Today, the online world stopped. Canva. ThriveCart. Zoom. Xero. Asana. Slack. Kajabi. And more. All because of an AWS outage.
One by one, the platforms that keep our businesses running just… froze.
And suddenly, every business owner, from the startup coach to the six-figure CEO, was staring at the same spinning wheel of death.
No calls.
No sales.
No access.
No plan.
I don’t know a single person in the online space who wasn’t affected in some way today.
And that’s exactly the point.
1. We’ve Built Businesses That Depend on Borrowed Power
Today proved what most business owners quietly ignore, your entire business probably sits on borrowed land. And that’s not the problem.
The problem is building on borrowed land without a backup plan.
Using platforms like Canva, Zoom, Kajabi, or ThriveCart isn’t wrong — they’re incredible tools that make business easier.
But if everything stops the second they stop, that’s a warning sign.
Because when Canva crashes, you lose visibility.
When Zoom freezes, you lose connection.
When ThriveCart glitches, you lose sales.
And when it all happens at once — like today — you lose control.
You can absolutely build on borrowed systems.
But your business should be able to bend without breaking.
That’s what backup plans, email lists, and system knowledge are for.
It’s not about being anti-tech — it’s about being prepared.
2. “Set It and Forget It” Isn’t a Strategy — It’s a Slow-Motion Disaster
So many business owners treat their systems like slow-cookers, set them up once, switch them on, and hope for the best.
Until the day they stop.
It’s a bit like waiting until it’s freezing outside to turn the heating back on after summer…
and realising it doesn’t work.
You could have checked it months ago, but you didn’t, because it wasn’t urgent.
That’s how most people handle their business tech.
They wait until it breaks before giving it any attention.
But nothing in business is plug-and-play forever.
Your platforms, your automations, your integrations, they all need attention.
Not constant tinkering, but conscious leadership.
If you rely on a tool, you need to understand how it works, how to back it up, and what to do if it breaks.
Otherwise, your “freedom-based business” is one outage away from chaos.
3. If Today Shook You, That’s Your Sign to Build Real Stability
The business owners who panicked today weren’t weak — they were unprepared.
Because no one ever taught them to lead their tech, only to use it.
This is why I always bang on about having assets you own.
Your email list.
Your systems knowledge.
Your backup plans.
If Instagram disappeared tomorrow, you could still sell from your list.
If your checkout failed, you could still take payments manually.
If your project tools went down, your workflow wouldn’t collapse.
That’s what stability looks like.
It’s not fancy. It’s not flashy. But it’s what keeps income consistent, no matter what’s glitching.
4. Calm Comes From Control
I didn’t panic today.
While everyone else was refreshing Canva and praying for Zoom to reconnect, I got on with my day — albeit in a limited capacity.
Because my business doesn’t stop just because the internet does.
Was it inconvenient? Sure.
But it didn’t derail me.
Because I work in advance, my content is scheduled, and my systems are layered enough that when one tool goes down, others can take the strain or I can put an alternative in place.
That’s not luck — that’s leadership.
Calm doesn’t come from everything working perfectly; it comes from clarity.
From knowing what connects where.
From having options.
From taking ownership instead of outsourcing responsibility to an app.
That’s what real stability looks like, a business that bends, but doesn’t break.
5. The Real Flex Isn’t Automation — It’s Awareness
Anyone can automate.
Few can recover.
And that’s the difference between the business owners who froze today and the ones who carried on.
Because when you truly understand your tech, when you’ve built stable systems and own your audience, you don’t panic when the internet breaks.
You pivot, adapt, and keep earning.
Today wasn’t a blip.
It was a mirror.
A moment that showed just how fragile “digital freedom” really is when it’s built on tools you don’t control.
So if your business ground to a halt today — take that as your cue. (Not to take a snow day as many of us joked today!)
It’s time to stop hoping the tech behaves, and start building a business that doesn’t break when the platforms do.
Ready to Build a Business That Keeps Running — Even When the Internet Doesn’t?
If today’s outage hit you hard, that’s your wake-up call.
Book a Shelly Can You Just hour with me.
We’ll map your tech, simplify your systems, and make sure your business runs like clockwork — even when everything else crashes.
Because real freedom isn’t relying on Canva.
It’s knowing your business can thrive without it.
Shelly Shulman 