The Business That Grows With You: Why Longevity Beats Scale
Susannah Simmons on designing ventures that support your energy, health, and purpose—not just your profit margins
The entrepreneurial dream often comes with a hidden cost: the relentless grind that leaves founders burned out before they've even hit their stride. But what if there was a different way? What if we could build businesses that don't just survive the test of time, but actually support us in living healthier, more fulfilling lives as we age?
Susannah Simmons, longevity coach and creator of the PERMEATE™ framework, believes we can—and should. Having transitioned from fitness coaching to business mentoring, she's made it her mission to help entrepreneurs design ventures that go the distance alongside their founders. Her approach challenges the conventional wisdom that business success requires personal sacrifice, instead proposing that true sustainability comes from alignment between your business model and your life goals.
In this candid conversation, Simmons shares why she's reimagined entrepreneurial success through the lens of longevity, revealing practical strategies for building businesses that support not just financial growth, but personal flourishing. For anyone questioning whether they can build something meaningful without burning themselves out, her insights offer a refreshing alternative to the hustle culture that dominates much of today's business landscape.
1. How do you define “longevity” in the context of entrepreneurship, and what inspired you to make it a core part of your work?
When I talk about longevity, I don’t just mean keeping a business going as long as possible, I mean keeping yourself going. I mean building something that supports your energy, your health, and the lifestyle you want well into your 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond. Longevity is personal. It’s about having a business, and a body, that still works for you as you grow older.
This became a core part of my work because I’ve lived and coached through the reality of ageing. My background as a fitness coach taught me how vital it is to look after your health if you want to stay active, capable and confident later in life. And I’ve seen the same truth play out in business—if we want our business to go the distance, we have to go the distance too.
I also know I’m not alone in not seeing retirement as a hard stop. Many of us want (or need) to keep working, but we want to do it differently: with more flexibility, more meaning, and more care. That means designing a business that not only fits this stage of life but supports it.
And longevity doesn’t stop with us, it extends to our customers too. The longer we can provide value to them, the more impact we have, and the more sustainable our work becomes. That’s the version of success I’m most interested in helping people build.
2. Many founders burn out early—what habits or mindset shifts do you recommend for building a business that supports long-term personal health and energy?
One of the most helpful mindset shifts is realising you don’t have to do everything, and you definitely don’t have to do everything at once. It’s so easy to fall into the trap of thinking we should have it all figured out.. But a sustainable business evolves, over time.
If you do choose to build it all yourself, which is a completely valid option, be honest about what that means. It will likely take longer, and that’s OK. What matters most is being clear about your capacity and setting expectations that work for you.
I also encourage entrepreneurs to adopt an experimental mindset. Your business is not a fixed plan, it’s something that grows with you as you learn more about what feels good and what works. You don’t have to get it perfect. Try things. Reflect. Tweak. That’s how sustainable habits and systems are built.
Finally, keep checking in with yourself, not just on progress or profit, but on energy. Are you fuelling yourself well? Getting movement in? Sleeping enough? These aren’t ‘nice-to-haves’, they’re essential foundations. The business can only flourish if the person running it is flourishing too.
3. Your PERMEATE™ approach emphasizes purpose and wellbeing—how does this framework directly support long-term resilience in solo entrepreneurs?
PERMEATE™ is my model for business flourishing. It’s inspired by the positive psychology definition of human flourishing and expands that thinking into a business context.
In my book, I define business flourishing as “a vision for business life in which organisations are able to realise their full potential and achieve a sense of meaningful existence, whilst also contributing to the wellbeing of others and the world around them.” PERMEATE™ brings that vision to life, offering a human-centred framework that supports not just the entrepreneur, but also their team, clients, suppliers, and wider community.
Each letter represents a pillar of resilience and wellbeing:Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Motivation, Expectations, Accomplishment, Trust, and Empowerment.
It’s a reminder that sustainable business growth isn’t just about what we achieve: it’s about how it feels, how aligned it is with our values, and the impact it has on those we work with. Whether you’re working solo or growing a small team, PERMEATE™ encourages you to design a business that feels good and does good.
For third chapter entrepreneurs especially, it offers a powerful lens: a way to check in with whether your business is still supporting the lifestyle and legacy you want. Because long-term resilience isn’t built on hustle—it’s built on clarity, care, and connection.
Are you a woman leader with an inspiring journey to tell? Founded by Women is on a mission to elevate and amplify the voices of women making an impact.
If you're breaking barriers, driving change, or paving the way for others, we’d love to feature your story. Get in touch with us today!
👉 Contact Us
