The universe in me, sees the universe in you.

The YOUniverse: Remembering Who You Are in the Bigger Picture

let’s level up:

Grow Yourself To Grow Your Business

Smash through growth ceilings,
again and again to new heights
in business, leadership and life.

As a founder, it’s easy to get caught in the rhythm of doing — building, leading, scaling, solving.
But there comes a moment, usually in a quieter season, where something deeper calls:
What am I really here for?
What story am I shaping — not just for my business, but for my life?

In the intricate dance of creation, you’re not just a leader.
You are a living thread in the greater fabric of existence.

The same atoms that make up your body — hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen — are the very same that once formed stars.

We don’t just live in the universe.

The universe lives in us.


You’re Not Separate from the Work — You Are the Work

Your growth isn’t just strategic — it’s spiritual.
Your legacy isn’t just built through results — it’s written in energy, presence, and alignment.

The concept of the YOUniverse reminds us that the work we do in the world is simply a mirror of who we are becoming.

And when we truly understand that, we stop chasing more and start creating from wholeness.

We move from proving to presence.
From hustling to honouring.
From separation to connection.


5 Principles of the YOUniverse for Founders

1. The Atomic Symphony
You are made of stardust. The story of the cosmos lives in your cells. You are more than a builder — you are a co-creator.

2. Reflections of Unity
The impact you make on others is not separate from who you are. Your leadership echoes the rhythms of how you live, love, and lead.

3. The Cosmic Connection
You don’t create in isolation. Every decision, every pivot, every expansion is part of a larger ripple — within your team, your clients, and the world.

4. Expanding Perspective
The more you see how connected it all is, the more intentional you become. Small choices shape entire trajectories — internally and externally.

5. Embracing Oneness
You are not just running a business. You are the universe expressing itself through form, through function, through your unique frequency.


This Season Is Asking for More of You — Not More From You

As you step into this next chapter, ask yourself:

What if your presence was the strategy?
What if your expansion was energetic first?
What if your deepest work was remembering who you already are?

The YOUniverse is already moving through you.
You don’t need to force it — just tune into it.

Lead from that place.
Create from that place.
Be that place.

Because the most magnetic, impactful version of you… is the one that’s fully aligned with what’s true.

The universe in me sees the universe in you.
And it’s ready for what you’re here to create next.

Tanya Cross

 

Leadership Coach & The Coaches Coach

Master Certified Demartini Method Facilitator

BAppSoSc (Counselling)

Maximum Growth

 

Your energy isn’t missing

We would all like boundless energy, right?

let’s level up:

Grow Yourself To Grow Your Business

Smash through growth ceilings,
again and again to new heights
in business, leadership and life.

But lately… you’re not feeling it.

You’ve exited the business. You thought this would feel better.
But instead of relief, there’s this strange flatness. You’re free—but you’re tired. Disillusioned. Low on energy, and unsure why.

Where exactly did all your drive go?

There was no change in your diet, no long sleepless nights. Nothing physical explains why you’re so drained.

But then—suddenly—something sparks. You have an idea. A meaningful insight. A moment of clarity.
And just like that, the energy returns.

You feel alive again. Awake.
People even tell you, “You look lighter.”

Where did that come from?


The Truth No One Tells You

You have a deep well of energy inside you. It doesn’t come from caffeine, from sleep, or from ticking off to-dos.

It comes from alignment.
From being open. From staying connected to what’s meaningful.

When you’re open your energy flows freely.
When you’re closed—emotionally guarded, mentally stuck—it gets blocked.

And that’s what post-exit burnout often is: an energetic block.

Not because you’re broken.
But because something deep inside is still unresolved, still protecting, still holding on.


You Don’t Need to Push Through

You need to open back up—gently, safely, wisely.

At Maximum Growth, we live by this:

“You are not bound to succeed—you are bound to live up to the light that is within you.”

That light is still there.
Your energy. Your joy. Your enthusiasm for life.
It’s not gone. It’s just waiting for you to let it flow again.


It’s Time to Heal the Emotional Residue

Come apply the Demartini Method to clear what’s unresolved, release the emotional charges, and restore your vitality from the inside out.

This isn’t about doing more.
It’s about being more open—to joy, to energy, to what’s next.

Because you didn’t exit your business to feel stuck in your own life.

So, let me ask you:
Are you stopping your own flow?

With flowing love from my heart to yours,

 

Tanya Cross

 

Leadership Coach & The Coaches Coach

Master Certified Demartini Method Facilitator

BAppSoSc (Counselling)

Maximum Growth

 

Discovering Your Purpose: The Path to a Meaningful Life

Purpose is one of those tricky and sticky things that people struggle with for most of their lives.

let’s level up:

Grow Yourself To Grow Your Business

Smash through growth ceilings,
again and again to new heights
in business, leadership and life.

 

You’ve exited the business.
You have space, freedom, maybe even financial security.

But inside?
There’s a strange restlessness. A low hum of melancholy.
You’re no longer driven by pressure, but you’re also not pulled by purpose.

You might find yourself thinking:
“I have time and money—but no fire inside.”

This is more common than you think.
You’re not broken. You’re not ungrateful.
You’re just in-between identities—waiting to reconnect with meaning.


Where Did Your Fire Go?

That fire that once drove you—the sense of building something bigger than yourself—didn’t disappear. It just got paused. Or buried beneath the weight of the last chapter.

You were driven by a mission. Now, without it, you’re floating.
And the question becomes:
What’s worth committing to now?


Ancient Clues from Timeless Thinkers

You’re not the first to ask this question—and you won’t be the last.
Let’s take wisdom from those who walked this path long before us:

The Stoics believed purpose was aligning with nature and reason—trusting what is, and flowing with life’s natural rhythm.

Plato believed purpose was about seeking eternal truth—moving beyond appearances to something deeper, lasting, and real.

Aristotle believed purpose was found in eudaimonia—a flourishing life built on virtue, courage, and contribution.

And at the heart of all three?
Living in alignment with something greater than yourself.


Finding Your Next Purpose Isn’t a Rush Job

Rediscovering purpose post-exit is a process, not a performance.
It doesn’t come from filling time.
It comes from reconnecting to what makes you feel alive again.

Here are a few places to start:

1. Reconnect with what energises you.
What lights you up—even in small moments?

2. Rediscover your natural gifts.
What comes easily to you and still matters, even now?

3. Test and try with intention.
Purpose often reveals itself through doing, not just thinking.
Start small. See what clicks.

You didn’t exit your business to lose your sense of self.
You exited so you could find a new version of it.

This time, built from the inside out.

Here’s to living up to the light within you,

 

Tanya Cross

 

Leadership Coach & The Coaches Coach

Master Certified Demartini Method Facilitator

BAppSoSc (Counselling)

Maximum Growth

 

I’ve been really sad post partnership exit

Life is a series of transformations

let’s level up:

Grow Yourself To Grow Your Business

Smash through growth ceilings,
again and again to new heights
in business, leadership and life.

 

It calls us to honour what’s true, evolve with integrity, and embrace the changes that come with living in alignment.

Recently, my business partner Justin and I made the decision to part ways—not through conflict, but through clarity. This decision comes from a deep respect for each other’s path and a commitment to what is most authentic for us both.

Justin’s journey is leading him toward more time with family, and I fully honour that. Sometimes, growth means letting go—not because it failed, but because it fulfilled what it came to do.

Not all partnerships are meant to last forever. Some are meant to teach us, shape us, and then release us. And that’s okay.

This shift has reminded me that real growth often asks us to surrender what once fit, but no longer feels right. If we cling too tightly to the familiar, we risk stagnation.

Some people walk beside us for a season. Others for a lifetime. The wisdom is knowing when to hold on—and when to let go.

For me, this has been a deeply personal process. A shedding. A returning.

It’s taken me inward—past the expectations, the structure, the shared plans—and back into myself. It’s asked me to let go of what I thought it had to be, and trust the unfolding of what’s meant to come next.

There have been tears. Long walks. Quiet moments. Sadness for the dream we once shared.

But also stillness.

Because when something falls away and it’s still right, you know it’s truth calling you forward.

Through this, one thing has become clearer than ever:

I love mindset work. I love the Demartini Method. I love coaching.

That fire still burns.

My focus has been on business but my love is the mind behind it all. The personal insights. The deep shifts. The moments that ripple into everything else.

That’s what lights me up.

So, while the form of business may shift, the mission remains clear:

To serve. To coach. To walk with others as they rediscover their fire and realign with who they truly are.

We honour bold decisions. Justin’s choice to step away is just that, a decision that aligns with him, one I deeply respect.

Justin, thank you for being part of this chapter. For challenging, creating, and dreaming alongside me. For the impact you’ve made on this business and this journey.

With love and oodles of gratitude,

 

Tanya Cross

 

Leadership Coach & The Coaches Coach

Master Certified Demartini Method Facilitator

BAppSoSc (Counselling)

Maximum Growth

 

Your Voids Are Driving You

What Feels Missing Might Be What Matters Most

let’s level up:

Grow Yourself To Grow Your Business

Smash through growth ceilings,
again and again to new heights
in business, leadership and life.

In the pursuit of building, scaling, and eventually exiting a business, many founders overlook one of the most powerful forces shaping their life and leadership: their voids.

A void is a perceived lack—something that feels like it’s missing. Not in theory, but in your real, lived experience.

And while most people try to hide or ignore these gaps, your voids are actually pointing you toward what you value most.

 

 Why This Matters During Exit

When you’re leading a company, your purpose is often clear. You’re creating. You’re solving. You’re serving.

But in the silence that follows an exit—or even in the lead-up—you may feel something stirring:
A subtle emptiness. A restlessness. A question like:

“What now?”

That feeling?
It’s often a void rising to the surface—asking to be acknowledged.

 

 Your Voids Shape Your Values

Voids are not weaknesses. They are the birthplace of your highest values and most meaningful vision.

A void of stability might lead you to value financial independence.

A void of support might lead you to value leadership and mentorship.

A void of belonging might fuel your desire to build community.

A void of meaning might lead you to seek purpose beyond success.

This is why two founders can exit the same type of business, and go in completely different directions.
Because their voids—and therefore their values—are unique.

 

What’s Your Void Whispering Now?

As you prepare to exit or reflect on what’s next you may notice a rising desire for:

Freedom (perhaps driven by a past sense of restriction)

Recognition (from a past lack of being seen)

Rest (from years of pressure and chaos)

Legacy (from a fear of being forgotten)

The key is not to judge it. But to listen.

Because your voids aren’t pointing to what you lack—they’re pointing to what you’re here to fulfill.

Vision, Values & the Next Chapter

 

Your vision post-exit isn’t just about building the next thing.
It’s about honouring who you’ve become and what you’re still being called toward.

When you know the voids that drive your values, you don’t create just for productivity’s sake.
You create from alignment, clarity, and inner authority.

That’s where real purpose lives.

 

So, Founder…

If you’ve made the decision to exit but feel an internal tension you can’t quite name—
If you’re wondering what you’re supposed to do next, or why you’re not feeling how you thought you would—

It might be time to get curious about your voids.

Because the very thing you feel is missing… might be exactly where your next chapter begins.

With grounded inspiration,


Tanya Cross
Leadership Coach & The Coaches’ Coach
Master Certified Demartini Method Facilitator
BAppSoSc (Counselling)
The Coaches’ Coach (TCC)

 

Leadership Coach & The Coaches Coach

Master Certified Demartini Method Facilitator

BAppSoSc (Counselling)

Maximum Growth

 

Holding the Vision

Lately in my one-on-one sessions, a quiet theme has been surfacing — founders seeking alignment with their next vision.

let’s level up:

Grow Yourself To Grow Your Business

Smash through growth ceilings,
again and again to new heights
in business, leadership and life.

 

They’re asking important questions:
Am I building forward in a way that still feels like me?
Am I acting from clarity — or clinging to what used to feel like success?

It got me thinking…

There’s a rare kind of leader — a founder with vision. Not just a strategic vision for the business, but a deeper one. One that comes from a place of alignment, not ego. One that reflects who they’re becoming, not just what they’re building.

This kind of vision isn’t a checklist. It’s not about chasing one more win.
It’s about truth. It’s about congruence.

But even the clearest vision can stall when the founder gets stuck on when it needs to happen — and what it must look like.

 

The Identity Behind the Vision

Seneca once wrote:

“We suffer more in imagination than in reality.”

Many founders I work with aren’t struggling because their vision is too big — but because they’re still trying to shape it from their old identity.

They want certainty. A fixed timeline. Proof that it’s working.

But the truth is, this season isn’t about control.
It’s about trust.

It’s about letting the new vision reflect back to you who you are now — not who you were when you first started this business.

 

What If Vision Is a Mirror?

The most powerful visions don’t come from pressure. They come from presence.

They ask us to get honest about what’s truly within our control:
• Our values
• Our clarity
• Our actions

Not the timeline.
Not the outcome.


What trips up many visionary founders is the belief that things should happen faster. That they should already be “there.”

But letting go of the timeline often creates space for something more authentic — and more aligned — to unfold.

 

The Paradox of Vision

To lead through transition, you have to live in the paradox:
• Hold the vision tightly, but release the need to control it.
• Care deeply, but don’t grip it out of fear.


The most grounded founders I know are the ones who trust the work that’s unseen just as much as what’s visible.


Like a tree with deep roots, they know the season may shift, but growth still happens.

 

From Force to Power

Force burns out even the most brilliant leaders.
Power sustains.

Founders who trust the process move with intention, not urgency.
They understand that time compounds. That clarity deepens. That purpose unfolds.

They don’t need to prove their vision — they just need to keep walking toward it with integrity.

 

Legacy Isn’t Rushed

If you’re in a season of redefining success, questioning your role, or wondering what’s next — you’re not behind. You’re on the edge of something new.

Your job isn’t to force the outcome.

It’s to keep aligning with who you are becoming, and let that lead what you create next.

Hold the vision.
Let go of the timeline.
And know that you’re building something that will last — because it started with who you really are.

 

Tanya Cross

 

Leadership Coach & The Coaches Coach

Master Certified Demartini Method Facilitator

BAppSoSc (Counselling)

Maximum Growth

 

Your future depends on this

As a founder, the decisions you make don’t just shape your business — they shape who you’re becoming.

let’s level up:

Grow Yourself To Grow Your Business

Smash through growth ceilings,
again and again to new heights
in business, leadership and life.

Every choice, from what you commit to next, to what you walk away from, becomes part of your personal legacy. It’s not just about business strategy — it’s about identity.

And yet, in transitional seasons — after an exit, during a restructure, or while redefining direction — decision-making can feel heavier than usual.

You’re no stranger to making bold moves. But now, with more visibility, more responsibility, or more at stake, hesitation creeps in.

 

Why It Feels So Hard Right Now

The truth is, founders often carry a weight that isn’t visible to others.

There’s pressure to choose the right next move — as if one wrong decision might unravel everything that’s been built.

But indecision is a decision. And it carries its own cost — delayed growth, diluted energy, and a slow erosion of confidence.

It’s not that you don’t know what you want. It’s that success has changed the game. The impact is bigger. So is the fear of getting it wrong.

And when you’ve spent years building based on feedback, results, and outcomes, it’s easy to start outsourcing your clarity — letting trends, mentors, or outside voices speak louder than your own.

But your greatest leadership comes when you return to your own alignment.

 

You Already Know What to Do

Clarity isn’t found in more input. It’s found in quieting the noise long enough to hear what’s already true for you.

The strongest decisions aren’t perfect. They’re authentic.
They’re made by leaders who know who they are — and are willing to keep choosing what aligns with that, even when it’s hard.

Sometimes, it’s not the fear of failure that holds us back.
It’s the fear of success. Of being seen. Of carrying more. Of owning the next level of leadership you’ve actually already grown into.

 

Every Decision Builds the Future

As you move through this next chapter, big or small — every decision is a vote for the future you’re choosing to create.

Each one refines your vision.
Each one builds trust in yourself.
Each one tells your team, your clients, and your future self:
I’m here. I’m clear. And I’m leading forward.

No decision is final. No outcome is absolute.
They’re all just steps on the path.

So — what decision are you ready to make today?

The future of what you build next doesn’t depend on perfection.
It depends on your willingness to move from clarity.

 

Tanya Cross

 

Leadership Coach & The Coaches Coach

Master Certified Demartini Method Facilitator

BAppSoSc (Counselling)

Maximum Growth

 

The Invisible Habit: How People Pleasing Becomes Second Nature

It doesn’t start with a crisis.

let’s level up:

Grow Yourself To Grow Your Business

Smash through growth ceilings,
again and again to new heights
in business, leadership and life.

It starts with something small.


A quiet “yes” when you really meant no.


A polite nod when your instincts said to push back.

 

And just like that, the pattern begins.

People-Pleasing in a Founder’s World

For many founders, people-pleasing isn’t loud or obvious — it’s woven into the way they lead.
It’s being the one who makes things work. Who smooths over tension. Who takes on a little extra because it feels easier than saying no.

And in the early days, it may have helped. It built trust. It kept relationships strong.
But over time, it becomes something else:
A quiet erosion of self.
A slow disconnection from what you actually want — and what your leadership really needs.

 

Where This Pattern Begins

This tendency to over-give or over-accommodate often isn’t about weakness.
It’s about survival.
It’s a strategy we learned early — reading the room, softening our truth, keeping others comfortable.


And while that kept us safe back then… it keeps us stuck now.


You find yourself:
Taking on more than you want to carry
• Avoiding hard conversations because you don’t want to disappoint
Being known as the “easy one,” the “reliable one,” even when it’s wearing you thin


It gets praised.
You get told you’re a great leader, a team player, someone who’s calm and dependable.


But underneath? There’s often resentment. Frustration. A deep fatigue that no time off seems to solve.

 

When Your Leadership Needs Boundaries

The truth is: your leadership doesn’t need you to say yes to everything.
It needs you to be honest. To be aligned. To be full — not depleted.

The more you disconnect from what’s true for you, the more your decisions — and your energy — become about managing others instead of leading forward.

Reclaiming your voice in leadership starts with one shift:
Noticing when you’re saying yes out of habit, instead of intention.

 

It’s Not a Flaw — It’s a Learned Response

People-pleasing isn’t a character flaw. It’s a coping strategy.
One that likely helped you succeed — until now.

But leadership, especially in the later chapters of building or exiting a business, asks for something deeper.
It asks for truth.

It asks you to come back to your own values, your own energy, your own yes.

And say no — clearly and without guilt — when something doesn’t serve you anymore.

 

Unlearning Takes Practice

This next season isn’t about doing more.
It’s about doing what’s yours to do.

What’s aligned.
What restores you.
What reflects who you are now — not just who you had to be in order to succeed.

If you’ve felt like your leadership has drifted away from your centre, this is your moment to return.

Not with force.
But with clarity.

Life — and business — is about unlearning and relearning.
And you get to lead in a way that feels like you.

 

Tanya Cross

 

Leadership Coach & The Coaches Coach

Master Certified Demartini Method Facilitator

BAppSoSc (Counselling)

Maximum Growth

 

The Fine Line Between Helping and Taking on Too Much

For many founders, responsibility becomes more than a trait — it becomes an identity.

let’s level up:

Grow Yourself To Grow Your Business

Smash through growth ceilings,
again and again to new heights
in business, leadership and life.

It starts with a strong sense of care. A desire to lead well. A commitment to doing right by your team, your clients, your community.

And over time, that responsibility grows.

But at a certain point, it can quietly shift from holding to over-carrying.
From leading with clarity to leading from pressure.
From empowered to exhausted.

The Unseen Cost of Carrying Too Much

I recently worked with a founder whose sense of responsibility stretched across every part of their life — from family to business to team dynamics.

They were the one people relied on.
The one who made things okay.
The one who never dropped the ball.

But underneath the capable, calm exterior was a constant hum of pressure:
“If I let go, everything could fall apart.”
“If someone else stumbles, I should’ve caught it.”
“If I set a boundary, what will they think of me?”

Sound familiar?

 

Where This Pattern Begins

This kind of over-functioning doesn’t come out of nowhere.

Often, it starts early — when we learned that being helpful, responsible, or “easy to count on” earned love, safety, or stability.

And those patterns? They come with us into leadership.

Suddenly you’re not just responsible for your role — you feel responsible for your team’s emotional state, your client’s success, your company’s every outcome.

Even things that aren’t yours to carry.

It’s not weakness.
It’s survival strategy.
One that may have helped you build… but is now holding you back.

 

What Are You Really Carrying?

Responsibility isn’t the problem.
It’s the attachment to it.

When responsibility becomes a measure of your worth, it creates a relentless cycle of doing, fixing, rescuing, managing.

You give more.
You do more.
You carry more.

But you also begin to disappeareven from yourself.

The voice inside starts to whisper:
“I’m tired.”
“I can’t keep holding all of this.”
“I just want to be enough, even when I stop.”

 

Reclaiming Space in Your Leadership


This work isn’t about dropping everything. It’s about asking:
• What’s truly mine to hold?
• Where am I over-functioning out of fear or habit?
• Who am I when I lead from presence, not pressure?


Setting boundaries doesn’t make you less capable.
Letting go doesn’t mean you don’t care.
Delegating outcomes doesn’t make you irresponsible.


It makes you a clear, centered leader — one who leads with trust instead of tension.

 

This Isn’t About Doing Less — It’s About Being Whole

Responsibility, when rooted in self-worth, becomes clarity.
When tied to proving your value, it becomes weight.

You don’t need to earn your place by carrying more than is yours.

You’re already enough — even when you rest.
Even when you pause.
Even when you say, “This part isn’t mine.”

Let this season be about unhooking from what you no longer need to carry.
And learning to lead — with strength, yes, but also with space.

Tanya Cross

 

Leadership Coach & The Coaches Coach

Master Certified Demartini Method Facilitator

BAppSoSc (Counselling)

Maximum Growth

 

What Will Your Next Quarter Of A Century Story Be?

Last night, I saw Hamilton with a friend.
(It’s no secret I love a good stage show.)

let’s level up:

Grow Yourself To Grow Your Business

Smash through growth ceilings,
again and again to new heights
in business, leadership and life.

But this one landed differently.


There’s a line that stayed with me long after the curtain closed:

“How do you want others to tell your story when you’re gone?”

It’s the kind of question that doesn’t just linger.
It moves you.

Not because it’s dramatic — but because it’s honest.
Because whether we say it out loud or not, many of us are asking the same thing:
What am I really creating with the life I’ve been given?

 

For the Founder at a Crossroads

As we step into a new year — and not just any year, but the start of a new quarter-century — it’s worth pausing.

Twenty-five years is a long time to build.
And if you’re reading this, chances are you’ve spent much of that time in motion.
Growing something. Leading something. Becoming someone.

But maybe now, the question isn’t what have I built?
It’s what story do I want to shape from here?

What story will your next 25 years tell — and will it reflect who you really are now?

 

Looking Back, Then Forward

Twenty-five years ago, I was standing at a crossroads.
Stay where it’s safe, or follow the pull of something unknown.

I chose the leap.

That choice didn’t come with a clear plan or guarantee.
But it came from something deeper — a knowing.
And every part of my journey since, including building MG, has come from that one decision:
To live in alignment.

Not with someone else’s idea of success.
But with my own truth.

 

What About You?

Maybe you’re standing in a similar space now.
You’ve built well. You’ve led well.
But you’re feeling the edge of something new.

And while it’s easy to get swept up in goals and plans — this isn’t about resolutions.

This is about revelation.
About slowing down enough to hear the questions that matter.

What truly moves the needle in your life and leadership?
What can you release to create space for what actually matters now?
What decisions are calling you to lead from clarity instead of habit?

 

Legacy Isn’t Someday. It’s Now.

Legacy isn’t something you leave behind.
It’s something you shape as you go.

With every choice.
Every conversation.
Every time you decide to return to what’s real for you.

This season — this year — is an opening.

To plant something aligned.
To act from your values.
To lead in a way that feels like home.

So ask yourself honestly:
What story do you want this next season to tell?

And what decision would a founder aligned with that story make today?

 

Tanya Cross

 

Leadership Coach & The Coaches Coach

Master Certified Demartini Method Facilitator

BAppSoSc (Counselling)

Maximum Growth

 

Nothing Is Missing, What Are You Searching For?