But don’t you want summers off? They would ask with an unmistakable undertone of disapproval.
And sure, I wanted to enjoy the long sunny days that come after the cold dark winter here in Western NY.
But I wanted more than that.
And I didn’t want to spend the other 9 months of the year miserable and counting down the days till summer vacation.
Truth be told. I never thought I would be the person to “waste” the 6 years I spent earning my bachelors and pinching pennies to pay for my masters out of pocket.
** Disclaimer - 30 year old me knows that none of it was a waste and so much of what I learned in college has influenced me as a person and a business owner. **
Fast forward 8 years after earning the diploma that would certainly “go to waste” in the eyes of judgemental family and friends - I still live for summer.
For 14 years i’ve worked all summer. From swirling soft serve cones, to waiting tables, pouring beers, and eventually staring out the window ADHD in full affect with an open laptop in front of me.
I would pick, choose, barter, and trade for days off, concerts, and a chance to head up to the islands and spend a few days on the water.
When I started my own business I swore to myself that I would find a way to slow down and enjoy the long summer days I was so nostalgic for.
But that was easier said than done.
The first couple of years in business - I wanted to take a true summer sabbatical and take off for at least a few weeks at a time.
But I couldn’t quite make that happen till this year.
In this week's newsletter, I’m sharing the 3 tactics that made a full month off possible.
Keep Scrolling For Newsletter Highlights
- Behind the Brand → The three things that made a month-long sabbatical possible
- A Note From Catie → Where I’ve been off too
- On The Blog → How to take time off, for creative entreprenuers
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The 3 things that made 4 weeks off possible
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There are three things that made a month off possible (even as a solopreneur). In this week's Behind The Brand Section I’ll be digging into the tactics that have made the most impact on my brand behind the scenes.
#1 MRR or Monthly Recurring Revenue: As a creative entrepreneur, you know that there is perhaps no better feeling than being able to see guaranteed Income on the books months into the future. Early in 2024, I created a Brand Management package that provided ongoing support to my 1:1 clients - for three months. After the three months were up - my clients had the opportunity to sign on through the end of 2024. Creating guaranteed monthly recurring income that was automatically billed (through honeybook) even while I was out of the office (granted, I had to pre-bill their hours before I left for my sabbatical).
If you are a 1:1 service provider, you can create a similar ongoing offer to create the same kind of cushion for yourself. If you are more content-based, a monthly membership is another way you can create MRR.
#2 Bare Minimum Marketing Tasks: In a perfect world (or maybe just one where this wasn’t a one-woman show), I would have had blogs, newsletters, and perfectly curated Instagram reels, scheduled and posted while I was away. But that just isn’t the season that I am in. So I had to get real with what my bare minimum was, which is Email.
I didn’t create content on my travels with instagram in mind. Hell, I even deleted the app off my phone entirely at one point. There were moments of typing newsletters from the passenger seat and that was it.
#3 Planning in Advance: Without planning, a month off would have never been possible. Not only did I need to plan the travel time itself, but also what my newsletter would be about in the meantime, my availability before and after the sabbatical, and what I would need to do to keep on track with client projects.
None of that would have been possible (much less manageable) without breaking down projects, launches, and promotional periods into needle-moving tasks inside The Notion Brand Planner that I created for myself and my clients at the start of the year.
The #1 thing that gets in the way of big goals like time off, launching a brand, or finally finishing that damn website is time. You need to give yourself a runway, and being able to visualize that prep time inside the Brand Planner made it possible to step back for four weeks and then jump back in without missing a beat.
You can still get the Brand Management Dash inside the Cedar June Shop at the link below!
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a note from catie
Last week, I checked in after 10 days in Maine celebrating Kyles's 30th and our 8-year anniversary. We spent 5 days at home resetting, resting, repacking (and moseying about the garden) before packing up the hatchback and setting the gps north toward the Adirondacks - this time for my 30th!
After the two nights at a dreamy campsite with our two best friends, we headed to my family cottage no the Saint Lawrence River for the rest of the week.
Now I’m back to work after indulging in one too many ice cream cones, adding freckles to my face on the boat, and squeezing my nephew for the last 6 days. I hope you had a great 4th! I’m officially back to work after an amazing summer sabbatical.
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on the blog
How To Take Time Off: For Creative Entrepreneurs
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need help?
I am booking July and beyond for 1:1 brand and website design projects. Inquire about working together at the link below.
