19. Top 5 Activities Driving 80% of Your Business Results—with Sarah Stokes
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When was the last time your business actually felt good?
In this heart-opening conversation, I welcome business breakthrough coach Sarah Stokes to talk about what it really takes to simplify, succeed, and build a business that works—not just on paper, but in real life. If you’ve ever felt buried under to-do lists, pulled in a hundred directions, or stuck doing things that just don’t feel right anymore, this episode is for you.
Sarah shares how identifying your true top 5 business activities can generate the majority of your results—and how letting go of the rest creates the freedom you’ve been craving. This isn’t just strategy. It’s soul care for entrepreneurs. You’ll hear a whole lot of honest truths, plenty of laughs, and a new way to define success.
From News Anchor to Business Coach
Sarah’s story starts in a high-pressure newsroom, but takes a pivot when motherhood makes her question what success really means. She opens up about leaving her career as a TV co-anchor (with her husband, no less), buying a women’s magazine on a whim, and eventually launching a thriving marketing agency.
Even after hitting the coveted million-dollar year, she still felt unfulfilled. That moment of honesty led to the birth of her coaching business, The Juicy Good Life, built to help women chase success on their terms. Her journey is a masterclass in courage and clarity.
What’s so refreshing about Sarah’s story is that it’s not about burnout or breakdown—it’s about alignment. She didn’t leave because she couldn’t do it all. She left because she could, but realized she didn’t want to. That distinction is everything for women who are redefining success in real time.
What Are You Really Getting Done? The Top 20 Exercise
If you’ve ever felt like you’re working nonstop but not gaining momentum, this section is your goldmine. Sarah walks us through her “Top 20 Exercise,” a deceptively simple but wildly effective tool to uncover what’s actually working in your business.
By connecting your wins to your daily activities, you’ll quickly see the top 5 actions that drive the most results—and just how much energy you’re spending on things that don’t. It’s practical, brain-friendly, and something you can do with a single sheet of paper today.
Even better? This tool doesn’t just show you what to do—it gives your brain evidence that these actions work. And that makes it easier to stick with them. You’ll start to see patterns, shift your mindset, and gain the clarity to confidently say no to what no longer serves you.
The “Squirm” of Change—and Why It’s Worth It
Change sounds great until you actually have to do it. Sarah introduces the concept of “the squirm”—that uncomfortable, stretchy, slightly terrifying feeling that comes with stepping into a more aligned version of yourself. Whether it’s raising your rates, saying no, or ditching a long-held obligation, growth often brings resistance. But according to Sarah (and her clients’ real-life results), that discomfort is the doorway to your next breakthrough. Her advice? Approach it with compassion and know it’s all part of the process.
The squirm isn’t a sign you’re failing—it’s a sign you’re evolving. Sarah explains that the resistance is often tied to years of people-pleasing, perfectionism, or outdated definitions of success. When you feel that familiar discomfort, it means you’re on the edge of something new—and that edge is where real transformation happens.
You’re Already Her: A Future-Self Breakthrough
In one of the most powerful parts of the episode, I share how a past workshop with Sarah helped me shift everything. Sarah explains the “Two Doors” or “Breakthrough” exercise—a visualization where you meet your future self and choose between staying the same or stepping into who you really want to become. It’s raw, clarifying, and incredibly moving. Plus, keep reading and you’ll find a free recording of the exercise if you want to experience your own aha moment.
This isn't just a feel-good vision board exercise. It’s a decision-making tool that helps you access clarity, courage, and a new sense of possibility. Sarah encourages you to have regular “advising sessions” with your future self, and trust that she already knows what the next right step is.
Tiny Wins, Big Shifts: How to Rewire Your Brain for Success
We’ve all been sold the idea that success comes from massive action. But Sarah flips that script and teaches you how to create transformation through nibbles—tiny, doable steps that build real momentum over time. You’ll learn why celebrating every small win matters (even downloading a video counts!) and how these micro-victories retrain your brain to believe “it’s working.” If you’ve been stuck in all-or-nothing mode, this part will set you free.
And here’s the thing: nibbles are sustainable. They lower the emotional and energetic bar so you can keep showing up—even on hard days. By focusing on “what’s one thing I can do today?” you’ll gain traction, trust yourself more deeply, and build a business that supports your life, not the other way around.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
[00:03:00] Why Sarah walked away from a million-dollar agency—and what she chose instead
[00:07:50] How to do the Top 20 Exercise to uncover your highest-impact activities
[00:11:51] What “the squirm” feels like and how to move through it without giving up
[00:20:25] The “two doors” visualization that can unlock your next breakthrough
[00:26:15] Why nibbles (yes, nibbles!) are your best bet for consistent business growth
[00:29:17] How Sarah defines success today—and why it’s all about freedom and alignment
Meet Sarah Stokes
Sarah Stokes is a former TV anchor turned business breakthrough coach for women who are done with the hustle but still want to thrive. As the founder of The Juicy Good Life, she helps mission-driven, heart-centered women create businesses that feel joyful, spacious, and truly successful. Certified in leadership coaching and a student of Brené Brown and Tony Robbins, Sarah blends strategy with soul, offering tools that are both practical and powerful. She’s also the author of Worth the Squirm, a guide to using your business as a healing journey.
Her coaching isn’t about quick wins or flashy formulas—it’s about helping women come home to themselves while building something sustainable. Whether you're a neurodivergent entrepreneur or a recovering over-giver, Sarah’s work is a compassionate call to do business differently.
Follow her at thejuicygoodlife.com or look her up on social media (you’ll find sunsets, inspiration, and a lot of real talk).
And here are all the goods we talked about on the show!
Let this episode be your nudge to stop doing all the things and start doing the right things.
When you finally give yourself permission to choose differently, everything changes. So, take that first nibble, trust the data from your own life, and remember—you're already her.
