They Gave Me an Award. What I Really Wanted Was a Nap.
Or maybe a taco. Definitely a taco.
A few days ago, I got an email informing me that I had been named:
Best Business Automation Consultant for Women Entrepreneurs in San Diego for 2026.
It’s a wonderful honor.
I smiled.
I shared it with my FB fam.
I may have stared at it for a minute, contemplating how exactly twenty years disappeared so quickly.
And then I went right back to work.
Because if there’s one thing twenty years in business teaches you, it’s that success rarely arrives with confetti cannons and dramatic movie soundtracks.
Most of the time, it shows up disguised as consistency.
- A client email.
- A referral.
- A project completed … aka a unicorn
- A problem solved.
- A lesson learned.
Rinse and repeat thousands of times.
The Award Isn’t the Story
The story is what happened before it.
All the late nights and failed ideas. Too many “lifetime” software deals that seemed brilliant … until they weren’t. #refundplease
Sooo many product launches … some that worked and some that crashed and burned. The clients who became friends and then family.
The moments when I wondered if entrepreneurship was the best idea I’d ever had or a very elaborate practical joke.
Probably both.
For twenty years, I’ve had the privilege of helping business owners simplify what feels overwhelming.
I’m not really obsessed with automation. I’m really just lazy on the inside and want an easy way to get things done that doesn’t need my attention 24/7.
Automation just happens to be the solution.
What Hasn’t Changed
Marketing changes every five minutes.
New platforms appear constantly.
Algorithms seem to wake up each morning and choose chaos.
But the core problems entrepreneurs face haven’t changed much at all.
People are still overwhelmed. Moms are still wearing too many hats and trying to figure out where their next customer is coming from.
Women are still wondering why they’re working harder than ever while feeling like they’re getting less done.
And perhaps most importantly… they’re still trying to build businesses without sacrificing the people and experiences they love.
That’s the part that matters to me.
Because I don’t believe success should require exhaustion. I don’t believe building a business should cost you your health, your family, or your sanity.
And I definitely don’t believe the answer is adding seventeen more apps and hoping for the best.
What I’m Seeing Now
AI is changing how people learn, buy and search. It’s literally changing how they make decisions in real time.
The businesses that thrive won’t necessarily be the ones with the biggest audience.
They’ll be the ones who understand how to adapt, think critically, and build authority. The ones that realize creating genuine relationships is the only way to beat the machines. They’ll be the ones who can learn how to use technology without becoming dependent on it.
That’s become a huge focus of my work lately.
Helping people understand what actually matters.
What to ignore.
And how to pivot without panic.
Why We’re Building SPRINT
People keep asking if it’s a conference.
The answer is… sort of.
But not really.
SPRINT was born from dozens of conversations with women who are brilliant, capable, and ambitious, yet still feel like they’re trying to figure everything out alone.
They don’t need more motivational quotes. and Yass Queens …
They don’t need another generic networking event.
They need visibility.
Relationships.
Real conversations.
Practical strategies.
Honest discussions about what’s changing and what isn’t.
Most of all, they need other women who are willing to share what they’ve learned. Because when one woman figures something out, she can shorten the learning curve for everyone around her.
That’s the proximity we’re creating.
What This Recognition Means To Me
You’ve all helped shape the person and business owner I am today.
So yes, I’m grateful for the recognition.
Very grateful.
But I’m even more excited about what’s next.
Because after twenty years, I still believe the same thing I believed when I started:
Business should create more life, not consume it.
And if I can help the next woman get there a little faster, that’s an award worth chasing every single day.
❤️ Michelle
If you’re building something meaningful and want to surround yourself with smart, ambitious women who are doing the same, keep an eye on The SPRINT Experience. Some of the most important conversations happen long before anyone takes the stage.