The email that helps you start a business by keeping things simple.

This week:

Update: his week I’ve been reminded how quickly life can change for the better. Last week I shared that things really haven’t been going my way recently and it’s felt like nothing is working out. In the past this would have sent my head spinning but for once I took my own (and my coach’s) advice - to hold things more lightly. And although I don’t feel completely out of the woods with workload (I’m working on a £2m investment deal which is my first back since maternity leave), we have hopefully finally found a new house!

I’m also getting ready to launch the Keep It Simple Club this week which I’m absolutely buzzing about! <<< this feels like a very Scottish phrase?! Do other people saying buzzing like this?! Reply and let me know 😂

Anyway, this community is so much more than content and resources, this is a safe and supportive place to take your business to the next level by tapping into what others have already figured out as well as making new friends and connections.

The mantra of course is to Keep It Simple. We are here to support one another on the entrepreneurial journey as it can be a lonely and overwhelming place to be. Here, we are all in this together.

If this sounds like your jam then doors open for 48hrs to the waitlist tomorrow.

Words to live by: We don’t have to do it alone, we were never meant to.

Life Hack: Dream of getting to inbox zero? This week I saw this video from accountant Rachel Harris on how she gets to inbox zero and I’m determined to also be that person! If like me, your instant thought is, yeah but right now I’m at inbox 23,657 so what do I do about that?! I have a trick for you. Decide on a ground zero day for clearing your inbox. Select all of your emails that are older than that date and mark them as read, then move them to a folder labelled sorting. The emails aren’t gone (because us millennials all know you can’t ever delete something forever. Like a good box, what if we need it?!), instead they are cleared from your immediate inbox. If you need them you’ll find them again by searching… now you have a clean slate for starting the do, delete, delegate email system. Welcome to inbox zero friends.

What’s working: my money-making schedule

I’ve been getting a lot of questions recently about how I am fitting it all in with being back at work, having two kids during the summer holidays and running my businesses so I thought I would share some insight on what is currently working for me.

Firstly, let me start by saying that The Juggle is REAL. See this dose of reality I shared on TikTok this week. My house is chaos, there are shoes and coats everywhere, the ironing board remains permanently up as it doubles as a handy dumping ground/table, we’re picking clothes each day from the clean pile on top of the washing machine, and we’re solely eating prepped frozen meals or take-away. Work is busy for both myself and my husband right now and I know it will settle in a week or two which means in the short-term we are giving ourselves a lot of slack on the home front. As long as everyone is clean and fed everything else can wait.

When you run your own business(es), even if it is alongside a full time job, you often play a dual role. The manager and the maker. The manager role and schedule is what most people live on. Days packed with meetings and work in one hour incremental slots. But if you run on a solely Manager’s schedule, one meeting in the middle of the afternoon can blow all your time as a Maker as you never get into a state of flow with your work. See this old post from Paul Graham, co-founder of Y-Combinator for more detail.

To combat this, I tend to split my week and days into times when I am solely the maker and other days when I am the manager. For example, Tuesdays for me are usually stacked with meetings. I know I’m going to jump from call to call to call all day ticking off my “manager” tasks, responding to emails, texts, and generally handling all the admin involved in my job/businesses. Need to review the VAT return? Tuesday job. Need a quick chat about a tech issue? Tuesday job.

Thursdays are my maker days. These are the days where I create things that move the needle and fundamentally make money. I fiercely defend this time and I don’t check my emails or my phone apart from at the very start and end of the day. If I’m needed in between it’s purely for emergencies (like real, real this cannot possibly wait until 6pm emergencies) and I communicate this with everyone I work with. On Maker days I batch create content, do deep-thinking and strategy work without interruptions and can get into a deep state of flow.

By splitting my days and weeks like this, I can ensure I’m not just filling time with busy manager tasks, which make things feel like I’m getting a lot done and being super productive, but that don’t actually move the needle for me and make money.

This week’s saves

What I saved this week that will help you with your business.

This series - If you’re looking for a refresher or you need a kickstarter for building a brand then one of my community members Miranda is sharing brand building content series on TikTok.

This podcast - Jessica Knappett interviews Dolly Alderton on her new podcast Perfect Day. This is full of gems on creative visualisation, the power of your mind when it comes to constructing your reality and letting go of the guilt when it comes to unanswered emails and texts.

This tutorial - In this video, Emma walks you step by step how to create better, visually engaging hooks for short-form content using CapCut.

This post - TwosJoe shares how to have a low-dopamine morning to improve your daily focus.

This TedTalk - I went through my TedTalk playlist this week and I found myself drawn to this oldie but goodie - How to speak so people will listen by Julian Treasure.

Looking to make some new business friends? Look no further…

Have a great week ahead & remember to keep it simple.

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