This morning, I woke up to a DM from a potential client, a woman in tech who’s been going back and forth with me about booking a call to explore her business idea.

The plan was simple: get on a call, discuss her goals, challenges, and see if I could help her bring her business idea to life. Help her or not.

Because here’s something I’ve learned after years of coaching high-achieving women in tech who want to build scalable, profitable businesses:

I only take clients I know I can help.

Clients who are committed, who take action, and who have that fire, the drive to keep going no matter what.

I only want to coach winners, the women who are ready to build something meaningful and won’t give up when things get hard.

And that’s why, when my clients face challenges and I ask:

“So what now, are you giving up, pivoting, or stopping?”

They all say the same thing:
“No. I’m never giving up.”

They’ll tell me they’d keep building for five years if they had to because their why is that strong. They believe in the problem they’re solving so deeply that they’d do it even for free.

That’s the kind of person I love working with, the one who’s in love with her customer’s problem, not just chasing the next shiny startup idea.

When a DM Turned Into a Lesson About Boundaries

Now, back to that DM.

After a few messages, this potential client wrote:

“How about 5 p.m. tonight?”

And here’s where my non-negotiables in life kicked in.

You see, 5 p.m. is the time I turn off my computer.
Every weekday at 4:55 p.m., my alarm goes off, a little reminder that it’s time to send that last email, shut down the laptop, and head out to pick up my kids from daycare.

I have two little ones, a toddler under three, and a baby who just turned eight months old.
By 5:15, I’m at the daycare, ready to see their smiling faces.

Now, technically, I could have said yes to that 5 p.m. meeting. My husband is amazing, he does the morning drop-offs and would have agreed to swap with me if I asked. But when I paused to think about it, I realized: I don’t want to.

That short walk to the daycare, watching garbage trucks in the streets of Paris, explaining to my toddler what the road workers are doing, singing to my baby in the stroller, that’s one of the best parts of my day.

That’s my non-negotiable.

And that moment reminded me:
This is what living life on your own terms looks like.

I’ve built my business intentionally to have freedom and flexibility, not to replace one kind of boss with another. And yet, even as an entrepreneur, it’s easy to let your clients or prospects become your new “bosses” if you’re not careful.

The only way to stay in charge of your own life is to have clear non-negotiables, boundaries that define what matters most to you, no matter what opportunities come your way.

For me, ending my business day at 5 p.m., no matter what, is one of them.

I’m Not That “Perfect Routine” Coach (And That’s Okay)

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not that “guru coach” with a perfect routine.
You know the kind, the ones who wake up at 5 a.m., meditate, journal, do yoga, read 30 minutes of philosophy, go for a walk, and then have a perfectly balanced smoothie before their first client call.

I used to be drawn to that. I even tried to build that kind of routine.
And honestly? It’s great if you can do it.

But right now, that’s not my life.

Because my reality looks a little different.
Sometimes I wake up three times in the middle of the night to feed the baby or comfort my toddler after a nightmare. So no, I don’t get up at 5 a.m. to meditate. I’d be lying if I said I did.

And that’s okay.

I’ve learned to design routines that fit the life I’m living now, not the one I used to have or the one someone else posts about on social media.

And that’s really the essence of life design, building habits and boundaries that work for you in this season of your life.

My Top Five Non-Negotiables in Life (Right Now)

Because life changes, our non-negotiables will change too.
Right now, in this season of being a mom, a wife, and a business coach for women in tech, these are mine.

1. End of business day at 5 p.m.

This one is sacred.
It’s how I keep my evenings free for family time, connection, and a bit of decompression after the day. My business will always be there tomorrow, my kids will only be little once.

2. No work on weekends (at least not when the kids are awake)

I’ll be honest, sometimes I work after bedtime or during nap time. But when my kids are awake, I’m present. Weekends are for them. That’s how I recharge and remind myself why I’m building this business in the first place.

3. 30 minutes of learning every day

This is my personal fuel.
Sometimes it’s a podcast, sometimes it’s a book, sometimes it’s an executive program.
For the past decade, I’ve committed to doing one INSEAD executive program each year, and this year it’s Executive Presence and Influence.

I love learning, and I love teaching what I learn to my clients. Because when you teach something, that’s when you truly master it.

4. Physical activity and leaving the house at least once a day

When you work from home, it’s dangerously easy to stay inside all day.
My office is at home, my meetings are virtual, I could easily go a whole day without stepping outside. That’s why picking up my kids is part of my movement routine.

Getting out, even for 30 minutes, clears my head and reminds me there’s a world beyond my laptop screen.

5. Three family vacations a year, no matter what

This one is non-negotiable.
We take a winter vacation, a summer vacation, and a spring trip to Île de Ré, one of my favorite places on earth.

For a week, it’s all about the beach, bicycles, seafood, and no schedules. It’s been our family tradition for five years, and it’s not one I’m willing to compromise.

We sometimes add a ski trip in the winter, though with two small kids, that one’s on pause for now. I’m okay with that, I know the time will come again when it’ll be enjoyable for everyone.

Why Non-Negotiables Matter (Especially for Women in Tech)

If you’re a woman in tech building your business, I know how easy it is to get caught up in the grind.
You’re ambitious, smart, and driven, and you want to make it work.

But here’s the thing: building a business is hard.
It’s your baby. You pour everything into it, your time, your brain, your energy, your heart.

And because you care so much, it’s easy to:

• Work late nights “just to get ahead”
• Cancel social plans
• Skip workouts
• Push off vacations
• Burn out quietly, thinking it’s just part of the journey

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Your non-negotiables are what keep you grounded while you build. They’re what help you create a business that supports your life, not one that takes it over.

And when you’re clear on them, you stop apologizing for having boundaries.
You stop feeling guilty for shutting your laptop at 5 p.m.
You stop saying yes to every client request out of fear.
You stop designing your days around someone else’s expectations.

You start living on your own terms, even while you’re building.

How to Create Your Own List of Non-Negotiables

If you’ve never made a list like this, here’s how to start.

1. Reflect on your current season of life.
   What truly matters to you right now? What gives you energy? What drains it?
2. Think about your boundaries.
   What are the moments or habits that keep you feeling balanced? What are the ones that you miss when they’re gone?
3. Write down your top five.
   Keep them simple and specific. For example:
   • “No calls after 6 p.m.”
   • “Family dinner every night.”
   • “One weekend completely offline every month.”
4. Revisit the list every year.
   Your non-negotiables will evolve as your life and business grow. What’s non-negotiable today might shift tomorrow, and that’s okay.
5. Keep your promises to yourself.
   This is the hardest one. It’s so easy to break our own rules because there’s no one watching. But staying true to your non-negotiables is an act of self-respect.

Your Turn

So here’s my question for you:
If you were to think about your own life design, what are the simple, routine, non-negotiable rules that you want to live by?

Not your moral compass, just the habits, the boundaries, the small daily decisions that shape the life you want to live.

What would be your top five?

If you’re part of my Inbox Club, just hit reply and share your non-negotiables with me. I read every single response and I’d love to hear yours.

If you’re not part of the Inbox Club newsletter yet, here’s where you can sign up.

Because building a business is important.

But building a life you love, right now, not one day later, is everything.