“Energy flows where intention goes.” It sounds like something Tony Robbins, “the CEO whisperer”, might say—and it captures a principle that has shaped every successful business decision I’ve ever made, though I didn’t consciously realise it at the time. It’s only looking back that I can see how powerful it really is—and it’s why I named my company Intentionality.
If you’re a small business owner still deep in the day-to-day operations, juggling customer needs, staff issues, and somehow trying to find time for strategic thinking, you’ll know this feeling: you’re busy, but are you going in the right direction? My catchphrase now informs everything I do in my coaching practice, because I’ve learned that when you have a clear driving passion and anchoring philosophy, decision-making becomes remarkably easier.
When I Finally Saw the Pattern
I’ve made multiple business decisions—some worked, some didn’t. It was only when I started coaching other business owners that I saw a pattern: the decisions that worked fitted into a clear intention, and the ones that failed? They failed because there was no real intention behind them—just reaction, just busyness.
At Green-Works a company I founded to reuse and recycle redundant office furniture, I had defined our vision as: “making a measurable and significant difference to the quantity of waste furniture that went to landfill.” I wasn’t trying to be clever. I just knew what mattered to me.
That single sentence unlocked everything else.
It immediately told me who my clients should be—the financial institutions that consumed the most furniture and generated the largest waste streams. It defined my geography—major financial centres and their back-office locations. It determined how I needed to scale—to make a real impact, I had to handle huge quantities in short periods, which meant massive regional warehousing and a franchise model.
I didn’t agonise over these decisions. My intention provided the answers and the energy followed.
The Problem with Being Too Busy
Here’s what I see with most small business owners (employing less than 50 people): you’re still doing the work. You’re in the weeds—which means you’re excellent at execution but starved of time to think about direction. You make decisions reactively, based on what’s urgent rather than what’s important.
Should you hire that person? Take on that client? Invest in that equipment? Expand to that location? Without a clear intention, these questions consume your evenings and weekends. You’ll get opinions from everyone—your team, your partner, that business book you’re halfway through—but you’ll still feel uncertain.
That’s because you’re trying to make strategic decisions without a strategic anchor.
The Questions You’re Not Asking
When did you last step back and ask: What do I actually want from this business?
Not what you should want. Not what would sound impressive at a networking event. What genuinely drives you?
Early retirement? Building something your kids can inherit? Proving something to yourself? Making a specific impact in your industry? Selling within five years? Growing to a certain size and staying there?
There’s no right answer—only your answer. But until you know it, every decision is made emotionally.
How Intentionality Changes Everything
In my book Prosper with Purpose, I explore how clarity of vision transforms abstract business challenges into concrete, answerable questions. When you know your true intention, decisions simplify:
That recruitment choice? Ask: “Does this person move me closer to my stated intention?”
That pricing strategy? Ask: “Does this pricing support where I’m heading?”
That potential partnership? Ask: “Does this align with what I’m building?”
This isn’t about complicated frameworks or expensive consultants. It’s about getting honest with yourself about what you want, then letting your energy flow in that direction.
Where Is Your Energy Going Right Now
Look at your diary from the last month. Look at what took up your thinking time. That’s where your energy went. Now ask yourself: was it flowing towards a clear intention, or was it just flowing towards whatever shouted loudest or shone most brightly?
Most business owners are haemorrhaging energy in every direction because they’ve never clearly defined their direction. You can’t afford that. Not with limited time, limited resources, and the weight of payroll and other responsibilities on your shoulders.
This Is What I Help You Find
Working with me through Intentionality starts with uncovering your genuine driving vision. Not in a fluffy, motivational-poster way—but in a precise, actionable way that immediately clarifies your next steps.
Once you articulate your intention with honesty and clarity, something remarkable happens: the business decisions that were keeping you awake at night become surprisingly straightforward. Not easy, perhaps, but clearer.
And in business, when your time-poor and stretched thin, clarity is everything.
Your energy is finite. Your time is precious. Make sure both flow toward something that truly matters to you.
That’s intentionality. That’s how small business owners prosper with purpose.