Ambitious and creative? Entrepreneurship might be a good fit for you.

Admit it, you’re a passionate, lifelong learner person. You’re thorough, and a bit of a perfectionist at times. Now, what does that have to do with entrepreneurship?

You’re open to new experiences and you’re never bored learning something new. You’re conscientious too. After all, you want to read and review a report or email at least three times before sending (guilty :)), help others on different teams when you already have four projects on the go, or clean every nook in the house and run 5 errands in one day before calling it quits. You’re ambitious and creative.

But these qualities can work for you or against you. If you feel like you’re hitting a dead end where you are in your life and career right now, here’s something to ponder…

From my coaching experience, more often than not, my clients have a hidden itch and talent for entrepreneurship – actually most of them eventually follow that path. They work with me and uncover what their deepest dreams and goals are. Let’s see if that’s what you want to do also…

1. Was that child curiously leader-driven?

Revisit your younger self, when you were your most passionate and imaginative. What were you doing in unrestrained happiness? Check out the photo albums and speak with family and friends. Was that child hustling and trying to sell things to unsuspecting family members? (Guilty) Was that child in charge, curious and a little, okay, quite bossy? (Yep, that too!) Did you have a stronger feeling of wanting to problem solve or fix everything when you were younger? 

2. Do you have an idea?

You probably have an endless supply of ideas and hundreds of notes in your phone. (Hello multi-passionate mind!) Things you quash or forget easily because, well, you’re busy! Go back and review those notes. Go back to certain years in your life when you had an aha! moment. Go back to those conferences, events or people you learned from that left you in awe. What ideas are you brewing now?

3. What does your dream life look like?

You might keep a journal, a mood board, or a vision board on Pinterest of all you want to do in your life. If you have none of those, now’s the time to do so. Grab some magazines, or just put on your favorite playlist and meditate. Centre yourself on what you’ve been thinking about. 

If money and resources were not an issue, what would you do?

4. Who inspires you?

When getting to know your entrepreneurial spirit, listening is more important than speaking. Listen to yourself and to others. If you’re networking, pause and get to know everyone, and find out from the people around you, what entrepreneurship is like and what their favorite part is. Hey, maybe you’ll end up with a mentor! What entrepreneurs are you instantly feeling connected with? Are their success stories inspiring you to start your own thing?

5. What’s holding you back?

When was the last time you faced uncertainty, but you were in control? That’s kind of like considering being your own boss. You learn the skills as you go, yes (hello, Google), but you also have to get inspired by your inner child, ideas, dreams and professional desires. What types of problems or issues get your juices flowing? Is it fashion, accessories, education, injustice, animals, housing affordability – what’s a problem you face that you would love to fix?

Many preliminary and seemingly impossible daydreams have lead to a lot of creative – and successful businesses today.

Answering these questions got you excited, and inspired to start your own project but you feel stuck where you are, and not quite ready to take a leap (even to start with a little side hustle)? Self-doubt and fear might be holding you back from expressing your true entrepreneurial nature. As will the “stuff” you carry (we all do) that you keep pushing in front of you.

Reflect and review the activities above and get back to me to tell me all about what came up for you in your free coaching session.

It’s never too late to step into the entrepreneurial life.

Admitting you’re bored or uninspired is the first step! Get off the couch after work (and on the weekends), change out of your PJs and start getting inspired. If you journal and seize the moments outlined above you will soon uncover if entrepreneurship is for you and how. I promise!

Smart work habits for creatives and entrepreneurs

There’s a difference between doing things mindlessly and doing things consciously. Have you ever gone grocery shopping and realized once you got home that you bought *some* (ahem, a lot) of unhealthy options? And that you forgot the apples?!

This is only a small example of how we operate on autopilot most of the time. Now what does that look like for a multi-passionate creative trying to get work done? 

Habits and Productivity

With a multi-passionate, creative mind like yours I know you struggle with focusing – I’ve been there. You let distractions get the better of you, you tend to be indecisive about the fourteenth great idea you have, and you just feel like you’re too busy all the time! (Spoiler, you’re not truly being productive, you just look like you are…). So, how can you finally get to work so you can achieve all the things you want? 

Awareness is the idea that you’re mindful of your internal and external surroundings. We practice being aware through specific mindsets or behaviours, for example in the form of a new daily habit or ritual. This adds a layer of meaning and purpose to what you’re doing. What’s a ritual, or formal process (or ceremony) you can start tomorrow that’s small? This could be as simple as a five minute routine in the morning, an act of self-care, something you do when preparing a meal, journaling… The idea is to find something small that can help you shift into action. 

Too many ideas? Journal them.
Don’t know how to start a business as a multi-passionate ambitious creative? Speak with a coach.
Feeling overwhelmed with your to-do list? Take a course on working smarter and not harder.

Trust me, I know because not only was I there (not knowing who I was and what my personal dreams were), but those are the exact clients I serve today (feel free to sign up for a free consult – no pressure!). 

What will help you do things differently from now on? 

Creating new, automatic actions that help you achieve your goals. I like to call them rituals, but you can call them something else. They can help shape or shift you, changing you on a deeper level. 

Daily rituals act like small but important ceremonies, where you’re consciously allowing things to take place rather than being overwhelmed, distracted or careless. That’s why they’re such an important part of the Smart Work™ that I teach. Adjusting your daily habits is something you can do with anything in your life – regardless of how big or small, whether it’s moving more slowly, eating nutritiously, or making decisions that will impact where your career takes you. But most importantly with purpose rather than just rushing it because everyone else is doing it. A ritual is personal and should fit you like a glove. 

Smart Work is also a free challenge I developed about these very issues my clients face over and over. It’s about more than just knowing what to do to achieve your goals, but embodying it so you don’t give up if it doesn’t go perfectly the first time. 

By inviting intentional rituals into your life you rewire your entire system. 

You’re addressing those habits that might get in your way, whether it’s distraction, fear, feeling like you’re not enough, or you might not deserve it. The stagnant and exhausted parts of your life need a breath of fresh air. 

Habits and rituals are important because they add your senses to your day-to-day life, so you’re not just centring life on what you produce. Life is not meant to be tedious work. If you’ve been busy this whole time and you still feel like the finish line keeps being pushed back it’s time for a different approach.

Knowing what the first step is – what helps align with who you want to be and how you want to feel – is important. 

You can’t create something new when there’s no space for it.

What is currently serving you? What isn’t serving you? Is stress and overwhelm a common denominator at every turn? Let’s focus on 6 specific habits around smart work.

Smart work habits for creatives and entrepreneurs

1. Banish Distractions: address distractions holding you back. Overwhelmed? What’s causing it? How do you stop them? Why are you doing what you’re doing and why *that* specific goal? What’s the relationship you have with yourself, and how can you get time to work for you and not against you?
   

2. Build Healthy Boundaries: what are safe and reasonable ways for how you expect yourself and others to behave? What do you require to understand your own needs, priorities – mentally and emotionally? How do you communicate? Do you know how to say “no”? Saying “no” and letting go of guilt, negative self-talk and boosting the positive chemicals in your brain are vital to be smart about your time!
   

3. Embrace Simplicity: let’s declutter (music to Marie Kondo’s ears!). Not just physical things, but digital, personal and emotional. If you want to be truly productive then you must be willing to move from chaos to calm and easy systems, (eliminate, automate and delegate), to let go and create space for things that truly matter. Are you still holding onto too much baggage? Then you’ll keep paying for the extra fee.
   

4. Find Balance: we hear this as “work-life balance,” but it’s more than that because you’re not just the work you produce, you’re so much more! Finding balance means getting focused, intentional and not running on autopilot. What does true success mean to you and not other people? Do you suffer from imposter syndrome? That constant feeling of inadequacy around what you can and can’t achieve? What if those thoughts were learned and inherited from other people? How can you truly find balance as a woman in today’s society?
   

5. Create Daily Rituals: working smarter and not harder requires attention and intention – you need to focus on your inner voice. What nourishes you, your habits, and your self-awareness and daily routines? What is the anatomy of an effective goal? Have your lessons in life been practical or short-lived? Do you still feel overwhelmed by chaos, or are you ready to turn new habits into inspiring and life-changing daily rituals?
   

6. Master Smart Work: There’s only so much growth you can do on your own, even for an overachieving perfectionist (hello there!). The truth is you must create a deep sense of awareness within yourself. How do you remain present? Accept the highs and lows? Transform the old into the new? How do you keep self-sabotage in check? You’re on a journey to uncover your unique recipe to success and that requires transforming your internal programming in the final step towards smart work.

How do you want to grow as a creative or entrepreneur? Ditch the old, and embrace the new (and not in a cheesy, new year’s resolutions again, kind of way). 

By addressing these key ingredients to Smart Work™ you might be closer to your dreams than you’ve ever been before. 

So what’s next for you? As we close off the past, I encourage you to slow down and realize that you’ve accomplished so much and only the best is yet to come. 

How to say “no” to protect your creative time

“Why did I say “yes” to this thing? What was I thinking?! Why do I keep over-committing myself, and feeling like crap as a result?”  When was the last time you mumbled this to yourself on the way to a commitment you regretted saying “yes” to? Not so long ago, I bet.

When was the last time you said “no” to an opportunity, ask or time-consuming project? “How do I even say do that!?”, you might be wondering. 

Trust me, it IS possible. 

We don’t say “no” because it makes us feel bad, guilty, or worried. “What will people think of me?” How many times have you been asked to do something you REALLY didn’t want to do, but still said “yes”? It happens to creatives and entrepreneurs all the time! And it sure has happened to me many times, too.

In a way, everyone prefers to say “yes”. 

When someone asks us for something we don’t want to disappoint. We’ve been raised to listen to other people’s needs. We’re told that saying “no” might burn bridges, or that it might jeopardise a relationship. If someone is willing to disconnect and ignore you when you say “no” to them, perhaps they needed that “no” the most though…

The truth is: saying “yes” is the easy, people-pleaser response. But it’s not always the best one. At least it’s not the best one for you if you want to protect your creative time. 

After all, there must be a good reason why you’re reading this. You might be a bit of a perfectionist, have high standards, tend to people-please. I’m here to tell you, you shouldn’t do this at the expense of your time, energy and sanity. Chronic fatigue is real and over-working and over-exerting yourself can lead to under-performance in all areas of your life. 

This is not the way to more – or sustainable – productivity.

Prioritise Yourself

You can’t control what other people think and feel but you CAN be in charge of yourself. 

When you have an overwhelming list of to-dos – where do you even start? Trust me, I was there, and I did a lot of trial and error to find tools, tips and tricks that actually work! Whether in life, career, or business. I left the corporate world to pursue a smarter and more sustainable way of living – I followed my dreams because they grew too loud to ignore. 

Uncovering what is sabotaging  your productivity is unique to you (and that’s where I come in). It’s not just about the work anymore, it’s about meaningful and joyful work. It’s about prioritising the right things, and not just any things. It’s about addressing habits that no longer serve you, to make space in your life for what really matters.

Now let’s get back to saying “no”. 

Saying “no” can feel spooky or weird. It may or may not result in hurt feelings. But every time you say “yes” when you *really* want to say “no”, you’re actually saying “no” to yourself. The busier you are with other people’s requests means less time for yourself. At first it might seem like you’re helping others, doing your job or being a team player, but there’s a difference between doing good, and overworking just because you think you have to. 

That’s where you need to differentiate and learn to say “no”. 

Saying “no”

“Let me get back to you on that.”
“It’s not a good time for me right now.” 
“I have a lot on my plate right now, I’m gonna have to pass.” 
(For more ways to say “no” graciously, click here)

We’re all balancing A LOT. When you decide to work overtime, you’re saying “no” to a social life, hobbies, passions, relationships or even your wildest dreams. 

Sometimes, when we get into a cycle of saying “yes” all the time, we are blindsided by the fact we’re saying “yes” to unimportant activities. Granted, some of those activities might be important to others. That doesn’t make them valuable to you. We internalise the idea that by saying “yes”, those requests are important to us as well. When in reality it’s not the request that’s important, but rather the idea that we’re doing something, which in turn makes us believe we’re being productive. (But why, then, aren’t you moving forward on your own dreams?!)

That’s a problem.

By saying “yes” to other people, you’re losing touch with your own needs. With your purpose. It might feel good for a while to be appreciated for your time, energy and talents. But how sustainable is it for you to say “yes” to everybody all the time? The fact is: you will eventually burn out. 

Aim for the Right Target

At work things can get even trickier. If you’re giving out “yesses” too easily, you might end up sacrificing your own ideas, and projects to pursue someone else’s. Is that going to work out for you in the long run? Probably not. By fulfilling someone else’s vision, you’re following someone else’s breadcrumbs, building someone else’s dream… Essentially, you’re going to end up at the wrong house. I know, because I’ve been in front of ugly front doors many times!

Always consider how you invest your time and energy. Whether that’s leading towards a goal or dream you have, or away from the ones you don’t want to take part in. This way, you’ll have time to choose opportunities that align more closely with YOUR goals. The more you do this, the more those opportunities will present themselves – it’s like magic, believe me! 

Say “no” to following the breadcrumbs.
Say “no” to building other people’s dreams.
Say “no” to relationships that are no longer working.

If there isn’t an element of authenticity, or reciprocity, or if you don’t feel deeply connected to giving to someone else, you need to practice the art of saying “no”. 

Did you know? Saying “no” is also a huge productivity hack. 

I’m in the business of getting #SmartWork to as many multi-talented creatives and entrepreneurs as possible (psst that includes you!). Once you start believing that it’s okay to say “no” and how to turn down requests politely, you’ll free up so much time to rest, recuperate and realign to your inner voice, and where you really want to be going. 

After all, we could all use less work, and shorter to do-lists, couldn’t we?

Reclaim Your Time

Time is our most precious resource. We can never get it back.

How we spend our time can often feel like a loss, especially when our heart wasn’t fully into it. We don’t want to *waste* time. But what are we really doing, when we’re spending it on other people’s wishes? That’s not to say we can never be there and help, only that we should do it with care and consideration.

As a professional coach for many years, my clients come to me because they’re fed up with losing so much precious time. What’s the next step? What do I do? How do I reclaim my time? How do I achieve my dreams? Those are some of the common questions I get asked when we start working together. 

Part of it is #SmartWork – how do you get productive without feeling like you’re constantly running out of time and energy? A slice of that pie is learning to say “no”. And knowing that it’s okay.

Would you rather say “yes” and be unhappy? Or “no” and be fulfilled? It’s up to you… Part of it is finding the courage to stand up for yourself. 

In the end, if you’re not saying “yes” to yourself you’re saying it to someone else’s dreams and projects.

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An experiment to try: In the next two weeks, I’d love for you to say “no” to at least three things you usually say “yes” to but then feel resentful about. What shifts are you noticing? Is it getting easier? What other options is this unlocking for you? Let me know x

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5 easy steps to set successful goals for yourself

Happy New Year! I absolutely love those three words, don’t you? They come bearing the gift of opportunity, and the promise of 365 days to create whatever your heart desires. A clean slate for you to play with, reinvent yourself, achieve your wildest dreams.

I’ve always had big dreams, and goals but it’s only in the last few years that I’ve become really intentional about achieving them. Every year I find that I’m perfecting my goal-setting techniques, rituals, and habits. And every year, I’m achieving more of what I want. So much so, that I created a goal-setting course called Dream Bigger that you can join here.

This program guides you through the process of dreaming big, and setting fulfilling goals for yourself, all the way to creating an actionable – and achievable – plan!

The amazing results that students have achieved using the program, and reflecting on my own successes, proves to me that nothing is impossible!

What really matters is not what your goals are, but how you set them.

So here’s 5 easy steps to set successful goals for yourself!

#1 Reflect and learn

If you don’t know what you’re doing wrong or right, you will never be able to use that knowledge to grow. So the first step when setting successful goals for yourself is to reflect on your successes and failures of the year that has passed. What goals did you achieve? What went well? What didn’t? And from that to distill some lessons learned that will help you to move forward faster in the new year, or to avoid the mistakes you made last year.

#2 Write, and dream big!

Planning your goals for the new year is like doing a gigantic brain dump. You want to get everything you want to accomplish, and achieve over the next 12 months out of your head and onto paper. The important thing here is to be as complete as possible and not to censor yourself. You have a permission slip to dream big. At this stage you don’t want to make your life dream realistic, you want make it really fantastic!

#3 Cut, cut, cut

If you’re familiar with the 80/20 principle you know that according to that principle 20 percent of what we do in life (and business) accounts for 80 percent of the results we achieve. Applied to goal-setting this means that less is definitely more! So review the list you’ve created for yourself in step 2, and identify the goals or actions that you either don’t really want to go for, or that will not bring in the returns you’re going for. Make sure to feel into your goals when you do this exercise, and to dismiss anything that doesn’t feel right for you. Ask yourself questions such as: How do I want to feel this year? Is this goal helping me do that? Do I really want this? What desire lies behind this goal or action? Is this the best way to achieve it?

#4 Organize

Once you know the goals you’re going to work towards this year, it’s time to get organized and structure your goals by creating a plan for yourself. You can do this in any number of ways, with Nathalie McNiel’s 5x5 quadrant for instance, or by organizing your goals per quarter, month, week, or even day. Whatever system you’re using, make sure you’ve got a clear overview of what it is you’re trying to achieve, create visual cues for yourself (hang your plan onto the refrigerator, on the wall in your office, in the bathroom…) to be reminder of your goals daily, cultivate action-oriented habits, and use planning tools to help you work on your goals throughout the year.

#5 Schedule, and keep yourself accountable

And finally… schedule. What gets scheduled, gets done. Have weekly check-ins to review your goals, and plan ahead. Put all your action steps in your calendar, and set deadlines for yourself. Don’t be afraid to keep yourself accountable, because that’s precisely what you need to reach your goals. And if going at it alone is too difficult, find yourself an accountability partner. Have regular check-ins with her, say what you’re working on, what you’ll do by when, and stick to it. The results you’ll achieve will be nothing short of a miracle, I promise you!

Why every freelancer needs self-care (and how to start)

You’ve leaped off the edge of the 9-5 and into the digital nomad or freelance lifestyle – or freedom lifestyle as I like to call it. You went from schedule to no schedule, from many bosses to you being the boss hot sauce. This jump might have been thrilling, but now you’re on the brink of exhaustion, fighting off the stresses and anxiety of the freelance world. 

From working sporadic hours while listening to the news, or watching YouTube and researching for your next client, keeping up with your habits and your time can border on a traffic jam or Titanic level crash. Putting your health and body first can be a struggle when everything else seems important, to the detriment of your work performance. (Perhaps you’re still in the dreaming phase of becoming a freelancer, and want to overcome the career change fear, if this is the case I wrote about that here.)

How to Self-Care as a Freelancer

Freelancing can easily lead to overwhelm, anxiety, loss of sleep, and even burnout. No clients or overwhelmed from too many clients? Exhausted from trying to juggle all of the elements of your freelance job? The list is endless: cold calls, responding to leads, marketing activities, writing and sending out newsletters, social media scheduling, meetings, networking… 

To enjoy the freelance lifestyle you need a schedule, priorities, ways to delegate, and tools and resources to help you navigate the trenches on the daily. Create daily and weekly goals, organize your tasks according to a schedule and use deadlines, both soft and hard ones and, most importantly, self-care all parts of your mind, body, and soul.  

Mind

One of the main elements of freelancing is that you’re working in isolation. It can be difficult to maintain connection with people when you work from home, or a coffee shop. Try not to neglect your family and social life. Isolation, both for freelancers and entrepreneurs in general, is a huge and common challenge. It’s hard to nurture strong relationships when you’re either not in the same location as other people (perhaps after work) or in a slump working from home (can’t seem to get out of those PJs huh?). 

Work is work, and as freelancers it’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the things we have to do or underwhelmed by how slow the process is to get things off the ground. Make sure you prioritize your social support (schedule it if you need to). Work will always be there, but friends and family are important, both during good times and the more challenging ones. Don’t neglect the people around you. Call, text, send an email, check in with your people regularly! 

Apart from a social life try to include some form of mind work into your days: meditate, breathe, reflect, journal. And remember, always make your bed.

Body

Nutrition and physical activity are essential for freelancers. From maintaining a balanced diet, to moods, preventing chronic disease, and boosting positive emotions. You can’t work your best if your body can’t work its best. Often, we don’t take self-care seriously until we experience a serious health setback. Make sure you’re planning your meals and not breaking the bank buying fast food meals. This does twice the damage – processed meals and spending too much money. Why not try a meal planning app like Mealtime, Food planner, or Paprika? Be sure to supplement and balance with lots of natural foods and water, and try to minimize the amount of sugar. Sugar cravings can happen, and it’s a habitual trigger from anxiety, or even from skipping meals or low blood sugar. 

Slow down, take your breaks, go for walks, get off the bus one stop earlier, or sneak in YouTube videos on yoga, or simple at-home exercises (as safely as possible!). The other important thing about self-care is having a good healthcare plan. 

Be proactive and maintain your breaks for the gym, walk outside, eat nutritious food, maintain a healthy diet and get sleep. Don’t procrastinate all day, only to stay up all night to get a gig done. Sleep is one of the most vital things to ensure well-being and mental focus. 

Soul

Whether you’re a freelancer or a digital nomad, self-care is about a nourishing type of discipline (and not the punishing kind). The mind and body like routine and habit, while the soul requires more depth. All it takes is one step, and one plan to get going. Keep distractions at bay. Create a soulful work environment that helps you feel good AND succeed. Know yourself and spend time to reflect about where you are and if you’re heading in the direction you want. You can’t know until you sit quietly and listen to that inner knowing. 

Build self-awareness through stillness. This will help you to know what you tend to do, what your triggers are and how you react to situations. Becoming intimate with yourself like that will help you grow, and reach new heights.

In the end, be realistic and make sure you’re creating healthy boundaries in this new work environment, and say no. 

At first it might feel very tempting to say yes to any and all clients (and that’s okay when you have bills to pay) but do not bend your freelancing values just to accommodate everybody else first, including leads and clients. This might take a toll on your health. 

Be proactive about your freelance self-care. Whether it’s a 10-minute meditation in the morning or turning off all your electronics after 7 pm and taking a bath. 

Freelance self-care always starts with your well-being and the choices you make. Make sure to develop the self-trust necessary for stepping into your own power. In the end, if you’re not feeling well it’s going to be difficult for you to maintain that freelance lifestyle you dreamed of – and that you now finally have.

The life-changing power of doing things slowly

Can you remember a time when you did something so slowly you really got to enjoy it and build a memory? (Using a phone doesn’t count!)

While I was tying up the final bits and pieces of my From Overwhelm to Flow Training (it took me close to 8 weeks to write it) – something incredible happened. I had an epiphany. A *real* moment of awareness. The kind that knocks you off your feet, makes you think you’re dreaming and leaves you wondering what just happened.

This labor of love (and sweat, blood, and tears – OK just that first one but you can’t blame a writer for wanting to add a dash of drama, now can you?) is everything I know about achieving flow, soul, and ease both in your personal life as well as your work. The best part? A free 7-day life (and sanity) saver is waiting for you. Sign-ups happen over here.

Where was I? Oh yes, it all happened in the blink of an eye.

I was walking back from the kitchen to my desk, a cup of hot coffee in my hand. Suddenly it hit me: I’d finally done it! I’d turned this idea that had been swirling around in my head for a long time into 30,000(-ish) carefully thought out, and actionable words.

Although this isn’t the first time I’ve written a course or training, something was different. For the first time in my life, I’d taken the time to create – slowly. Not rush my way through the process, but pacing myself. This is big, because I’m programmed for the opposite…

Fast-paced.
Always on.
Working against the clock.

Looking back, that’s how I spent a big part of (probably most) of my adult life. Especially when business and work are concerned.

Stressed-out.
Always in a hurry.
Feeling as if the clock was always working against me.

There was never a moment to rest, let alone gather to my thoughts.

A lot of people will tell you this is one of my strengths. Early in my career those same traits often qualified me as ambitious. The first time someone said that of me I didn’t *understand* what it meant. In fact, I felt a little insulted, with the people-pleasing perfectionist in me needing CPR. Together with her, we decided that we didn’t like the word. So we dismissed it as an oddity. Not something that applied to me.

All the while I kept doing. More. And more. And more.

Then, the epiphany. As I was making my way back to my desk, ready to sit down, hot coffee in hand. There it was. I’d done something I loved doing, and I’d taken the time to do it.

Slowly. Without feeling guilty. Without giving up on other things for it.

In what must have been a fraction of a second, my life played out in front of me like a movie. My father working relentlessly, me copycatting that behaviour, the many months and years spent trying to achieve an absurd idea of success and equating my worth with it. But also: the pressure, anxiety, fears and limiting beliefs that accompanied me everywhere I went.

Always on. Fast-paced. Working against the clock.

It was unsustainable. Hard. Not to mention doomed to fail. What so many had mistaken for ambition. *Ouch*

I was stuck in the tyranny of the endless to-do list, the hamster wheel of relentless productivity, the never-ending and exhausting cycle of overwork and perfection. Perhaps you are too…

Since 2010 I’ve been on a journey back to sanity. It took me to so many places.

Mindfulness training.
Transcendental meditation practice.
Yoga.
Self-love.
Self-care.
Daily journaling.
Reading – lots of reading.
Minimalism.
Essentialism.
All those other -isms I can’t think of right now.

They’ve all been important pieces of the puzzle, for many different reasons. They also all have one thing in common: they’ve taught me to SLOW DOWN. So I can…

be in the now,
give my mind a break,
feel my body,
receive unconditional love,
organize my thoughts,
learn what matters most,
have more space to be,
have more time to live,
let go of what doesn’t serve me,
do so many other amazing things.

Slowing down is beautiful and powerful.

In fact, it might well be the biggest secret to success I’ve ever learned. The one that allows time and space to be part of everything I do. That says it’s OK to take my time, to think, to create bit by bit.

Fast is a lie that will cost you money – like when you redo your website three times in two years because you’re still figuring out your brand (true story). Will stress you out – like when you give yourself an unattainable deadline simply because you picked that date and won’t change it now (I mean, you know). Will lead to bad decisions, big mistakes, and in the end a hell of a lot of freakin’ wasted time.

So many of us (I’m one of them) underestimate what we can accomplish over longer periods of time yet SYSTEMATICALLY overestimate what we can accomplish in shorter ones.

The truth is: slow will get you further.

By starting with the notion that creating needs tending, that beautiful things take time to grow, that we can only nurture – not force – anything into being, we give ourselves something invaluable.

The gift of slow

Today I want to invite you to make a small inventory of the most wonderful things you wish for in your life but are hesitant to get started with. Ask yourself if the gift of slow could help. Imagine you had all the time in the world to accomplish them (which you LITERALLY have, that’s the whole point of this essay :)).

What would you get started with?

PS: Don’t forget to sign up for the Free Smart Work™ Challenge. It will help you to take things slowly too.

How Katherine started her own bookkeeping business & became a money mentor

Katherine and I initially connected online. I loved Katherine’s bubbly personality from the start. When I needed someone to look at the numbers of a start-up I was building, she’s the one I turned too. I felt so supported knowing that she was on the team. Katherine does have a way with money! Ever since, it’s been a joy connecting with her, and watching her revolutionize the accounting world one business at a time. Here’s the story of how she started her own bookkeeping business and became a Money Mentor.

What was your big dream, and what inspired you to go after it?

It’s my mission to help 3 million people retire rich. Which is ironic, since I never cared about money when I was younger. Instead, I was focused on making an impact with my art, and talents as an actress and director. 

When I started pursuing this dream professionally, however, I felt I’d been lied to. The work itself was fulfilling, but not one of my mentors had prepared me for the financial challenges of being self-employed. I soon discovered my mentors couldn’t have prepared me because they struggled with these things too! So, I set out to learn about money. The more I did, the more ambitious I became.

I learned that money is a language to master, that it has the creative energy to build on itself, and that it’s possible to stop fighting money and instead make it a teammate. I learned this process was surprisingly easy and enjoyable, but no one – and I mean no one – gives you this critical education in school. Which is why if you pull back the curtain, almost everyone, in every industry, is struggling with money.

That’s the most important thing I learned: money problems aren’t limited to creatives! So I decided I’d had enough and wanted to tackle this problem head on.

That’s why I started my own accounting firm. I wanted to move the needle just 1%. I want to help a mere 1% more Americans (the only country I’m licensed to work!) kick their money woes and retire comfortably. 

At the time I made that goal, 1% of America was 3 million people. That’s how my big dream of helping 3 million people retire rich was born.

Did you always have this dream?

No way! As an artist, I always wanted to inspire hearts and minds, but I never dreamed that a single topic would inspire me so much or that I’d change my life’s work to pursue it.

What was one of the first things you did to get you started?

I invested in my education. I’m a graduate of Ben Robinson’s Bookkeeper Business Launch. I credit Ben with how I think about bookkeeping and client relationships. All my tax work, writing, and coaching have grown from this bookkeeping foundation.

What were the biggest challenges you faced in working toward achieving your dream?

When I started, I really, truly thought that I was going to acquire all this tax knowledge, teach it to my clients, and “BOOM!” the problem would be solved and we’d all have successful, profitable companies to brag about.

But education is not implementation. My first clients had cleaner books but weren’t changing their money habits.

Changing money habits is hard to do! Money is an emotional topic for many people. We not only need to master an outer monetary system, but also master our inner thoughts and emotions about at. This inner relationship with money becomes ingrained in us as children, and every friend, partner, and the bill we pay either reinforce this relationship or will bring us into conflict with it.

Owning up to this relationship and learning to tackle my own “money blocks” was the first step. Then, I had to learn how to pair money mindset coaching with my growing financial expertise. This was how the Chaos Money Framework was born.

The Framework keeps us accountable. Because it’s challenging to accept that “wealth” and “success” are not static achievements. I need the Chaos Money Framework to help me choose and walk my wealth journey every day.

What do you wish you would have done differently? What would you warn others about?

I wish I had slowed down.

I made the new business owner mistake of focusing only on growth and income. This meant I chased every shiny tool, coach, or course who could take me to the “next level.” (All the while telling my clients to act differently – the hypocrisy!)

But if I had focused more on the clients in front of me – if I had treated them as the only important thing in the world – I would have achieved better results overall. I would have figured out some things faster. Most importantly though, I would have helped more people.

I would caution others who are looking outside of themselves for answers. 

Copying other people’s business only encourages comparison and imposter syndrome. It’s better to slow down, focus on the work at hand, and develop your own system with the resources available to you.

I’d encourage them not to chase income, but rather measure metrics that support your own mission and values (like repeat customers, profitability, or the success you help clients achieve). Only look to change your system when it helps you improve one of these metrics and stop caring what caring about what’s “expected” in your industry.

Would you say you’ve achieved your big dream yet?

Uh oh! Remember what I said earlier about achievements?

In all seriousness, yes. I’ve achieved some incredible things since I started.

As my impact grows, my clients’ impact grows, and as their impact grows new jobs and new investments are created. Each one gets me closer to the 3 million marks!

What do you think helped you achieve it?

Oh, my Money Map! Definitely!

That’s what I call the unique mix of financial reports you use to lead your business. Everyone’s Money Map will be different and that’s actually the purpose of the Chaos Money Framework. The Framework helps you break down big goals into actionable milestones. Then we turn those milestones into – wait for it – a map! You can follow this Money Map to reach your goals.

I’m my own customer here because Money Mapping really works. I also have an incredible coach to hold me accountable, a team to support the work I do, and I’ve invested heavily in my marriage and personal relationships. 

Everything’s harder if you’re trying it alone!

What’s the best advice you have for others who want to follow their big dreams?

Set a big, scary goal. You have permission.

But don’t try to tackle that goal everyday. It’ll be too overwhelming. Just let the big goal float around in the back of your head.

Instead, slow down. Ask yourself “What’s the very next step?”

Also pick out the smallest, tiniest, so-simple-it’s-easy next step. (Like clicking send on that email or taking that receipt from your purse to your desk). Do only that step.

Then identify the tiny step after that. Do that. Identify and execute each tiny step, over and over, until you’re getting to work naturally and you don’t have to think about it anymore.

Big goals create too much pressure, but tiny tasks are easy. Tiny tasks also add up fast! It’s getting started that’s the hardest.

More about Katherine – www.bookkeepingartist.com

Katherine is a money mentor for creative entrepreneurs. She can transform you from a stressed solopreneur into the money-savvy CEO of your own online empire. She specializes in Taxes and Business Entities, Profit Strategy and Business Growth, Bookkeeping, Workflow, and Productivity.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch with Katherine! She loves connecting with women from around the world. You can do so through her website at bookkeepingartist.com 

Katherine’s favourite quote is:

Imagination is only intelligence having fun.
– George Scialabba

Katherine’s big dream for the world is:

To persist joyfully along my unique path of creative and financial freedom. To lead and inspire others to do that same.

If you want more inspiring stories, I’ve got great news for you! This story is part of an interview series, you can find all entries here.