How To Create Work-Wellness Balance: A Q&A With Rachel Cosgrove

Struggling with competing priorities? Learn to create an effective work-wellness balance with Rachel Cosgrove. 

Running a business and taking care of yourself often feel like competing priorities. 

There’s always more to do, more to manage, and more people relying on you—so your own health and well-being tend to take a backseat. 

But what if the key to creating real balance wasn’t about working harder or squeezing more into your day? 

What if it was about making your business less dependent on you, so you have more time to focus on what really matters?

That’s exactly what Rachel Cosgrove teaches. As the owner of Results Fitness and Results University, she’s spent the last 25 years helping business owners create success without burning themselves out in the process. As a best-selling author and renowned speaker, she also shares that knowledge with passion and conviction. 

Because the truth is, if your business can’t run without you—even for a short time—it’s not actually working for you.

In our latest episode of SchlickArtTV, Rachel shares how to build a business that supports your life, not the other way around—so you can finally create a work-wellness balance that supports you in life and business. 

Creating A Work-Wellness Balance With Rachel Cosgrove 

Q: What’s a simple first step for someone who wants to prioritize their wellness and health but doesn’t know where to start?

A: “Every industry has seasons and every business has certain cycles—some months are busier, and some are naturally quieter. Take a step back and look at the year ahead. Map out those slower periods. Use those times to plan, reset and focus on your wellness so that, when your busy season hits, you’re not running on empty. In a high-demand season, you’ll be able to go all in without burning out.”

“Then make note of any big events happening in your personal life, so you can anticipate how to stay consistent with your goal despite the changing seasons in life and business. This approach allows you to be more intentional with your time, ensuring that self-care and business growth happen in harmony rather than conflict.” 

Q: What’s your personal system for making sure workouts, nutrition and self-care happen consistently—even on busy days? 

A: “I carve out non-negotiable time for myself every morning: about 90-120 minutes. For me, it’s about setting boundaries and making sure that, number one, I get my workout done. I take care of myself. That’s the top of my priority list. Then I get the most important work task done first thing in the morning. So if it’s a marketing campaign, that’s what I’m working on. And I keep tasks on a Google calendar so I know what my most important task is going to be each morning.”

“Remember that action breeds motivation. When I get one big task done first thing in the morning, it sets the tone for my entire day. Even the act of lifting weights in the morning reminds me that I can do hard things before my work day begins. A lot of people wait until they feel motivated to start, but that’s backwards. Taking action—even small steps—creates the motivation to keep going.”

Q: What’s one way to free up more time in your business, so you can prioritize more effectively? 

“Figuring out what you are good at—what’s your sweet spot—and focusing your time on those areas. I think it’s really important to identify what you personally bring to the table. We’ve seen so many business owners who struggle because they try to do everything instead of focusing on what they’re really good at. When you lean into your strengths, you not only feel more fulfilled, but your business thrives because you’re putting your energy where it matters most.”

“The first step is just making a list of all the things you do. A lot of us don’t even realize how much we’re doing until we write it all down. Keep a journal or take a time inventory to track everything you’re responsible for. Once you see it in front of you, you can start identifying what you enjoy, what you’re best at, and what really moves the needle in your business. For me, I love coaching and creating strategies, but I had to learn to let go of tasks that weren’t my strengths. Once you know your sweet spot, you can begin delegating with intention too.” 

Q: How can business owners determine which tasks to delegate?

A: “Hire people who complement your weaknesses. Make sure you’re not just hiring replicas of you. A lot of us make that mistake when we first get into business. You hire someone just like you, and then you realize, ‘Cool, I still have no one to do the stuff that stresses me out.’”

“Pull out that list you made of all the things you do in a day, all your responsibilities, and start identifying what’s truly essential for you to do and what can be delegated. As you go through that list, separate tasks into categories. What are the administrative tasks that take up your time? What are the bigger-picture things that only you can do? Once you have that clarity, you’ll start to see which roles you need to hire for and what you can hand off first.”

“But delegation isn’t instant. You won’t be able to hand off everything at once. It’s a process of building the right team around you.”

Q: Delegation always feels harder than it should be. How do you delegate effectively—instead of creating more headaches? 

A: “The key to making delegation actually work is systemizing your business. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that everything in your business can break down into a script, a template or a checklist. If you turn your processes into a system, then when you delegate the task, your team has a clear guide to follow. 

“Here’s how you start: Every time a team member asks you a question, turn it into a system. Instead of answering the same question over and over, document the process so that, next time, they can find the answer themselves. That could be in the form of a written guide, a checklist, or even a quick video explaining how to do something.”

“The goal is to remove decision fatigue from your daily operations. If your team is constantly coming to you for every little decision, you haven’t fully systemized. But when you create clear processes, your business can run without you micromanaging. That’s how you remove yourself from the day-to-day operations and make sure things run smoothly, even when you’re not there. It makes it easier to trust that things will get done right, without everything falling back on you.”

Q: Even when your business is running smoothly on well-established systems, life loves to throw in a curve ball. How do you keep going even in times of stress and struggle?  

A: “I think it’s so interesting how, when we do have stressful times or things come up that throw us off, our tendency is to stop taking care of ourselves and put ourselves last. But that’s actually the last thing we need to do. In those moments, we need to be stronger, fitter, healthier, and more focused to find our way through. If you’re not taking care of yourself, there’s no way you’re going to make it.”

“We’ve had a couple of times throughout our business where we were faced with major challenges. Four years into our business, my husband, Alwyn, was diagnosed with cancer. When that happened, we had just opened our gym. We were young, we were healthy, and suddenly we were facing a life-threatening disease. All that mattered was getting through it. The business either would survive or it wouldn’t—but we had to focus on life.”

“Because we had built systems in our business, it was able to continue running without us. It kept paying us, and we were able to keep things moving while we focused on his treatment. And on the other side of it, we realized something really important: Our business should support our life, not the other way around.”

“When you go through a crisis, you have to ask yourself: How will I respond to this? Will I let it take me down, or will I step up and be the strongest version of myself? How can I rise? I knew I had to take care of myself to be strong for Alwyn, for our business, and for our future.”

“After we made it through, we actually took a full year off. I trained for an Ironman, and we focused on enjoying life because our business was still running on the systems we had built. That experience showed us that if you build your business the right way, it can keep going—even when life throws you a curveball.” 

Q: Why do you think so many business owners try to go it alone, and what’s the risk of that? 

A: “One of the biggest mistakes we make as business owners make is trying to do everything alone. We see this all the time with our gym members who run their own businesses. They get so focused on working in the business—grinding 80 to 90 hours a week—that they don’t take the time to step back and see who can help. Without outside perspective, they’re stuck spinning their wheels.”

“This is why we always tell all our gym members: You need two things. You need a coach to give you the plan, and you need an accountability partner to make sure you follow through. The same is true in business. Having the right people in your corner can be the difference between burnout and success. When you don’t have a coach, mentor, or accountability partner, you miss opportunities. You don’t see the blind spots that are holding you back.” 

“But choose your support network carefully. We get frustrated when people in the fitness industry take advice from coaches who have never actually run a gym. The same thing is true for other industries. If you’re looking for a coach, find someone who has actually done what you’re trying to do. Look at their lifestyle—are they living the way you want to live?

“Most importantly, you have to remember that 90% of people need external accountability. A lot of people think that needing accountability makes them weak, like they don’t have enough willpower. But the truth is, we all need accountability. Even I do. If I have someone waiting for me to work out with them, I’m going to show up. If I don’t, there’s a high likelihood I’ll just keep working and tell myself I’ll do it later—which usually means it won’t happen. Having someone to check in with makes all the difference.”

Q: You’ve talked about the importance of stepping away from your business. How can business owners take a break without feeling like everything will fall apart?

A: “This can sound really scary to some business owners, but start by simply setting a goal to take time away from your business. We tell our gym owners to pick a month to take off. And I don’t care what you do, but your business is going to run without you. Put a date on the calendar—September 1st, for example—and commit to stepping away. If that idea stresses you out, it’s a sign that you need stronger systems.”

“If you force yourself to put that date on the calendar, you’ll get all the systems in place that you need. You’ll figure out where your business depends on you too much. You’ll realize what gaps you need to fill. And once you have those things in place, you’ll have a business that supports your life, instead of your life being consumed by your business.”

“Your business needs to support your life—not the other way around. I think so many business owners feel like they can’t take a break. But that’s not sustainable. The true test of a strong business is whether it can run without you for a while.”

“When Alwyn and I went through his cancer diagnosis, we had no choice but to step away. And guess what? The business was still there when we got back. That’s the goal—to build something that works for you, not something that drains you to the point of exhaustion.”

About Rachel Cosgrove

Rachel Cosgrove is a renowned business coach, best-selling author and speaker in the fitness industry, respected for her expertise in guiding fitness professionals toward achieving business excellence. With over 25 years of experience, Rachel co-owns Results Fitness, a premier gym in Southern California, recognized among the top ten gyms in the United States by Men’s Health Magazine and acclaimed as one of the best gyms by Women’s Health Magazine.

Through Results Fitness University, Rachel extends her impact by coaching fitness entrepreneurs, providing them with the tools and strategies necessary to build successful and sustainable businesses. Her commitment to professional development is further exemplified by her engaging presentations at national and international conferences, where she shares insights on fitness coaching, career advancement and business growth.

Rachel’s contributions to the industry also include authoring three best-selling books, “The Female Body Breakthrough” (2009), “Drop Two Sizes” (2011), and “Age Strong: A Woman’s Guide To Feeling Athletic and Fit” (2024), which reflect her dedication to empowering individuals through fitness and personal development.

Her passion for coaching and her authentic approach have made her a sought-after mentor, inspiring countless professionals and business owners to realize their potential and achieve their goals.

About Lindsay’s Photography for Women

With the mind of a businesswoman and the heart of an artist, Lindsay began to conceive of a different kind of Santa Clarita photography business. In her vision, stepping in front of the camera could be an empowering experience that gave her clients more than just a photograph — it would give people a new way of seeing themselves. With an eye for seeing the beauty in life and in others, Lindsay could use the camera to spread beauty.

Kirsten Quinn

A lover of strong coffee and yellowed pages, Kirsten Quinn-Smith is a professional content writer and owner of WordSmith Content Marketing here in Santa Clarita. She believes great content can forge a loyal, authentic and beneficial relationship between you and your audience – and grow your business. With each piece of writing, Kirsten's goal is to position you in the content spotlight through audience-centered, strategy-based writing that actually sounds like you. Why? Everyone has a story, and every story deserves to be heard.

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