We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Gail Lane a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Gail, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. If you’re open to it, can you talk to us about the best (or worst) investment you’ve made. What’s the backstory and the relevant context behind why you made the investment

The best investment I’ve made as a business owner has been investing in—and betting on—myself.

Before launching my private practice, I worked at a large mental health organization in a senior leadership role. On paper, it looked like a step forward: stable income, career growth, increased responsibility. But as the company rapidly expanded, the culture shifted. The vision felt less aligned with my values, and the work became unpredictable. It started to feel like success was always just out of reach—dangling in front of me like a carrot—while internal dynamics created division and uncertainty.

I found myself increasingly anxious, frustrated, and exhausted. I was constantly choosing between my job and my own well-being, and the boundaries among work, rest, and personal life completely blurred. Deep down, I knew I wasn’t flourishing anymore—and that scared me.

During this time, I opened up to a friend about my frustrations and my trepidations in starting my own business. He said, “I will always bet on myself, because I know it will be worth the investment.” That sentence planted a seed. I carried it with me for months as I tried to gather the courage to make a change.

I started taking small steps toward launching my practice… then hesitated. Started again… stopped again. Thankfully, another friend nudged me forward at exactly the right moment. She said, “Gail, you just have to jump and trust that you will be able to catch yourself.” Hearing that made something click. I finally understood that the only permission I truly needed was my own.

I set a date. I stepped out on my own. And as I write this, my business has now been open for just over a year.

In the first month, I felt a wave of relief and joy—choosing my own direction, my clients, my priorities. But within six months, another realization surfaced: even though I left the chaos behind, I had brought the hustle with me. I had to relearn rest, rebuild boundaries, and redefine success on my own terms.

This journey taught me something essential: the most meaningful investment I can make isn’t in marketing or systems or office décor (although those matter too). It’s in my own growth, healing, and alignment. When I invest in myself, everything else—including my family, my clients, and my community—benefits from that overflow.

Betting on myself wasn’t just the best business decision I’ve made—It’s been the best life decision, too.

Gail, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m Gail — a Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, and ICF leadership coach based in Northwest Arkansas. I’ve spent more than 15 years helping people explore their own potential — whether that’s in their personal lives, their relationships, or their careers. I genuinely believe that exploring potential in ourselves and others is one of the most meaningful things we can do.

Over the years, I’ve worked with individuals, couples, and teams in a variety of roles, including serving on a senior leadership team for an Inc. 5000 mental health organization. Those experiences shaped not only my skill set, but also my values around leadership, integrity, boundaries, and overall wellbeing. When I realized I needed more alignment and autonomy in my work, I made the leap to start my own practice — Fleuri. Fleurir is a French word meaning “to grow” or “to flourish.” Starting Fleuri was an act of choosing my own growth—and creating a business rooted in the growth and flourishing of others.

Fleuri is more than a therapy practice — it’s a space for people to reconnect with who they are, clarify what they want, and confidently build the life and relationships they desire. I offer therapy to high-functioning, change-oriented adults and couples, clinical supervision for emerging therapists, and leadership coaching for professionals and teams navigating the inevitable challenges that arise in leadership — communication, conflict, values, goals, productivity, and more.

My clients tend to come to me when:
• They feel successful on the outside, but overwhelmed or disconnected on the inside
• Their relationships are functioning, but not flourishing
• They want to lead with confidence while staying grounded in their values

A big part of what sets me apart is my blend of clinical expertise with leadership development. I’m comfortable sitting with vulnerability — and just as comfortable strategizing tangible next steps. I help people look inward, and then move forward.

In both therapy and coaching, I create a space that is warm, collaborative, and deeply respectful of each person’s strengths. I don’t view clients as problems to solve — I see them as humans full of potential who deserve support, clarity, and tools that actually work.

What I’m most proud of — personally and professionally — is modeling what I teach. I made the decision to bet on myself, to build a business aligned with my values, and to lead myself with compassion and courage. That ripple effect touches my family, my clients, and the community I get to serve.

If there’s one thing I want people to know about Fleuri, it’s that growth doesn’t have to feel lonely. Whether someone is healing old wounds, strengthening connection in their relationship, or stepping into a bigger leadership role — I’m here to walk that path with them.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Rest.
That’s the lesson I’ve had to unlearn — or maybe more accurately, relearn.

When I launched my own business, I didn’t realize how deeply I had internalized the belief that my value was tied to constant productivity. In my previous leadership role, 5AM emails, weekend crises, and unanswered requests for support had become my normal. I cared deeply about the people I led — that part energized me — but the environment left no room to breathe. I was always on, always reachable, always hustling.

My kids were so used to seeing me with my phone in hand at the dinner table or stepping out to handle “just one more thing” on a Saturday. The only real rest I got was when I found myself somewhere without cell reception — which says a lot. I was always “out but available.” I remember answering emails in the hospital bed where I had just delivered my son, only an hour beforehand.

I brought that pace with me into business ownership without even realizing it. It took months to notice that the freedom I created for myself wasn’t translating into a freedom I was allowing myself to experience.

The backstory is simple: I learned to grind.
The lesson I’m still practicing: I don’t have to anymore.

I had to unlearn the idea that hustling for someone else to define my worth was the price of “success.” And instead, relearn that my worth comes from who I am — not how quickly I respond to an email.

Rest for me now looks like:
• Taking a real lunch break
• Going to the doctor when I need to
• Closing my laptop when the workday ends
• Letting myself play, create, and be present
• Investing in my health, my marriage, and my kids

Those are the things that matter most — and they were pushed to the margins when I believed that busyness equaled value.

Choosing rest doesn’t mean I’m any less committed to my work or unable to hustle and produce. It means I’m committed to doing it sustainably — and to living a life I actually want to be present for.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

From my experience, what people want most is to feel safe. There are countless ways to create that sense of safety within a team, and the exact approach depends on your own strengths and values — your own “artistry” of leadership. But if there’s one defining feature that truly impacts morale, it’s personal integrity.

Integrity is about being consistent and trustworthy, even when your team isn’t in the room. It’s advocating for your people, protecting them when necessary, and following through on your commitments. It’s honoring your word and offering compassion when things don’t go as planned.

Brené Brown defines integrity beautifully: “Integrity is choosing courage over comfort; choosing what is right over what is fun, fast, or easy; and choosing to practice our values rather than simply professing them.”

You can have your own style of leadership, your own brand, but if integrity isn’t at its core, morale will always be a challenge and managing your team will be far harder than it needs to be.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://growwithfleuri.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growwithfleuri/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/growwithfleuri

Image Credits

Lia Michelle Photography