Your Wings Are In The Air But Your Feet Never Leave The Ground

Collette Portis
11 minutes ago
2 min read

A Letter to the Ones Still Holding It All Together

Dear Founder,

Dear Business Owner,

Dear Builder of Big, Brave Things—

This letter is for you.

You’ve launched something powerful.

You’ve fought through fear, sacrificed sleep, made ends meet, and kept going even when the numbers didn’t make sense.

Your business has wings.

It’s taken off.

You’re doing the thing—serving clients, growing a team, making an impact.

And yet… your feet haven’t left the ground.

You’re still holding the weight of everything and everyone.

You’re still making the hardest calls.

You’re still the safety net, the visionary, the first responder, and sometimes the janitor—because when no one else can do it, you do.

It doesn’t always feel fair.

It definitely doesn’t feel easy.

But you keep showing up, not because you have to—but because you believe.

Let’s Be Honest

There’s so much about running a business that people don’t talk about.

The pressure of being last to get paid.

The guilt of missing moments with family.

The exhaustion of constantly being “on,” even when you’re barely holding it together inside.

This isn’t about complaining.

This is about acknowledging what’s real.

Because when we don’t name the weight, we start to believe we’re carrying it wrong.

You’re not.

If No One Has Said It Yet—Your Wings Are Up & You’re Doing an Incredible Job

I know you don’t always feel like it.

You replay conversations, question decisions, and wonder if you’re doing enough—or too much.

But the truth is: you are courageous.

You are building something that didn’t exist before you dreamed it.

You are shaping futures, opening doors, and changing lives—sometimes quietly, and often without applause.

And that matters.

Deeply.

You Weren’t Meant to Do This Alone

I’m not here to tell you what to fix, change, or buy.

I just want you to hear this:

You deserve to build a business that also builds you.

Not one that leaves you drained, stretched thin, or constantly wondering if freedom will come after “just one more busy season.”

You deserve space to breathe.

You deserve to see the fruit of what you’ve planted.

You deserve a version of business that doesn’t sacrifice you in the process.

Let This Be the Year You Come Up for Air

You already have the vision.

You already have the grit.

You already have the wings.

So maybe now is the time to check in on your foundation.

Not because you’re doing it wrong—but because it could feel a little lighter.

A little more aligned.

A little more like the life you imagined when you first started this journey.

Because what’s the point of building something that soars, if you’re stuck on the runway?

You’ve got this.

But more importantly—you’re not alone in it.

So take the pause.

Reflect on the pace.

And give yourself permission to build the kind of business that lets you fly too.

With deep respect and admiration,

Dr. Collette Portis

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