The World She's Building: Sample Paths

A roundup of newsletters to support your work in 2026

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 15:41:38 GMT

The Sustainable Solopreneur is a weekly newsletter about seasonal, cyclical, supportive business strategy for solopreneurs and creative souls who want more out of life than the status quo, hosted by business coach and strategist Jenni Gritters. Today, you’re reading the Sample Paths column, which takes you behind the scenes of someone else’s unique path to entrepreneurial success.

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If you’re struggling to track all the relationships you’ve developed (peers, potential clients, and beyond), I love Devin Lee’s relationship database! Highly, highly recommend.

Check it out here

Many of you know I’m part of The Co-Promotion Club — a space where business owners build actual referral networks instead of just collecting contacts, or relying fully on social media. The people I’ve met there? They’re doing the work differently. I can’t recommend the community more highly.

One of the things we’re doing over the holiday months is creating round-ups to share each other’s work. Below are eight newsletters from my Co-Pro friends. Each one offers a new, sustainable take on work — whether you’re figuring out systems, rethinking your website, or trying to survive capitalism while running a business overseas. Enjoy!

1. Business & Balance:

THE newsletter for small business owners ready to grow their business in a way that’s true to them. Each weekly email has an idea for building systems your way, a quick win, and a challenge to make time for something you love.

From Bohannon Virtual Solutions: Online business management and virtual assistance for small business owners with teams less than 10.

2. Cookie Crumbs:

Got a website and not sure what to do with it? If you’re not exactly thrilled to send people to your site - or kind of forgot it exists - you’re not alone. My newsletter is for small business owners who want their website to actually do something, not just sit there looking pretty.

By Space Cookie Designs: Working with service-based small businesses to create websites that feel like them and help grow their business.

3. The Co-Pro Club Insider:

Practical tips and actionable insights for building a strong referral partner network that supports your business - and you as the human behind your work.

From The Co-Promotion Club: Where experienced business owners build supportive referral partnerships.

4. Finocchio:

A newsletter that chronicles the adventures of me, Mike De Socio, a queer American living in Italy.

From Narrative Works LLC: Helping publications and organizations tell true stories about social justice and solutions.

5. Kelsey Rae Brasher is a Graphic Designer:

The adventures of a graphic designer in Nashville, sharing projects, thoughts, and connections.

From Kelsey Rae Brasher Designs: Graphic designer with 15+ years of experience helping businesses look the way they feel inside by collaborating with clients to create thoughtful, strategic design that brings their brand to life.

6. Letters From Your Editor:

Delivering actionable writing advice and industry hot-takes that’ll breathe inspiration back into your day—covering everything from brand messaging strategy to conversion copywriting tips that help you connect with your ideal audience.

From Big Picture Copywriting: Providing brand messaging strategy and conversion copywriting services for founders, startups, and corporate clients.

7. Peaceful Pocket:

What I’m figuring out behind the scenes in my own business, and the ideas I’m exploring around neurodivergence and how we work as neurodivergent business owners.

By Yellow Sky Business Services: Done-For-You Bookkeeping Designed for Neurodivergent Business Owners, meeting you where you are — not where you “should” be.

8. The Radical Marketer:

How we can better navigate online marketing as community-oriented humans who are trying to survive under capitalism and cope with extractive online culture.

From Upswept Creative: We do websites and online marketing for radical leaders.

Curious about my (Jenni’s) background? I’m a writer and business coach living in Central Oregon. My goal is to teach everyone who will listen that it’s possible to build a simple, stable, successful business that supports your human needs first. Join my group coaching program, SUSTAIN, for more conversations like this (and a community of people who are all about the path less taken), and follow me on LinkedIn & Instagram.

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Building a business that holds every part of you

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 15:07:32 GMT

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If you’re struggling to track all the relationships you’ve developed (peers, potential clients, and beyond), I love Devin Lee’s relationship database! Highly, highly recommend.

Check it out here

If you’ve ever felt like you need permission to work in a way that defies traditional career paths, this conversation is for you.

I followed Sarah’s body of work for a while before inviting her here. She brings her artist self into the conversation about working for herself, and I love how she’s reframed freelancing into something stable, solid and at choice. It’s not a stepping stone or a backup plan. It’s a legitimate, powerful way to build a career that can hold multiple interests and evolve with you. She’s been doing this for over 15 years, and she teaches other designers (especially those coming from in-house roles) how to make the leap without losing themselves in the process.

Sarah, how would you describe your work right now?

Right now, all of my work sits under the umbrella of experience design, whether I’m supporting retainer clients through Huzzah Studio, building curriculum and community with Freelance for Life, or creating immersive, sensory-driven art as part of my current Odyssey Works residency. I love that, as a solopreneur, my work can be prismatic and multi-disciplinary. This is the way that I love to work and live.

Can you tell us how you got into teaching freelancers how to stick with this path long-term?

I’ve always had a bit of a teacher’s heart. I started in 2016 with General Assembly, teaching design bootcamps, visual design 101, and UX/UI certificate programs. I also taught with another design program in San Francisco, and it was all rooted in the work I was actively doing myself. During the pandemic, I stepped back from formal teaching. But the questions kept coming in: friends and former coworkers wanting to know how I had made freelancing work. They were itching to leave their in-house jobs but unsure where to begin. That sparked my return to teaching and my creation of Designing Your Freelance Business, a live, cohort-based course to help want-to-be freelancers start a business that actually works for them.

There are so many generic resources out there, but very few speak to the nuance of the freelance path especially for product designers who’ve been working in-house. I wanted to share what I’d learned from shifting away from those traditional roles.

What are some beliefs you have about how to make freelancing “work” that might differ from the norm?

I think one of the best things about freelancing is that it’s inherently a form of rebellion.

You don’t have to do things the “right way.” In fact, you can’t, because the “right way” doesn’t exist! You get to shape a business that works for your life, not just your bank account.

Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s easy. We still live within systems that require us to pay bills and navigate external pressures. But I’m grateful that I get to define work on my terms and continue practicing new ways of doing business, through experimentation, evolving services, or setting intentional boundaries.

I know you also run an agency. Many of the folks in this space are either in the early days of building an agency, or have dreams of stepping into that space. What was your transition into agency life like?

Agency life has been a very interesting space of experimentation for me. I started my business solo, then joined forces with a former collaborator to run a small agency with full-time employees. Eventually, I returned to my own practice. I now operate Huzzah Studio as a collective-style studio. I don’t have any full-time employees, but I collaborate with project-based team members in different roles, and I receive internal support from a VA, CPA, bookkeeper, and coach. Whether you’re a team of one or ten, you can’t do it all alone. I really enjoy being hands-on with the creative work and in a leadership role, so the collective model is working best for me right now.

My advice: try it on for size. See how it feels. And also know that it’s okay to stay small. Growth doesn’t always mean bigger.

How do you manage multiple parts of your business in a way that works for your brain?

I’ve learned that structuring my days with flexibility for ebb and flow is essential, for both my creative process and my health (I experience chronic migraines, so I’ve had to become very attuned to my energy).

I plan my weeks using a favorite tool called Sunsama, which helps me see the big picture while still giving myself the ability to track and adjust as needed. I move between projects during the week, allowing myself to follow what feels most aligned that day instead of sticking to a rigid, prescribed plan. Meeting-free days are tough to protect but always worth it.

I also take daily walks with my dog Benny and give myself permission to pause when I need rest (I’ve been working on this one for a while!). That’s part of the work, too. Being creative can actually be quite exhausting. It takes mental energy and you need lots of time to replenish and get reinspired too.

What do people typically get wrong about freelancing?

There’s still this outdated idea that freelancing is just a “side thing” or something you do when you haven’t figured out your career yet. But I feel differently. I am a freelancer and a business owner and a creative director. To me, freelancing isn’t lesser. It’s not a placeholder for a “real” business. In many ways, I see it as a more sustainable, creative, and flexible way to work. And it can hold a lot of power when you approach it with care and intention.

I talked more about this on a recent episode of Off the Grid, if you want to check it out:

Listen in

If someone was hoping to grow their freelance business into an agency or scale in some way, but was stuck at a capacity limit, how would you talk them through that moment?

I think the first step is to create space for yourself and that often means getting support before you feel fully ready. That might look like hiring a VA, asking a bookkeeper to take over your invoicing and reconciliation, or finding a business coach to help you plan the next phase. Even just a few hours of support each week can open up room to shift from reacting to visioning.

You don’t have to do it all at once. But you do have to give yourself permission to not do it alone.

Sarah Jutras (she/her) is a multidisciplinary designer and creative director who brings stories to life through visual and interactive mediums. With over 15 years in the field of human-centered design, her passion is designing bespoke experiences at the intersection of our digital and physical worlds. Sarah is a pancake lover (hosting a sidewalk pancake popup in San Francisco), a community builder (teaching creative living and business courses at Freelance for Life), and weekend adventurer (creator of local travel guides).

Connect with Sarah:

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Building a business that honors your energy

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 15:34:38 GMT

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Andi Bitay is a content-led growth strategist and Substack coach who’s spent 20 years in media, from television to online journalism to social media agencies. Two years ago, she made the bold decision to rebuild her entire business from scratch in English, pivoting from a successful practice in Hungary to the international market. After experimenting everywhere (and burning out in the process), she found her groove on Substack and created an async mentoring model that works for both her energy and her clients’ lives.

I think you’ll love Andi’s take on strategic transparency, building around your actual personality rather than industry norms, and why taking the leap to follow your own path is worth it… even when it means starting over. And if you have questions about Substack (like we all do!)? Andi’s the one to follow.

Andi, how would you describe your work right now?

In short, I’m a content-led growth strategist and Substack coach for women in the creator economy.

The longer version is that I help entrepreneurs and experts build real authority through Substack and strategic content. I’ve worked in media for 20 years, and I’ve seen people burn out from either being too strategic (no soul) or too intuitive (no structure). The ones who last? They figure out how to combine both. The heart needs to meet the brain. That’s what I help women do: find that sweet spot where authenticity meets strategy.

Subscribe to Andi's Substack here

Content creation is a beautiful form of communication. When we create content, it becomes the foundation for a sustainable business and a life that we love. As a strategist, I help women see what they can’t see about their own positioning, clarify their content strategy, and move forward with confidence.

How did you get into this work in the first place?

Oh, it’s been quite the journey! I’ve always been a bit obsessed with how stories get told and shared. Twenty years ago, I started in television. You know, back when we thought TV was the ultimate medium… Then the internet happened, and suddenly I was diving into online journalism.

When social media exploded, I found myself working at agencies, helping brands figure out this new world. But then life threw me a curveball, and my son was born about ten years ago, and everything shifted. I went freelance, partly out of necessity, partly because I was craving something more flexible.

At first, I was just writing social media posts for other people, which paid the bills but left me feeling... empty? Like I was helping everyone else tell their story except myself. So I started blogging about minimalism, sustainability and home organizing. Suddenly, I was getting invited to events, brands were reaching out, and I got a real taste of the influencer life.

But it didn’t feel right. All that performance, the constant need to be “on:” It wasn’t me. So I pivoted into strategy work, which felt much more authentic. Over the next few years, I built a successful solo business in Hungary, working with amazing clients and establishing myself in the local market.

But then I hit this ceiling, you know? I kept thinking about how the online world is inherently international, and I had this burning desire to play on a bigger stage. So two years ago, I started writing in English, and started over completely from scratch. No existing audience, no international network, I literally rebuilt my entire business from zero in a second language.

I started writing everywhere (Medium, LinkedIn, Instagram) basically throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what would stick. It was humbling, honestly. Here I was, successful in my home market, suddenly feeling like a complete beginner again. I burned out spectacularly after two years with very little to show for it.

That’s when I discovered Substack, and everything clicked. The long-form format, the ability to go deep instead of chasing attention… More importantly, it actually worked. I started attracting the right clients, built paid subscriptions, and finally had a platform I owned. It’s like blogging in the old times but with a better companion :)

What is something unique about your path to running this business, and what did you do when you experienced set backs related to your vision?

I think what makes my path unique is that I’m an introverted strategist in an extroverted industry. Right now, I’m in a retreat phase — that’s when I created async mentoring. No live calls, no constant availability, just voice notes and chat support. And my clients love it. Especially moms who can’t commit to scheduled calls, and my U.S. clients dealing with time zones.

You don’t have to be “on” all the time to run a successful business. Sometimes designing around your actual energy creates better results for everyone.

When I hit setbacks, I don’t panic. I’ve burned out twice, so now I know the warning signs. There’s always a way forward. As an entrepreneur, so much doesn’t go according to plan. I’ve learned to accept that, adapt, and keep building. You can build a business that fits your actual personality and energy. For me, that means strategic thinking over constant visibility, depth over volume, and async over real-time. And it works.

You do a lot of writing about the behind the scenes of your business. Where did that idea come from?

I think my blogging background plays a big role in how I approach my work today. Transparency, openness, and honesty are very important to me. Of course, I don’t share everything (my private life, my family), but what matters to my audience is seeing how I run my business and shape it around my life.

This approach creates a connection with my readers. Even if we never meet in person, they feel like they know me a little. And if I ever shift focus or write about something else, many of them will still follow me, because a human connection has been established. Marketing, for me, is not about manipulation; it’s about building a bridge between yourself and your audience. That’s especially important in thought leadership because people don’t just buy your services; they buy into your thinking. Transparency helps them see how you actually work, not just what you promise.

How have you benefited from choosing a unique way of approaching life and work?

Choosing my own path—listening to my intuition and following what I truly enjoy—has brought me a lot of clarity, energy, and fulfillment. I’ve learned that when I work from a place of genuine interest and joy, I produce my best work and stay motivated over the long term. On the other hand, forcing myself into things that don’t resonate only leads to burnout and disappointment.

For other people, I think the lesson is that it’s worth finding your own rhythm and strengths instead of blindly following trends or others’ rules. When you align your work with who you are, not only does it become more sustainable and rewarding for you, but it also creates authentic connections with your audience or clients.

What advice might you give to someone who’s struggling with knowing the “standard” path to online business is not for them?

Take the leap, because no one else will do it for you.

The online world has convinced us there’s only one kind of success, one path to get there. We spend so much time watching what everyone else is doing that we forget to listen to our own thoughts.

Put down your phone, take out the earbuds and listen to yourself. What actually interests you? Where do you feel good? That’s the path worth following. There’s so much more success and joy in your own way than in copying someone else’s.

Andi Bitay is a content-led growth strategist, Substack consultant, and mentor helping women grow with authentic, strategic content, personal branding, and storytelling. She’s also a mom from Eastern Europe who loves traveling and is a bit of an interior design enthusiast.

Connect with Andi on LinkedIn, Instagram and through her website. And check out her 2026 predictions for Substack, too!

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Launching before you're "ready"

Jenni Gritters — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 15:40:58 GMT

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I often struggle to remember all the people I’ve been connected to, or had coffee chats with. That’s why I love Devin Lee’s super smart Relationship Database. I’m planning to integrate it into my systems in 2026!

Check it out here

Free financial workshop? You heard that right. It’s happening on the 10th (next week!) and I’ll be teaching you about how to set up a sustainable financial strategy for your business of one. Thanks to our sponsor, Lettuce, for putting this one on!

Get on the list!

I met Kaitlyn Arford years ago, when she was just starting to build out a newsletter business. What started as simple Twitter threads sharing freelance opportunities during the pandemic (Kaitlyn is the OG of generosity) has grown into a biweekly newsletter called Freelance Opportunities that helps thousands of freelancers find legitimate paying work.

Kaitlyn never set out to build a newsletter business; she just kept showing up, sharing what she found, and following the energy. I watched it happen in real time, cheering her on the whole way. Pretty quickly, she could tell that there was a there, there. And eventually, she made the gutsy decision to bet on herself and shift her focus from client writing work to growing her newsletter full-time.

What I love most about Kaitlyn’s approach is her willingness to be messy, to launch before she’s “ready,” and to let things evolve organically. In a world obsessed with perfect launches and polished personal brands, Kaitlyn’s story is a refreshing reminder that sometimes the best business moves are the ones we stumble into — and that being human, authentic, and helpful will always win when you’re building an aligned audience.

Hi Kaitlyn! How would you describe your work right now?

I help freelancers make more money. I’m focused on connecting people with legitimate paying opportunities through my biweekly newsletter, Freelance Opportunities!

I am also starting to move into being a media entrepreneur and newsletter strategist. It’s been fun to help people think about how they can build newsletters that serve their purposes and passions, and I’d like to do more of that in the future.

I love this so much, especially when I think back to the early days of this journey for you. Can you tell us the story of how you decided to build a newsletter in the first place?

It was an accident! I was looking for work during the pandemic, and started naturally sharing what I found in Twitter threads. Since so many were looking for work at the time, people started following me on Twitter and sharing what I found with other people. I started a tip jar for anyone grateful for the leads, and was shocked to make a few hundred dollars from my social media efforts.

Even so, I didn’t want to start a newsletter. It seemed like way too much work, and I had enough trouble balancing my own client work. I had always seen myself as a freelance writer, and I thought that having work from multiple clients was enough. But since I enjoyed doing the research and always had free Thursday nights, I started sharing simple lists on Buy Me a Coffee and eventually set up digital products and memberships there.

This work eventually became a part of my business and a steady income. But it really grew without me: More and more freelancers referred other freelancers my way. I never even named it!! People kept saying “Kaitlyn Arford’s freelance roundups” or “Kaitlyn Arford’s freelance opportunities” and I would just title lists as Date + Freelance Opportunities! so the name of the newsletter became Freelance Opportunities! naturally.

When did you realize this could be a true business opportunity?

I had companies and freelancers asking about how to advertise in front of my audience. So I realized that I had accidentally ended up at the point where it made sense to launch an actual newsletter. I needed a platform that could support this growing resource and I started to envision it as a real business.

I hit an inflection point where I had to decide to either keep the newsletter small, discontinue it entirely, or give up some of my writing work. It was just getting too hard to work as a writer and manage a growing newsletter business, which involves communicating with subscribers, potential sponsors, and all the research and legwork that goes into publishing. I decided to bet on myself and lean into the newsletter, expanding it into biweekly editions of opportunities and adding additional offers for paid subscribers. I took a hit financially as I let go of some of my old clients, but it was ultimately worth it to have an income that I have full control over. I’m still able to make time for a few writing clients, but most of my focus is on the newsletter these days.

It’s been so cool to watch you step into being a media entrepreneur and it seems like you’ve transitioned steadily over the past three or so years. How do you think about making these slow shifts towards your bigger business vision?

I’m a big believer in just launching and being messy. I don’t know if I’d advise it, but it’s worked for me! There’s a lot to be said for optimistic confidence in what you do. You don’t have to know everything and you have to embrace being a beginner. I’ve sent bad pitches to publications. I sent newsletters with a bad design and mediocre content. But all of those efforts made me become better.

I see a lot of people put off creating something or trying something new out of pure fear of looking foolish. It is really freeing to just jump in and figure it out as you go.

This year has been tough for so many of us. What keeps you going in your business on the hard days?

There have been countless days where I have wanted to quit. It’s demoralizing to try to make a reader-supported income sharing freelance opportunities when I have a front row seat to ceaseless layoffs and how people are struggling in what is essentially a recession. There is so much invisible labor involved in publishing my newsletter.

I keep coming back because of how important my work is to people. I get a lot of notes from people who have just gone through a layoff and were referred to my newsletter by their friends. I know so many people who have used an opportunity I discovered to pay a bill or two when things were really tight. I’m proud of what I do.

Jenni, you and I have chatted a bit before about the importance of finding community and asking for help. Those are skills I’ve had to work on this year! Trying to handle everything alone is too hard. Right now, I’m spending more time catching up with people and asking others to help me when I need guidance and support. Building any kind of small business can be so isolating, and the best response is to gather people who are also doing hard things around you.

Where do you think the newsletter business is headed? Any takes on how AI will impact that space, or trends that we might see coming soon?

I do think that many of the newsletters people start because they’re told that they should have a newsletter or because they want to hop on a trend like AI are doomed to fail. A newsletter is a lot of work. It takes a lot of consistency and dedication to get hundreds or even thousands of subscribers or to make it a viable income (if that’s something you want).

I don’t launch things unless I think I can commit to them. If you’re serious about launching a newsletter, think a year or two out. Are you still going to be interested in that topic? Does it matter to you? If you’ve got that intrinsic motivation, you can create something cool.

Newsletters are starting to become community hubs. People are tired of AI slop and online spaces are infected with it. But newsletters attract people interested in a certain subject, which naturally lends itself to community building. I think we’re going to see newsletter businesses expand into private online communities, live events, and other services that serve to connect people.

If you were mentoring someone who wanted to build an audience but felt stuck, what would you recommend as a starting point?

Just be yourself. Sounds trite, but being human is going to get you so far. People are so tired of AI slop and inauthentic bullshit from people who are peddling stories that aren’t an honest reflection of their lived experience. People are deeply craving authenticity and vulnerability.

No one cares about you as much as you think, which sounds painful but is true. No one is stalking your social media profiles or overanalyzing what you have to say. So don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Approach audience building with curiosity and honesty. I didn’t build an audience overnight. I just connected with people and had good conversations and created content out of that.

Everything you do now will compound. I’ve had the opportunity to speak at different events and collaborate with people just because I started tweeting years ago. Don’t be discouraged if your efforts are met with silence initially. Just start.

Kaitlyn Arford is a newsletter creator and strategist who shares paid freelance opportunities every week in her newsletter Freelance Opportunities! She writes about pets and the people who love them from Louisville, Kentucky.

You can find Kaitlyn on LinkedIn or Threads.

To hear more from Kaitlyn, connect through her website or send her a DM.

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Bringing fun into your revenue strategy

Jenni Gritters — Wed, 29 Oct 2025 14:25:28 GMT

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Before we kick off today’s convo: Have you met Sam Andrel? She’s one of my favorite leaders in the solopreneur space. She’s also the founder of Harlow, a digital home for freelancers full of job opps, community and tools. My favorite way she supports y’all is through her newsletter, which you can check out here.

What if fun wasn’t just a nice-to-have in your business, but actually the secret to higher revenue and better results? That’s exactly what Annie Franceschi has discovered (and proven) in her own work as a brand strategist and former Disney storyteller.

Annie helps coaches, consultants, and service providers get clear on their brand and systems. But what makes her approach unique is how she’s intentionally designed her business around fun, flexibility, and profit all at the same time. She takes No Meeting Mondays and Fridays, the entire month of December off, and only does marketing she actually enjoys. The result? She’s tripled her revenue while working fewer hours. If you know my backstory, you know this is my personal favorite approach to doing business.

I also think we all need permission to believe that our businesses can feel good AND be profitable. Annie’s living proof that it’s possible. Enjoy learning from her!

Annie, how would you describe your work right now?

As a brand strategist, former Disney storyteller, and host of the Establish Yourself® Podcast, I help coaches, consultants, and service providers get clear on their brand, package their expertise, and streamline their systems so they can land quality clients and boost profit.

But it’s bigger than that. I’ve intentionally designed my business to prioritize fun, flexibility, and profit all at the same time. And I know that when you are clear on how to talk about what you do and offer, and simplify your systems - you can finally have more fun in your business and beyond (Buzz Lightyear reference very much intended).

For me, this approach means I work fewer hours, focus on projects and clients that energize me, and make space for what lights me up—whether that’s a spontaneous beach trip with my son or a solo retreat to Disney World. Through my podcast, my framework like Package Your Process™, and my Magic Strategy Days, I’m inviting other business owners to discover that fun isn’t just a bonus; it’s a non-negotiable part of how I operate, and it’s made my business more profitable and sustainable than ever.

What “breaking points” have you experienced that led you to doing work differently?

My biggest breaking point was realizing I was burning out by saying yes to everything because I thought that’s what successful business owners do (never turn down business!) —projects that weren’t profitable, clients that weren’t aligned, and a schedule that left no room for joy. I remember skipping a beach day with friends to catch up on work, thinking that was what success looked like. But I was miserable. That was the moment I decided something had to change. I started making fun and rest a priority, and that shift has tripled my revenue while letting me work less and enjoy my life more.

What ARE the ways you do business differently?

I do business differently by intentionally building fun and flexibility into my schedule. I take No Meeting Mondays and Fridays, batch my work, and take the entire month of December off every year. I only do marketing I actually enjoy—like speaking and podcasting—and delegate or batch the rest. The “rules” I’ve ditched? That you have to work 24/7 to be successful, that hustle is required, and that you have to do business like everyone else. I’ve learned that your business should feel good to you, not just look good on paper.

I’d love to hear you talk more about how adding play and joy into your work has led to higher revenue. How did you start to gather evidence that taking this approach would “work” in a business context?

Adding play and joy into my work has been a secret to my growth. When I started prioritizing fun—like taking time off, building in creative retreats, and only saying yes to aligned clients—I noticed my energy and creativity soared. I was able to serve clients better, create new offers, and attract more of my favorite people. The evidence has been in the results: my revenue tripled, I worked fewer hours, and my clients got better outcomes. I also saw my clients thrive when they adopted similar strategies—batching their work, taking time for themselves, and building businesses that fit their lives. Even just recently, I opened doors to a long-held dream: hosting a business retreat at Walt Disney World. I was shocked that 40 people filled out the interest survey, and it just SOLD OUT with 9 participants for this February! Now I get to go to my happy place, teach incredible clients I love, and we all get to “make more magic” instead of stressing about the bottom line.

As a fellow mama, I’d love to hear how you manage an often-shifting capacity with business, parenting and caring for yourself. What mindsets or approaches have been most helpful for you in this season?

As a mom, I’ve learned to honor my shifting capacity by building a business that supports my life, not the other way around. I block time for myself on the calendar—literally “Time for Annie”—and protect it like any other appointment. I’ve let go of the guilt around taking breaks or saying no, and I remind myself that taking care of myself isn’t selfish; it’s what allows me to show up fully for my family and my clients. I also embrace the idea that “done is better than perfect” and that it’s okay to adjust my plans as life changes.

What is one thing you wish former you had known about creating an approach to work that feels fun?

I wish I had known that you don’t need anyone’s permission to make your business fun. You get to decide what your business looks like, and you don’t have to follow anyone else’s rules. Fun isn’t frivolous—it’s fuel. When you enjoy your work, you show up differently, have better ideas, and attract the right clients. I wish I’d started sooner, trusting that prioritizing joy would actually make my business more successful, not less.

“Fun isn’t frivolous—it’s fuel,” is something I need to write on a sticky note! So good! Final question: What’s your advice to someone who is burned out and full of dread? Their business might be “working” but they’re not enjoying it anymore.

If you’re burned out and dreading your work, it’s time to make fun a priority. Start small: block one no-meeting day, add an hour of “you time” to your calendar, or pick one marketing activity you actually enjoy and repeat it. Remember, your business should serve you, not the other way around. You don’t have to wait for permission to make a change. The more you enjoy your business, the better you’ll serve your clients—and the more sustainable your success will be.

Annie Franceschi is a former Disney storyteller, branding expert, creator of the Package Your Process™ framework, and host of the Establish Yourself® podcast. Over the past 12 years, Annie has written 3 bestselling books and helped 400+ entrepreneurs clarify their brand message, package their offers, and grow businesses with confidence through her practice, Greatest Story Creative®. A Duke University grad and major Muppets fan, Annie lives with her husband, Gus, and their favorite Muppet/son, Leo, in Durham, North Carolina.

How to connect with Annie:

Listen to the Establish Yourself® Podcast
Branding resources, free consults, and more via Annie’s business, Greatest Story Creative® - www.greateststorycreative.com
Connect with Annie on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anniefranceschi/

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How to grow your business without losing yourself

Jenni Gritters — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 14:43:17 GMT

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Psst: My book is ALIVE in the world!!!!! Get your copy of The Sustainable Solopreneur here.

Today I’m introducing you to Luisa Alberto, CEO of People First Finance. She’s built a thriving financial services company, navigated the messy middle of rapid growth, and has come out the other side with hard-won wisdom about systems, delegation, and what it means to actually build wealth as a solopreneur.

What I love about Luisa’s approach is that she’s completely transparent about the breaking points—the moments when rapid growth outpaced her infrastructure, when she had to confront her own leadership gaps, when burnout forced her to do things differently… but she didn’t just survive those moments, she used them to build something better.

Enjoy!

How would you describe your work right now?

Right now, my company provides essential accounting services - bookkeeping and tax - designed to be both streamlined and scalable. Our goal is to keep price points accessible while running a high-efficiency operation that can serve a wide range of small business owners. Internally, I’m focused on refining systems and processes so the business can grow beyond me and deliver consistent value at scale.

What “breaking points” have you experienced that led you to doing work differently?

The biggest breaking point was burnout from rapid growth. We were signing more clients than our internal infrastructure could support. I hired before I truly understood how to delegate and lead effectively, which meant I couldn’t fully lean on my team. That experience forced me to confront my own leadership gaps: learning to build systems, manage people, and delegate with clarity. It was uncomfortable, but it became the foundation for scaling sustainably.

Can you tell us about some of the ways you do business differently?

I’ve rejected the idea that bigger always means busier. You can build a profitable, larger service business without working around the clock if you invest in systems and trust your team. I don’t buy into the belief that the founder must be the most valuable person in the room. My job is to hire great people, give them frameworks to succeed, and get out of their way. We also focus on translating numbers into action for clients - bridging the gap between raw financial data and smart decisions - without the CFO price tag. If you’re a business owner, you have to be a money person.

You teach a lot about money. What are the things most solopreneurs miss when it comes to building wealth?

Too many solopreneurs don’t pay themselves enough. They undercharge, overdeliver, and get stuck in the delivery cycle. They also leave their money in the business instead of creating personal wealth. The skill that changes everything is learning to build systems and delegation capacity. When your time is freed up, you can raise prices, increase profit margins, and actually move money from the business into your personal financial life.

Where do you see business going in the next five years, and how are you preparing?

The next wave of small business is about efficiency, automation, and interpretation. AI will handle more of the routine work, which means the real value will be in applying expertise and insight to the data. I’m preparing by scaling toward an eventual exit in 5–7 years; documenting every process, investing in my team, and exploring AI tools that help us provide deeper strategic guidance to clients while maintaining affordable services.

What is one thing you wish former you had known about stepping into bigger, more impactful work?

That growth is mostly about skill-building. When something feels impossibly hard, it usually just means you’ve hit a gap in your skill set. Leadership, delegation, and operational thinking aren’t innate - they’re learned. I wish I’d recognized sooner that every challenge was really an invitation to sharpen a skill.

What’s your advice to someone who knows they’re at the cusp of a new season of business but feels scared?

Keep going, but pace yourself like it’s a marathon. Fear is usually just the sign that you’re stretching into a new skill or capacity. Don’t repeat mistakes, use them to improve your systems, and give yourself space to reset. I like to work in sprints - periods of focused effort followed by intentional downtime to rest and recalibrate. The combination of steady action and regular recovery keeps you moving forward without burning out.

Luisa Alberto is the CEO of People First Finance, a women-led financial services agency that provides bookkeeping, tax planning and financial strategy for agency and service-based business owners. She has 20 years of Finance and Operations experience working alongside visionary leaders of successful Bay Area startups, and earned her first entrepreneurial stripes as owner and operator of a boutique juice bar in San Francisco. Her mission is to ease the financial burden and overwhelm that holds too many ambitious business owners back from reaching their fullest potential.

Connect with Luisa on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.

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A human take on AI-created content

Jenni Gritters — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 14:39:32 GMT

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Psst: Jenni’s first book comes out on October 21st! Join the Launch Squad for a week of activities, teachings and workshops here.

Today I’m excited to introduce you to a delight of a human: Courtney Fanning is a brand messaging strategist and copywriter who brings a completely fresh perspective to the world of words. With a background as a professional ballerina and a master’s degree in “selling stories” from NYU, she’s built a practice that’s equal parts empathy, strategy, and creative play.

After living overseas with her family for the past few years, she restructured her entire business around a 30-hour work week, proving that you can thrive without grinding yourself into the ground. (Very on brand for those of us who love sustainable solopreneurship.)

She also has one of the most practical, no-BS takes on AI I’ve heard, especially for those of us who feel conflicted about it. (Spoiler: Write 10,000 words first, then we can talk.)

Enjoy Courtney’s take on the path less traveled.

Courtney, I’m so glad you’re here! Can you tell us a bit about how you’d describe your work right now?

If I said, I’m your sounding board, intuitive business advisor, sometimes therapist, mind reader, and I do your homework for a living, would you guess that I’m a copywriter? I think I speak for all copywriters when I say our work is deeply strategic, and so very little of it has to do with words.

I got my start building brand campaigns in the book publishing industry, and through a series of events, I worked in higher education, the arts, and the tech industry. It never ceases to amaze me that no matter the client or the industry—a leadership coach for high-performance organizations, a mental health app for veterans, a pediatrician turned newborn care course creator—about 80% of our time is spent unpacking who you are, how you want to be perceived, how your audience relates to your offers, and how to convey all those things in concise sound bites you can read.

Because of my background as an artist (I’m a former professional ballerina) and an academic (I have a master’s degree in “selling stories” from NYU), my work as a brand messaging strategist and copywriter is highly empathetic and informed by data. And I freaking love it!

What are some “non-traditional” copy strategies you use with your clients, and why do they work?

Beyond being conversion-minded and strategy-first, I really push my clients to loosen the top button and get more conversational with their copy. Even though my clients choose me because my own website is written in a conversational tone with depth, and they know their audiences respond to brands that sound imperfectly human, they fall into old patterns of communicating out of fear. To coach them out of this, I write a ton of before-and-after copy swipes for them as part of their Brand Messaging Strategy blueprint deck. Once a client sees: instead of “Comprehensive stakeholder engagement protocols,” we might say “We make sure the right voices are heard at the right time,” they get it, and we have so much more room to play!

I also have an Audience Persona & Brand Messaging framework where we “flip the script” to create core brand messaging you can literally copy and paste all over your website and brand assets. I hate a PDF brand guide that you can’t update (mine are all Google Slides) and is full of non-actionable guidelines that mean nothing. I work so hard to show my clients: Here’s exactly how you can use this and here’s where it can go. I want you to use the copy we develop in a hundred different ways!

I know you lived overseas for a bit. Can you tell us what this taught you about running a business and your own capacity?

It made me realize which activities I was doing were actually important to my business. When you take away after-school childcare, add in working across 14 different time zones, longer school holidays, and throw in a dash of special education needs, you very quickly realize you can’t run a business as usual. I grossly underestimated how much I’d need to restructure the pacing of my client work and that I’d have to put my Copywriting Cohort on pause because I simply did not have the capacity to do it all.

Guess what? It was AMAZING. It made me admit what I knew on paper (and my P&L) to be true. The things that were taking all of my time were making me the least amount of money and causing me the most amount of anxiety. It also unexpectedly revealed that not only am I an introvert in real life, but I am also an introvert online. I’m just not interested in being performative during this season of life. (And I say this as a former performance artist who, for better or worse, craves external validation!)

What are your thoughts about AI? I loved hearing you talk about inputs and outputs the other day. It honestly felt like a relief to me.

Pardon my French, but “crap in, crap out” is a phrase I first heard in a photography class, meaning it doesn’t matter how many filters or edits you make to an image; if the original composition and settings are crap, you’ll always end up with a crappy final product. This couldn’t be truer for anything produced with AI.

We could talk about whether AI should be used for any creative endeavor—or at all—but the truth is, there are practical applications where AI can help solopreneurs who don’t have the benefit of a team doing all the invisible labor of running a business behind the scenes.

When it comes to copy and content creation, I firmly believe you need to have written 10,000 words about your business before you’re allowed to touch AI. You need to have a solid P.O.V., and have expressed in your voice across all your tonal ranges (because you express yourself differently on an About page than you do on a Sales page, for example). Then, you need to decide which parts of your work need original content that comes straight from your head, your heart, and your soul.

Your client onboarding emails for a new offer might not need to be wholly original—but that first onboarding sequence should have been. You must not use AI to write something from scratch, ever. That first sequence, written by you, gives you a baseline, but you still need to review and edit every single line of copy to make sure it’s in alignment. If the output sounds like it could have come from anybody, then you’re not ready to use AI. You need to practice writing for yourself and finding yourself between the lines, because AI’s not going to do it for you. And honestly, neither will a copywriter… but that’s a discussion for another day!

What are you most excited about right now, related to your work?

Bringing “freedom to live” back into my business. Related to my return from living abroad, instead of going back to a 40-hour work week, I’m sticking with 30 and pouring more energy into being a mom. I’m also turning 40 soon, and my “good for her, not for me” meter is off the charts. May it last!

What advice would you give to someone else who’s thinking about taking a non-traditional approach to their work, but feels really scared to disrupt the status quo?

The people who stand out are the ones doing things differently. The biggest disservice the online business culture gave us is the same blueprint. Everyone thinks they need to build a business the same way because one person did it and called it “proven”. Never mind that they are probably running a content-based business, and you’re running a service-based business.

Groupthink kills a new small business every day, so do your own thing because it’s the only way to thrive, rather than spending every day fighting to survive.

Courtney Fanning is the founder of Big Picture Copywriting and an expert in brand messaging and conversion copywriting for startups, founders, and large businesses. She has 15+ years of experience writing for businesses and brands across 26 industries, and her clients have appeared in Forbes, The New York Times, SXSW, Apartment Therapy, Rising Tide Society & more. In addition to client-side services and a DIY copywriting template shop, Courtney is a speaker, mentor, and workshop facilitator teaching the strategic art of aligning your brand and messaging to resonate with your ideal audience. She also holds a master’s degree in Print & Digital Media from New York University, which she lovingly refers to as her master’s in “selling stories”.

Join 3000+ readers who subscribe to her bi-weekly newsletter, Letters From Your Editor, for actionable writing advice and industry hot-takes that’ll breathe inspiration back into your day.

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Using your voice to create CEO energy

Jenni Gritters — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 14:03:15 GMT

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Psst: Jenni’s first book comes out on October 21st! Join the Launch Squad for a week of activities, teachings and workshops here.

If you’ve ever felt afraid to talk about money, to charge what you’re truly worth, or to be unapologetically ambitious in your business, today’s Sample Paths interview is for you.

Stacy Corneau is a freelance writing coach who scaled her business to $30k months while working just three days a week (she’s my people!) and she’s on a mission to help other women do the same.

What I love most about Stacy is her refusal to play by patriarchal business rules. She doesn’t do free work. She doesn’t compete on pricing. And she sure as hell doesn’t apologize for wanting to make a lot of money. Her voice online is clear, powerful, and permission-giving in the best possible way, and it’s become even moreso over the past few months.

Today, she’s here to talk about stepping into your power, building what she calls “f*ck you money,” and why talking about your earnings isn’t tacky.

Enjoy!

Stacy, how would you describe your work right now?

I help women grow their freelance writing business to $10k+ months.

I work with all types of freelance writers - copy, content, technical, editors, translators - to give them the systems and strategies I used to scale to $30k months working three day weeks.

My goal is to help them ditch the chaotic, reactive, and unsustainable ways they’ve been managing their business and step into their CEO power with simpler systems that make things flow easier (and grow their bank accounts).

Can you tell us your backstory? How did you get to this place of hitting high revenue months regularly?

I worked in a very toxic corporate environment (think: 80 hour work weeks, unpaid overtime, and being cursed at on the regular). After finding out I was (yet again) passed over for a promotion thanks to BS internal politics, I quit. No backup plan. Definitely no savings.

I started my freelance writing business and hit my first $10k month in only 5 months. But… I was doing it all. Admin, bookkeeping, website updates, business development and, oh yeah, the actual client work. I was on the verge of burnout, but I just knew I was meant for more. More impact for my clients, more freedom for myself, more money, more time off…

So I rejigged my systems and processes. I learned how to talk to premium, high paying clients and pitch the kind of work they actually wanted to see. And I started making 6+ figures every 6 months, working an average of 3 days per week.

Your voice has been clear and powerful lately, especially on social media. Can you talk about how you’ve stepped into your power over the past few years?

What changed is that I got very clear on who I am, what I stand for, and what I’m not available for.

Too many of us operate out of people pleasing and good girl conditioning. We’re told that if we don’t do this, no one will [insert life changing thing here - hire us, rehire us, like us, LOVE us!]. We’re taught that being tolerated is to be respected, that being spoken over is the norm, and that undercharging is how you pay the bills.

Men aren’t taught these things. Men don’t subscribe to this way of thinking. And, the world doesn’t tear them down when they do the opposite of these things.

Frankly, I got sick of the patriarchal double standards - in how we price work, in how we run businesses, in how we show up on social media.

In an era of political, social, and economic horrors, it’s more important than ever to be clear on who you are and what you stand for. And, to show that transparently online so the right people flock to you (and the wrong people are repelled!).

What is one “standard” way of doing business that you’ve completely rejected?

Doing free work. Even thinking about it now, I nearly strained an eye muscle from rolling my eyes so hard. Nobody looks at something they got for free and thinks “wow, I should pay $8k for this next time.” Start cheap, stay cheap babes!

Honorable mention: competitive pricing. I don’t care what anyone else charges and I don’t compete with their rates. I once had a potential client tell me my rates were more than double the other freelancers’ they had received, some of whom had a decade of experience on me. Know who they hired? Me. Because I can speak to ROI, combine strategic thinking with great writing, and make their lives easier instead of just “doing the writing.”

I love how you act as an expander for women, especially around money. Why does this matter so much to you?

Even in the year 2025, women are told talking about money and wanting to make a lot of money is tacky, greedy, or somehow a bad look. I have literally been called a greedy b*tch online for sharing my approach to charging and how much money I make.

But money is safety. It’s the ability to leave an abusive relationship, move from an unsafe neighborhood to a nice one, trade in your decrepit car for something that gets your kids to and from school reliably, choose where you buy food and the quality of the food. I call it “f*ck you money” - the ability to say “f*ck you and f*ck that” to anything that doesn’t serve me. And more women need to have “f*ck you money” so they can live a life that’s safe (and thriving) for them.

What is your advice for someone who’s ready to step into using their voice authentically, finally?

From a practical standpoint: If you don’t know how, record yourself talking and turn that into a social post or email. You’ll get the flow soon enough.

From a mindset perspective: You’re changing, and some people won’t like that. Some of those people will be very loud. But I remind myself: Nobody who has ever tried to make me feel small has a life I admire.

As Taylor Swift said, shake it off.

Stacy Corneau grew her freelance writing business to multi-6 figures per year and now teaches women to grow their own freelance writing business so they have freedom, flexibility, and f*ck you money. She’s helped hundreds of women get more clients, work less hours, and build a life they love with simpler systems for growth.

Download her free guide, “The exact 6 steps to start making $250k+ each year as a freelance writer”

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Breaking the money rules

Jenni Gritters — Wed, 03 Sep 2025 14:48:24 GMT

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Most entrepreneurs think they have to choose between playing it safe or taking massive risks. Aneisha Velazquez found a third option: strategic experimentation. Starting as an ASL interpreter who discovered unpaid invoices sitting in her email for months, she's now a bookkeeper and "possibility engineer" who helps neurodivergent and introverted business owners make sense of their finances. (Hell yes, right?)

Instead of following traditional business advice that didn't fit her brain, Aneisha created systems that work with her natural tendencies, and now she's teaching others to do the same. Her approach to both business and money is refreshingly practical: Build the foundation you need, then customize everything else to support how you actually think and work. This whole interview feels like a huge permission slip!

Aneisha, how would you describe your work right now?

Most people see two unsatisfying options and pick one. I help people find the third option nobody offered them yet.

Right now, I help neurodivergent and introverted business owners handle their "money stuff" so they can focus on what they're actually good at. This looks like done-for-you bookkeeping handled monthly, and bookkeeping strategy sessions for solopreneurs who want to set things up right from the start so they're not stuck in bookkeeping confusion.

But the work that's really calling me forward doesn't have a name yet. I'm following my curiosity toward whatever emerges from the intersection of money, business, and consciousness. Right now that looks like writing about the neurodivergent entrepreneurial experience, sharing my accounting degree journey on YouTube, and exploring speaking opportunities about business, intuition, and third-option thinking.

We have so much in common! Can you tell us about your unique path to entrepreneurship?

I've always been someone who tries different rather than harder.

My background is in ASL interpreting, which threw me into non-traditional work from the start. I was both a W-2 part-time employee at a community college and a freelancer for agencies. But even while freelancing, I still had this employee mindset - I didn't understand the difference between having a job and owning your work.

The shift happened when I discovered I had multiple unpaid invoices sitting there for months - some from summer that I found in December. I had no system to track what I was owed. Setting up my first bookkeeping system with Wave was an important change. That was the start of developing "owner mindset" - realizing that I wasn't just an employee waiting for my employer to deposit my paycheck. I had an active role in this: sending invoices, monitoring payments, and even the right to charge late fees (learned that so late!).

From there, I started experimenting with different types of work. Each experiment taught me something unexpected about myself and business. Teaching English online showed me how to teach online. Math tutoring taught me to teach complex concepts simply, identify confusion points, and create my own business operations and bookkeeping systems. Even sewing taught me to persist at figuring things out on my own instead of following someone else's pattern.

But these experiments weren't exactly it, not quite right. And then someone mentioned bookkeeping as a business. It was perfect timing because I had just started wondering if there was work I could do around the financial backend stuff that I'd learned to love from my own business experiments. Around this time, synchronously, I received a short term translation project that gave me the money I needed to purchase the bookkeeping course recommended by that person. This gave me exactly what I needed to start Yellow Sky Business Services in 2022, where I could combine everything I'd learned about systems, teaching, and following my curiosity.

You mentioned you're a risk taker with risk-averse tendencies. Tell us more about that!

At the time, I didn't have a full strategy. I was just figuring out how to make changes while still paying for life. My husband worked too, but we needed both our incomes to pay bills.

What emerged was my approach to not stress out my nervous system: keep some consistency while making big changes. It's actually how I approach most of life - maintain one stable routine while experimenting with other elements. In this case, being able to pay our bills was the main routine. How I made the money could change.

My tactics became: Build savings, set clear conditions for when to make changes permanent - like waiting until my freelance income consistently matched my W-2 income - and know my exact numbers so I could see how much we needed each month and whether my current work was meeting that.

The whole approach was really about freeing up mental energy. Instead of spending all my energy worrying about worst-case scenarios, I could focus that energy on actually making things work. And it did work.

How do you help people find groundedness in business chaos?

I help people realize they don't have to choose between structure and flexibility - they can have both. Most people think business finances have to work one specific way, but there's actually room for customization.

I know which parts absolutely can't change (like IRS requirements) and which parts we can adapt to work with how your brain actually operates.

It's like having the foundation and walls in place, but you get to choose the paint colors and furniture. So while the basic bookkeeping structure is the same, some people need to check their numbers weekly, others work better quarterly. Some prefer automation, others want hands-on control. The structure stays the same, but how you interact with it can be completely different. That's when you get systems that actually support you instead of feeling like another thing you have to fight.

As an example, I had one strategy call client ready to hire a VA for a receipts project that turned out to be a completely unnecessary workflow. I showed her a better way and saved her both the VA cost and the headache.

What's one "non-traditional" business practice that works well for you?

I follow my curiosity, which is tied to my intuition, for business decisions. This year I decided to trust it completely instead of second-guessing myself with "best practices."

I've learned to follow it more and more because I actually keep track of how following my intuition versus ignoring it turns out. When I look back at decisions, the pattern is clear - following my intuition consistently leads to better outcomes.

I used to hear what other people said I "should'" do and follow that instead, overriding my intuition. Like when I tried multiple times to make social media marketing work even though I could feel it wasn't right for me. My referral-based approach was bringing in clients while social media was less effective and more energy-draining.

Now when I get that intuitive hit, I listen. Could I have forced tutoring into a big business? Probably. But intuitively, I knew something better was coming that would be more aligned and take less effort. And there was.

Intuition is the biggest permission slip. As someone who spends a lot of time talking to people about money: What do you believe people get wrong about finances?

The biggest thing people get wrong about finances is thinking bookkeeping is just for tax prep or getting loans. No! Your financial tracking is for YOU - to make confident decisions about your business.

Even if taxes didn't exist, you'd still need your numbers to make confident decisions. Like: How much money is your business genuinely generating? Which customers still owe you money? Do you have enough cash for upcoming bills? What education or software investments can you afford and when?

And once you have this clarity? You can work with business coaches more effectively, discover which services are actually profitable, and stop wasting energy on offerings that drain your resources. Your business finances are for you, not just your accountant.

Final question: Any advice for risk-averse people wanting to choose a non-traditional path?

You don't have to choose between staying stuck or taking huge risks.

Start with experiments, not commitments. If you've got stable work right now, try something small on the side - teach a friend's kid math, help someone decorate their house, whatever matches your skills. It doesn't even have to be a full business. See how it goes and how you feel about it.

Put a time limit on it, too, like I'm just going to try this for a few months and see what happens. That way you avoid the sunk-cost trap. When it's just an experiment, it's easier to stop when you realize it's not working instead of feeling like you have to keep going because you've invested so much.

Get your personal finances organized first and build up your savings. When you know your numbers - what you actually spend versus what you must spend - you can figure out how long your savings would last if income got slow. That clarity makes everything less scary.

Aneisha Velazquez is a bookkeeper and possibility engineer to neurodivergent and introverted business owners. Her approach is "trying different, not harder," helping them organize their finances and understand their numbers. These days, Aneisha turns bookkeeping confusion into clarity while documenting her business and accounting degree journey through writing and video content.

Connect with Aneisha:

Personal Website: https://aneishavelazquez.com/
Bookkeeping Website: https://www.yellowskybusiness.services/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AneishaWonders

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Finding the real you beneath the conditioning

Jenni Gritters — Wed, 30 Jul 2025 14:58:23 GMT

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Sometimes social media delivers soul-aligned humans right to your door step, and that’s the case with John Maurice. I posted something about the layers of conditioning that keep us stuck and John’s response to the post was so aligned that I immediately invited him to join us on Sample Paths.

What struck me most about John was his honesty about the gap between who we think we should be in business, versus who we actually are. After running multiple successful ventures, from a dance studio to a classic car magazine to a web development company, John found himself stuck, chasing trends and building for a version of himself he'd outgrown.

Today, John runs Prima, where he helps solo founders create simple workflows and systems that actually work for their lives. But his path to get here involved some serious soul-searching about identity, performance, and what it means to build a business that truly fits. I think you'll find his story both relatable and inspiring.

Enjoy!

John, how would you describe your work right now?

I'm working with awesome people on inspiring projects, helping to make the lift lighter for fellow solopreneurs. My focus is optimizing, streamlining, and building tools that give you back time and focus.

With deliverables, I'm in my wheelhouse. It's a mix of creative and technical work that feels fun. So I'd say I'm having a blast!

Tell us about your unique path to entrepreneurship. How did you arrive here?

How much space do you have? 🤣 But seriously, my path has been anything but a straight line.

I'll give you the quick tour:

I had two entrepreneurial influences in my young life. One was my 3rd-great-grandfather, a creator who developed an early electric car. The other was my grandfather, a self-made immigrant who built multiple businesses. He passed away when I was eight years old. My parents didn't have business experience, but they told me stories of my ancestors. These served as sparks that said, "Choose your own path. It's possible."

My first business was a dance studio that I co-founded with my now-ex wife. She taught most of the classes, while I taught and ran the business side of things. I had NO CLUE how to run a business, but it was such a low barrier to entry, it afforded me the opportunity to make mistakes and course-correct as we went. We grew from 20 students in the first year to 140 students by the fourth year, including taking a team to perform in the Orange Bowl halftime show. I ran a very tight ship on the ops side of things, driven by a database I hand-built. This gave us tremendous insight into various aspects, which helped us make numerous key decisions when it mattered most.

About a year into that business, I saw an episode of Oprah with Robert Kiyosaki, which sparked discussions about getting into real estate. It took a few years, but eventually I grew a small portfolio of rent-to-own homes. I enjoyed it quite a bit and had fantastic returns.

After a few years, we closed the dance studio, sold the houses, and moved from rural Maine to bustling NYC in 2006 so she could pursue a career in acting. That's where my client-based solopreneur journey began. The first year was slow but steady. Remember, this is in the pre-social media era.

Via word of mouth, I partnered with a marketing agency in Florida. We worked well together, got into a rhythm, and they soon made me their go-to guy for more critical websites and bigger clients needing custom-built features. In a three-year span, we published 60 websites together, including sites for Orangetheory Fitness, Corpac Steel, and several other small chains in various industries in the US and Europe.

Just after that peak, I learned a key lesson in impermanence. I got separated, then later endured a bitter divorce. And wouldn't you know it, right around that time, the agency decided to sell. They represented about 80% of my business, and the new owners had their own team, wanting nothing to do with me. Overnight… Poof. Business gone.

So I decided to focus on the clients I had while considering other options.

I launched a Facebook Page around my interest in classic cars. Previously, I'd had a hand in recreating a significant custom vehicle, so I was slightly known in the old car world.

For over a year, I spent 10-15 minutes every day sharing photos and connecting with people. Well, that little page grew and grew. Around the time when it hit 4,000 fans, I announced that I was starting a print magazine. Right away, subscriptions sold. Then, I created a few designs and t-shirts started selling. It was in motion.

Then, life revolved around a schedule of car shows, taking photos, running social media, writing articles, creating magazine layouts, and the joys of publishing and mass mailing. Oh, and let's not forget hand-packing each one!

But at the start of the second year, something shifted. I learned my father (who inspired my interest in old cars) was getting quite sick. We didn't know it yet, but he was misdiagnosed with Parkinson's. In actuality, he had its lesser-known, related illness: PSP.

On a July day in 2015, I found myself standing on a rooftop in Independence, Missouri in the sweltering heat, looking down at arguably one of the most beautiful custom car collections in the United States. I lowered the camera after a gorgeous shot and a single thought popped into my brain: "I think I'm done with this."

For several months, I fought against that feeling. Every day, I'd wake up to see more and more Facebook fans (16K and climbing).

But I felt like a massive fraud. I'd simply lost interest — not just in the business, but in the cars altogether. Explaining that to fans and followers would have been seriously confusing. And that's something I've never shared publicly before.

By the end of the second year of publication, I shut it down. It was like pulling teeth getting that last issue out. Mistakes were made, but I almost didn't care. I just wanted it done and gone. The reaction to closing was generally supportive, though some customers were deeply upset, including one who emailed me for years trying to hassle me. Ick.

After that, I let out a huge exhale, then attempted to go back into web design and development. That phase went like this: struggle, struggle, struggle, struggle, struggle, MASSIVE $35K contract. A marketing agency found me through a LinkedIn search just after I happened to update my dormant profile. I went in for an interview, ultimately landing a multi-site deal. Weird how things work like that, isn't it?

During that contract, I became increasingly agitated with the work. I wasn't enjoying the process and questioned whether I was on the right path.

Soon after that wrapped up, my father passed away. I'm compressing for time and space here, but it had been a long, slow, terrifying slide for him. That left me with much to think about, and I'd love to tell you that it kicked off a movie-like third act turnaround.

Fun fact: It didn't. It took time to heal and recover.

I took time after his passing to drift and reflect. I considered a few business ideas and got into writing and started listening to authors like Elana Johnson, who inspired me to think about writing romance.

Oh, but there was much more to getting to the ops work I'm doing now. Let's save that for the next question.

You commented on a LinkedIn post of mine recently about the sense of "performing" your life, versus living it. You said you realized that your habits, routines and business choices were built for a version of you that you'd outgrown. Can you tell us more about that realization?

I attended a real estate "boot camp" in Phoenix back in 2003. One topic that came up was the dangers of being a "fallen angel" investor. That's someone who used to be successful, but no longer is. Yet, they don't realize they're not as successful. Years later, as I had challenges with the folding of my first web design business, followed by the folding of the magazine, I recalled the "fallen angel" concept. I started to think I was cursed in some way. And it haunted me for a really, really long time.

Remember how I landed all that agency design and development work? I'd launched 125+ websites. And do you know how many testimonials I asked for… and received? Four. My work was mostly agency-supported, so I let myself get too lax with asking. That "lack of proof" hung around my neck for ages.

I thought I was running from fear. But when it's all you think about… you're running straight toward it.

So I flailed and did "all the things"… took the courses, got coaching and training, and tried and tried and tried. I created posts, sent cold emails, pitched, re-pitched, followed up... but man, nothing would stick. I changed my business model and changed my offers like changing sheets. I even tried getting a conventional job, where I was essentially laughed at for being over-qualified.

I was trying to follow the trends, getting pulled every which way with what I "should" be doing. I felt extremely disconnected from creating anything with value.

I felt stuck. Not oh-you'll-bounce-back-soon stuck… but seriously stuck. I felt I was in a graveyard with the ghosts of successful businesses past.

Now, one amazing thing that came out of the cold pitching course I took during that time was co-founding a small solopreneurs group. There are five of us in there, and we've been meeting every week now for just over 2 1/2 years. These are people I now consider some of my closest friends.

At the start of the year, one woman in the group made a comment about needing to shift her identity to reach a new level. This sparked serious deep thinking and exploration on my end. I journaled thousands and thousands of words. Then, knowing it was a safe space, I opened up to her and shared some additional challenges I was feeling and reflecting on.

She countered with additional questions for deeper insight. Reviewing those questions and journaling on them triggered a shift I hadn't realized I'd been missing in ages. I felt like I'd gone back to the spark before the drifting, before the magazine, before the tumult of the web design business. Back, back, back...

That's when I finally embraced what I'd been saying I was doing, but resisting for years: mindset-first. Be-Do-Have. And everything changed.

I revisited the "real estate" model — not to get back into real estate, but rather the concept of it: Choose your time, choose your investments wisely by running the numbers before you buy, then take action. Everything snapped into view.

Right on the heels of that realization, I got a request to do some admin and ops work for a local contractor. Was this a sign I was on the right track?

That request turned into a spark: I bet I could offer this for other solopreneurs. And I could focus on building simple workflows and tools that lighten the lift.

Looking back, whether it was organizing classes at a dance studio, building a database for 140+ students, publishing 125+ websites, or managing magazine production, I was always the operator. The one building systems behind the scenes. I didn't have the language for it then, but that was ops work.

Once you'd realized this, you said you made a big change by stripping things back, which helped you feel relief. What did you do, practically, to bring things back into alignment?

Instead of splintering my time, I split my time. My ops business would get the bulk of my focus, while my self-publishing would also get some time.

I thought about all the things I used to do that ultimately didn't work that well and made a list of non-negotiables…

I'm not sending cold pitches. I'm not smacking people in the face with offers. I'm not over-committing. Instead, I'm going back to trusting my gut.

I chose to stop creating from obligation and started building from clarity. I chose to get back to being in my creative wheelhouse.

To support that, I adjusted my approach: outreach first, content second. I restructured my day to match my energy. And I trimmed my tech stack to the essentials. These weren't surface tweaks. They were quiet revolutions.

What is it about business that helps us see ourselves clearly?

Your business is a mirror. It reflects your patterns, your fears, and your beliefs about value and worth. If you're avoiding hard conversations, overcomplicating what you offer, or you're afraid to be seen, your business will show it.

But if you're curious enough to look at what's really being mirrored back, it becomes a place for growth. That's what happened for me.

In every business I started that worked, the vibe was "I'm over here doing cool stuff. Interested? Let's talk." I wasn't waving my arms for attention. I was just myself. I won't say I never had fears, but I wasn't afraid of failing.

If you approached your business like: "What if you couldn't fail?" How would that change things for you?

That's the question I'm asking now.

How would you describe the current era you're in? And what is the real you excited about, in this era right now, in his work and life?

I'm in the season of rebuilding with precision. After 25+ years in business, including a decade of chasing too many things too fast, I'm focused on building one thing well – Prima – to create the financial and creative stability I've needed for a long time.

While Prima is fairly new, I'm excited about helping smart people optimize and deliver better. Less stress. More time for fun.

That's my "reason why" right now.

Getting that right means more time and space for creating music and traveling. Things I considered "luxuries" for far too long. Many people don't know I've recorded hundreds of songs. I hit pause on that years ago, and let it slip away, thinking it was the right move. Now, I'm intentionally making space for what's most important.

What advice would you give to someone who's also feeling this sense of performance in their work, and wants to make a change?

I believe we all have the power to pivot and change at any time.

I'm not suggesting it will be easy or challenge-free. But I'm saying you can have that option available to you if you choose it.

So if you're at a point where you feel you're just dancing for strangers, ask yourself: "Who was I building this for? Who am I now?"

It's clichéd but true: If you see a wall, build a door. Find a way.

Your next chapter won't come from copying someone else's formula. It will come from listening and trusting yourself long enough to build something that aligns.

Most solo founders hit a point where leads fall through the cracks, client work gets chaotic, and systems feel duct-taped together. John helps you clean it up and put simple workflows in place – so you stop losing time, leads, and peace of mind. Sound familiar? Connect with John on LinkedIn or book a free Ops Blueprint call.

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The spirit of creativity

Jenni Gritters — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 14:17:44 GMT

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When I first discovered Dani Fankhauser's work, I was immediately drawn to her unique approach to coaching writers. As someone who has experienced firsthand how creative blocks often stem from deeper emotional patterns, I knew her perspective on intuition would resonate with our community.

Today, she shares her journey from startup co-founder to intuitive writing coach. She explains why she deleted her LinkedIn account (and never looked back), and also talks about how she helps writers understand that creative flow is really just nervous system regulation in disguise.

Enjoy!

Dani, how would you describe your work right now?

I help people write books. That's the simple answer. But once we get started digging into the blocks people have within their writing routines, and even talking about craft questions, we end up talking about childhood trauma. I've been doing this work on myself long enough to not be surprised by this.

When I was struggling to write my first novel, I turned to meditation to help me, and eventually did an in-depth training in meditation and energy healing. Now I coach and teach classes that combine the practical side of writing with the healing practices that open up the creative channel.

I believe that when we have a book idea and feel that urge to get it down and share it widely, it's really our subconscious (or soul) that is wanting to bring something to the conscious mind to be healed. Through the process of writing, we process and clear these old emotional hurdles. Then, what's really cool is that the book itself becomes a healing transmission when people read it. If you think about the books that changed your life, that gave you a new perspective on the world or helped you see yourself in a new way—it's because the author was willing to go through an alchemical process themselves, during the writing.

Tell us about your unique path to entrepreneurship. How did you arrive here? What drew you to the non-traditional working world?

As a child, I was a big daydreamer. Even when I had my first business internship in college, I remember thinking that it felt wrong to be in an office during the best part of the day. And I always wanted to write books.

But I also wanted to prove to my parents that I could pay off my student loans, so after getting a master's in journalism, I worked for media companies as an editor, and then technology startups doing content and marketing. Eventually, I was the cofounder of a few early-stage startups. I would say I was drawn to the building stage of creating something from nothing, and the inherent risk.

It was still an awkward jump to making myself the product, as a teacher and coach. I left my startup role to write my first novel, and then I was desperate to build income in a way that allowed me the time and presence I needed to keep working on fiction. I'd also trained in astrology, so I offered readings and team-building workshops for awhile (and wrote one of my favorite articles ever—about Taylor Swift's progressed moon for Refinery29!). I struggled to bring together the various trainings and skills I'd accumulated into a clear offer until a business coach pointed out that my clients were mostly writers and I'm a writer, so why not focus on helping writers?

It’s great to hear about your transition. I think a lot of my readers will resonate with having different skills and passions, but not knowing how to thread them together. Can you tell us more about how your writing and spiritual perspectives come together in a coaching setting?

Yes! Fun story: When I sat down to write my first novel, while I was on what I called a "sabbatical" from working for startups, I estimated that I could write 5,000 words per day and be done in three weeks. I was assuming I could sit at my desk for the usual number of hours I had in the last decade of day jobs. It turns out that creative writing is a different animal completely. The more I tried to write, the worse my writing was, or I couldn't write anything at all.

What I learned over the next few years, in studying spiritual practices, especially energy healing and manifestation, is that what we call creative flow is just nervous system regulation and intuition. It's not active; it's receptive.

The discipline we need to write well is to persistently get ourselves into a bliss state. Good writing feels more like listening than doing.

From a more technical side, the writing comes from the subconscious. When we meditate, or are otherwise relaxed, our brain wave state lowers from beta to alpha and maybe down to the sleep states. It's connecting the wires between the conscious and subconscious minds. That is like plugging the intuition in. There's a lot of leeway into how it's done, and that's why so many writers have quirky opening writing rituals.

Whew! I’m writing that down: Good writing is about reception, not doing. Speaking of quirkiness: What is an unconventional decision you've made regarding to how you set up your work? How did it map out?

A muscle I've been building over many years now is to trust my intuition, no matter how batshit it sounds. A few years ago, I deleted my LinkedIn account. This made no logical sense.

At this point, I'd left my job and written a novel, but I wasn't getting offers from literary agents, and I still didn't have a strong idea of what my business would be. And even so—most people would argue I could use LinkedIn to promote my writing and any business endeavor, since I had a great network there built over a 10+ year career.

The way my intuition came through was that I'd sort of fantasized about deleting the account a few times, and gotten excited when I saw another writer say she'd deleted hers, and then one day I was journaling after a leisurely morning at the beach and had this incredible urge to do it immediately and never look back.

Years later, I understand why. Every time I worried my fiction was a waste of time or that my business was doomed, I would have been tempted to go back onto LinkedIn, in a panic, and apply for jobs (that I didn't actually want). I needed to cut off that avenue to protect my psyche.

It's not something I'd recommend for anyone else, but that's how intuition is—it gives you, the individual, the exact path you need.

How do you believe about human, authentic writing during this era of increased AI?

What worries me about AI is the way I hear writers say they use it for creative problem-solving during those moments when your mind is drawing a blank and you want to generate ideas. Naturally, you feel like you're saving time by asking AI.

The problem is that the brain operates on neural pathways. If you don't use it, you lose it.

But if we stop using our brain's ability to generate a solution and, more crucially, to have agency in making the best choice—we become slave to the AI who "knows better." We lose our ability to have original thought.

I also believe AI will become an essential part of our world. It comes down to discernment in how to use it in a way that doesn't siphon off our own intelligence. And that ability to discern is exactly what we're at the risk of losing—and is another reason why I'm so adamant about teaching intuition.

What advice would you give to someone who's struggling with not feeling connected to the "standard" paths of work and wants to make a change?

My best advice is to figure out what your soul wants. We all have a part that wants approval and safety, and then our soul, which wants growth. For a lot of us who start business or write books, it's because our soul wants expansion.

This is something I learned from writing my first novel. When I got an editor's feedback, I found out the reason the book wasn't compelling was because I was subtly guiding my protagonist away from conflict, as if to protect her. We want the opposite in a book. We want stakes. That's fun for the reader. We want to turn the character down the dark alley, and so on.

I was doing the same thing in my life. If I hit any road block, I thought I wasn't on the right track. For the soul, it's the opposite. The soul wants bigger stakes. That's fun for the soul.

That's why you're thinking about going off-script. When you see the challenges as carrots that mark your highest path, you have a completely different (and more pleasurable) experience of life!

Dani Fankhauser is an intuitive healer and writing coach. She teaches spiritual practices to help writers trust their inner voice so their words can reach the masses. Her fiction has been published by Sheepshead Review, NonBinary Review, HAD, and Nightshade Publishing.

To hear more from Dani, check out her website at https://www.danifankhauser.com or follow her on Instagram.

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Separating your work from your identity

Jenni Gritters — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 14:26:28 GMT

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Psst: I sneaky launched a fun little mini-program this week called KNOWN. Think: soul-level understandings about who you are, what you’re meant to do, and what it looks like to operate with your unique energy and skillsets.

Snag a spot

What if the key to sustainable success isn't another marketing strategy or productivity hack, but a complete reframe of how you see yourself and your work?

Michele Jaret discovered this truth during a spiritual awakening at 27 that led her to quit her successful advertising career and embark on a 12-year freelancing journey. Now a coach for creative, sensitive entrepreneurs, Michele helps people move beyond "survival mode" business practices and into work that flows naturally from who they truly are.

In short: Michele and I have very similar perspectives and thoughts about how to run a business without abandoning yourself and your soul. I think you’ll love this one!

In this conversation, we dive deep into the inner work of entrepreneurship, including how to separate your identity from your work, why the business world's obsession with growth often backfires, and practical ways to build the internal support structures that make freelance life not just sustainable, but liberating. Enjoy!

Michele, how would you describe your work right now?

It’s amazing for me to say this now, because it has been a work in progress for quite some time, but my work has truly become an extension of who I am at my core: my gifts, my passions, my calling.

I want this for everyone, but I also know that it doesn’t happen overnight. In my experience, work/life optimization is a path, not a one-time change. Navigating this path can feel scary because for creative, sensitive types like us, there’s often a good reason why we chose to hide behind a more “buttoned-up” corporate role, for example. We probably didn’t always feel safe to express our gifts or authenticity, whether that was because the world reflected a different version of power and success, or because our family systems guided us in a different direction, or something else. When this is the case, stepping forward and saying, “I think I have something valuable to offer the world…as myself,” can feel vulnerable.

In terms of what I offer and who I serve, I mentor and coach freelancers, and would-be freelancers. I offer support for people who are actively making the transition from full-time to freelance. We cover all of the practical steps, as well as the mental and emotional reframing that is often overlooked, but so crucial! Additionally, I support current freelancers in navigating the practical and emotional side of life without a steady paycheck. This looks like helping people build the necessary internal support structures to graduate beyond the level of “grinding and stressing about getting jobs,” and onto the level of “now, how do I want my work and life to look?” When that happens, everything opens up, and we get to truly enjoy the massive perks of freelance life.

Tell us about your unique path to entrepreneurship. How did you arrive here? What drew you to the non-traditional working world?

To put it candidly, I had a spiritual awakening at the age of 27. The short story is that I was intensely committed to building a successful career as an advertising creative. At that time I was working full-time in an ad agency in New York City, and having a lot of success. (Huge awards, promotions, etc.) At the same time, I was becoming increasingly anxious and depressed. That dissonance between what I thought was “correct,” and how it made me feel on the inside cracked something open for me.

Within 2 weeks of that “awakening,” I quit my job and became a freelancer. From that moment on, I was on a spiritual path toward coming home to who I really am, while creating a working life that honored those gifts. The result has been an incredible 12-year freelance + personal growth journey. About 3 years ago, this path led me to begin coaching and mentoring others like me. It has been so rewarding to see others come home to themselves, too. I believe that this is what we are all meant to do, one way or another.

We have similar perspectives about business being an inside-out job. Can you tell me more about how you arrived at this perspective, and how it shows up in the work you do?

When I had my awakening, one of my realizations was that I had been looking toward my career to make me into someone successful and valuable. It was an outside-in pursuit, in that I had an image of who I needed to be in order to get the validation I thought I needed to get love, and to survive financially. This was all subconscious, of course. And, at the root of it, there was a belief that who I really am at my core was flawed or wrong.

The coaching journey allows us to look at where these subconscious beliefs come from, and then dissolve them. When that happens, we can start to see ourselves in a more empowering light. Who I truly am turns out to be all I need to be to do the work in the world that I am here to do. This is the inside-out approach to career, but it requires that we first make contact with the True Self, so to speak. When that happens, we find that we are actually being guided from within toward the life and career that really lights us up, and truly suits our needs. This is where the fun starts.

I love what you shared with me recently about untying your identity from your work. If you could, please share more about why this is so important for mental health, and how you walk people through this process.

As kids, we were always asked “What do you want to be when you grow up?” There is an implication there that we are meant to go out and become someone else, and that when we do, we will have “arrived” in some way.

The problem, of course, is that we cannot actually become someone else—and, we never needed to. So, when career success is tied to “who we can become as people,” it’s like the dangling carrot that we can never actually reach. Work will always fluctuate. There will be good days and bad days. Markets change. In other words, there is no ultimate “arrival,” which means that as long as our identity hinges on “getting somewhere,” we’ll never be good enough.

The antidote, I believe, is to begin to breathe life into the non-work aspects of life, so that we can get to know who we are as humans, not just as workers. Incidentally, when we can begin to see ourselves as we already are—good enough, brilliant in our own ways and uniquely gifted with a purpose to serve—”work” does start to flow forth from us in a very natural way, almost as a painting comes forth from a painter. Still, though, the painting is not the identity of the painter, and I think that is very important to remember.

What does the "standard biz world" get wrong about growth & business success, in your mind?

By and large, it seems that many people are approaching career and business from “survival mode.” This is not just an interesting phrase, this is an actual nervous system state in which the body believes that its very survival is at stake.

When this happens, cortisol and adrenaline are released into the bloodstream, signaling the body to do several things: our focus narrows to only survival-based thoughts and actions, and all non-essential bodily processes are shut down, so that the we have the extra energy necessary for running or fighting for our lives. Since that usually happens while we’re sitting in front of a computer, or at a Zoom meeting, that extra energy and narrowed focus has nowhere to go, and ends up feeling like stress, tension, anxiety and fear.

All of this happens mostly unconsciously for people, which means the extra energy never gets discharged. Instead, it loops in the body, creating more fear, which in turn signals that there is still a threat present. This keeps the release of cortisol going, putting us in a chronic loop of fear and stress, making “survival mode” feel like “business as usual.” We forget what it’s like to actually just be good, and the narrowed focus makes it impossible to imagine what else could be available for us outside of just “getting by.”

I think a lot of business advice and conversation has “survival” at the root of it. You see this in the constant push for higher dollar amounts, and the fear-based conversations around AI and the ominous changes to the markets that threaten our job security. The business landscape has always changed and evolved, and always will. Humans adapt, but we won’t have the creativity, motivation and excitement to make those adaptations if we’re stuck in survival mode.

This has been a tough year for a lot of solopreneurs: consultants, freelancers, small biz owners. What has helped you keep things afloat?

One of the gifts of working as a freelancer for 12 years is that I have done this through so many different business climates. I was a freelancer when advertising was booming. I was a freelancer through COVID when work was practically non-existent. I was a freelancer when I moved across the country, leaving behind my entire client base in New York, before remote work was a thing.

Over the years, I have found that there is a ground underneath this whole experience, and work isn’t the ultimate ground we’re standing on. When the client base we think is sustaining us goes away, it turns out we’re still being supported—we just have to learn how to feel into and receive that deeper support.

When I don’t have much work, I have found that there is always something else there asking for my attention. When I am willing to shift my attention to that “something else,” this open “non-work” time off becomes a gift. I believe that when we can expand our definition of what is “our work to do,” we find that we are always being given the time and space to take care of what’s most important. And, that’s not always earning money.

Now, here’s the practical piece: I have found that the only way we can really allow ourselves to trust what I said above, is to have a really clear eye on our finances, or “our numbers,” as I call them.

When we run our numbers in a systematic way, i.e. tracking how much we need for every season of our lives, and tracking what we have coming in, we can comfortably say, “Ok, I’m safe. It’s okay if I am not on a job for 2 weeks, for 2 months, etc.” Or, we may find out that we are living in a way that we can’t actually support with the income at hand. In either case, we need this information in order to be able to do something about it. Not from fear, but from personal power. This is what it really means to “be your own boss.”

Do you have any predictions you'd like to share about where business is going, with AI and economic unrest in the mix?

Life is always unfolding exactly as it’s supposed to for our highest good—even when it doesn’t look like it at the moment. I’m a growth person, which means that I use every single life experience as a vehicle to evolve into greater ownership of my personal power, freedom and authentic expression. Sometimes this looks like getting the things I think I want, but sometimes it looks like my entire world crashing down around me, because those things were ultimately too small for where I am headed.

Life is always going to “life,” so to speak. For that reason, it’s good to have some kind of spiritual outlook, or at least a guiding philosophy that you can lean on internally when things look unstable externally. Even something like, “I have always figured it out, and I trust myself to continue to do so,” or “I know I’ve got my own back,” can help to stabilize you.

What advice would you give to someone who's feeling stuck about what comes next, or scared to step out of an identity that has been mostly tied to work?

First, I would say that I totally get it, and I understand that this can feel really challenging.

The other thing I would say is “congratulations!” Usually, this sense of fear and stuckness is just us becoming more aware of where we’re misaligned with what’s really best for us. Awareness is always the first step, and although it may not feel like it, that awareness means that you are ready to start the shift.

The good news is that you don’t have to fling yourself off of a cliff without a parachute to make that shift, which is probably what your nervous system, or fear voice is anticipating.

In terms of practical steps, I suggest tuning inwardly, and begin to notice what one step seems to be calling you from within. It will feel like a pull to go to sign up with a particular coach, or a pull to go check out a particular kind of yoga or art class. When we’re working with the internal guidance system, we get the steps one at a time. It can be very gentle. If the fear voice comes in and says you have to make a drastic, terrifying change all at once, just name it as the fear voice, and return to the question, “what is the single next step I am being called to right now.”

If you can’t access that right now, that’s ok. Do a brain dump, wherein you journal out all of your thoughts, fears, ideas, to-do’s, questions and concerns. Underneath all of that, you’ll likely get a hit of clarity on what gets to happen next.

If clarity is still hard to access, go ahead and get the support of a coach or mentor. We are not meant to do this all alone, and there is no reason to stay stuck indefinitely.

Michele Jaret is a career freelancer and career coach to freelancers, would-be freelancers and other sensitive & creative post-corporate types transitioning to a more authentically aligned work-life.

Her own freelance career has been a 12-year journey of “incremental optimization,” resulting in work that stems from her true gifts, and a life that feels wholly her own. These days, Michele has a part-time homebase on an island in Georgia, and spends the rest of her time living nomadically.

Current Programs + Offers:

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Breaking free from corporate trauma

Jenni Gritters — Wed, 28 May 2025 14:25:11 GMT

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Taking a unique path to solopreneurship and want to share your path, model or perspective? Respond to this email with a few sentences about yourself— I’d love to feature you in this summer’s Sample Paths!

A few months ago, I was introduced to Dara M. Wilson, an entrepreneur who's changing how we think about work, success, and building businesses that honor our authentic selves. Her approach challenges everything we've been taught about "best practices" and offers a radical alternative that centers liberation, joy, and our unique gifts. If you know me, you know I’m all about these kinds of conversation.

Recently, she offered an incredible workshop within my SUSTAIN program about how to build a brand that feels like you, and today I asked her to talk more about her non-traditional paths to success. She’ll also be teaching about sales and marketing in SUSTAIN in June, too.

If you've ever felt like traditional business advice asks you to shrink yourself to fit into boxes that weren't made for you, this is your kind of conversation.

Dara, can you tell us about your work right now? Who do you serve and how?

I help women and nonbinary folks who've endured toxic workplaces shed corporate trauma and build lives they love by decolonizing their relationships to work and success. I provide the only approach to seeking out work, whether that's a new job or new clients, that is specifically designed to help my clients heal from corporate trauma while landing values-aligned roles and work that pays them what they deserve.

Hell yes. What "common" business practices drive you nuts? Why?

Most business advice asks you to shrink and twist yourself to fit into little boxes that weren't made for you to begin with. To follow rigid formulas created by straight white men with completely different life experiences than yours.

I cannot stand the way traditional marketing positions marginalized folks as problems to be fixed rather than brilliance to be celebrated. It's exhausting watching coaches convince brilliant people they're fundamentally broken so they can sell them the fix.

The whole "best practices" approach to business drives me up the wall, too, because most of it is just capitalist extraction repackaged as wisdom. When someone tells you "this is how it's done," what they're really saying is "this is how white supremacist capitalist patriarchy does it" — and that system was never designed for our thriving.

I'm also done with the "follow these 7 steps" approach that treats people like interchangeable parts. The idea that there's one formula for success fundamentally misunderstands how different our needs, energies, and gifts are. It's like trying to solve a housing crisis by making everyone live in identical boxes.

In your own business, how have you used "non-traditional" practices to find more health and ease?

I center what I call my Manifestor energy — which means I work in intense bursts of creation followed by necessary rest periods. I'm not designed for constant output, so I've built my entire business model around this natural rhythm instead of fighting it.

When I postponed my Toxic Job Detox Party in March, I wrote to everyone: "I want to dance WITH you, not FOR you." I let my community see that revolutionary rest is part of revolutionary joy. And you know what happened? Over 100 MORE people signed up after that announcement, because they wanted to share space with someone practicing radical rest.

I deliberately avoid launch culture and the whole "hustle harder" approach. Instead of jamming my calendar with multiple events, I run fewer programs more intentionally. That means I'm not constantly in marketing mode, which leaves me more energy for actual client work.

And most importantly, I track my energy alongside my revenue. If a business practice makes money but leaves me feeling like a withered husk, that's not success to me. It's just the same cycle of extraction I help my clients escape.

I love that you’re walking the walk. With that in mind, what does "growth" look like for you?

Growth for me is about impact through liberation.

I'm building an army of decolonized workers who grow exponentially by existing and thriving loudly, even in a climate telling you to clamp up, lose your accent, go back into the closet, and expect scraps.

Each person who breaks free from toxicity and steps into their power creates ripple effects. When my clients land dream roles and double their salaries... When they score an amazing contract with an aligned client, they change not just their own lives, but what's possible for everyone around them.

Growth also means deepening rather than just expanding. I'd rather reach fewer people with transformative work than thousands with watered-down content.

And let's be real: Growth includes my own financial abundance. I add $100K to my clients' salaries because I believe in the revolutionary power of economic justice. That same justice means I get paid well for this work too.

But my biggest wins are never financial. When a client emails me: "I just walked out of a toxic interview and it felt AMAZING to know I don't need their bullshit anymore." That's what lights me up and lets me know I'm going in the right direction.

When you joined us in SUSTAIN last month, you talked about the red marble method. Can you explain what that idea is about? How does it change the way we do business?

Think about this: What happens when you dump a bag of white marbles on a table? They all blend together. They're all just... round. White. Identical.

That's what happens when stars — brilliant, neurospicy, justice-minded, creative folks try to follow traditional formulas. They strip away everything special about themselves trying to look like everyone else.

But if you dropped one red marble into that pile? It would be impossible to overlook. That's what happens when you build offers — or resumes or LinkedIn profiles — around what makes you truly extraordinary. Your Red Marble Factor is exactly the thing the right people love about you. And it's the thing toxic jobs and environments are repelled by. They're the superpowers you've been convinced are shadows, and they're why NO ONE can do what you do quite like you do it.

The Red Marble Method flips traditional business advice on its head. Instead of trying to fit in, you build your work around what makes it impossible for the right people to overlook you.

For job seekers, this means creating materials that highlight your unique combination of skills, perspectives, and approaches — not just generic qualifications. It means telling stories that show how you solve problems differently.

For entrepreneurs, especially creative and neurospicy ones, it means designing offers that celebrate exactly who you are rather than following templates that strip away your magic.

The method breaks down into three core principles:

First, lead with real pain and real solutions. When I shifted my Toxic Job Detox Party from convincing people they deserved better jobs to showing exactly HOW to get them, I attracted people who were ready to act, not just dream.

Second, make your process the proof. Your unique approach IS your value — don't hide it behind generic language. When I renamed my Inner Authority program to HOPE and shared my misgivings about the original program and why I was changing it, the vulnerability became part of the selling point.

Third, price for impact while honoring your energy. The sweet spot is where the value you provide and the energy you expend feels balanced and sustainable.

This completely changes how we approach business. Instead of asking "how do I fit this mold?" you ask "how do I build from my natural strengths?" That's not just better for you — it creates magnetic attraction for the people who need exactly what you offer.

What do you see as good trends emerging in solopreneurship?

I'm seeing a beautiful rebellion against "hustle culture" and a shift toward what I call defiant joy as a business strategy. People are rejecting the idea that suffering equals success, and instead building businesses that feel energizing rather than depleting.

There's also a growing emphasis on cycle-based business models that honor our natural rhythms instead of pushing constant output. Especially for women, nonbinary folks, and neurodivergent entrepreneurs, this approach creates sustainability that the old hustle model never could.

I'm encouraged by how many solopreneurs are prioritizing community care alongside individual success. The rugged individualism myth is crumbling as people build real interdependence and mutual support into their business models.

And perhaps most exciting: I see more people treating their unique neurodivergence as an asset rather than something to mask or overcome. When you build a business that works with your brain instead of against it, that's revolutionary.

What advice would you give to someone who's struggling with "standard" or traditional paths and wants to make a change?

In a world where toxicity is misunderstood, where you're blamed and gaslit, where you feel isolated and hopeless, where you're told to be satisfied with less... remember this: being small doesn't work.

There is no corner dark enough for you to tuck your Blackness where whiteness won't find you
No closet tight enough that they won't sense you're queer and special
No mask thick enough to hide the spicy powers of your mind

You cannot gerrymander yourself into acceptance.

If you're twisting yourself into a tiny pretzel, and it hurts, and you're STILL being targeted for toxicity? If you're still feeling trapped, even in a business of your own making? If it worked, it would have worked already.

My advice is to breathe into freedom. Stretch out your tines. Be Too Much. Be big and shine bright and call YOUR people and your dreams to you with your brightness.

On a practical level, start by identifying your North Star — what your life looks like three years from now, not just your job but your whole life. Then find your STOP signs (what signals toxicity to you) and your GO signs (what signals alignment).

Build your dreams on a foundation of your values, not someone else's definition of success. And above all, surround yourself with proof that something different is possible.

There's a world where marginalized folks can build the lives they want NOW — not after the revolution, but as part of it. Where work fits into life, not the other way around.

Like Venerable Pomnyun, a Korean Buddhist monk, said: "When you do great things for the world, you must do it in a way that feels like no big deal to you," because that's the only sustainable way to do it.

Dara M. Wilson helps women and non-binary folks break free from corporate trauma and build businesses that actually feel good, using her Red Marble Method to show creative entrepreneurs how to double their revenue while working half as hard. After 15 years leading marketing at companies like Google and Even (acquired by Walmart), she now combines revolutionary coaching with fractional CMO work, recently driving an 800% increase in user growth for Skipper by ditching "best practices" for authentic connection. She specializes in helping people recognize where oppressive systems have taught them to say no to themselves, creating space for offers that honor their energy, values, and worth.

Connect with Dara on LinkedIn here.

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No longer waiting for perfection

Jenni Gritters — Wed, 14 May 2025 14:49:20 GMT

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I love when unexpected moments spark creative journeys. For Steph Schertz, founder of Bushyl, it was her 3-year-old daughter asking to watch a "soap video" on Youtube that led to a thriving handmade bath, body, and home goods business.

Today, Steph takes us behind the scenes of her journey, sharing how she manages her energy, why having a dedicated studio space was transformative, and what she's learning about defining success on her own terms.

Enjoy!

Headshot by Cassie Rosch

Tell us about your work right now! What fills your days?

I'm always searching for the perfect routine (and then getting bored when I spend too long in one mode) so it's always different. Usually I work on production first, so I look at any upcoming wholesale and website orders to determine what needs to be made.

After a lot of trial and error, I find that it's best for me to designate an entire day for a specific type of product. Meaning: Mondays are for candles, Tuesdays are shower steamers, and so on. It takes a bit more planning but I find that it allows me to be so much more efficient. If I have any energy left after making products and packing up orders, I'll try to work ahead on new products/fragrances or any design work that needs to be done.

Recently, I ordered my first custom packaging and I could kick myself over how long it took me to get those deliverables to my packaging vendor, but unfortunately until I can hire help on the production side, I tend to be pretty worn out by the time I'm done making products and all the future work gets put off. And if it's the one day a month I feel super productive, I might even post to my social media accounts.

How did you come up with this business idea, and what inspired you to say yes?

It was actually my daughter! When she was about 3 years old I was in the thick of COVID lockdown with her and my 1 year old son so we spent a LOT of time watching television and YouTube. One day she randomly asked for a "soap video," and I had no idea what she meant but I just looked up "soap making videos" on YouTube and completely fell down a rabbit hole.

Making soap is a very involved process that can be a little dangerous due to the lye, so I put off actually trying it for about six months. Finally, I realized I was so obsessed with this idea that I just had to give it a go and the minute I made my first batch I knew I was hooked. It's pretty wild because I had never even considered a business like this but it magically combines a lot of things I really love: great smells, pretty packaging, and getting to talk to women (they're my target market, of course.)

What business practices do you use that are "non traditional" but effective? Why have they worked?

I tend to launch new products before I have every detail perfectly figured out. There's elements of that approach that can be very stressful, but I know myself well enough to know that if I wait for perfection I'll just never do it. Sometimes it means I'm wasting money on things that I have to change later, but in my experience it moved this business along much more quickly than if I was playing it safe and waiting for the "perfect" bottle/packaging/fragrance.

I also took a leap early on and signed a lease for a studio space. It was definitely risky because I only had a few months of orders under my belt and no real proof that the business would succeed, but I feel beyond confident that having a space outside my home is the only reason I didn't quit this business in the first year. I know I'm really lucky to have the financial stability and support from my husband to have made that a possibility, so I never take it for granted and I know not everyone has that luxury, but it's the biggest risk I can think of that paid off without a doubt.

What are your priorities in this season of life, and how have you set up your work to make space for those priorities to come to life every day?

Family and mental health are my top priorities in this season of life. The whole point of owning my own business was to give myself flexibility when I need it, so anytime I find myself feeling so overwhelmed by work that I can't be present or happy around my kids, I know it's time to make a change.

At the end of 2024 and beginning of 2025, I was getting so many orders for shower steamers that I just couldn't stay on top of them without overworking myself and it made me really unhappy and stressed out. Although it felt like leaving money on the table, I scaled back how many shower steamers I produced each month and I've been so grateful to have that breathing room.

I definitely have a lot of work to do around efficiency and delegation in my business and I frequently talk with my therapist about redefining success and the expectations I have for myself so that I actually have joy and fulfillment as priorities and not arbitrary numbers and growth.

What advice would you give to someone who's struggling with "standard" or traditional paths and wants to make a change?

I think the primary reason this business is working is because it's a product that my social circle wants/buys. If you can start by figuring out a product or service that your immediate friends/family wouldn't hesitate to buy from you, it can be so helpful to remove that initial friction from the early stages of launching a business.

I wasn't sure where Bushyl would go when I started, but knowing I had dozens of women who would keep buying my soap and sharing it with their friends allowed me to feel the thrill of small wins that kept me motivated and excited to do more.

And keep in mind that wherever you start is just a launching point! You can always incorporate more of your interests down the road, but you can't build on a business that's not making any money month after month.

Steph Schertz is the founder of Bushyl, a handmade fragrance and self-care brand rooted in luxury, craftsmanship, and a deep love of everyday rituals. As a small business owner, creative director, and mother, Steph is passionate about building a life where ambition and personal well-being are equally prioritized. Through thoughtful product design and a very discerning sense of smell, she helps women reconnect with the beauty of slowing down. Steph is currently focused on growing her business with balance at the center, proving that success doesn’t have to come at the cost of joy.

Connect with Steph on Instagram here.

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A new way to network

Jenni Gritters — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 13:37:20 GMT

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A few weeks back, the incredible Jamie Cox invited me to connect with Janna Carlson. I have to be honest: In this season of life, which is super full up, I’ve been saying no to most coffee chat invitations. But when I saw what Janna was working on, I was intrigued. And I loved our chat so much that I even joined Janna’s new program, which I can’t wait for you to hear about today!

Janna is the founder of The Co-Promotion Club, a curated networking club for experienced small business owners who want to build high-quality referral partnerships. She also co-owns Studio Rocket Web Design with her husband, Jeremy, where they build two-week websites on Squarespace for small and mid-sized businesses.

In this conversation, Janna shares how she transformed her personal networking challenge into a thriving business model that's helping entrepreneurs build their own "superpower networks." Enjoy!

Janna, can you tell us about The Co-Promotion Club? How did this idea come about?

The Co-Promotion Club was born because I was a web designer with a coffee chat problem.

Early last year, I realized that all of our clients came to us from personal referrals. So I quit my broadcast marketing efforts (social media, blogging, podcasting, newsletters) and put my effort into building a rolodex filled with likeminded referral partners. What followed was 100 coffee chats in 2024.

Whoa, 100! Did it help bring you clients?

Not quite. After meeting each person for the first time, I’d follow up with an email to thank them. Then I’d share our one sheet and ask how I could support them in the coming months. Finally, I’d drop a card in the mail to thank them for being on our team.

As my referral rolodex filled, I started to see the problem: I’d planted seeds of mutually supportive relationships, but they weren’t growing or producing anything. I realized it was going to take a long time (and consistent effort) for these relationships to start bearing fruit.

My challenge became taking my acquaintanceships to functioning referral partnerships. So I started The Co-Promotion Club.

Each month, I’d invite my referral partners to meet with me in groups of four or five. We would share about our work and get to know each other better. We also shared easy, lightweight requests for support. As I got to know my referral partners better (and vice versa) they also started forming new, valuable connections with each other. Over time, we gained a deeper understanding of what made our work unique and valuable.

Then, it became easier to refer each other, and the feedback I got was overwhelmingly positive. In December of last year, I officially launched The Co-Promotion Club to the public. It must’ve resonated, because founding memberships sold out quickly!

Tell us more about the Co-Pro Club. I loved my first experience with it earlier this month!

It’s difficult to describe The Co-Pro Club in a few words. It’s not just a networking group, even though we network. It’s not really a community, even though we are a community. The Co-Promotion Club is a supportive, welcoming space to find and grow high-quality referral partnerships.

It’s also become a place where experienced business owners can feel safe being themselves, bring their challenges and questions, and find targeted (and kind) support.

We meet in small groups once a month and we do three things: We introduce ourselves, we share about a specific aspect of our business, and we make a low-lift request for support. We also have special events to help jumpstart referral partnerships in creative ways. And we have a Slack group where people can ask for resources and make referrals.

It’s like being surrounded by several dozen trusted friends who are creative, resourceful business owners. These people GET IT and they’re here to support you. If I’d stumbled on The Co-Promotion Club a year ago, I would’ve felt like I’d won the networking lottery. I created the perfect solution for my former self.

Creating businesses for our former selves is my favorite way to build. I’m curious: What business practices have you use while building the Co-Pro Club that are "non traditional" but effective?

The first area is in growth and marketing. I’d previously spent a year in a growth experimentation program, and that transformed the way I think about this. I learned to identify and prioritize only what’s actually moving the needle.

I currently have three growth mechanisms that are working in The Co-Promotion Club:

LinkedIn
Word of mouth
Open house events

Since I’m now running two businesses, I have to be clear about where I’m investing my time and energy. These are the only three growth mechanisms that currently pass the test.

The second area of non-traditional business practice is around member retention. I pay close attention to the people in The Co-Pro Club and ask for feedback frequently. Members have been generous and kind with their insights, and it’s helped me shape the experience to meet their needs.

I focus on a meaningful, supportive experience and trust that people will stick around for as long as they’re getting value. It’s allowed me to shift my focus from member retention to member experience, which is a subtle shift that’s lifted the stress of having to convince members to stick around. When founding members reached the end of their initial membership term, 90% of them renewed, which tells me I’m on the right track!

What does "growth" look like for you, with this venture?

For me, successful growth is gradual. It allows me to remain closely connected with what Co-Pro Club members are experiencing without burning myself out.

This matters to me because I come from 25+ years of running an independent piano studio, and for most of those years I was completely burned out as a teacher. While there were aspects of teaching music that I loved, the demand on my mental energy left me drained. Later in my career, I moved toward a group piano lesson model. Being part of collaborative music-making allowed me to rediscover some of my passion before retiring a couple of years ago.

Facilitating Co-Pro Club groups brings back the best elements of teaching. I love it and am extremely protective of that energy! It will likely keep me from scaling The Co-Promotion Club very far, and I’m fine with that. I’d prefer to keep it small and love what I do.

Okay, since you’re deep in networking philosophy: What do you think people get wrong about networking and sales in this climate? What do you believe actually works?

I think we’re emerging from an era of social media that has successfully convinced us that growth can (and should) be quick. While we seem to be coming out of that, damage has been done. We still expect quick results in networking and referral partnerships as well as in selling, and I think some of the patience required has been lost.

Trust has always taken time to build. It’s an essential piece that can’t be rushed. My goal is to provide a space and experience that fosters trust-building. Having a network of people who know, like, and trust you is a solopreneur superpower.

That doesn’t happen overnight, and it requires that you show up consistently and generously! But the day you look around and realize you’ve got this superpower network, you feel unstoppable. It’s the power of the whole village, whether you’re raising a child or running a sustainable business.

That makes me tear up because we all want a village right now, so badly. I’d love to hear about how the Co-Pro Club plays with the other offers/businesses in your life!

I launched The Co-Pro Club during a quiet season in our web design work. (I co-own that business with my husband.) It allowed me the space to experiment and reflect on how this new business would mesh with our existing work and the lifestyle we want.

I intentionally kept everything manual at first, so I knew exactly what members needed at each step. I’ve gradually introduced automation and tools that enhance the experience while requiring less time from me. Through that process, I’ve also been able to evaluate where our web design work can better serve our lifestyle and goals.

Now that web design season is ramping up again, we’re focusing on fewer, larger projects and paying close attention to making sure there’s breathing room for both our family and our work.

What advice would you give to someone who's struggling with "standard" or traditional paths and wants to make a change?

Two recommendations:

First, find a couple of people who are excellent listeners and talk with them. I highly recommend choosing people who ask insightful questions over giving advice. Pay attention to what emerges in those conversations. Take notes. Spend some time by yourself and observe how you’re feeling after each conversation.

Second, take all the time you feel you need to think through things, and then go for it. Start the thing, make the pivot, commit. Perfectionism quickly kills the best ideas.

You’ll make mistakes, and you’ll probably make some of them publicly. It’s unavoidable and it’s okay. It’s also part of the reason to surround yourself with people you trust; they’ll be a soft place to land when you mess up and will help you learn more quickly.

Above all, pay attention to what feels sustainable to you, what allows you to find joy in your work and in your life! While there are many moments of stress and doubt in the solopreneur life, we are capable of protecting the spark that brought us here in the first place.

Janna Carlson is the founder of The Co-Promotion Club, a curated networking club for experienced small business owners who want to build high-quality referral partnerships. Originally from the U.S., Janna currently lives in Portugal where she’s benefited tremendously from learning patience and drinking great wine.

Connect with Janna on LinkedIn here.

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Re-evaluating the 40-hour workweek

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 14:45:48 GMT

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This week, I have a special guest for you, who will help you think critically about boundary setting and what’s possible when you say no, to say yes.

Abbey Harlow is a nonprofit consultant who embodies what sustainable solopreneurship can actually look like in practice. After nearly 20 years in the nonprofit sector, Abbey built a consulting business that allows her to work with only organizations she cares about, while still designing a schedule that prioritizes her family and personal wellbeing. As you all know, this is my approach to business, too! And I deeply, deeply believe that it’s the healthiest way to build.

May her approach to boundary-setting inspire all of us to reevaluate what’s really important in business and life. Enjoy!

Abbey, how would you describe your work at the moment?

I work with small nonprofits—typically those with budgets under $5 million, but often much smaller—to help them build sustainable communities. In execution, this means supporting organizations with strategy, fundraising, and communications.

What I love is that my day-to-day work allows me to be fully present for clients while also having the flexibility to step away when needed. I’ve been working for myself for three years, and every day looks different. That’s not just okay with me—it’s exciting and fulfilling.

Can you tell me about how you made your way to this point in your career? What old versions of you did you shed?

I’ve worked in nonprofits my entire career—almost always in small organizations where wearing multiple hats was the norm. Through that experience, I saw both the unique strengths of small nonprofits (flexibility, adaptability) and their challenges (constantly running at full speed with little time for strategy).

But even early on, I struggled with the traditional idea of work. I never loved the expectation of being in an office for a set number of hours, just for the sake of it. That feeling only grew stronger when COVID hit, and later, when I had my daughter during the early days of the pandemic, followed by my son two years later. I also thrive on new challenges and solving different problems—so the idea of starting my own consulting practice started to take shape.

To make it work, I had to shed a lot of old beliefs:

that work had to look a certain way,
that no one would want the services I was offering,
or that I wasn’t “qualified enough” to do this work.

That last one still creeps in sometimes, but I remind myself that I’ve built something real, and I continue to learn and grow.

I am so with you. I think especially for those of us who became parents right as the pandemic hit, the existential questioning was real. Can you tell us: What business practices do you use now that are "non traditional" but effective?

One of the most important things I’ve done is be ruthless about identifying what’s truly important for me to focus on—so I can fill the rest of my time with what matters outside of work.

Last year, I worked an average of 15 hours a week and took most of the summer off, along with other vacations or work-from-anywhere trips scattered throughout the year. That felt like a major milestone—proof that I could structure my business in a way that fully supports my financial needs, but also my needs as a person.

I also work when it makes sense for me. If that means answering emails at night so I can take my son to library story time or grab a hot dog with my daughter (one of the six foods she’ll currently eat), then that’s an excellent trade-off for me.

Some other boundaries I hold:

No unscheduled phone calls or last-minute meetings—if we need to talk, it goes on the calendar.
Finding solutions that work for nonprofits, even within tight budgets. I genuinely want to help the organizations that reach out to me, so I take time to come up with strategies that are realistic for them.

These practices work because they help me bring my best energy to my work. I’m able to focus deeply, think more creatively, and be fully present when I’m with clients.

Taking most of the summer off is such a dream for most people reading this! Tell me about your priorities around family and homeschooling, and how you've planned your work around that with intention.

Every evening, I sit down and map out our family’s schedule for the next day. If things feel overwhelming, I remind myself that I’ve chosen a path that lets me prioritize my family and the things that make me feel whole—things like reading, gardening, and going on lunch dates with my husband. That’s when I get ruthless about what can wait, what can be eliminated entirely, and what truly matters. Of course, it’s not always seamless—some days feel more chaotic than I’d like—but this approach helps me stay grounded.

Whew, I needed to hear this today! We are choosing this fullness so we can feel whole.

Exactly. As for homeschooling, this year has been a test run—an experiment in creating a schedule that supports both work and learning. Next year, we’ll embrace homeschooling more and adjust as we go.

The experimental mindset is definitely a permission slip. What keeps you motivated to continue embracing this life-plus-business integration?

It’s really about the incredible nonprofits I get to work with. It’s truly a gift to collaborate with organizations that are making the world better. I get to meet passionate leaders, learn about different sectors, and see firsthand the many ways organizations structure their work and engage their communities. Every nonprofit operates differently, and I love seeing how each one approaches its challenges and opportunities.

I’m also very inspired by women who share knowledge, support, and collaboration. And ultimately, what keeps me going is my family — and my life in general. Every day, I wake up feeling like it’s Christmas morning. What will the day hold? That excitement fuels it all.

What advice would you give to someone who's struggling with a traditional path and wants to make a change?

Find mentors who are doing something similar, and reach out to them. Ask questions. Learn from their experiences. Most people are more generous with their time than you might expect.

In general, soak up as much information as you can. You don’t have to figure everything out right away—right now, it’s just about learning and internalizing what resonates with you.

Don’t be afraid to speak up and ask for what you need. Asking questions and starting conversations can feel intimidating, but they are the key to creating new opportunities.

I also want to say that I know that people stay in traditional work paths for a whole host of valid reasons—insurance, daycare, financial stability, fulfillment. But I also think we, as a society, are long overdue for a reevaluation of the 40-hour workweek. If insurance, childcare, location, and corporate profits weren’t so entangled in it, we’d see so many more possibilities for how work could look. The system isn’t changing overnight, but the more we talk about these realities, the more we can push for better alternatives.

With nearly 20 years of dedicated nonprofit service, Abbey Harlow is a seasoned professional adept at empowering small nonprofits in shaping their strategies. Her love of perceiving the broader vision while also attending to the smaller details has been instrumental in her work across diverse nonprofit sectors, including agricultural, the visual and performing arts, humanities, health advocacy, and mental health. Abbey lives in Vermont where she enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, as well as growing vegetables, reading, and making music.

Learn more about Abbey’s work here or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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Slowing down for sustainability

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 14:09:24 GMT

The Sustainable Solopreneur is a weekly newsletter about seasonal, cyclical, supportive business strategy for solopreneurs and creative souls who want more out of life than the status quo, hosted by business coach and strategist Jenni Gritters. If you’ve been reading this newsletter for a while and you receive value from it, I’d encourage you to sign up for a paid subscription. (And yes, this is new branding! More coming soon about the full story.)

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Today I'm thrilled to introduce you to Saori Okada, the founder of Mogami® 最上 Wellness. Saori reached out to me to suggest that she come on the newsletter to offer a new perspective on mindfulness and self-care. I was intrigued!

Saori has 25 years of experience in Japanese calligraphy and she’s also a Certified Transformational Nutrition Coach. What particularly resonates with me about Saori's work is how she honors slow growth in a world obsessed with rapid scaling. Her journey from corporate success to meaningful entrepreneurship embodies the “non-traditional” approach to business many of us are seeking. Today, she shares insights about bridging cultural wisdom, embracing your unique path, and finding sustainability in both business and wellness.

Enjoy this conversation!

Saori, how would you describe the work you do in the world?

I see myself as a multi-hyphenate, weaving together different facets of my experience into work that feels deeply aligned. As the Founder of Mogami Wellness, I support individuals through private wellness coaching. I also guide organizations in cultivating mindful workplace cultures and share Japanese wellness wisdom with a global audience through creative outputs such as writing, video and online content. Beyond that, I am really passionate about empowering individuals in Japan to embrace an entrepreneurial mindset—helping them build something of their own, on their own terms.

Each aspect of my work is rooted in a singular intention: To create spaces where people can reconnect with themselves, move through life with greater ease, and cultivate well-being in a way that is both sustainable and deeply personal.

I love that mission in the world. Can you tell me about how you made your way to this point in your career? What old versions of yourself did you shed?

My path began in the corporate world, where I spent seven years in marketing analytics and market research, working in New York and Toronto. By the time I became a Director leading a Customer Success team, I had ticked every box of external success. Yet, inside, I felt disconnected from myself.

The biggest version of myself that I had to shed was the perfectionist. From a young age, I believed I had to be perfect to be worthy—perfect grades, perfect athlete, perfect appearance—achieved through extreme dieting and over-exercising. I lived in a constant state of striving, which eventually manifested in years of disordered eating and anxiety. Even when I had what should have been a "dream life"—a great job, a one-bedroom apartment overlooking Toronto from the 37th floor, a body that fit impossible beauty standards—I felt hollow.

It was in that moment of reckoning that I turned towards holistic wellness—not as a quick fix, but as a process of relearning how to care for myself in a way that was nourishing, not punishing. I started exploring what it meant to live in alignment with my mind, body, and soul. That journey led me here—to work that no longer requires me to fit into someone else’s version of success, but instead allows me to be fully myself.

What business practices do you use that are “non-traditional" but super effective for you?

I believe in the power of slow growth.

In a world that equates speed with success, there is immense pressure to scale quickly. But I have always been drawn to a different approach—one that prioritizes alignment, sustainability, and well-being over rapid expansion.

Yes!!! Say more?

Growing at a slower pace allows for greater intentionality. It creates space to refine, to adjust, and to make choices that truly resonate. I have spoken with many entrepreneurs who built hyper-growth startups, and I often see the toll it takes: Exhaustion, misalignment, and a deep sense of disconnection from why they started in the first place.

There is a beautiful metaphor in Japanese calligraphy: When writing a character, you must complete it with the ink you have on your brush. If you rush, the ink runs out faster. But if you slow down, each stroke becomes more intentional, and the ink lasts longer. The same applies to business. We don’t have to push beyond our capacity; we can honor our own pace.

What a beautiful metaphor. I have a coaching friend who teaches that we have to slow down to speed up. This feels like another expression of that concept! Can you tell me about what current business "trend" feels like a shiny object to you?

Virtual experiences.

While technology has made incredible advancements in creating digital connection, I believe that as humans, we will always crave in-person experiences. Virtual tools can complement and enhance certain aspects of life, but they will never fully replace the richness of physical presence.

There is something irreplaceable about the energy of shared space—the subtle, unspoken exchanges that happen in a room, the feeling of being truly seen. While I appreciate the accessibility that virtual experiences offer, I think we are seeing a collective yearning to return to in-person interactions, to slow down, and to cultivate deeper, real-world connections.

What keeps you motivated to continue this work, even when it’s challenging?

For a long time, I tried to compartmentalize different parts of myself—my Japanese roots, my Western education and career, my structured corporate mindset, my deep belief in intuitive wellness. I thought I had to be one or the other. But I have come to realize that my greatest strength is in embracing both.

I am someone with a New Yorker’s mind and a Japanese soul.

The moment this truly clicked for me was when I saw the widely circulated but incorrect "Ikigai" Venn diagram—the one that reduces Ikigai to a formula of passion, profession, vocation, and mission a couple of years ago. I felt sad and frustrated seeing this mistranslation gain popularity, because I knew, deeply, that the real essence of Ikigai (生き甲斐) is much more personal, organic, and ingrained in Japanese culture. But then I realized something important: I can’t blame people for misunderstanding something if they’ve never had access to the authentic definition like I have.

This is where my true value lies—in being the bridge.

My lived experience allows me to honor my Japanese heritage while translating its wisdom in a way that resonates globally. My background allows me to bring structure to something deeply intuitive. My personal healing journey allows me to guide others with both compassion and knowledge. Instead of trying to fit into a singular box, I now see that my power comes from holding all of these parts of myself at once—and helping others do the same.

Every time I guide someone towards holistic wellbeing, help an organisation integrate mindfulness or share a piece of Japanese wisdom that sparks a shift in perspective, I see the impact of this integration. And that is what keeps me going.

What advice would you give to someone who's struggling with a traditional path and wants to make a change like you did?

Listen to that voice inside you.

We often silence our own intuition, dismissing it in favor of external expectations. But that quiet knowing—the feeling that something isn’t quite right, or that you are meant for something different—is not accidental. It is wisdom.

If you feel drawn to a new path, give yourself permission to explore it. That doesn’t mean you have to leap immediately, but start by getting curious. Work with a coach, speak to a mentor, journal, reflect—get clear on your core values. When you align with what truly matters to you, the path forward becomes clearer.

And most importantly, trust that there is no "right" timeline. Your journey will unfold at the pace it is meant to. The only thing you need to do is take the next step.

Saori Okada, founder of Mogami® 最上 Wellness, blends Japanese tradition with holistic well-being, offering an authentic perspective on mindfulness and self-care. With over 25 years of experience in Japanese calligraphy under her gifted name 星洗 (Seisen), she integrates cultural wisdom into her work as a Certified Transformational Nutrition Coach (ITN) and registered UK Health Coach. Inspired by her personal healing journey, shared in her memoir Until the Death of Me – A 15-Year Eating Disorder Recovery Journey, Saori is dedicated to guiding others in nurturing their mind, body, and soul.

You can connect with Saori Okada on LinkedIn and Instagram. If you’re in the UK, check out her upcoming retreat in the Cotswolds here!

Curious about my (Jenni’s) background? I’m a writer and business coach living in Central Oregon. My goal is to teach everyone who will listen that it’s possible to build a simple, stable, successful business that support your human needs first. Join my group coaching program, SUSTAIN, for more conversations like this (and a community of people who are all about the path less taken), and follow me on LinkedIn & Instagram.

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Going all in on your creative dreams

Wed, 12 Mar 2025 14:12:55 GMT

The Sustainable Solopreneur is a weekly newsletter about seasonal, cyclical, supportive business strategy for solopreneurs and creative souls who want more out of life than the status quo, hosted by business coach and strategist Jenni Gritters. If you’ve been reading this newsletter for a while and you receive value from it, I’d encourage you to sign up for a paid subscription. (And yes, this is new branding! More coming soon about the full story.)

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I first met Ashley Fenker when I edited her viral essay about growing up with an alcoholic parent, way back when I worked at Upworthy. Since then, she’s joined my coaching programs — a testament to both of us growing together, in different and similar ways, over a literal decade.

A little more than a year ago, Ashley and I had a deep heart-to-heart session about her wanting to take a big leap. She wanted to drop her client work and go all-in on her creative writing, which had always been her first love. She had a book of essays in development and wanted to finally prioritize what made her heart sing.

What’s amazing about Ashley — and you’ll hear this in her interview below — is that she is courageous enough to really, truly go all in on herself. This week, her first book — Good (Enough) Mother — comes out. She self-published it and just last week I got the most beautiful care package from her, with the book itself inside. She’s taken deep care, every step of the way… all while parenting a tiny human and dealing with chronic illness, among so many other life things.

Ashley inspires me to go all in on my dreams, too. Enjoy.

Ashley, tell us a bit about how you'd define your work (in all different areas of life) right now!

Oh goodness, this idea of “work” is something that I’ve really been wrestling with lately. What does it mean to work and to provide? I started as a full-time freelance writer in 2018. For many years, if we met at a party and you asked what I did for work, I would have stuttered a lot and then said, “I’m a writer. I primarily write grants for nonprofits and support writing and editing for marketing agencies.” Honestly, it felt like the noble and right answer. Depending on the audience, I might have told you that I loved to write creative essays… for fun. I’ve struggled to consider my creative writing as “work” because, 1) It is 100% play for me, and 2) We’re artists. We’re supposed to be starving… right?

In 2022, I became a mom and I had absolutely no plan for childcare. I think I imagined I would still freelance and be a mom and “do all the things” without any help. Quickly I realized that wasn’t going to cut it. It was a bumpy transition with a lot of support from family and my therapist to land where we are today. My son goes to daycare two days a week and my parents typically watch him one day a week. Do I fit into a tidy category of “working mom” or “stay-at-home mom”? No. And that’s okay!

I also found in motherhood that I had zero tolerance for clients who didn’t treat me well. Unpaid invoices, unanswered emails, disorganized assignments, no-show meetings, and work that just generally didn’t fit my skillset. With my limited time and energy, I wanted to spend it doing work that I loved, that fueled me and brought me back to life. With your incredible support, Jenni, I started making the transition to own my identity as a writer and to step into work that fully aligns with that identity.

So, hi! I’m Ashley. I’m a published author and a mom. Nice to meet you!

This is a HUGE week for you: You just self published a book! I'd love to hear more about where the idea came from.

I did! I started writing random essays in 2020 when, like the rest of the world, I was home alone quarantining. My very new husband, at the time, had to still travel for work, and I was considered high risk (which I share a lot about in my book), so I found myself wandering around by myself in our brand-new house fantasizing about what would happen next in our lives. Would I get the chance to be a mom? Would we fill up this empty house and ever get around to renovating?

My life felt completely on pause and I didn’t quite have a vision for what would happen next. These stories and essays just fell out of me, which sounds very woo-woo, but it’s 100% accurate. I scribbled and typed for many years, and saved drafts and drafts in folders on my computer. It wasn’t until later when I challenged myself to find the larger story hiding in each of these stories and essays.

When did you decide to take the book idea seriously? What did you know would be required of you, if you said yes?

At the end of 2023, I decided to put together a collection of essays. I physically printed out every essay or poem I had worked on for years and placed them side-by-side on the floor, moving pieces around and watching an entire story unfold. I’m someone who has dreamed of publishing books since I was a little girl, but the nonfiction platform building has always felt daunting and slow. I wanted to feel a sense of completion over a body of work, on my own terms. Even for my mental health, I needed to prove to myself that I could set a long-term goal and then actually achieve it. Becoming a mom rocked my identity, so this felt like such an important step in my own healing journey.

Jenni, you and I met for a session where you challenged me to embrace this idea of “evolving.” It was okay that I was ready to step into fully being a creative writer and author. More than okay, it was essential.

You gave me a permission slip to fully go for it. I knew that if I shared the book with you, and with other people in my life, that it would be required that I follow through with it. I would have to work every single day on my confidence building to remind myself that I am a gifted writer who has good, good work to share with the world. And that it matters.

You know how obsessed I am with how brave you are in these evolutions. It’s so inspiring. Okay, tell us about the process of self publishing and what you've learned from it!

PHEW! So much. In self publishing, you’re calling all the shots, which is a very empowering feeling. And also, no one is there to tell you when you miss a self-imposed deadline. I’m someone who nerds out about craft and the quality of the work, so I decided early on that I wanted to invest in editorial, graphic design, and marketing support to ensure I published a book that was worthy of ranking with traditionally published books.

My two biggest pieces of advice for anyone who wants to go this route are to stay organized and to put yourself out there. I have many spreadsheets tracking outreach to authors and editors who I asked to endorse an early copy of my book. People have great intentions, but we’re all overwhelmed with email these days. I noted exactly when I followed up with industry professionals about endorsements or publicity opportunities, 2x, 3x, 4x… Persistence paid off. After spending so long in my creative writing bubble, I had to put on a new hat to say, “This is my work. You should read it. It’s excellent! Here’s why you’re the perfect person to support this book…”

How does the book play into the larger ecosystem of your business?

This is something I’m still in the process of figuring out. I moved away from a lot of nonprofit work to focus on writing and launching this book, which was a big risk for my career and for my family financially. I’ve loved every single part of this journey – from writing and editing, to building a website and strategizing the launch plan. This past year has felt scrappy and invigorating, as I’ve taught myself how to run successful paid ads to double my email list, launch two newsletters, build a journaling course from scratch, teach live trainings to hundreds of attendees, automate systems, integrate sales funnels, and so much more. I’m dreaming of ways to support writers on both the editorial side and the more technical side of the publishing process.

I still have a dream of being traditionally published as well, so I’ll continue to promote this book for the next several years with a focus on growing my community of readers and attracting attention from an agent who would want to partner with me in my writing career.

As you would say, Jenni, it’s time to meet “Ashley the author” and fully embrace this in all that I do.

What is your advice for people who have a lot going on and want to create beautiful things?

Funny story: Did I mention that I’m 24 weeks pregnant while launching this book?! This has been QUITE the plot twist for me. It’s one thing to launch a book about motherhood and chronic illness, but quite another thing to be reliving the journey of managing a high-risk pregnancy at the same time. My windows of “working time” have become smaller and smaller between doctors’ appointments and my energy levels.

So here’s my advice if you find yourself with a lot going on and you still want to create beautiful things: Get really good at asking for help. Get really honest with yourself about what time of day you have the energy to do your best work. Get a paper planner and map out theme days that require the bare bones of yourself to feel accomplished. And practice saying this out loud (on repeat): “It’s okay to be tired. I’ve done more than enough today,” even when that looks like taking a nap.

What do you hope for other creative solopreneurs and mamas like you?

For all of my fellow creative solopreneurs and mamas –

I hope you find the courage to go for it.

I hope you look in the mirror and see more than a mom. I hope you see someone who is worthy of fulfilling work that fills your soul. I hope you see someone who is worthy of the space to create.

I hope you ask for help and learn to take a good nap.

I hope you feel cared for and loved, and don’t settle for any less.

I hope you embrace the messiness of life and aren’t afraid to ask questions.

I hope you never try to tie it all up with a tidy bow.

I hope you don’t stay in what’s comfortable because of fear of the unknown. I hope you jump and pivot and watch yourself grow and grow and grow.

I hope you know that your story matters. Your work matters. You matter.

Are you crying? I’m crying.

Ashley Fenker is the author of the new release, Good (Enough) Mother: Stories and Essays. Her articles and essays have appeared in O, The Oprah Magazine, Upworthy, HuffPost, HelloGiggles, Fathom Magazine, Scary Mommy, Coffee + Crumbs, and more. Subscribe to Ashley’s newsletter and buy her book, here.

Curious about my (Jenni’s) background? I’m a writer and business coach living in Central Oregon. My goal is to teach everyone who will listen that it’s possible to build a simple, stable, successful business that support your human needs first. Join my group coaching program, SUSTAIN, for more conversations like this (and a community of people who are all about the path less taken), and follow me on LinkedIn & Instagram.

Subscribe now

Cultivating spaces to thrive

Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:47 GMT

The Sustainable Solopreneur is a weekly newsletter about seasonal, cyclical, supportive business strategy for solopreneurs and creative souls who want more out of life than the status quo, hosted by business coach and strategist Jenni Gritters. If you’ve been reading this newsletter for a while and you receive value from it, I’d encourage you to sign up for a paid subscription. (And yes, this is new branding! More coming soon about the full story.)

Subscribe now

As you may have seen earlier this week: My newsletter got a refresh! I’ll still be featuring incredible entrepreneurs doing things their own way in the Sample Paths series, likely 2-3 times per month, going forward.

And today I can’t wait to introduce you to Sharon Leung. Sharon is a trained architect, educator and principal at Be Shui (Be Water), a mindful design practice. She combines the wisdom from her healing journey with her experience in architecture to foster well-being through space, and I asked her to share a bit about why physical spaces are so impactful for our creative souls.

Enjoy this conversation!

Sharon, how would you describe your work right now?

Expansive, people first, meaningful. Let me explain:

It’s expansive in the way I operate my design practice Be Shui (Be Water), and in the research and teaching that I’m doing. It all feels like new territory that others have not taken in the spatial world which feels bright, optimistic and exciting.

I also take a people-first approach to everything I do. I see architecture as a service to people. It is problem solving through space and space has the ability to change someone’s life and outlook. I try to approach everything from a place of care, empathy and joy. Spaces should feel like a big hug that include our favorite objects and rituals creating calm and renewal. Everyone needs and deserves a place to be their authentic selves.

Finally: Meaningful. This is personal because purpose is really important to me. When I was working in a corporate setting or for others, the purpose of the work never felt aligned and I couldn’t fully be myself. This is a combination of really showing people who I am from an honest place and attracting clients that feel safe with me and are able to do the same.

What’s unique about the way you run your business and navigate your career?

Compared to my peers who also went to a top design or architecture school, I’m trying to design with a people-first approach as opposed to design concept first. Not everyone can afford to work with an architect or have a plot of land ready to build something new. For many people, the home they rent or even own is the space that they spend 87% of their time in. I want to provide services to serve many of those people. Everyone deserves to feel well in their spaces, but most people don’t know how to. Instead of only having architectural design services for new or renovations to spaces, I created a service that allows me to give expertise on one room up to full houses using the furniture that you already have. You can create new energy just by changing the layout or getting rid of things that don’t serve you.

I also run workshops to share my knowledge and hold space for people to be able to think about their spaces in an intentional way. You don’t know what you don’t know. Education is the first step in empowering someone to design their space to fit their individual needs. This service allows for a wider engagement of people and it’s a great way to help a lot of people take the first step in rethinking their spaces. The ambition is to help people create a flowing space that reflects who they are — their hopes, dreams and aspirations.

Overall my ethos is to make architecture and architectural education more available and less gate kept. I’ve taught intro to architecture classes online in a non-academic setting and this has allowed people to converse and learn about architecture without committing to an expensive 4 year program. Peer to peer teaching is also beautiful because it is a non-hierarchical setting which fosters trust and an open learning environment. This has made teaching more expansive for me by creating my own systems, references and methodology.

I love your take on how our external space impacts our internal space. Almost everyone reading this is an entrepreneur. Can you talk to us about why space design matters, and how you approach it for people who are often working from their homes?

Energy is everything! Energy flows through people and spaces. Our spaces are an extension of our energetic field — this is why when you clean or arrange things, you feel lighter and brighter. Every object you own emits energy. When something doesn’t work in your space functionally, it’s like a tiny paper cut every day causing a frustrating energy to your internal world.

We want to create harmony and harness the good energy that can be created between everything. We affect our space and our space can affect us. We need to be intentional about our spaces because it can allow for us to feel grounded and be our best selves. As entrepreneurs we need to be in good energy and spirits since it can be a roller coaster sometimes. We can’t be in flow if we don’t have a grounding space to be in.

My process and approach for people working from home is first to identify where they work and understand the frictions that exist for them. Your work space should be dedicated and located away from your resting space (bed). Some people are lucky to have a separate office or room for working, others don’t have that luxury. If you work inside your bedroom, the work space should be away from your bed as much as possible. If you work on your dining room table, make sure to clean and have a place for things if you eat there or host, clearing the work energy away.

Every person has different vectors that affect the person’s productivity and mood like natural light, acoustics, materials. (And sensitivity may be increased for neurodiverse people). Less is more. Being mindful about what you keep is important to curate objects that give you joy and that are functional. We want a home for everything and storage solutions that keep the space peaceful. Moving through your space with flow and ease is the goal so you can focus and be in a productive and joyful mood when you are working.

If I do a flow consultation, I start with a feng shui analysis of the room itself, understanding where the good energy enters, and how someone circulates through the space. Then I identify the “command” position which is the most psychological safe place to be in the room. Many people think putting their desk up against the window is the best location since they value natural light. But if your back is towards the door, that location is not safe and someone can creep up behind you, so your productivity might weaken. There is immense power in just rotating your desk. A friend attended my workshop and rotated her desk so that it was in the “command” position and she ended up being so productive she was writing all the way to midnight!

Okay, I’m totally trying this. What have you learned about taking non-traditional paths in your own life?

My journey is ongoing and it truly started when I embraced my sensitive self. With this mindful design practice, I’ve combined my own healing and health journey with architecture and interiors. Before, I really rejected how sensitive I was and tried to fit into what was considered high design, or spaces that only see design as only serving one type of person. But we all deserve intentional design and it can impact our well-being. Although it seems like I arrived here easily, it is far from that. It is an ongoing practice of checking in with myself to make sure I do things from a place of authenticity and from the heart. If I feel fearful, I try to investigate and be curious as to why instead of the default tendency to shrink.

I didn’t have many models of alternative paths when I was in architecture school. The career path was very linear and it can be really challenging when everyone in your industry is doing things a certain way and you are doing something different. Comparison is the thief of joy! I remind myself that my industry and a lot of other industries need innovation and new perspectives because women were not allowed to be architects until the early 1900s. So the whole industry, culture and ways of working need to be revolutionized. While I have an optimistic view on my practice, it can be very daunting when there aren’t many examples to look to. But it can also be empowering knowing that there aren’t limits to what I’m creating. The benefits to this is that the dreaming is unlimited and expansive.

I want to design spaces that are healing, that allow you to be your most authentic self — however that might look(it may not look like a beautiful design magazine and that is ok). I want to design public spaces that allow you to be hyper present: spaces like tea houses, high fidelity listening rooms, meditation spaces, outdoor pavilions, indoor/outdoor spaces. I want to create sound bath installations (I just got my first sound bowl and hope to hold these myself!). While healing is something that can sometimes mean solitude, bringing people together in community is important. I love together-alone spaces where we can be in the comfort of others while also honoring ourselves.

What would you tell someone who's feeling stuck with their space?

If someone is feeling stuck I would ask them what brings them joy and how can they support that in their space. Is there something that you’ve been meaning to do, like host more dinner parties, but you need a dedicated dining space to support it? Or is there a home project that you’ve been meaning to do? Put it in your schedule and do it! Taking one step forward might have a domino effect. Taking action is putting the control back into your hands and you might be surprised by the impact it could make in other places in your life. We want to reclaim our joy through our space by supporting rituals and activities that make us feel whole.

Oftentimes we unintentionally accumulate stuff: People gift us items, we get free things or we have things that we just collect over time. Sometimes removing the visual clutter provides clarity in our life. We need to evaluate our spaces every season. Just as we change, our spaces need to change as well. I try to do a purge twice a year with books, clothes, papers and it helps me feel lighter and brighter in my space.

Stuck energy often means we need a new perspective and that we are not in flow. What if you approached your space purely from a joy aspect? How do you create more joy in your life and your space?

To hear more from Sharon, follow her on Instagram.

Curious about my (Jenni’s) background? I’m a writer and business coach living in Central Oregon. My goal is to teach everyone who will listen that it’s possible to build a simple, stable, successful business that support your human needs first. Join my group coaching program, SUSTAIN, for more conversations like this (and a community of people who are all about the path less taken), and follow me on LinkedIn & Instagram.

Subscribe now

Learning how to fully embrace freedom

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 19:16:49 GMT

The Sustainable Solopreneur is a weekly newsletter about seasonal, cyclical, supportive business strategy for solopreneurs and creative souls who want more out of life than the status quo, hosted by business coach and strategist Jenni Gritters. If you’ve been reading this newsletter for a while and you receive value from it, I’d encourage you to sign up for a paid subscription. (And yes, this is new branding! More coming soon about the full story.)

Subscribe now

When Sophie Ash and I first met to record a session for her medical writer’s community, Prospology, we immediately hit it off. Sophie has done it all: Launched an agency (and walked away from it to choose more life and less hustle); built a thriving freelance business; coached other writers; lectured and taught in classrooms; designed communities; and so much more.

I think you’ll love her perspectives here on self actualization, how to grow your business from the inside-out, choosing freedom, and so much more.

Sophie, how would you describe your work right now?

It’s my full-time job to support my students in getting their freelance medical writing businesses off the ground. I only work with 10 V.I.P.s a year, so we go deep! Now that we have 160+ hours of training materials in our Academy (which I’m always auditing and refining), I get to focus on meeting with everyone 1:1 and in small groups to flesh out their ideas, work on various aspects of their businesses in real-time, and keep them feeling inspired, motivated, and pumped to launch.

For example, this week, I led a session called ‘Authenticity in Business’ where we all did an exercise on how to accept the parts of ourselves that we were afraid to express in our businesses. It was incredible and inspiring to see how everyone’s energy shifted and their boost in confidence as a result!

We also have an elective course running at the moment with a group of soon-to-be-PharmDs, in partnership with the University of Missouri Kansas City. So, I’m delivering a portion of those lectures, working with students on their capstone projects, and keeping everything running smoothly on the back end. It’s interesting to see how those who haven’t properly transitioned into the workforce yet show up compared to those who’ve become jaded by less-than-ideal experiences out in the real world!

What third ways of doing life and business have you embraced this year?

The year is still young. But, towards the end of 2024, I began leaning into my unique selling point (USP) more than ever before. There are tons of people who offer coaching, training, and support for aspiring freelance writers. But none of them specialize in the psychology behind self-actualization and what it really takes—from a mental and tactical standpoint—to thrive as an entrepreneur.

As someone who grew up in an abusive, controlling household, I’ve always talked a lot about freedom and valued it highly. But I could never truly embrace it until I healed my relationship with work and with myself, on a subconscious level. It’s not enough to simply say we want more freedom and aspire to have it. We need to uncover the deep-rooted reasons why we haven’t been able to attain it and hold onto it until now, so we can get unstuck and truly build momentum in our businesses. That’s where things start to get really interesting!

Specializing further meant being willing to turn away a larger proportion and number of prospective students, as well as any medical writing opportunities that came my way and other such projects that would have paid the bills but not fed my soul. Streamlining and simplifying my offer, my target audience, and how I serve people has been instrumental in creating and enjoying the freedom I now have. (That and reducing the size of my team, so I’m spending more time coaching and less time project/people managing!)

Tell me about your ‘Thriving & Free’ Framework. How does it work? Why does it work?

My ‘Thriving & Free’ Framework helps me adapt and customize each student’s coaching experience to suit their unique needs. It approaches both tactical and psychological barriers simultaneously in a way that’s centered around their growth.

For example, if a student knows on an intellectual level which facets of their personality would make for a compelling personal brand but they aren’t able to accept these parts of themself, they won’t be able to grow. But, once I’ve observed this, I can provide practical exercises to teach them how to operate their business from an authentic place so they can start moving the needle again.

Equally, a more advanced student may be starting to gain momentum in their freelance medical writing business, but they don’t yet have a clear compass for how to know what’s a great fit for their brand and what’s a distraction. In these cases, I’ll work with them 1:1 to help strengthen their trust in themselves so that they can create a work-life balance with minimal-to-no resistance.

What things have come out of making big "non-traditional" moves in your business, like leaving your agency behind and embracing coaching? What benefits or challenges have you observed?

Walking away from my medcomms agency was tough because I had invested so much of myself in that business and it got caught up in my identity. It’s times like this that really make you question who you are, what your purpose is in life, how you’re meant to serve people, and what’s at stake if you don’t change course while you still can. It took some time to process everything (I always invest in coaching for myself, too), but it wasn’t hard to see that I’d outgrown that role and coaching was always where my heart had been leading me.

Choosing to work with just 10 V.I.P.s a year, who are perfectly aligned with my ICP and I’m able to back 110%, has been a real game-changer for me, as well. I now have the mental and physical capacity to do my best work and show up as my best self every day, which has been huge with respect to the degree to which I’ve been able to get my students incredible results. It’s 100x more fulfilling, too!

Since you coach, I'd love to hear the recommendations you'd give people in the solopreneur space in 2025. Where should they focus their time and energy?

Focus on providing insights, instead of spreading information. Whatever tools, tactics, and techniques you’ve used have all been shared before—there’s nothing special or valuable about the things you know. What will make companies want to actually hire you is communicating that you understand the problems they face and are uniquely positioned to solve them. Insights over information!

What words or wisdom and advice do you have for someone who's feeling "square peg/ round hole" with their work and wants to break out of societal norms?

Breaking out requires going against the grain, which requires building resiliency as an entrepreneur, which requires getting laser focused on what uniqueness you bring to your clients and the bigger purpose behind what you’re doing. Having someone to guide you through all of that, and giving it the time and attention it deserves, is crucial. (I’d be happy to chat more about this via LinkedIn, if you feel inclined to reach out.)

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Curious about my (Jenni’s) background? I’m a writer and business coach living in Central Oregon. My goal is to teach everyone who will listen that it’s possible to build a simple, stable, successful business that support your human needs first. Join my group coaching program, SUSTAIN, for more conversations like this (and a community of people who are all about the path less taken), and follow me on Twitter & Instagram.

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