inspiration

4 things we can learn about online marketing from Taylor Swift + the Eras Tour

4 things we can learn about online marketing from Taylor Swift + the Eras Tour

I'll be honest, that last few weeks have been pretty rough for me personally, but there's one bright spot that's helping me get through and it might not be what you think: it's Taylor Swift.

4 ways I've dealt with burnout in my business

4 ways I've dealt with burnout in my business

So how the heck do you combat burn out in your business? While some of us can put an entire business on pause while we explore other options (usually thanks to a partner's income, which is great!), that certainly is not an option for many of us (myself included).

My experience with burnout in my business (Part 2 of 2)

My experience with burnout in my business (Part 2 of 2)

When we last left off, the pandemic was just getting started, I was coming off a not-great launch, had a brief second wind with some lower priced classes, and I was going into the summer of 2020 with those feelings of burnout creeping back in...

My experience with burnout in my business (Part 1 of 2)

My experience with burnout in my business (Part 1 of 2)

Today we're gonna get real and talk about burnout. Since late 2019, I've noticed the signs of burnout creeping up in my work life. And once the pandemic hit, I know so many small business owners who were noticing the same signs in their own lives.

My 2020 year in review and how I'm going into 2021

My 2020 year in review and how I'm going into 2021

You don’t need me to tell you that 2020 did not go as planned for most people. It was full of challenges and constant pivots and a weird, eerie slowing down that I think a lot of us have come to be grateful for. It’s a year for the history books to be sure, one that none of us will ever forget.

What happened when I focused on ONE thing all year — 2019 review

What happened when I focused on ONE thing all year — 2019 review

Another year down, another annual recap post! 2019 has been a year of growth, but not really in big financial ways or massive sales. It’s been a year of growth in terms of how I run my business. I spent the majority of my time zeroing in on what had the best return on my investment (investments of both time and money).

My 3 step system for re-recording my entire online course

My 3 step system for re-recording my entire online course

I’m a nerd, and one of my favorite things to do when I’m faced with a big project or a big goal is to map out a plan and work that plan until I accomplish it. I know, that’s some serious nerd alert there. So when it was finally time to re-record my entire online course, The InDesign Field Guide, I knew I needed a good plan.

My experience self-publishing with Amazon KDP (formerly Createspace) — Part 2 of 2

My experience self-publishing with Amazon KDP (formerly Createspace) — Part 2 of 2

A few weeks ago I shared Part 1 of my experience self-publishing with Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP — formerly known as Createspace), and I’m back with Part 2 to cover my experience with the platform after the book went live, such as sales reports + tracking data, Amazon rankings, royalties + payouts, and some surprises and hiccups that popped up along the way.

Why I'm putting off writing this blog post about starting

Why I'm putting off writing this blog post about starting

Ok, that title was maybe a litttttttle click baity, but I couldn’t help it. Because it’s true — I’ve been needing to write this blog post, to kick off the new year with a solid blogging game, and yet there’s only one thing I seem to be doing instead: procrastinating. I’m like really, really good at it.

How I'm focusing on what works + ditching what doesn't

How I'm focusing on what works + ditching what doesn't

My word in 2018 has been hone. I wanted to hone my business as well as my lifestyle. Refine it, simplify it, get super clear and intentional on what I wanted both to look like. This past year was less about growing my business, and more about stripping out what wasn’t working so I could focus on and improve what was working.

My experience self-publishing with Amazon KDP (formerly Createspace) — Part 1 of 2

My experience self-publishing with Amazon KDP (formerly Createspace) — Part 1 of 2

So good news, I self-published a book! I still can’t believe it’s out in the world, making it’s way into mailboxes and hanging out on nightstands and stashed in purses for carline reading. Launch week went amazing, and I’m still amazed that this little book is having such a big impact on readers, and connecting with their stories right where they’re at.

How I make decisions as a chronic people-pleaser (an excerpt from my new book)

How I make decisions as a chronic people-pleaser (an excerpt from my new book)

An excerpt from page 125 of my new book, Strong Girl, Brave Girl, available exclusively on Amazon on October 21, 2018: After the first few weeks of counseling with Liz, I realized a recurring theme running through all of our conversations — I was bad at making decisions.

Behind-the-scenes of my book design process (book update no. 4)

Behind-the-scenes of my book design process (book update no. 4)

Today, I’m gonna cover all things book design! We’re talking the cover design and the interior layout. All the things. As a designer (and a former book designer), this is the part I’ve been most excited about in this process. So let’s dive into a lil’ behind the scenes of my complete book design process, plus some release date info, a quick Q+A on some common things you guys have been asking me, and what’s coming up next in the self-publishing process.

How I planned a writing retreat to finish my book (book update no. 3)

How I planned a writing retreat to finish my book (book update no. 3)

Long time, no book update! I’ve been hard at work behind the scenes on the next few phases of the book writing process. So let’s chat about how I finished my writing process with a writing retreat as my motivation AND reward, how I hired my editor, and what the next few steps look like in the coming months.

How I went from day job to working for myself (with a kid) — free monthly goal planner download

How I went from day job to working for myself (with a kid) — free monthly goal planner download

I think every business owner's story is an underdog story. Most of us worked for someone else, spent our days dreaming of working for ourselves, and usually through a significant change in their life – either forced or voluntary – they finally take real steps towards that dream being a reality. It’s rarely a smooth road, it’s usually a bumpy, curvy, pothole-laden road that can take a long time to get down. Lots of people have asked me about my own journey, so I thought I’d share it in a fun, timeline-style post – showing you that the big transition from day job to self-employed is not a quick or easy one. It takes time, work, and a whole lot of patience.

3 tips for attending your first creative conference

3 tips for attending your first creative conference

People in the online space are sometimes surprised to hear that I’ve only ever been to one creative conference. There’s a million great ones out there, and lots that I would love to attend, but I’ve actually only attended one single conference, and it was a pivotal one – the Society for Creative Founders. SCF taught me the basics of running a thriving creative business and connected me with countless other creative women who were in the same boat as me – learning the ropes of this whole business thing, and looking for some friends to figure it out with.

8 questions I'm asking myself as I plan for the new year (+ free goal tracker!)

8 questions I'm asking myself as I plan for the new year (+ free goal tracker!)

My dad and I have always had this question that we throw back and forth to each other — and bear with me here, because at first it can sound like a dirty joke. We ask each other, Are you keeping all the balls in the air?

How I'm building a business that works with my life

How I'm building a business that works with my life

This year had tons of traveling, tons of momming, and tons of work on keeping this business chugging along. I started new projects that I’ve been putting off, and I cut old strategies that weren’t working anymore. This year was a season of pivoting and simplifying and getting real clear on what I do and don’t want to do in my business.

3 things I'm learning while writing a book (book update no. 2)

3 things I'm learning while writing a book (book update no. 2)

My last (and first) book update felt like a lifetime ago, but alas, it was just shy of 3 months ago. I had “Book Update #2” on my calendar for this week’s blog post, and thought, well there’s nothing new to say except: I’m still writing it. But then I jotted down some notes and it turned into paragraphs and it appears I have more updates than I realized, so here we are. Funny, that writing thing. It works.

How I'm starting my book writing process

How I'm starting my book writing process

So I’m gonna write a book. There, I said it on the Internet, so it must be true. This post is really different than my usual content, and this entire book writing process seems like it will be really different than my usual projects. And, spoiler: I’m not very far into the process! But I want to blog about the process (because writing a whole BOOK just wasn’t enough writing for me??), for two reasons.

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