Tuesday, October 6, 2026

October Research, LLC CEO and Publisher Erica Meyer is stepping in as a guest blogger this week.

I am absolutely a Type A personality. For everyone who knows me, I’m pretty sure you can confirm that without hesitation.

For all the other Type A personalities out there, you are my people. And for everyone else, thank you for dealing with all of us “A’s.”

In an industry filled with entrepreneurs and small-business owners, I know there are quite a few of us out there.

We tend to be ambitious, driven, competitive and goal oriented. We like efficiency. We like a plan. We like checking things off the list. We set high expectations for ourselves and usually for the people around us. We don’t particularly enjoy losing and, if we are going to do something, we generally want to do it well.

Actually, we want to be the best. That drive can be an incredible asset in business. It can also become a very heavy thing to carry.

When your natural instinct is to achieve, improve and push for the next goal, it is easy to start applying that same scorecard to every part of your life. Successful business? Check. Good parent? Check. Supportive spouse? Check. Healthy? Check. Great friend? Check. Personal growth? Check.

And, preferably, could we get an A+ in all of them?

The problem is that trying to be everything, to everyone, all the time can eventually wear us down.

In early 2022, I was introduced to Michelle Fraley, a life coach, counselor and integrative wellness specialist at Miraval Wellness Resort & Spa. I participated in a course she taught called the “Web of Life.”

It was life-changing for me.

My immediate reaction was that I wanted to share it with all the women in my life: my friends, family, co-workers and industry peers.

As a female business owner, I respect and value the differences between men and women in leadership. We often bring different experiences and perspectives to the table, and I believe those differences make businesses and leadership teams stronger.

I will also simply say this: Women in business are sometimes treated differently.

I’ve learned to adapt my style to meet that challenge. And, being a Type A personality, there is a part of me that naturally responds, “Challenge accepted.”

But over time, I’ve also realized not everyone responds that way. I’ve watched talented women question themselves, scale back their ambitions or decide the sacrifices required to reach the next level simply aren’t worth it.

And that is where the “Web of Life” comes in.

Choosing where to be a 10

In 2023, I decided to bring Michelle and her “Web of Life” presentation to our Women’s Leadership Summit (WLS). It became one of those sessions that attendees continued to reference and talk about long after the event ended.

That is why we are excited to welcome Michelle back to WLS this Nov. 2-3 in San Antonio. She will once again present the “Web of Life,” as well as another session, “The Law of Little Things: Change Your Habits, Change Your Life.”

The concept behind the “Web of Life” sounds simple, but completing it thoughtfully is incredibly powerful.

Michelle breaks life into 10 major categories: environment, social life, spirituality, health and fitness, romance, growth and learning, career and business, enjoyment, family and wealth.

You evaluate where you are in each category on a scale of one to 10.

Then you ask yourself: Where am I today? Where would I like to be?

And for all my Type A friends reading this, I know exactly what you are thinking. No, you cannot put 10 in every category. That is part of the lesson.

The goal isn’t to create another list of things you need to improve. It isn’t about turning your life into another performance review or giving yourself 10 new goals to accomplish.

It is about deciding what deserves your energy right now.

Maybe career is a nine because you are building a business, taking on a new leadership role or pursuing a major professional goal. During that season, something else may need to be a six.

Maybe your children need more of you right now. Maybe your health does. Maybe you have spent years investing in your career and realize it is time to invest more intentionally in your marriage, friendships, personal growth or simply having fun.

And here is the hard part for achievers: That is OK.

You learn to forgive yourself for not being perfect in every category. You stop viewing every number lower than a 10 as a failure and begin viewing it as a conscious choice about where you want to spend your finite time and energy.

Your priorities will change because life changes.

That is why the “Web of Life” isn’t an exercise you complete once and put in a drawer. It is worth revisiting about every six months or following a major change in your life. Your answers may be completely different a year from now.

Give yourself permission to think

I’ll leave you with this. The “Web of Life” is not gender-specific. It works for everyone. I’ve tried getting my husband to complete the exercise — I’ve also discovered he seems to have more time for strategic thinking and contemplating the next stages of life than I do.

Perhaps some of the women reading this can relate.

As a highly ambitious business owner and leader with a healthy dose of mom guilt, deliberately taking time to complete the “Web of Life” has been exactly what I needed.

Because sometimes the most productive thing you can do is stop producing.

Unplug.

Evaluate.

Dream.

Forgive.

Reflect.

Ask yourself what is working, what isn’t and what you actually want the next season of your life to look like.

We spend countless hours developing strategic plans for our businesses. We establish goals, measure results, review financials, evaluate employees and determine where to invest resources to generate the greatest return.

How often do we give our lives that same level of thoughtful attention?

If you are a female business owner or leader or have women on your team whose growth you want to support, I highly encourage you to join us for Michelle Fraley’s “Web of Life” presentation at WLS, Nov. 2-3 in San Antonio.

Invest in yourself. Invest in the women on your team.

Give yourself permission to step away from the emails, meetings, deadlines and never-ending to-do lists long enough to think about where you are, where you want to go and what deserves more of you.

For my fellow Type A’s, you may even discover that success isn’t about becoming a 10 in everything.

Sometimes success is knowing which things you want to be a 10 in and giving yourself permission not to be a 10 in the rest.

That may be one of the best returns on investment you can make.

 

Until Next Time,

Erica