Authority without traction is a weird place to be

Three patterns I see once the business basics are in place.

As we bring 2025 to a close, I’ve been taking stock of the patterns I’ve seen across client work.

Over the last twelve months, I’ve worked closely with 60+ people building authority-led businesses: founders, coaches and consultants who sell their thinking, experience and perspective rather than a straightforward product. I’ve also spoken to hundreds more through events, communities and conversations along the way.

Across all of that, the same signals keep surfacing.

Not with those stuck at the starting line, but with those who’ve already made the sales, built credibility and who often get referred business.

These patterns instead are surfacing amongst people in that familiar, uncomfortable ‘messy middle’ and asking: “Is this actually sustainable?”

The part before it all clicks into place.

Read on for the signals I see again and again at this stage of building.

If one or several resonate, pay attention to where you’ll want to focus in 2026. Not because business always gets to be easy but because it truly doesn’t need to feel quite so full of friction once the right adjustments and course corrections are made.

I know this phase well. And I’m deeply grateful for the support and guidance that helped me move into a way of building that now feels far steadier and far less effortful than it once did. For the feeling I’ve had that it all can ‘click into place’ and I want the same for you next year.

[PS. Authority Club is open again, for anyone curious about working through this phase of business in a more structured way. Details here if you’d like to explore it in your own time before we close doors for the foreseeable.]

Pattern 1/ “I know my thinking is respected, but it’s not turning into business”

I see this amongst founders who are publishing consistently and are externally visible.

They’ll have people leave comments, or even share their work, and will frequently hear “your work is so thoughtful” or “I love your vibe.”

It even leads to interesting conversations… and so. many. Zoom. coffee. catch-ups.

Except… the reliable stream of paid work hasn’t yet followed.

It’s conversations without conversion.

These founders often think the fix is to simply to wait it out and be resilient until buyers finally emerge.

Sound familiar?

If you’re in this pattern, you’ve built intellectual authority without commercial clarity.

Meaning: your ideas stand on their own two feet, your perspective is credible, and your thinking is genuinely enjoyable to read.

But people can’t easily answer a crucial question: “Can you actually solve my biggest problem and what would working with you look like?”

This is the point where many smart people get stuck.

I work with a lot of overthinkers (trust me, it takes one to know one), and the tendency to complicate things is strong. But too much complex thinking makes it hard to translate your ideas into a simple, tangible offer.

Tangible offers can be sniffed at and feel reductive, when you know just how nuanced your work really is.

So instead, the writing stays expansive and insightful.

… but the business model stays vague.

Instead of hoping the “right” client will connect these dots themselves, or clarity will emerge on it’s own (and that’ll be the day you’ll pin something down) know that the gap between being respected and being hireable only widens the longer you wait.

Because this is a structural issue. It’s one that requires you to make deliberate decisions about how your authority shows up in a tangible, commercial way (such decisions can feel hard to stand behind, when you’re trying to do it all in your own head).

Pattern 2/ “My bank account doesn’t reflect how busy I am”

This is often the most confusing one, because on the surface, things look like they’re working.

Your diary is by no means empty and you have clients, so you can’t really complain about that. You’re being paid for your expertise. Showing up in other people’s communities. Attending events, and creating content.

You likely hear people saying to you all the time “Seems like you’re smashing it!”

But when you zoom out, the income feels unpredictable and your revenue has plateaued for a while now. There was probably a good quarter this year. But not four.

This creates periods of relief and flow, followed by that low-grade background anxiety about what’s coming next. Founders in this pattern often assume the fix is to expend even more energy: create more offers, say yes to more things, add more complexity, in the hope of fixing what feels like a leaky bucket.

Sound familiar?

When your work is largely driven by ad-hoc conversations, referrals, or interest that’s hard to repeat, busyness is deceptive. You’re very occupied, but you’re not building something that compounds.

That’s because what’s usually missing isn’t energy: it’s leverage.

Whilst activity creates motion, it is the right structure that creates predictability.

This is also a moment where burnout can creep in quietly and easily. Because when you’re busy delivering for clients, day in, day out — just to earn the same, or even less, than you did in a 9–5 — it’s easy to find yourself whispering to a partner on a Friday evening, after a long week: “Is this actually worth it?”

You’ll often stop yourself there, reassuring yourself that “this is just how consulting works” and that things will smooth out eventually.

But without an intentional business model shift — and without a message that compounds to draw the right people in, at rates and structures you get to set — this usually doesn’t fix itself.

It’s a signal that demand isn’t being created or captured in a repeatable way yet, even if you’re visible, capable, and in demand some of the time.

Pattern 3/ “I don’t think these clients are my people anymore.”

This pattern often starts shows up as irritation in the form of fatigue, resentment or resistance.

You hear yourself thinking:

• “They really need this, so why won’t they pay for it?”

• “If I have to keep explaining why this work matters, I’ll go mad.”

• “I feel like I’m compromising my values or methods just to land a sale.”

Sometimes the frustration sets in after a run of discovery calls that didn’t end in a sale. Or on the other end of the spectrum, shows up after a week of client work that technically went well (at least for your clients) but left you feeling flat.

The frustration often gets mixed with guilt. You start wondering if you’re asking for too much, or should just be grateful for the work you have.

Because this even happens when clients are paying healthy rates.

Which leads to a quieter, more existential question: Does my work really need to fulfil me this much?

Sound familiar?

This is usually the moment of outgrowing your clients.

Your work deepened. Your standards have shifted. The outcomes you care about are bigger than they used to be.

Often, you’ve learned through your clients about what was really missing all along, or about the deeper, systemic changes you’re now more interested in addressing.

Or you’re simply tired of calling in beginners, people who are afraid to spend money, or delivering work that fits a past version of you … perhaps from an earlier stage, or a former corporate career.

You’re no longer in the scrappy “I’ll take whatever work I can get” phase.

As an entrepreneur who’s already made money on their own terms, you want to call in the right people… not just any people.

Except…

You’ve dipped a toe in. Tested some different language. Experimented lightly… but you haven’t fully committed emotionally, or in how you show up in your comms.

So you end up in an uncomfortable middle ground: busy with clients, but without case studies that reflect where you want to go next. And the idea of making a bold messaging shift feels risky — financially, reputationally.

^{What will current clients think?
What if you’re wrong?
What if you have to reposition twice?
What if you’re being naïve?}

Here’s a space many people might pause the longest. Not for a lack of ideas, but because moving on means releasing a version of the business that once worked… and admitting it no longer fits.

Getting ready for 2026

Taken together, these patterns tend to show up in a very particular phase of building — when your authority has been established, but the business hasn’t fully caught up yet.

You’ve developed a clear perspective, ways of working that get results, and enough visibility to be taken seriously. Your situation is by no means a motivational or confidence issue. It’s a signal that you are ready for a different way of building.

The familiar phrase “what got you here won’t get you there” applies here but again, not because the next level looks like pushing harder or manufacturing motivation.

You don’t need another idea or tactic.

You need to step back, make deliberate decisions, and evolve how your authority translates into a business that’s stable, sustainable, and genuinely enjoyable to run.

Which is exactly why this phase often feels slower and more uncertain and calls for structure and containment, rather than more effort. It calls for you stepping into the next level of your identity as a founder — turning away opportunities, making tough calls, and being bold about the work you most want to do and why others should pay for it.

I’ve navigated this transition myself, multiple times over in the last six years. I’ve supported many others through it. This is work that truly changes how your business gets to feel to run day in and day out.

Want helping getting more traction in the year ahead?

If one of the patterns above felt particularly familiar, you’re welcome to reply with 1, 2, or 3 and a line or two of context. I’ll read every reply and reply with a perspective on what I’m hearing, or a resource that often helps at this stage.

And if you want to work on this sooner than later, Authority Club is the dedicated container designed for founders at this moment. Here’s the details you need.