Practical Productivity Tips for Running a Creative Business and Working from Home // Ponderstream Show Notes

The ultimate goal of productivity is to get rid of busyness and replace it with efficiency, effectiveness, and progress.

As creative business owners, hustling often works its way into our lifestyle. We have so many ideas and things to do. But sometimes that mentality pulls in too many things that aren’t actually helpful or productive in the long run. On the outside, it can look like we’re getting lots done, while in reality, we’re running around in circles.

Don’t simply add to your hustle for the sake of feeling busy. Instead, you want to see progress from the time you put into your business, and you want your time to have a big impact. True productivity looks like speeding along the process of reaching your goals or helping you stay on track.

Here’s how:

Squarespace 101 for Creative Entrepreneurs and Bloggers

video + blog post

In this Ponderstream episode, learn the basics of Squarespace as I take you behind my computer screen and give you a step-by-step tour of the back end.

Get a detailed glimpse of Squarespace’s many features to see how simple and easy it is to use.

From creating pages to setting up shop, I cover practical ways creative entrepreneurs and bloggers can use Squarespace to build their brand’s headquarters.

Missed joining this one live? Register for next week’s Ponderstream webinar here.

How I Set, Plan, and Follow Through on My Goals

video + blog post

In my last Ponderstream Episode, I shared my step-by-step process for how I reach my goals. My process includes creating goals, breaking them down into daily actions, and monitoring your progress along the way.

Over the past year, I’ve focused on creating an effective and streamlined goal-planning system that saves time. Setting goals can be an easy place to get hung up on, so I wanted to outline a specific method that I could follow over and over again.

My goal was to be able to incorporate a step-by-step planning system into my routine to eliminate the pitfall of wondering where to start each day or what to work on next.

After over a year of experimenting and refining, I’ve ended up with a simple goal-planning process and created a workbook to go along with it. It’s made such a difference with reaching my goals, so I was excited to share it with you all last week in my livestream.

Essentially, my method for reaching goals is breaking them down all the way into simple to-do tasks that are assigned to each day. This creates a step-by-step plan for staying on track so you can monitor your progress and actually complete the tasks necessary to accomplish your goals.

There are 4 main sections: prepwork and laying the foundation, setting goals, planning them out, and following through. Join me as I walk you through the entire process in detail.

Missed joining this one live? Register for next week’s Ponderstream webinar here.

The Top 2 Critical Strategies to Consider when Starting and Growing a Business

video + blog post

There’s so much noise online about what you need to do before you launch a business, but today I’m taking the stand and saying there’s a Top 2.

In fact, if I had known and followed them before I ventured out and launched my first business (a handmade knitwear company), these two strategies alone would have saved me from running around in time-wasting circles, and my business would have taken off much faster.

One of them is a fundamental, yet often unnoted step to ensuring your business doesn't dwindle away from you and fail due to a simple overlook.
The other is a new, growing need I’ve noticed in recent months and is a byproduct of the modern online business era. But I’m not sure how a business can survive in 2019 and onward without implementing this strategy.

While extremely effective, the are both simple methods to follow and only require a bit of creative brainstorming time with you, paper, and a pen.

So here’s what I would say if I could tell every creative entrepreneur only 2 things I wish I did when starting and growing a business . . .

Missed joining this one live? Register for next week’s Ponderstream webinar here.

Introducing Ponderstream: A Webinar Show for Creative Entrepreneurs

If you’ve spent time browsing my blog archives, you know I love talking about creative entrepreneurship, and I jump at every opportunity I get.

So I am excited to announce my newest resource: Ponderstream!

Each week, I am hosting a live webinar show filled with high-quality content to help you in your business endeavors. I wanted to create this new form of content to transparently share even more insights and strategies with you. I love how easy and enjoyable it is to learn with video, and I can’t wait for you to see what’s in store.

Think of Ponderstream as a video podcast series that you can return to each week for new content, all designed specifically for creative entrepreneurs.

And the best part is, it’s an interactive livestream!

Ponderstream features the in-person feel of live video and a chat feature. So you can take part in the episode, too, by asking questions you have about each week’s topic.

With time dedicated to Q+A towards the end of each livestream, you can come away with personalized tips and ideas for your business each week. (Almost like a mini coaching session.)

I hope to see you there!

Find details for Ponderstream episodes here.

The latest insights for creative entrepreneurs