Is Joy A Legitimate Business Strategy?

By Tricia Scott.

Picture this.

You’ve got a cold drink in hand, a slightly-too-big sunhat, and you’re somewhere in the South of France, where no one is asking you to “just circle back” on anything. You’re not thinking about your content calendar. You’re not wondering if you’ve posted enough this week. You’re definitely not tweaking your bio for the 147th time.

You just… feel good.

Now, before you get any ideas about this sun-loving, hat-wearing goddess vibe being me over the Easter weekend, I’d like to point out that I have, in fact, been at home decorating for the last 3 days, BUT I have been thinking a lot about why this version of you (hat-wearing goddess with a sparkling something in hand) never gets invited into your business strategy?

I first came across this idea through Susan Hyatt’s work (how I love that woman), this concept that joy isn’t something you earn after success… It’s actually part of how you create it. Which sounds lovely, doesn’t it? Until you’re knee-deep in emails, half-writing a post you’re not even that into, thinking, “Yes, but I still need an actual strraatteggyyyy…”

Listen, I love a strategy. Give me a colour-coded Trello content plan, a visibility plan, a “we’re doing this and here’s why” plan… I’m in. But somewhere along the way, we’ve replaced “What feels good?” with “What performs well?” And those two are not always the same thing.

Then, as I sat down to write to you, an email popped into my inbox, it’s notificatIon winking at me from the top right corner of my screen from Abraham Hicks:

“As you practice your more positive, better-feeling story, in time your pleasure will become the dominant vibration within you, and then as you couple your pleasure with your means of earning, the two will blend perfectly and enhance each other.

There is no better way to earn money than to do the things that you love to do. Money can flow into your experience through endless avenues. It is not the choice of the craft that limits the money that flows—but only your attitude toward money.”

I mean, alright then Universe. About as subtle as a brick to the face.

So let’s talk about this properly, because it's a Bank Holiday and my living room is freshly painted so I have time. “Joy as a strategy” can sound like something you’d write in your notes app after two margaritas and never look at again. But actually, it’s incredibly practical.

Joy is what makes you show up without dragging yourself there. It’s what turns “I should post” into “ I want to say this,” and it’s what makes your content feel like a conversation instead of a performance. People can feel that.

Compare that to the energy of “I need to stay consistent,” “I have to make this work,” “just get something up.” It’s dry. Heavy. Very much giving lukewarm instant office coffee at 3pm.

Joy, on the other hand, is light. And light travels.

Now, before we all abandon our spreadsheets and run into the sea, this isn’t about ignoring structure. It’s about notbuilding a business that drains the life out of you in the name of being strategic. Trust me, you can follow every rule and still feel completely disconnected from what you’re building, and when that happens, you don’t need a better strategy - you need to come back to yourself.

So what does a “joy strategy” actually look like? Well, I'm currently re-exploring this concept (and I promise to keep you updated). But for the most part, it looks like asking what you actually feel like creating right now. What conversations feel easy, natural, maybe even a bit exciting. Where you feel most like yourself in your business… and then letting that mean something rather than brushing it off as a nice to have.

And let’s talk about money for a second. Somewhere along the way, we were taught that joy is nice… but money is serious. That the fun stuff is a bonus, and the real work is where the income comes from. But what if that’s actually backwards. 

What if the things you enjoy are the things you stick with, the things you get better at, the things you show up fully for? And what if that is exactly what people are responding to?

So maybe the question isn’t “Is joy a legitimate business strategy?” Maybe it’s “Why did I stop trusting it in the first place? 

This week, instead of asking “What should I be doing right now?” try asking, “What would feel good to create, share, or explore?” Not forever. Not as a full business overhaul. Just as an experiment.

Because you’re not here to build a business that looks good on paper but feels like a life sentence. You’re here to build something that fits you. Something that, occasionally, feels a bit like sipping something cold under a parasol and thinking, “Oh… this is actually working.”

And you know what? That might just be the smartest strategy you’ve got.

I believe in you (always).

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 Tricia Scott is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Female CEO — a global platform, magazine, and community dedicated to helping women build confident, aligned, powerful businesses.

A startup mentor and multi-company director, she’s spent the past decade helping women move from overwhelmed and isolated to empowered and intentional.

Most days, she’s juggling her MacBook, her next big idea, and a very necessary caffeine supply. Connect with her at thefemaleceo.com.