Fleetwood Mac & Thriving Through Creative Chaos: A Hippie Chick Business Lesson

Since I'm on a Fleetwood Mac kick... Fleetwood Mac is living proof that you don’t need a perfectly peaceful life to create something extraordinary. Those were the days. I was lucky to see them in concert back then, and a few years back, post-clavicle surgery, I saw them play again at the Forum with the same group of friends. 

If you know their story, then you know it wasn’t all soft harmonies and California sunsets. It was breakups, makeups, side-eyes across the studio, and enough emotional turbulence to power a wind farm. 

And yet… out of all that chaos came Rumours — one of the most iconic albums of all time.

If that isn’t a business metaphor waiting to happen, I don’t know what is.

Perfection isn’t the requirement. Showing up is.

We romanticize creativity as it happens in candlelit rooms with steaming cups of tea and soft music in the background. But most of the time? Creativity shows up in the middle of a mess. The dog is barking, the phone is buzzing, Shopify is glitching, your inventory is late, and your brain is juggling 12 things at once.

Sound familiar?

Fleetwood Mac didn’t wait for perfect conditions. They created anyway — sometimes because of the chaos, not in spite of it.

That’s the lesson: magic doesn’t wait for perfection. Magic shows up when you do.

Use what you're feeling — don’t run from it.

Let’s be honest: Rumours is basically one long emotional diary backed by legendary harmonies. They didn’t hide the tension — they channeled it.

In business, we’re taught to “keep things professional,” to compartmentalize, to box up the feelings and shove them under the desk. But sometimes? Those feelings are fuel.

Are you frustrated? Inspired? Overwhelmed? Fired up?

Use it.

Write the blog post. Redesign the homepage. Rework your brand story. Create the product you keep dreaming about. Take that energy and put it towards something. Be creative. Let those juices flow. 

Your emotions aren’t the enemy. They’re your creative compass.

Collaborate even when it’s messy.

With Fleetwood Mac, you had exes singing harmonies, heartbreak mixed with hi-hats, and enough drama to fill a season of reality TV. But when those voices braided together? Magic.

Sometimes business collaboration feels the same way: different personalities, different styles, different energies… and sometimes a little friction.

But when you lean into it — when you let everyone bring their strengths to the table — the result is often stronger than what you could’ve created