Sputtering Doesn’t Mean Stopping

How to Restart When You’re Burnt Out

Stuck? Scattered? Cleaning instead of creating? Here's how to stop spiraling, press restart, and remember exactly why you started in the first place.

Ever feel like you’re stuck, even when you know better?

Like you should be doing more, showing up more…but for some reason, you’re just… not?

Yeah. Us too.

Let us be honest: July has felt like we’ve sputtered and hit a wall. Not just in this business, but in our lives in general.

We came out of May like a rocket, totally on fire and ready to zoom into the stratosphere. In June, we were on fire—posting consistently, designing, building momentum in our business, in our lives. We finally felt like we were doing the thing we had talked about for ten years. We finally had liftoff.

And then July rolled in. Like someone turned the boosters off our little rocket.

We sputtered. Posts slowed. Energy dipped. Self-doubt crept back in. That little voice in your head that whispers, “Maybe you’re not cut out for this.”

”How do I get started again, and keep going?”
“I don’t know what I should do next.”

That voice has been loud this month.

When I get like that, I tend to procrastinate on the things I know I should be doing. Instead I do other things. Like clean. If you see me deep cleaning the house, there’s a strong possibility I’m avoiding something important.

If you’ve ever tried to build something from nothing…especially something that’s tied to your purpose or something you really care about…you know exactly what I’m talking about. There’s the idea, the dream, the spark that gets you going. You’re on fire. And then there’s the days no one sees. The days where it feels like you're putting all this energy into something and getting absolutely nothing back.

That’s the part no one likes to post about. It’s not very shareable. It’s not branded. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows.

But it’s real.

I keep coming back to this metaphor of a puzzle. Not the easy kind with a picture on the box and flat edges you can start with. You know exactly what the picture is going to look like in the end. No. This feels more like one of those brain twisty puzzle cubes, like a Rubik’s Cube. It looks like you’ve got it almost solved until you move one piece and it throws the whole thing off.

That’s what the past couple weeks have felt like.

A whole bunch of effort that seems to go nowhere. One step forward, three pieces out of place.

But yet...we know we’re not back at square one. Because every time we stop, and every time we restart, we’re doing it from a new place. A wiser one. More clarity. To overcome our deepest doubts and insecurities. To bring our shadows into the light and transfigure them into strengths.

Your Why Is Bigger Than This Moment of Stuck

Like I mentioned, we’ve been at this for nearly 10 years trying to figure this out. What business to launch, what message do we want to share. What should we name the business, what should the brand look like, and what products should we design? We thought we knew our WHY. We just didn’t know our HOW yet. We started and stopped multiple businesses. Life coaching, different t-shirt companies, a design agency, a social media marketing agency. For each one we started, we thought our WHY was clear. Because we can’t have children, this was our way to leave behind a legacy. Our mark.

But then our niece Ember was born. She was the literal spark that lit our fire. We took a laser beam focus on not just legacy for legacy’s sake. Legacy for Ember’s sake. Legacy for our family’s sake. For our friends, our communities. Everyone. Because we are all connected. How can we leave this world a better place, and to inspire not only Ember but also countless others that they can make their dreams a reality. It was no longer just personal to us.

July 2023 was when we officially launched Starlead Wear. Then we sputtered again, until we picked it up again in December 2024. We were really building momentum through January 2025, we were on fire. Tamaz and I collaborated on ideas and designs, coming up with all new products and collections, re-designing our website. Dipping our toes in the social media and marketing waters.

Then we got hit with an unexpected challenge mid January that later turned into a blessing. At first, it felt like the boosters on our rocket got unexpectedly cut off again. Why? We asked ourselves. But at the same time, we were grateful, because although it stopped our momentum for the business, it did put us in a better place, like, literally…a newly renovated, larger and better place to live. And to work on ourselves. And our business.

But in the midst of that turmoil…in the midst of any challenge really…it is easy to quit.

We could tell ourselves that, “I just don’t have what it takes. I don’t know what I’m doing.”

Or I’m too busy.
Or this is too hard.
Or I don’t have enough time or energy to do this any more.
Or that it wasn’t meant to be.
Or that maybe now is not the right time.
Or that pile of dishes in the sink really needs to be put in the dishwasher.

But honestly, we’re done telling ourselves these stories. Because that’s what they are. They’re just stories. Fears. Doubts. Uncertainties. Excuses.

When Progress Feels Invisible, Look at How Far You’ve Come

When we look back at how far we’ve already come, what we’ve survived, what we’ve built, what we’ve learned and how much we’ve grown, we realize:

We DO have what it takes.
We are MEANT to do this.
And the right time is the moment you begin.

So if you’ve been feeling like you’ve been sputtering a bit, feeling tired, unsure. Feverishly dusting the bookcase. If you’re questioning if you can, should and HOW to continue…just know, we’re there too. We feel you.

But we’re not done. And neither are you.

We’re closer than either of us may think.

The Start Button Still Works: Why It’s Never Too Late to Begin Again

So what do you do when you feel like you’re sputtering and stalled out?

You remember why you started.

You remember the days when it was just an idea, a dream, and you would’ve LOVED to be where you’re at right now. You remind yourself that progress doesn’t mean perfection. That sputtering and stumbling isn’t failure. That you don’t have to be in a state of constant sprint to be building something meaningful.

And more than anything, you RECOMMIT.

Not just to the tasks. Not just to the to-do lists. But to your WHY. Your vision. The reason why you started in the first place.

Obviously, Tamaz and I don’t have this all figured out. But what we’ve learned is:

• Rest isn’t the enemy of momentum. Quitting is.
• Even if you fall off for a week, or a month, or longer, you can come back.
• You don’t need to wait for motivation. You just need to move. Do the thing you’ve been procrastinating on doing.

It’s never too late to press the start button again.

And put the duster down.