Unexpected Fear 😰)
As 2025 began, I was transitioning out of my full-time remote role and back into running my online business serving multiple clients. I was excited. I had missed the thrill of working on diverse projects with clients from around the world. I saw it as a chance to reconnect with the remote work scene, something I had been longing (and procrastinating) to do for a while.
But I was also terrified.
I was scared of the unknown.
I was scared of not having a predictable and regular paycheck.
I was scared of not knowing how I’d find new clients in this new algorithm, ATS, tips and tricks, game-the-system driven world.
But I chose to show up anyway. I had been mentally preparing myself for a couple of weeks, and when the time came, I hit the ground running fast.
OK, maybe a little too fast…😂
The Passion Projects That Nearly Burned Me Out
One of the first things I pursued was something I’d been feeling called to do for a while: coaching and mentoring aspiring remote workers on a somewhat large scale or bigger platform. This is something I had been wanting to do since I relaunched this blog last year in March.
I’ve worked remotely for over a decade, and I wanted to share everything I’ve learned. No gatekeeping. No fluff. Just the honest, unfiltered truth, lessons and advice. It felt like the right time to dive into this mission because, hey, I now had more time.
So I opened up my calendar to free 30-minute calls with anyone curious about remote work, especially from Zimbabwe. I also had an invitation to those who were willing to work with me further as part of a paid group coaching class or one-on-one. The response for the 30-minute calls was overwhelming, especially after the post about finding remote clients in Zim gained traction. My inbox and calendar were filled up.
Before I knew it, I had done nearly 50 calls in a very short space of time.
I was exhausted!
Something I had started with the hope of adding value to the remote work community fast became unsustainable. I scaled back to one call a day, and eventually removed the free coaching calls from my booking page altogether.
That wasn’t all. If you remember, from my last post, I also started Digital Skills Training this year. Again, there was an amazing response from my community and I had over 150 women enrolled. We’re actually just wrapping up with the first cohort but I must confess, I underestimated what was required of me running this large cohort and have since decided to go on a break before starting the next one.
I genuinely love helping others and always want to make time. I would hate for anyone to walk out of my coaching and training and feel like they wasted their time and got zero value. Of course, it’s inevitable because our expectations not always the same. But I try to give as much as I can. And I guess that is where it gets sticky sometimes…
As much as I love helping others, I realised I had to draw boundaries. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be much of me left to show up for my client work. This is the work that is and should remain my priority at the moment. And this is honestly the work that pays the bills.
That was the first big red flag: I was giving too much of myself to something that wasn’t supposed to be my full-time focus.
Chasing Quick Wins and Losing Myself In The Process
Next came the scramble to generate income. I started offering quick-turnaround services like web design projects, social media management, anything that could get me clients easily and quickly. And it worked… for a while.
But slowly, it started to feel off.
You see, I spent a lot of time and energy in seeking out these quick turnaround projects and completely neglected something important along the way.
I was trying to be everywhere, do everything, serve everyone. Along the way, I lost clarity in all my messaging and completely neglected promoting the core value I knew I could deliver for business owners outside of these quick turnaround services.
I started to experience stress, a little confusion and a lot of burnout.
More than once, a long-time client, who I resumed working with at the beginning of the year, asked me, “Tariro, what exactly are you doing these days?”
I didn’t have a clear answer.
I tried to dodge her every time she would ask this because I did not want another long lecture. I did not want her to tell me the truth. So I would just give her some vague responses sprinkled with excuses. But deep down, I knew I was drifting…not sure to where.
Even on LinkedIn, when I (finally) slowly started stepping out to clarify on the work I do as an Online Business Manager, I got comments like, “I didn’t realise this is what you did. I need you on my project!”. I have a friend who only recently found out I design websites and reacted: “Wait… why am I just hearing this now?”
My honest answer to all these questions from people who know me, who have worked with me, who are ready to recommend my work and services any day: Because I was jumping from one idea to the next, running away from committing to the one thing I know I am capable of delivering great value in.
The one thing that ties together all of my “quick turnaround” pursuits.
The one thing I was (all of a sudden ) scared to name.
When the Message (Finally) Hit Home
The turning point came during a Flourish Collective masterclass on Mastering Your Messaging. The speaker may (because we work together😅) or may not have known it at the time, but she was speaking directly to me. I felt so called out. It honestly felt like a personal attack.
Here I was, with the ability to help founders, startup teams, and business owners streamline their operations, manage their projects, and bring their ideas to life but it looked like I was trying to run from that and towards other things.
Why?
Because I was scared.
So I kept myself busy instead. Busy chasing all kinds of shiny new ideas. Busy trying to be everything to everyone.
Busy writing all sorts of posts on my LinkedIn but not being clear about who I serve, what I offer, and how I can help.
Busy until… I was done with that…
The Clarity I’ve Reclaimed
Yes. Soon after that masterclass, I decided I was done with being ambiguous . I was done with confusing my audience. I was done with not being clear and transparent about who I am out here to help and how I can add value to their mission.
I was done.
I have since updated my website (again🫣) and consolidated my service offerings to reflect the ultimate value I deliver to my clients as an Online Business Manager.
That means helping founders and business owners turn their scattered ideas into structured, actionable projects. I help teams find clarity and momentum. I help you, the visionary, actually bring your ideas to life without losing your mind.
Do I still do standalone web design projects?
Yes, absolutely. But my signature offer remains my Online Business Management services. You will likely often hear me talk about web design projects as part of my OBM services.
I genuinely prefer when my work goes deeper than just ticking off a deliverable. I don’t just want to build you a beautiful website. I want to understand how that site connects to the rest of your online ecosystem. What are you trying to achieve with it? How does it serve your overall goals? And where else can I support you along the way?
Getting to work with clients in this more integrated way feels like a win for both of us.
The same goes for other standalone services I’ve offered like social media management, community management or bookkeeping. I enjoy doing them, but more than anything, I want to support the bigger picture of your business or project.
Because when your vision is clear and your systems are strong, everything else flows better.
To the clients I’ve worked with on the quick turnaround projects: Thank you ❤️. Every single project continues to teach me something, and I genuinely enjoy seeing how our work contributes to your mission. This next chapter is simply about going deeper, not undermining or walking away from what we’ve built together. And if you know me well, you already know I get invested like that 😅
Also, I still coach and mentor aspiring remote workers one-on-one and in group settings when time and energy allow. It’s something I deeply care about, and I’m grateful for every conversation that sparks hope or clarity for someone starting their journey.
I’m also passionate about Digital Skills Training. I honestly doubt that’s ever going to change 😅 But I’m giving myself the grace to pursue it at a sustainable pace. Not at the Superwoman level I was trying to operate at earlier this year.
All these pillars of my work are very important to me and I want to show up as my best in all when I need to.
A Word to My Founders and Business Owners
If you’re a founder, business owner or creative entrepreneur, I want to talk to you for a second.
You might be sitting on one amazing idea but you keep hopping from one project to the next because you’re scared.
You’re scared of what might happen if you really committed.
You’re scared of the workload, or worse, of what success might demand of you. Sounds weird right? Yes, a lot of us are actually scared of success!
You chase shiny objects, try new things, build offers you can’t sustain and in the process, you drift further from your core.
I’ve been there. I mean, I’m just coming from there.
But it doesn’t have to stay that way.
If you need someone to help you unpack your ideas, build a focused plan, and keep the wheels turning while you lead the vision, I’d love to support you. This is the work I do.
Let’s stop doing too much. Let’s do what matters and let’s do it well.
Thanks for reading & listening. If this resonated with you, share it with someone who might need the reminder too. You can also book a 30-minute call with me if you’re ready to bring structure and momentum to your business ideas.