From Burnout to Balance: Stacey’s Journey to Building a Profitable & Present Business
Have you ever sat in your car after school drop-off, phone blowing up with eight missed calls, and thought… “I can’t do this anymore. Maybe I should just burn it all down and go stack shelves at Woolworths.”
That was exactly where Stacey M, founder of Great Southern Stay in Albany, Western Australia, found herself not too long ago.
She was managing nearly 50 short-stay holiday rental properties while raising two girls, juggling marriage, and holding onto the guilt of never being “enough” not enough for her clients, her team, or her family. She even shared how she was answering phone calls the day after her hip replacement surgery because she felt she couldn’t step away.
Sound familiar?
When “Bigger is Better” Breaks You
For years, Stacey believed success meant more properties, more team, more hours. She had that magic number in her head: 50 properties. Because in her old real estate world, that was the benchmark.
So she pushed. She reached 50 properties… and discovered it wasn’t freedom, it was chaos. Instead of joy, she found exhaustion. Instead of more profit, she found herself stretched too thin, making mistakes, and resenting her own family for “getting in the way” .
That was the wake-up call. Bigger wasn’t better. Balance was.
So she pushed. She reached 50 properties… and discovered it wasn’t freedom, it was chaos. Instead of joy, she found exhaustion. Instead of more profit, she found herself stretched too thin, making mistakes, and resenting her own family for “getting in the way” .
That was the wake-up call. Bigger wasn’t better. Balance was.
The Power of Saying No
Building a Business That’s Separate From You
From Zero to a Six-Figure Salary
One of Stacey’s biggest shifts? Learning that no is a complete sentence.
No to taking on every property.
No to answering calls at 6 a.m.
No to doing everything for her kids and husband just because it was “easier.”
She started handing responsibility back to her team, to her children, even to her partner. And something beautiful happened: instead of everything falling apart, her household got stronger. Her girls started cooking one night a week, finding their own book week costumes, and learning resilience.
At work, she finally set up an after-hours team so she could switch off, rest, and actually enjoy her weekends.
No to taking on every property.
No to answering calls at 6 a.m.
No to doing everything for her kids and husband just because it was “easier.”
She started handing responsibility back to her team, to her children, even to her partner. And something beautiful happened: instead of everything falling apart, her household got stronger. Her girls started cooking one night a week, finding their own book week costumes, and learning resilience.
At work, she finally set up an after-hours team so she could switch off, rest, and actually enjoy her weekends.
When Stacey first joined Moxie, she wasn’t paying herself at all. Like so many women in business, she was pouring everything back into the business and leaving herself last.
Fast forward two years she now pays herself a salary of $109,400 from her business. Not as “what’s left over at the end of the month,” but a regular payslip she can rely on. That shift alone has changed the way she sees her worth, her business, and her future.
Fast forward two years she now pays herself a salary of $109,400 from her business. Not as “what’s left over at the end of the month,” but a regular payslip she can rely on. That shift alone has changed the way she sees her worth, her business, and her future.
One of the most powerful lessons Stacey shares is this: your business needs to be able to thrive without you glued to it 24/7.
She realised she doesn’t have to be on every client call or in the office every day to be a great leader. Instead, by putting in systems, structure, and strategic planning, she can take time out for netball, for cooking, for just being Stacey and know her business is still running.
That’s the difference between being chained to a business and truly owning one.
The Big Takeaway
Stacey’s story is proof that you don’t have to choose between being a profitable business owner and being a present mum. It’s not about doing everything. It’s about doing the right things.
✔ Boundaries don’t make you a bad mum, they make you a better one.
✔ Systems aren’t “corporate fluff” they’re the secret to sanity.
✔ Paying yourself isn’t selfish, it's essential.
Like Stacey said, “Through the systems comes the sanity.”
✨ Ready for your own breakthrough?
If you’re sitting in your car, exhausted and overwhelmed, wondering if there’s a better way I promise you, there is.
Let’s find your path to a business that pays you properly AND gives you the freedom to be the mum, partner, and woman you want to be.
👉 Book your free Moxie Breakthrough Call today.
Mama, you don’t need to burn it all down. You just need a plan, a structure, and the courage to say no. And I’m here to walk that path with you. 💕
She realised she doesn’t have to be on every client call or in the office every day to be a great leader. Instead, by putting in systems, structure, and strategic planning, she can take time out for netball, for cooking, for just being Stacey and know her business is still running.
That’s the difference between being chained to a business and truly owning one.
The Big Takeaway
Stacey’s story is proof that you don’t have to choose between being a profitable business owner and being a present mum. It’s not about doing everything. It’s about doing the right things.
✔ Boundaries don’t make you a bad mum, they make you a better one.
✔ Systems aren’t “corporate fluff” they’re the secret to sanity.
✔ Paying yourself isn’t selfish, it's essential.
Like Stacey said, “Through the systems comes the sanity.”
✨ Ready for your own breakthrough?
If you’re sitting in your car, exhausted and overwhelmed, wondering if there’s a better way I promise you, there is.
Let’s find your path to a business that pays you properly AND gives you the freedom to be the mum, partner, and woman you want to be.
👉 Book your free Moxie Breakthrough Call today.
Mama, you don’t need to burn it all down. You just need a plan, a structure, and the courage to say no. And I’m here to walk that path with you. 💕
From Burnout to Balance: Stacey’s Journey to Building a Profitable & Present Business
Have you ever sat in your car after school drop-off, phone blowing up with eight missed calls, and thought… “I can’t do this anymore. Maybe I should just burn it all down and go stack shelves at Woolworths.”
That was exactly where Stacey M, founder of Great Southern Stay in Albany, Western Australia, found herself not too long ago.
She was managing nearly 50 short-stay holiday rental properties while raising two girls, juggling marriage, and holding onto the guilt of never being “enough” not enough for her clients, her team, or her family. She even shared how she was answering phone calls the day after her hip replacement surgery because she felt she couldn’t step away.
Sound familiar?
That was exactly where Stacey M, founder of Great Southern Stay in Albany, Western Australia, found herself not too long ago.
She was managing nearly 50 short-stay holiday rental properties while raising two girls, juggling marriage, and holding onto the guilt of never being “enough” not enough for her clients, her team, or her family. She even shared how she was answering phone calls the day after her hip replacement surgery because she felt she couldn’t step away.
Sound familiar?
Building a Business That’s Separate From You
When “Bigger is Better” Breaks You
For years, Stacey believed success meant more properties, more team, more hours. She had that magic number in her head: 50 properties. Because in her old real estate world, that was the benchmark.
So she pushed. She reached 50 properties… and discovered it wasn’t freedom, it was chaos. Instead of joy, she found exhaustion. Instead of more profit, she found herself stretched too thin, making mistakes, and resenting her own family for “getting in the way” .
That was the wake-up call. Bigger wasn’t better. Balance was.
So she pushed. She reached 50 properties… and discovered it wasn’t freedom, it was chaos. Instead of joy, she found exhaustion. Instead of more profit, she found herself stretched too thin, making mistakes, and resenting her own family for “getting in the way” .
That was the wake-up call. Bigger wasn’t better. Balance was.
The Power of Saying No
One of Stacey’s biggest shifts? Learning that no is a complete sentence.
No to taking on every property.
No to answering calls at 6 a.m.
No to doing everything for her kids and husband just because it was “easier.”
She started handing responsibility back to her team, to her children, even to her partner. And something beautiful happened: instead of everything falling apart, her household got stronger. Her girls started cooking one night a week, finding their own book week costumes, and learning resilience.
At work, she finally set up an after-hours team so she could switch off, rest, and actually enjoy her weekends.
No to taking on every property.
No to answering calls at 6 a.m.
No to doing everything for her kids and husband just because it was “easier.”
She started handing responsibility back to her team, to her children, even to her partner. And something beautiful happened: instead of everything falling apart, her household got stronger. Her girls started cooking one night a week, finding their own book week costumes, and learning resilience.
At work, she finally set up an after-hours team so she could switch off, rest, and actually enjoy her weekends.
From Zero to a Six-Figure Salary
When Stacey first joined Moxie, she wasn’t paying herself at all. Like so many women in business, she was pouring everything back into the business and leaving herself last.
Fast forward two years she now pays herself a salary of $109,400 from her business. Not as “what’s left over at the end of the month,” but a regular payslip she can rely on. That shift alone has changed the way she sees her worth, her business, and her future.
Fast forward two years she now pays herself a salary of $109,400 from her business. Not as “what’s left over at the end of the month,” but a regular payslip she can rely on. That shift alone has changed the way she sees her worth, her business, and her future.
One of the most powerful lessons Stacey shares is this: your business needs to be able to thrive without you glued to it 24/7.
She realised she doesn’t have to be on every client call or in the office every day to be a great leader. Instead, by putting in systems, structure, and strategic planning, she can take time out for netball, for cooking, for just being Stacey and know her business is still running.
That’s the difference between being chained to a business and truly owning one.
The Big Takeaway
Stacey’s story is proof that you don’t have to choose between being a profitable business owner and being a present mum. It’s not about doing everything. It’s about doing the right things.
✔ Boundaries don’t make you a bad mum, they make you a better one.
✔ Systems aren’t “corporate fluff” they’re the secret to sanity.
✔ Paying yourself isn’t selfish, it's essential.
Like Stacey said, “Through the systems comes the sanity.”
✨ Ready for your own breakthrough?
If you’re sitting in your car, exhausted and overwhelmed, wondering if there’s a better way I promise you, there is.
Let’s find your path to a business that pays you properly AND gives you the freedom to be the mum, partner, and woman you want to be.
👉 Book your free Moxie Breakthrough Call today.
Mama, you don’t need to burn it all down. You just need a plan, a structure, and the courage to say no. And I’m here to walk that path with you. 💕
She realised she doesn’t have to be on every client call or in the office every day to be a great leader. Instead, by putting in systems, structure, and strategic planning, she can take time out for netball, for cooking, for just being Stacey and know her business is still running.
That’s the difference between being chained to a business and truly owning one.
The Big Takeaway
Stacey’s story is proof that you don’t have to choose between being a profitable business owner and being a present mum. It’s not about doing everything. It’s about doing the right things.
✔ Boundaries don’t make you a bad mum, they make you a better one.
✔ Systems aren’t “corporate fluff” they’re the secret to sanity.
✔ Paying yourself isn’t selfish, it's essential.
Like Stacey said, “Through the systems comes the sanity.”
✨ Ready for your own breakthrough?
If you’re sitting in your car, exhausted and overwhelmed, wondering if there’s a better way I promise you, there is.
Let’s find your path to a business that pays you properly AND gives you the freedom to be the mum, partner, and woman you want to be.
👉 Book your free Moxie Breakthrough Call today.
Mama, you don’t need to burn it all down. You just need a plan, a structure, and the courage to say no. And I’m here to walk that path with you. 💕
Hot Off the Moxie Mic
Binge These Now!
Hot Off the Moxie Mic
Binge These Now!
Branding That Sells: How to Create a Business Identity That Attracts & Converts
Stop Riding the Cash Flow Rollercoaster!
The Costliest Mistake You’re Making in Business (and How to Fix It Today!)
How to Use Social Media as a Tool, Not Your Whole Business
Get to know your host...
SARAH
is a business owner who has gone from overwhelmed and overbooked to successfully running a business AND being a great mum and wife.
Through years of trial and error and PLENTY of mistakes, she’s learned how to create powerful frameworks that help businesses run sustainably, giving back time and energy to their owners.
Now, she brings her knowledge to other female and mum entrepreneurs so they too can have a business that works perfectly with their life!
