by Monica Davidson

Please note – this is not actually an article about Voltron. It’s not about the 80s TV show, nor the new Netflix show, and it’s definitely not about Henry Cavill and the movie rumours. This is a story of burnout, risk, and reinvention. 

I’ve experienced burnout a couple of times in my life, like many professional creatives. My burnout is the result of my ambitious entrepreneurialism, my inability to see the warning signs, my shaky boundaries, a knotty relationship with my self-worth, and an inflated sense of responsibility. I’m also a workaholic, and I love my job. My professional life is a delicate balancing act between overload and joy. As for most of us, it’s complicated. 

At the end of 2022 I experienced a burnout so extreme that I almost quit. My professional load was as heavy as always, and I thought I was managing, until two close family members became critically ill. One recovered, and one passed away. I had to drop what I was doing to help, and everything fell apart. Each day felt like I was swimming through porridge, being tossed by the occasional oatmeal tsunami. 

Over a few weeks I was able to pull it together enough to crawl into the summer holidays, rest for a few weeks, grieve, reconnect with my loved ones, and recover. When work started again in 2023 I thought I was all better. On my first day back, a small challenge arose, and I burst into tears. 

In no way was I “all better”. I was the living embodiment of doing the same things over and over, and expecting a different result. The law of diminishing returns was my daily interpretive dance. It was time for a massive change. I either had to close Creative Plus Business and get my life back, or smash it into a million pieces and radically reassemble it into a brand new organisation, without ruining our reputation, altering our brand or alienating our clients. 

I chose the latter. 

2023 was the year of SMASH. I broke apart every aspect of my business to see where it could be fixed. I asked my team to methodically outline all their responsibilities and tasks. We examined the line item of every budget to properly account for the flow of money. We went through all our contracts and client relationships to see what was working. We asked a lot of hard questions about our purpose. We took apart every process and tested every system. We restructured job roles and sadly had to let a few people go. I hired a strategic consultant who had worked with us before, the legendary KB Heylen, to cast an eye over everything and see where improvements could be made. They interviewed the team, our consultants, and even my family to see what could be done differently. 

The result is a unique business structure, inspired by Indigenous ways of working, that we now refer to as Voltron. It has five separate and distinct sections, which when required can come together to form a powerful single unit (geddit?).

Let me explain… 

The five sections of Creative Plus Business are Ideation, Marketing and Engagement, Education, Strategy, and Operations. Each portfolio is led by a trusted team member, to decentralise risk and improve productivity, while also keeping wellbeing front and centre. Each Portfolio Head has dominion over their portfolio, including its staff, as if it were its own small business. There are financial KPIs associated with three of the portfolios, but the responsibility for bringing in revenue is shared between all team members. There are no egos at stake here, only what’s best for the whole.

We don’t have a board, as we’re a social enterprise, so consensus decision-making is at the centre of the Voltron model. Each Head has shared oversight of the organisation, and any decision that affects the whole is made by a majority vote. I am still the sole owner and Doyenne of Creative Plus Business, which means I have the power of veto if required, but I no longer have sole responsibility for the business’ progress or setbacks. I have to trust that the other Heads will manage C+B as if it were their own, and they have to trust me not to interfere or micromanage. I gave up control, and I started to get my life back.

This is the first November in at least five years when I feel happy, relaxed, and optimistic for the future. 

Voltron has also massively increased C+B’s capacity. Back in the day I was very often the only option for finding and leading projects – now we have a whole team of capable people to not only to do the work, but find the work. We’re more engaged with industry, and more focussed on our social enterprise purpose. It seems that five heads are better than one.

We started the model in February 2024, and we’ve given it a year to test. We’re now 9 months in, and the experiment continues. Parts of the process have been difficult, but it’s been a hard year for everyone, and we’re no exception. Many of our challenges have been due to external factors beyond our control. The experiment is, at least right now, a qualified success. 

Of course I’m still anxious about cashflow, wishing our reserves were bigger, wondering if I’ve made the right choices, hoping we get it right – but what’s new? Welcome to leadership. I now get to share that role with four of the best people I know. I am tired, excited, grateful and delighted. The risk has been worth it, and there is no place else I would rather be.

And a giant thank you to my fellow Super Robots – KB, Wendi, Jillian and Robbi, as well as our other staff and consultants, for trusting me with this process, and this story.

May 2025 be the best year yet. 

Do you need some help with your planning process? We can support you through one-to-one advice, or we can take care of the whole planning process for you. 

We also run a fabulous workshop called Future Planning for Creatives. Check out the overview here and let us know if you’d like to bring the workshop to your organisation.