KIS News Issue #45 - some links included in this issue may be affiliate links

Update: I’ve been quiet lately—and I wanted to share why.

I was recently diagnosed with PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder), and it has turned my life—and my business—inside out.

PMDD is an extreme form of PMS where for 7–10 days of my cycle every month, I feel like my world is imploding. I disappear. Not because I want to. Not because I need a break. But because I physically cannot function.

It starts with self-sabotage.
A few excuses about why I “can’t” do things. I’m tired, I have a lot on my plate.

Then avoidance.
Then absolute paralysis.

And then:

I physically cannot open emails. I am terrified of what I might see.
The idea of posting on social media makes my stomach drop. Hence why I never seem to crack the consistency thing. I can batch-create to my heart’s content, but I can’t post. I can’t even look at my phone.

Even the simplest questions feel overwhelming—like “What do you want for dinner?”

I feel like I can’t get out of bed. The only reason I do is because my children need me.

The intrusive thoughts come in waves, and at their worst, they are terrifying.
And I constantly feel tears welling behind my eyes.

And then—like magic—it’s gone. I wake up one day, and it feels like none of it ever happened. My brain works again. My confidence is back. My inbox isn’t scary anymore. I can look at my phone.

But what I’m left with is overwhelming guilt that I’ve let myself and everyone else down. All my good work and habits I build up over 3 weeks get washed away and I worry what everyone will think of me. Have I lost my community? Have I completely blown it and let everyone down—all those unanswered questions and DMs?

And so the cycle begins again, and I spend the next 3 weeks rebuilding everything I lost in the last week.

So if you’ve been wondering where I’ve been lately, or why consistency feels hard—I see you.
This is why I build systems that run without me.
This is why I’m obsessed with time freedom.
And this is why I’ll always choose real over polished.

Because some weeks, just making it through is the win.

What’s working: Giving myself time to breathe—and not filling it immediately with new plans or pressure.

March was a pause. Not for strategy. Not for a new project. Just a genuine step back to think.

I’ve realised how rare it is to give ourselves that kind of space. So often when things feel unclear or misaligned, the instinct is to go harder—do more, post more, fix it with action.

But what I actually needed was mental headspace. Time to let the dust settle and tune back into what I want, not what I think I “should” want.

It’s not always comfortable, but it’s been clarifying.
Letting go of the urgency makes it easier to hear what’s really next.

What I’m reading this week: As part of managing my PMDD, I’ve been making some big lifestyle shifts.

Right now, I’m not on medication (though I’m not ruling it out), but I want to see what changes I can make to support myself naturally first.

One of the things my doctor recommended? Cutting out ultra-processed food completely.

It’s a big change—I do love crisps and dip—but I’ve started reading Ultra-Processed People by Chris van Tulleken, and honestly, it’s a real eye-opener.

One golden takeaway:

This is going to be a slow shift for me, not an overnight overhaul. But it feels like an important one.

This week’s mindset moodboard:

CEO VS Operator Tasks - A practical exercise to help you focus on what is really going to move the needle

On Tuesday morning I found myself deep in a rabbit hole trying to rearrange swimming lessons, buy a present for a party we forgot about, and chase an unpaid invoice—all before 9:30am.

I’d sat down with a plan to work on something meaningful for my business, but instead, I ended up spinning in circles doing what I call operator tasks. Stuff that clogs your brain but doesn’t move anything forward.

So I took a pause and opened a fresh Notion page. I split it into three columns:

• Tasks I do regularly

• Things only I can do

• Stuff I hate and avoid

I dumped everything in—and wow. Turns out I’m spending a lot of time on things that don’t need me. At all.

It was a harsh reminder of the fact that we need to constantly be reviewing our time, systems and processes, proving that even those of us who take pride in the level of automation we’ve got set up, experience system creep.

It was such a clear picture of how the mental load shows up—not just at home, but across work too.

Instead of batching these kinds of admin tasks into a focused hour, I’d let them creep across the entire day. And in the process, I’d left no time for the CEO stuff—the high-leverage work, the creative energy, the bits that only I can do.

So here’s the exercise I recommend if you’re feeling that same bloat in your to-do list:

Write out two columns:

• Column 1: Operator Tasks (admin, logistics, daily churn)

• Column 2: CEO Tasks (strategy, delivery, visibility, high-leverage thinking)

Then be brutally honest about your week. How much time are you actually spending as the operator? And how much as the CEO?

Ask yourself:

This one little audit gave me back my time—and reminded me where my energy really belongs.

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

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