Why You Shouldn't Completely Check Out Of Your Business This Summer (Even Though Everyone Else Is)
Story time…
I told my first business coach, seven years ago this July, "yeah, summer's just a slow time for me."
And he said, "well, it doesn't have to be."
I remember sitting with that comment for a second, kind of annoyed if I'm being honest…
Afterall, July and August in Ontario, Canada (where I live) are notorious for Summer Vacation, Cottage Weekends & Beach Days. It feels like nobody is working full weeks or investing in B2B services!
But when my Business Coach challenged me, I started asking myself a new question that changed everything and allowed me to continue earning 20k and 30k months, even in the Summer.
I started asking, why NOW more than EVER is this the BEST time for business owners to invest in Business and Marketing Coaching?
.. and the rest was history!
I got after it and ended up signing a bunch of new clients that same summer. That one sentence rewired how I think about this season completely, and it's the whole reason I'm writing this post right now, in the thick of another July, watching the same pattern play out with my own clients.
So let's talk about it. Let's talk about the summer slump:
what it actually is,
why it's not really about the weather,
and what to do if you're the kind of entrepreneur who still has goals for the next 60 days.
The Summer Slump Isn't a Season. It's a Story.
Here's what I've noticed after almost a decade in business, running my own marketing consultancy and coaching hundreds of entrepreneurs through every kind of season imaginable: we get to attach a story to any month if we want to.
Summer's slow because people are on vacation. Christmas is slow because everyone's shopping. September's slow because kids are back at school and nobody has bandwidth. If you wanted to, you could build a case for why every single month of the year is a bad time to grow your business.
But the data doesn't always back that up.
Just from my own experience, I can tell you that I'm still investing in courses right now. I just purchased one on a whim from a sales consultant I've followed for five or six years. And when I look back, my very first business coach?
Hired in July because I was motivated and looking for support!
What "Separation Season" Actually Means
I lean heavily on a concept from Ed Mylett called separation season, and once you hear it, you can't unhear it.
The idea is simple: seasons like Summer (July and August) and the December holidays are when most people take their foot off the gas.
"Oh, nobody signs on in the summer."
"Oh, nobody's checking email over the holidays."
Everyone agrees to coast inside of their businesses, all at the same time, which means it's also the exact window where the entrepreneurs who keep showing up separate themselves from everyone else.
While your competitors are fully checked out, you're still visible. Still building trust. Still in the room.
And if you know me, you know that consistency is the #1 game that I play to build my business. It works!
Three Signs You've Slipped Into "Hobby Mode"
This is the part I want you to actually sit with, because it's sneaky. A lot of business owners don't consciously decide to check out their business during various months…
It happens gradually, one skipped task at a time. Some signs to watch for:
You've stopped tracking numbers ("I post on Instagram but there's no real strategy behind it")
You're skipping content because "no one's paying attention right now anyway"
You're treating recurring revenue drivers — a podcast, a newsletter, a sales call — as optional instead of core to the business
I say this with love, not judgment, because I've been there.
But if you don't have any data, if you're not managing any numbers, you're not running a business right now, you're running a hobby.
5 Unexpected Ways to Generate Clients Without Burning Out
If you're in build mode this Summer, and if you have real revenue goals for the next 2 months… here are 5 strategies I've either used myself or watched work for clients recently, at the time of writing this in July:
Steal Google's 20% rule. Google famously lets employees spend 20% of their work week on unrelated passion projects. Gift yourself that same permission. I use mine for mountain biking + paddling the river, and some of my best business ideas have shown up mid-ride and mid-float, not mid-Zoom-call. Summer is a beautiful time to lean into the 20%.
Film content during your 20% time. Vulnerability plus a visible, real-life moment (a hike, baking lemon cranberry bars, or mid bike ride) is more engaging than another talking-head video at your desk. Let people see you living the thing you're teaching them to build toward. It makes more exciting content and captivating B-Roll! What are your hobbies and have you made enough time for them this Summer?
Host a real, in-person event. My WAVE Co-Founder Emily and I used to run small meetups a few times a year at a lakeside market in Puslinch Lake — 15 women, two hours, sponsored treats, zero pressure. It's not fancy. But the trust that builds in one morning would take months of Instagram posts to replicate. Summer was a great time to host these casual meetups!
Follow the fresh idea. If you're lit up by a new project, use that energy to channel something great because it's palpable to your audience. And we all know now that flat, AI-generated content is not. People can tell the difference, and honestly, we're all a little exhausted by content that clearly wasn't written by a human. So use the Summer months to re-ignite your spark and to produce some good long-form thought leadership content.
Get outside your house. Coworking spaces, coffee shops, local meetups — proximity builds relationships that convert faster than cold outreach ever will. Summer is a GREAT time to meet new people and to lean into unexpected opportunities,
Boundaries Still Matter (This Isn't About Burnout)
None of this means working around the clock through what SHOULD be down time with your family and friends. I structure my own summer with clear work hours and clear fun hours, and usually gift myself an extra ½ day or full day off each week (thanks boss!)
The goal isn't hustle for hustle's sake. It's staying engaged and inspired so that when September hits, you're not starting from zero… but rather, you're already in motion.
The Bottom Line
Summer doesn't automatically slow your business down. There is still opportunity everywhere!
Remember to ask yourself: “why NOW more than EVER is SUMMER the BEST time to invest in my services?” and tweak ALL of our messaging accordingly.
Small, consistent moves this month are exactly what create the separation that pays off later.
Have you ever caught yourself blaming a "slow season" for a business dip? What happened when you challenged that story?
DM me on Instagram if you have thoughts on this topic.