Happy Monday Reader! Last week's affirmation about rest ended up being more applicable than I expected when I developed a sinus infection! There's nothing like illness or an emergency to force us to slow down and prioritize rest. Have you ever noticed that being sick is a socially acceptable reason to cancel plans? That it's a "legitimate" reason? When I have to tell someone no or cancel a plan, I usually feel the need to give a reason. It's something I've been working on as a "recovering...
10 days ago • 2 min read
Happy Labor Day Reader! Last week we looked at the water we're swimming in here in the U.S.--the water that makes constant productivity feel normal or even virtuous. Although I've been aware of this cultural pressure for many years, I still succumb to it regularly! As a business owner it's easy to put pressure on myself to work more, work harder, work longer to get my business to succeed. It's hard for me to slow down and rest when there is still so much to do! A webinar I could be watching....
17 days ago • 2 min read
Happy Monday Reader! How familiar are you with the "Protestant work ethic"? Here's a refresher that AI provided during my Google search: The Protestant work ethic is a sociological, economic, and historical concept that emphasizes the importance of hard work, frugality, and productivity in one's job. It's also known as the Calvinist or Puritan work ethic. The term refers to the religious significance that some Protestant groups believe is attached to working hard and trying to succeed. I...
24 days ago • 3 min read
Happy Monday Reader! How are things going for you? For me? I was on the struggle bus last week! Most of my client contracts are ending this month, and my pipeline for possible new clients is pretty empty. That's a terrifying place for a business owner to be! This really got into my head, and kicked up a lot of doubt and limiting beliefs. Ah, those old familiar frenemies! Due to my empty pipeline, I felt like no one was interested in my business or my coaching services. Which made it seem like...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Happy Monday Reader! Last week I attended the monthly edition of one of my favorite local events: Cookies & Creatives. In the words of founder Torey, she created a space to be like kindergarten: we color and chat because it's fun and calming, and the person you sit next to briefly becomes your new bestie. Typically we are a small intimate group--usually 4-6 people--including the presenter(s) of the month. I find it really restorative and nicknamed it "entrepreneur therapy". Last week's...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Happy Monday Reader! Some of my recent emails have been a bit "vaguebook-y". They've had more pointed themes & messages, without explaining the situation behind them. So here's the backstory: A few weeks ago my long term, inner circle of close friends and family blew up. Conversations were had about people who were not present, assumptions were made, and hurtful things were texted. Dirty laundry was aired publicly in the group and I personally was in the crosshairs of defamation attacks. And...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Happy Monday Reader! You may remember I grew up listening to a lot of country music, and there are a few songs I think of often because their lyrics continue to be relevant. One of those songs is "You've Got to Stand for Something" by Aaron Tippin, and it's what loops in my mind along with this week's affirmation: "My courage to take a stand sets me apart." This week we're reminding ourselves that we have the courage to stand for something, so that, as Tippin sings, we don't fall for...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Happy Monday Reader! I believe in giving everyone and every experience the benefit of the doubt. I'm willing to try pretty much any food or activity once to see how it goes, so why wouldn't I do the same for people? And like my favorite rule of thumb about when something's a problem ("Once is an accident, twice is a trend, and 3 times is a pattern.") I will always, always, give something a second chance. But once a pattern starts to show up, or once someone has treated me or my loved ones...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Happy Monday Reader! I'm proud to share that I followed through on last week's plan to show my face more in my marketing content! Batching content is a great way to be more efficient as a business owner, so I used that strategy to record & create a half dozen videos last week, which I can now use for a wide range of content! I set aside a chunk of time to record videos, made notes on topics and key points I wanted to mention, and even planned costume changes. I fixed my hair and put on some...
2 months ago • 2 min read