Aloha my fellow right-brainers!

Earlier this month, my hubby and I enjoyed a wonderful Hawaiian getaway. As you can see, the fresh air, sunshine, and ocean swims helped us relax and recharge. 🙂

Upon our return, power was shut off across the Bay Area due to heightened fire risk so Brian got out a solar powered battery to help keep our fridge running. We’ve got another planned outage and that means contingency plans and “back-up batteries” are top of mind 😉 which is why this issue of the newsletter is dedicated to recharging and building your reserves in your business so you don’t skip a beat.

Plus, I’m excited to share a past VIP client’s signature program for artists and a fabulous new book on productivity from a creative cohort.

Building reserves in your business

Do you have the equivalent of “back-up batteries” in your biz?

When the power went out the other week, boy was I glad that Brian pulled out the mini solar panels to keep our back-up batteries going. I was able to still hop on a Zoom call and get some work done. Plus our food didn’t spoil. Yay!

As solopreneurs, it’s important to have back-up plans and reserves (energetic, financial, etc.) so that when you hit inevitable bumps in the road, your infrastructure momentarily goes down, or you need to step away from work for a bit, your business can keep running.

While looking at “smooth sailing systems” isn’t the sexiest thing in the world, having processes and plans in place can really save you in a pinch.

Here a few examples of “back-up batteries” for your biz:

• Create contingency plans. As Murphy’s Law tells us, anything that can go wrong will. Be prepared, especially if you’re running mission critical processes, hosting a live event or are in the middle of a launch. When I ran my live video summits my creative cohort Jeremie and I had back-up plans for our back-up plans. We knew what to do if we ran into tech hiccups or our main webinar platform cut out. Or when my e-commerce system decided to go kaput during a sale, my assistant and I had a plan for accepting alternative payment methods. What procedures might you need to put in place so you don’t skip a beat?

• Develop evergreen products. Perennial offers like e-books, e-Courses, kits, or self-paced programs are helpful to have in your back pocket. For example, you can run a sale on those products during slower months, or spend a few days promoting a self-study course instead of several weeks delivering the entire course live. You can still share your gifts and impact people in powerful ways even if you need to step away from your business for a bit.

• Save for a rainy day. If you can swing it, consider opening up a business savings account and regularly putting aside a percentage of your earnings so you can have money in the bank for when times are leaner. Or cut some extraneous expenses and deposit the amount saved into an emergency fund.

• Take time off to regularly recharge. Stepping away from work clears your mind, feeds your soul, and helps build your energetic reserves. Whether it’s a one day stay-cation, an adventurous, epic vacation, a silent meditation retreat, or whatever floats your boat, see if you can find a way to take a break. I commit to self-care Fridays so that I have one day a week just for me. Others practice short-term sabbaticals like taking one week off every couple of months or quarterly. What might a mini-recharge look like for you?

• Practice self-care daily. It seems simple enough but just committing to some basics like getting enough sleep, drinking plenty of water, eating well, or moving your body can really help you build your energetic reserves. When we’re super busy, these are often the things that can fall by the wayside, but if you’re consistently taking good care of yourself you’ll have more resilience and an energetic buffer to get you through those crunch times.

These are just a few ways to recharge and build your reserves. Having all of these things in place in my own business has certainly helped me ride the ups and downs of the entrepreneurial journey — and life, for that matter ;)! What are some other things you might do to ensure your business continuity? What can you commit to putting in place by the end of the year?

Join past VIP Client Annamieka Davidson’s signature year-long program Let’s Go Deep! Starts 11/1

How would your world change if you had a powerful new collection of artwork, and a confident + sustainable creative practice?

I remember how excited my past VIP Client Annamieka Davidson was to kick off her signature program last year and I’m so thrilled to see that she’s running Let’s Go Deep again! This next year is going to be even better!

Watch Annamieka share how her intimate mentorship program will help artists like you make a new cohesive body of work.

This isn’t a “paint-like-me” art class. Instead, Let’s Go Deep will be like your own thesis year: you will develop a creative practice that is totally and wholly yours and produce art that is an expression of who you are and why you want to make art in the world. This is for any artist not just painters.

You’ll get a monthly live lesson ranging from basic design, color theory, art history, constructive critique, and all about creative practice.

Plus, everyone gets individual attention. In addition to the twice-monthly group Zoom calls, everyone meets with Annamieka individually in the first month to make a strategic plan for the year, and again in month ten to have a portfolio review. And there’s an option for even more 1:1 support. Annamieka’s got you covered!

Let’s Go Deep is for you if you’re craving ownership and depth in your art practice and want to see your art grow by leaps and bounds this year.

BTW, even if this doesn’t sound like your thing I encourage you to take a peek at her love letter (a.k.a. sales page) anyway as it’s a wonderful example of sharing from your most heartfelt, authentic voice. I hope that inspires you to get your gifts out there!

Check out Charlie Gilkey’s new book*!

For those of you who participated in my video summits, I’m sure you’ll remember what a hit Charlie Gilkey’s session was (he did his interview on a bouncy ball!).

Well, I’m excited to share that his new book Start Finishing: How to Go from Idea to Done* just came out.

Charlie has a knack for cutting through the BS that stands in our way of getting our best work out… and he does it with deep love and soul, which makes this book truly “not just another productivity book”.

This book is for you if you often find yourself at the end of your week wondering what you really got done. Thankfully, Start Finishing: How to Go From Idea to Done* will guide you through the process of identifying what matters most to you, help you hop the hurdles that get in your way, and leave you sprinting toward the finish line of getting your best work out in the world. * Amazon affiliate link

• October: RBBP Facilitator Sarah Bellman hosts RBBP Facebook group this month. Come join the discussion, get support, and connect with fellow right-brainers!
• November: I’ll be hosting the RBBP Facebook group.

Done is better than perfect.

This fabulous saying is another way to help you build your reserves. Instead of draining all of your energy obsessing over every last detail and trying to get everything “exactly” right, give yourself permission to turn the perfection dial down several notches so that you can get your project finished with a lot more ease (and enjoyment!).

Take one dose of Left-Brain Chill Pill as needed to quiet your judging mind.

If you know anyone who may be interested in Artizen Coaching®, please forward this message to your friends and they can subscribe to receive future newsletters, plus they’ll get fun downloadable play sheets from both of my books!

Want to work with a licensed Right-Brain Business Plan® facilitator in your neck of the woods? Check out our directory of facilitators from around the world.

Jennifer Lee, MA, CPCC, PCC, is the founder of Artizen Coaching® and the author of Building Your Business the Right-Brain Way and the bestseller The Right-Brain Business Plan, which has helped tens of thousands of entrepreneurs around the world launch their creative businesses. After spending 10 years climbing the corporate ladder and getting tired of living her dream “on-the-side,” she took the leap to pursue her passions full-time. Jennifer has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur, U.S. News & World Report, Whole Living, and more.

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