“I need to create some systems for my business.” It’s one of the key needs we hear from small business owners. Recognizing that they have something that works on some level, they’re looking to make it work better. Systems seem to be the way to do it. But then a...
This month, I indulged myself a bit with our focus on the podcast. I wanted to talk to other neurodivergent business owners about how they leverage their strengths in their businesses. It’s part personal research project and part public service.
The public service part is the part where, even if you’re not neurodivergent, you start to see how your own strengths can give you creative direction in how you build your business. You can filter how you build your business through what truly makes you feel effective, alive, and capable.
You can adapt your business instead of always adapting yourself.
I could think of no one I wanted to kick off this series with more than Brittany Berger. Brittany’s personal leadership and advocacy was some of the first that made me think, “huh.”
Brittany is the founder of Work Brighter, a platform that provides resources and encouragement for neurodivergent, disabled, and chronically ill people who want to make productivity techniques work for them.
Brittany and I talk about how she manages her energy, how she structures her day, and why self-disclosure has been key to finding her way, as well as—and this is crucial—why she can write about the intersection of pop culture, productivity, and content marketing like no one else.
Now, let’s find out What Works for Brittany Berger!
The quest for greater productivity is one of internet culture's longest-lasting and most influence trends. “Life hacks” teach us how to shave a few seconds off of common tasks so we can fit more work into our days. Even my daughter became enamored with life hacks...
Solid systems, strong client relationships, naps, and art is the perfect blend for my day.
You probably have your own ideal blend for how you spend your time—whether working or otherwise. Maybe you save working on your big projects until after 10pm. Maybe you take 1 week off per quarter. Maybe you don’t schedule calls on Mondays or Tuesdays.
And if you don’t have found the right blend for you yet, now is the perfect time to think about what it might be and start experimenting you way to it.
Today, I have a conversation with one of my oldest business friends for you on exactly this subject.
Jacquette Timmons is speaker, coach, and financial behaviorist who helps people make human choices with their money.
I wanted to find out what taking a break and taking care of herself meant to her. And eventually the conversation got to this topic of finding the right blend—so that whether you’re working, resting, exercising, eating, or exploring your other interests, you feel satisfied and fulfilled with the way you’re spending your time.
Now, let’s find out what works for Jacquette Timmons!
It seems like summer is the perfect time to reexamine and re-establish your boundaries as a business owner or freelancer. And maybe, like me, you're even exercising some additional boundaries to be able to go into full-on summer slow-down mode. I know it's been a hot...
There’s a difference between being busy—and being squeezed. Neither is very pleasant. Nor are they sustainable. But one—busy—is a state that you’re moving through on the path to greater sustainability. And the other—squeezed—is the end result of the structures,...
Flow. Rhythm. Consistency. These are all words we want to associate with how we do...
This week, my guest is Gillian Perkins—a YouTuber with over 450 thousand subscribers, marketing expert, business strategist, and the creator of Startup Society.
I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Gillian through YellowHouse.Media, where we produce her podcast, Work Less, Earn More. Gillian is a disciplined, rigorous executor who is no stranger to making a plan and working it.
And there are plenty of conventional ways that Gillian manages the work to be done—for instance, she loves Asana!
But there was a really intriguing part of our conversation where I learned that Gillian’s found her true way of working on big projects—like planning for her recent parental leave—doesn’t necessarily fit the way we think it’s supposed to be done. She calls it “batching chaotically” and it’s a mode of operation I can definitely relate to!
In this conversation, you’ll hear what Gillian’s average 20-hour workweek looks like, how she changed that up to prepare for parental leave, how she made her leave plan in the first place, and what she’s learned by taking time away from the business over the years.
Planning, productivity, and getting through the never-ending to-do list are some of the biggest concerns of the small business owners we work with. They certainly were some of my biggest concerns for years. I'd come up with a "great" plan at the beginning of every...
Last year, I took a part-time job as the head setter at my climbing gym. (That’s the person in charge of bolting the plastic rocks to the wall and overseeing the creative process of coming up with new things to climb.) I had a bunch of misgivings about taking the...
Host of What Works
Tara is a podcaster, small business community leader, strategist, and speaker. She’s been helping small business owners build stronger businesses for over a decade.