Building a Thriving Business and Facing Burnout with Imo Roberts

What happens when you build the dream life, and you’re too exhausted to enjoy any of it? 
 

Welcome to the second episode of Off Script, On Brand, where I interview Imo Roberts, co-founder of custom timber furniture business Al & Imo. 

Imo shares the story of starting a business with her husband, Al, in their mid-20s — what sparked the idea, how their move to the Surf Coast expanded what was possible, and what it really looked like to pour everything they had into building it.

But this episode isn’t just about entrepreneurship. It’s about what happens when life happens at all once, and grows bigger than your capacity to hold it all.

Covid. A booming business. Motherhood. Two children under two. A dream home build. And in the midst of all of it. Exhaustion and burnout.

In this honest chat, we talk about the quiet pressures that build when you’re stretched beyond your limits, and what it takes to find your way back to yourself and your joy.

In this episode, we explore:
 

• Starting a business young and building it alongside your partner
• The identity shifts that come with becoming a mother
• Burnout and the stories we tell ourselves when we’re in it
• Reconnecting to yourself after a season of depletion
• The creative projects that are lighting her up

This episode is for you if:

• You’re balancing motherhood and ambition and feeling stretched thin
• You’re building something beautiful but secretly exhausted
• You’ve hit burnout and don’t know your next step
• You’re craving permission to slow down and rebuild sustainably

About Imo: 

Imogen Roberts is a designer, maker and creator based in Australia. Alongside her husband Al, she co-founded AL + IMO, a custom timber furniture studio recognised for its thoughtful, sustainable design and ethos of good design for good people. With a background in fashion and a lifelong love of making, Imogen brings a creative, detail-driven approach to everything she does, from designing furniture and renovating homes to styling spaces and telling stories online. She is passionate about considered design, injecting creativity into everyday life and encouraging others to create with their hands. As a mum of two, Imogen naturally weaves family life into her work, sharing practical DIY projects, home inspiration and everyday moments that feel both aspirational and achievable.

Website:  www.alandimo.com.au

Instagram: @al_and_imo

Follow Leslie on Instagram: @lesliecarvitto.photography

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