I pride myself on adhering to deadlines, and it’s almost physically painful to me to be late on client work. And I’ve been in a lot of pain lately (so have my clients, though they’ve been very kind). A few things happened that were out of my control (I had to take a week off to help my mother with a health scare - she’s fine, thank goodness!) and that created delays, and revealed what parts of my ‘system’ were actually completely broken.

When your business grows very fast, suddenly, the systems that worked in the past no longer apply. That’s the tough lesson I’ve been learning!

I basically went from taking on 4 clients per month (doing copywriting the old-fashioned way, charging a lot, taking on fewer clients) to this new, brave, exciting way that allows me to charge less and work with more people. From Spring to Summer, I’ve gone from 4 clients to anywhere between 20-40 per month.

That’s a lot of humans to keep track of! That’s a lot of projects.

And yes, it’s more money, but not an astronomical leap because I’ve changed most of my service structures to be more accessibly priced. (I love this, by the way - making copy accessible to newer coaches LIGHTS ME UP!)

But, new services and many more clients have taken my old 2-day turnaround time and demolished it. It’s not that I can’t work that fast - I love working that fast - it’s that I’m juggling more client calls, trying to create content (on this blog, on YouTube), plus calls with my biz coach, my creative flow coach, my ‘how to not wake up tired in the mornings’ coach (this is me trying to tackle overwhelm from EVERY possible angle, and I know a lot of terrific coaches).

The calls, in truth, have been tanking my energy - they’re also my most favorite part of my job. But I’m an introvert, and I need ‘recovery time’ in between calls to rest and get my energy back up, because I put so much joyful creative energy into each interaction.

So, here are the changes I’m making to regain my balance and handle this growth with more grace.

1. I’m giving myself more time.

• My 2-day turnaround on MindMelds is now a 7 day turnaround, because wiggle room is key as I find my balance.

• I’m buffering my call time (via Calendly) so I have enough time between calls to pee, make more tea (it’s a vicious cycle) and do a movement exercise or meditation. Or… check emails, because I’m not perfect.

2. I’m optimizing my energy levels

• Working with Anna Bain from Lifestyle Rebelz, I’ve been learning how to even out my energy throughout the day. I’ve created an ‘Energy Protocol’ checklist of the things I can do to set myself up for optimal energy. It helps so, so much. (I love what she says about the 5 Types of Tired - you can read it here.) Granted, when your schnauzer has a flea-bite that won’t stop itching at 2am, none of this works… :|

• Working with Gillian Hipp of Move into Balance, I’m working on the burnout that happens when all of my creative energy goes into work - and nothing else. All work and no play make me very dull indeed. She has a fascinating approach that uses - what I’m gonna call “interpretive dance” (something I NEVER thought I’d be doing) - as a diagnostic tool to see how we move from busy to calm, from focused to creative flow. And then how to build what works best for you into how you structure (or don’t structure) your day and work. It’s also a great core workout.

• Both of these coaches agree that I need to make time to do creative work that isn’t… work. And what I’ve found is that I don’t have creative juice left for my usual artistic outlets - painting, hat-making, embroidery. But juggling… that somehow bypasses the exhausted creative muscles (and it’s a great butt workout - at least when you drop balls as often as I do!).

• I’m also acknowledging that it’s the dead-heat of summer and that makes me SAD (seasonal affective disorder) because it’s too hot to be outside. I’m trying very hard to make time for the one thing that brings me joy at this time of year - snorkeling. It’s self-care with a chance of sharks.

3. Structure, structure, structure!

• Structure is vital for growth - any arborist will tell you that. It’s why you support a young avocado tree with stakes and ropes that give it room to bend in the breeze, but support so it doesn’t break (especially when it bears big, heavy fruit). Working with Caroline Leon, my business coach, has helped me find structures that support my business, even when it’s changing so fast. It’s a constant practice of noticing what is, and isn’t working, and adjusting. It’s hard, y’all.

• I’m developing some new ideas to help more newer coaches get effective, authentic, beautiful copy at affordable prices. And this is important, because usually, the advice given to solopreneurs when they have more client work than they can handle is to “RAISE YOUR RATES!” That’s not bad advice, but it runs counter to my core desire to make copy accessible to everyone.

• I’m looking into hiring a VA for a couple hours per week to help me turn my YouTube videos into blog posts. Know anyone awesome and affordable? (I’m anti Fiverr and other cheapo services - I fully expect to pay a fair wage for quality work.)