Do you ever feel bored in your business? A desire to shake things up, pivot, or overhaul the whole kit and caboodle? I know I do. After all, entrepreneurial traits include a desire to engage in multiple disciplines and a higher tolerance for risk. How could we not get bored sometimes? While we may not like it, boredom can be a good thing because it can be a precursor to change. A feeling of not being challenged enough (booooring!) can…
What creative ideas, projects, or initiatives are you hatching right now? Why do I ask? Oh, because if you’re a creative freelancer or business owner, I know you’ve got a thing or two (or twelve!) rolling around in your head. Tell me I’m wrong! So, how’s it going? If your answer is a mixed bag of excitement, excuses, and self-doubt you’re in good company (ask me how I know! ). One of the big ideas I’ve been kicking around/down the…
On a scale of one to ten, how motivated and driven do you feel today? Maybe you’re firing on all cylinders, laser-focused on what will move you closer to your goals. If that’s you…hurray! Keep going. Perhaps you’re tooling along just fine. You’re not setting the world on fire, but it’s good enough for right now. Great! Good enough is a perfectly acceptable standard to aim for sometimes. Or maybe you’re struggling to focus on the goals you’ve committed to….
Have you ever seen a client, family member, or friend make heavy weather out of something and wonder why on earth they’re making things so darn complicated? I mean, from where you’re sitting, things look pretty straightforward! Now, let me ask you this. Have you been that person? I know I have! For me, making things more complicated than they need to be manifests in a few ways. It often presents as a sense of urgency (entirely of my own…
Can you have too much of a good thing? If you’re a freelancer, you’ve probably been conditioned to believe there’s no such thing as too much work. We’ve been taught to adopt a scarcity mindset and believe we’d better take it while it’s coming, because who knows when the next client or job will come along. More is better, right? So, you say “yes” to it all. The good, the bad, and the meh. Before you know it, you’re underwater working for…
Are you a people pleaser, a workhorse, a doer of all the things? You’re not alone. One of the biggest challenges I see creative business owners struggle with (and I put myself in this category too) is trying to do too many things for too many people. We want to help our clients. We tell ourselves that just because we can do the things they’re asking for, we should. We want to say Yes. Saying Yes to all the things…
It’s December! I love this time of year. Yes, I love the holidays. Having an enormous twinkling tree in my living room, pulling out my sparkly dresses (see a theme here?), and make merry with friends and family. But the business coach in me loves this time of year for an entirely different reason; the opportunity to reflect on the past year, think about what I want for the next, and to set the stage for all the good things…
They say you teach what you most need to learn, so here’s my confession to you: I’m a chronic “doer.” Taking on 2 or 3 too many things than I can comfortably handle is my default mode. I used to joke that if I came back as a dog, I’d be the one carrying the newspaper or herding sheep rather than the one snoozing on the porch. I took pride in my busyness, in being able to keep multiple balls…
One of the biggest challenges creative entrepreneurs tell me they experience is not knowing where to focus in their creative business. Whether you’re a one man/woman show, or you have employees to oversee, there are WAY too many things you could (should?) be doing and not enough time, energy, and focus to do it all. So, things go one of two ways: You try and do everything, run yourself ragged in the process, and still don’t see the results you…
If I told you that your business is always going to be in flux would you be (a) excited or (b) depressed? Your answer will tell you a lot about your mindset around change, potential, and your ability to thrive, no matter what. While we’d all love to say we embrace change, enjoy a good challenge, and see failure as a stepping stone to success (and all those other empowering rallying cries we see on Instagram!) most of us don’t…
Three Things is a monthly newsletter designed to help creative professionals, founders, and freelancers get clear, stay focused, and build momentum in a landscape that’s always shifting.
Each edition includes a personal insight, a mindset-shifting reframe, and three practical, doable steps to help you build a fulfilling, efficient, and profitable creative business.