Prepared for the Storm: How Building a Scalable Business Helped Save My Life

Posted July 21, 2025 in Blog, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Process Improvement, The Scalable Business Framework by

By John Burdett, CEO of Fast Slow Motion

In early 2025, I had my entire colon removed.

That’s not the kind of sentence you expect to write in a blog post about building a business. But the truth is, my health crisis revealed something I never expected to be so grateful for:
We had built a business that could survive—and even thrive—without me.

Let me back up.

A Sudden Crisis

I’ve always been healthy. I work out, eat well, stay active. But in late December 2024, I had a sudden flare-up from a condition I thought was in remission. Things spiraled fast.

In less than two months, I lost 60 pounds. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t work. I couldn’t really function.

In February 2025, I was hospitalized for three weeks. Doctors told me I’d need surgery—and they were right. On February 11, I had my entire colon removed.

It was one of the most physically difficult, emotionally disorienting seasons of my life.

But Something Remarkable Happened

While I was in the hospital—while I was out of the business entirely—Fast Slow Motion didn’t just survive.

It ran.
It grew.
It got better.

That wasn’t an accident. It was the result of years of intentional work.

We Had Built for Scalability—And It Paid Off

Years earlier, I’d learned (the hard way) that building a business around myself was a recipe for disaster. I missed too many family moments, made too many short-sighted decisions, and carried too much of the load alone.

Eventually, I stopped trying to be the center of the business and started focusing on building something that could operate without me.

That meant:

  • Aligning around a clear purpose
  • Hiring people who shared our values
  • Committing to healthy profit margins
  • Documenting our processes
  • Building meaningful automation
  • And giving our team visibility into how we were doing

We didn’t know we were building toward a moment like this. But we were.

Relationships Made It Possible

One of the most powerful things about this season wasn’t just how the business held together—it was the people who stepped in.

Because I had built margin into my life—and prioritized real relationships over performance—I had people ready to support me when I needed it most.

A friend connected me to the surgeon who would ultimately save my life. Our team stepped up in extraordinary ways. My family was emotionally supported. Our clients never felt a ripple.

It still humbles me to think about.

It’s Not About Control—It’s About Preparation

I’ve learned this truth again and again:

“When the opportunity arises, it’s too late to prepare.” —John Wooden

You don’t know what life will throw at you. You can’t predict the health scare, the market crash, the personal emergency.

But you can build a business that is strong enough to stand without you.

Not because you’re not important—but because your business is about more than just you.

If You’re Tired of Carrying It All

If you’re constantly wondering how to grow a business without losing yourself in the process—I want to encourage you: it’s possible.

You can be a great leader, a great parent, a great spouse, and a successful entrepreneur.
But you can’t do it by accident. You have to be intentional.

That’s why we created The Scalable Business Framework. Not because we had all the answers—but because we had lived the consequences of not preparing, and we wanted to give others a better way.

Resources to Help You Get Started

If anything in this story resonated with you, here are some resources that can help you move forward:

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