Business Pivots, Entrepreneurship, Mindset, Networking, Online Business

How To Build An Online Business In Alignment With Your Life Using The Freedom Model Method

April 8, 2026
By itssophiebiggerstaff.com

Share this post:

Why Most Online Business Strategies Keep You Stuck Instead Of Free

If you have been trying to build an online business and it feels more like a second job than a freedom business that lets you live the life you actually dreamed of, you are not alone – and you are not failing.

The problem is not you. You don’t need more motivation. You don’t need to work harder. You don’t need to quit. The problem is that most online business strategy advice skips the most important part entirely… Most online business coaches will teach you what works on paper to make sales, but what they don’t teach you is how to build an online business that actually works for your life, instead of feeling like you have a new job you created for yourself.

I learned this the hard way. I came out of the corporate world, started my e-commerce consultancy, had zero boundaries, worked on any project that came my way, burned out completely, moved abroad, burned out again, and then got chronically sick to the point where my business stopped working for my life altogether.

I had to take a real hard look in the mirror as to why my business was working on paper, but it didn’t feel like it was working for me! This was a tough pill to swallow – I’d worked so hard to build an online business to give myself freedom, but I felt anything but free!

So I burned everything to the ground and rebuilt from the ground up. What came out of that rebuilding process is what I now call the Freedom Model Method – a framework built around the idea that business alignment, or rather business freedom, is not just a buzzword, it is a strategy and the foundation for you to achieve your freedom business. This is how you create a freedom business that actually moves you forward, instead of grinding you down. This is how you quit your 9-5 and build something that gives you time, location, financial, and emotional freedom without swapping one form of exhaustion for another.

What The Freedom Business Model Method Actually Is

The truth is, most people who are trying to build an online business skip straight to strategy because they think the fastest route to replacing their income is the right route. And look, making money matters – without revenue, you do not have a business. But if you build purely by chasing a number without thinking about the life you actually want to live, you will eventually hit a wall.

This is not just a theory I have created to build my own online business around. This exact challenge is the most common reason I see people quit their business, because they get a year in and their business isn’t working for them in the way they thought it would. They are overwhelmed, their nervous system is wrecked, and they wake up miserable because they built an online business that looks good on paper, makes some money, but feels awful for them to wake up and run every day. So, before we talk about online business strategy, we need to talk about the method that you need to use to create it!

The Freedom Model Method is the framework I have built from both my personal experiences in my own business and what I have seen with my clients. I use this with every single client I work with – whether that is one-on-one, inside my programs, or through my resources like the Freedom Founders Playbook. It is the thread that runs through everything I teach.

At its core, The Freedom Model Method is a simple formula: clarity + alignment + aligned action = freedom. But do not let the simplicity fool you, because most people in the online business space are missing at least one – if not all three – of these pieces. And when even one is missing, your online business strategy starts to crack.

You start forcing things, you start copying what everyone else is doing, you run into constant roadblocks, your energy gets drained by “simple tasks”, you’ll find yourself starting to resent what you’re doing, and this is when you begin to recognise you’re no longer building a freedom business, you’re building a job with a fancy title**.**

If this resonates, take it as your sign that something needs to shift.

Build an online business using The Freedom Model Method Foundations – I set this programme up so you don’t make the same mistakes I did, build your freedom business in alignment with the life you want from day one.

The Three Core Principles Of The Freedom Business Model Method

Here is what each of the three stages actually means when you apply them to how you build an online business:

Clarity – Getting specific on what you actually want.
And we’re not talking about a vague Pinterest board vision, but a real, detailed picture of your day. How many hours do you want to work? Who do you want to work with? Where do you want to live? How much do you actually need to earn to feel comfortable – not what you think you should want, but what you genuinely need?
The thing is, not everyone wants to get to $50k months. Some of my clients want 2000 euros a month so they can rent the house they love, go to Pilates twice a week, and feel financially comfortable. That is a completely valid freedom business goal.
The point of getting clarity on your freedom business and life is to get specific on your version of success, not someone else’s. When you have that clarity, you stop copying other people’s online business strategies and start building an online business that is actually designed to work for you and for your life.
Alignment – Making sure every part of your business matches the life you said you wanted.
Your offer, your pricing, your model, your marketing, who you work with – all of it needs to go back to that clarity piece.
Business alignment is not airy fairy. It is practical. If you want to travel and work from anywhere, you cannot build a business model that requires you to be in one location. If you hate creating video content, building your entire online business strategy around short-form video is going to feel like dragging yourself over gravel every single week.
I know this because I spent four years forcing myself to show up on Instagram when every bit of me hated it. I got clients. It worked. But it did not feel good.
When I finally leaned into LinkedIn – because I am a natural writer, because it genuinely lights me up – my following doubled in six months.
That is what business alignment looks like in practice. It is building with your strengths and energy, not against them.
Aligned Action – Actually doing the things you have decided are right for you, consistently and intentionally.
This is often the hardest part because even when you know what is in alignment, the noise of what everyone else is doing can pull you back. The goal is not to try everything – it is to take intentional, focused action in the direction that actually fits your vision.
Aligned action is what makes your freedom business sustainable long-term, not just for the next quarter but for years to come.

I teach this whole method and how to start an online business using it from scratch in my signature programme, The Freedom Model Method Foundations – if you’re launching a new business click here to check it out. Or if you have an existing business that you want to incorporate this method into, learn how I can help you do that here!

Why Business Alignment Is The Missing Piece In Most Online Business Strategies

The reason business alignment changes everything comes back to energy. When 70-80% of what you do feels good and right for you, you have the capacity to handle the 20-30% that is hard. You can deal with challenges from a calm, grounded place. But when you are building completely outside of what works for you – when you are fighting your business every single day – that is where online business owners burn out.

That is where people quit their 9-5 only to build something that drains them just as much, if not more. Burnout mostly comes from misalignment, from building something that looks great to everyone else but feels completely wrong to run.

And here is the thing: you did not leave your job or build toward leaving your job to feel worse. You did it for freedom. So the online business strategy you build has to actually support that.

Designing your business around your energy means you show up better and more consistently
Working from your strengths means your results improve without you working harder
Choosing clients, offers, and models that match your lifestyle means you stop resenting the business you built
Getting real clarity on your financial goals means you stop chasing numbers that do not actually serve your life
Taking aligned action means your efforts compound over time instead of pulling you in ten directions at once

This is what separates people who build an online business that genuinely works from those who recreate the exact exhaustion they were trying to escape.

Your Questions About The Freedom Model Method, Answered

What is the Freedom Model Method, and how does it help me build an online business?
The Freedom Model Method is a three-stage framework built around clarity, alignment, and aligned action to help you build an online business that gives you genuine freedom, business results – time, location, financial, and emotional freedom – without burning out or building another job. You can build your online business using The Freedom Model Method Foundations right now.

How does business alignment affect my online business strategy?
Business alignment ensures that every part of your online business strategy – your offer, marketing, model, and pricing – reflects the life you actually want to live. Without it, you end up forcing strategies that drain you and copying other people’s versions of success that do not fit you.

Can the Freedom Model Method help me quit my 9-5?
Absolutely. The clarity stage alone will help you get specific on what you need to make that transition feel safe and sustainable. If you are still in your 9-5 and want to start building toward freedom, the Freedom Founder Playbook is the best place to start.

What if I have already built an online business that feels completely out of alignment?
That is more common than you think, and it is fixable. The framework still applies – you just start by getting clarity on what needs to shift and then bring your online business strategy back into alignment from there. You do not have to blow everything up to build a freedom business. I can help you recalibrate your business to create more business alignment here!

Why do so many online business strategies lead to burnout?
Because they skip the clarity and business alignment stages entirely and go straight to tactics. When your online business strategy is not built around your strengths, your lifestyle goals, and your actual energy – it is only a matter of time before something breaks.

The Freedom Model Method Gives You A Real Online Business Strategy Built Around Your Life

If there is one thing I want you to take from this, it is that business alignment is not optional if you want to build an online business that genuinely gives you freedom.

The Freedom Model Method – clarity, alignment, aligned action – is what transforms a chaotic, draining online business into a freedom business that works for you, not one you are working for.

Whether you are still trying to quit your 9-5 or you have already made the leap and something feels off, this framework is your starting point.

Want to quit your 9-5 and create a freedom business? Download the Freedom Founder Playbook and start building your online business strategy around the life you actually want.

Need a step-by-step action plan to start your online business in alignment with your freedom goals? The Freedom Business Model Method Foundations is the programme for you!

Got an online business, but feeling anything but free? Let’s bring your business alignment back in check. Find out how here!

meet the writer

I'm Sophie

Online business coach, podcast host, mental health advocate, speaker, founder of TINAH, community builder, full-time digital nomad, and general trailblazing, rule breaker…

I tried to live a “normal” life: I spent 11+ years working my way up in the fashion industry, working for brands like Ralph Lauren and Burberry. I had the apartment in the city, I lived for going out at the weekends, spent money on designer bags and holidays – until I realized this lifestyle DID NOT FULFIL ME – I was waking up with anxiety every day – surviving, but definitely not thriving.

So I quit. I left my 9-to-5 behind to start an online business that supported the lifestyle I actually wanted. Now that looks like slow mornings, daily beach walks, co-working with like-minded entrepreneurs, yoga, meditation, and lots of social connections.

Since 2020, I’ve built multiple online business offers – from online business coaching and consulting to online courses, digital products, and a mental health marketplace – all while travelling the world and living life, and earning money on my own terms.

Now… I’m on a mission to help more people break free from lives that don’t feel good for them and create more freedom through starting and growing an online business.