Letters From A Hopeful Creative

In today’s episode we dive into this letter from a listener: I am hanging on your every word about Substack. I just can't seem to shake this question: Is Substack really right for my business? And if so, am I doing it right? How should I think about it and prioritize it among the many other things I could be doing with my limited time and energy? But I keep getting tangled up in this question: is...

In today’s episode we dive into this letter from a listener: I'm an artist and graphic designer and I run a one-woman creative studio. Like Jen, I'm very intentional about not hiring staff. If/when I get to a certain stage I would like to hire a VA or studio manager, but for now it's just me. I've raised my rates over the last year, and I have a steady stream of work coming in, which is great and...

In today’s episode we dive into this letter from a listener: Over the last year, I’ve found myself becoming less and less engaged and connected to Instagram as a form of marketing. I don’t enjoy creating videos. I don’t like being pressured into buying a blue tick just to stop my work being copied. But more importantly, it doesn’t align with my values of a soul-centred approach to business and lif...

In today’s episode we dive into this letter from a listener: I'm building a supportive platform on Substack for therapists in private practice called 'Therapists Corner'. Therapists often work alone and I hope to create a space where they can find support, advice and guidance whenever they need to and have a genuine community. In part it will be educational around building up a private practice bu...

In today’s episode we dive into this letter from a listener: Right now I’m taking a good hard look at what I can outsource in my business so that I can be free to do the stuff that I really love. Sara, you mentioned that you have an executive assistant, Jen do you ? If not, I’m really curious to know why not. I genuinely wonder whether it can potentially complicate the goal of a simple and spaciou...

In today’s episode we dive into this letter from a listener: I’m so happy you two are back! I listened to your podcast a few years ago when I was dreaming about creating a business, and now I’m actually starting one, so it’s perfect timing for me.  I have a chronic illness that only allows me to work about 2 hours a day most days (although it fluctuates often from 0-4 hours). I just finished creat...

In today’s episode we dive into this letter from a listener: I am 6 years into running my business and I feel like I’m running out of steam. The beginning was hard, but then came the “Instagram high” with dozens of thousands of engaged followers. Everything felt so exciting and spacious, I felt like people wanted to see what I’m up to, follow my work and buy from me. Then the pandemic happened and...

After a three year hiatus we are so excited to be coming back into your podcast feed today. In today’s episode we re-introduce this show after our 3 year break, share why we’re hosting this podcast on Substack this time around, share some updates from our own businesses since we last recorded, and invite you to submit a letter that you’d love us to dive into in a future episode too. * Letters From...

In today’s episode Sara and Jen respond to a letter writer who is struggling to feel confident in their new business. Together they dive into the different ways we can all find courage and confidence in our own journeys, and share some encouragement for today’s letter writer moving forward too. Links to the pages and articles mentioned are at: www.lettersfromahopefulcreative.com/episode-47 You can...

In today’s episode Sara and Jen respond to a letter writer who is finding more joy, ease, and freedom in their business and life during this time of forced lockdown and is wondering how they can bring this into their daily life when they’re back to business as usual. Sara and Jen dive into how we can bring more freedom, ease, and joy into our businesses and lives and how we can navigate the fears...

In today’s episode Sara and Jen respond to a letter writer who is struggling to decide whether to focus on creating products or building a community first. Today’s letter writer also shares a whole lot of fears that are holding them back at the moment too, so Sara and Jen dive into how today’s letter writer can feel confident and courageous in the pursuit of their business goals while also explori...

In today’s episode Sara and Jen respond to a letter writer who is wondering how best they can refocus and adjust in their business during this world health crisis. Sara and Jen explore how we can feel grounded in this time, how to re-route some of the goals and intentions that we set for ourselves this year, and why they believe we all still have permission to remain optimistic in our business in...

In today’s episode Sara and Jen respond to a letter writer who is wondering how (and if) they should sell in this time while we all navigate this world health crisis. Together they explore how to make business decisions from a place of integrity in this season, how to navigate any feelings of fear and shame that comes with selling, and how they’re both approaching running their business in this ti...

In today’s episode Sara and Jen respond to a letter writer who is struggling to decide where to focus next in their business. Together they dive into the lessons they’ve learned about finding focus in their own businesses and explore their advice and encouragement for today’s letter writer too. Links to the pages and articles mentioned are at: www.lettersfromahopefulcreative.com/episode-42 You can...

In today’s episode Sara and Jen respond to a letter writer who wants to take the freelance career they’ve built and turn it into a thriving business instead. Sara and Jen explore the difference between being a freelancer and a business owner, how you can start to develop a vision and a plan for your business, and the mindset shifts necessary to go from freelancer to business owner too. Links to th...

In today’s episode Sara and Jen respond to a letter writer who is battling with burnout in their business and is struggling to show up and run her business in this season. Sara and Jen share their own experiences with burnout, the lessons they’ve learned, and their advice and encouragement for today’s letter writer too. Links to the pages and articles mentioned are at: www.lettersfromahopefulcreat...

In today’s episode Sara and Jen respond to a letter writer who is struggling to find focus in their work and is curious as to whether or not they can still build a business on Instagram. Sara and Jen encourage today’s letter writer to think bigger than just Instagram when it comes to building their business, and share how they encourage them to get moving forward too. Today’s letter writer also sh...

We’re coming back from our break with another ask us anything episode, diving into topics like how to deal with a bad client experience, how to prepare for starting a family when you’re self employed, whether or not to put your prices on your website and lots more! Links to the pages and articles mentioned are at: www.lettersfromahopefulcreative.com/episode-38 You can write us a letter at our webs...

In today’s episode Sara and Jen respond to a letter writer who is struggling to decide what to automate, eliminate, and delegate in their business. Sara and Jen share their own approach to this in their business, the lessons they’ve learned, and their advice for anyone else struggling with this too. Links to the pages and articles mentioned are at: www.lettersfromahopefulcreative.com/episode-37 Yo...

In today’s episode Sara and Jen respond to a letter writer who is struggling with their work being copied online. Copycats is such a tricky subject that so many of us have to navigate along the way, and in this episode Sara and Jen share their own experiences of being copied, how they deal with it, and the mindset they embrace when it comes to the inevitability of being copied too. Links to the pa...

In today’s episode Sara and Jen are diving into more listener questions, from our thoughts on Instagram potentially hiding like counts, our advice for being organised, how we motivate ourselves when we don’t feel like doing the work, navigating trolls online and more. Links to the pages and articles mentioned are at: https://www.lettersfromahopefulcreative.com/episode-35 You can write us a letter...

In today’s episode Sara and Jen are answering listener questions, from our advice for starting something new, navigating quiet seasons in business, how we approach setting short and long term goals, how to deal with people who don’t understand your business and more. Links to everything we mentioned will be on our website https://www.lettersfromahopefulcreative.com/episode-34 You can write us a le...

In today’s episode Sara and Jen respond to a letter writer who is curious about what it actually looks like to build a community online. Together they explore the biggest lessons they’ve learned about building community online, why they don’t believe in trying to hack your way to audience growth, and why they believe the most important part of building a community online is the connection you crea...

In today’s episode Sara and Jen are talking all things mailing lists and newsletters. Together they dive into building a mailing list, opt-in incentives, subject lines, how to decide what content belongs on your newsletter and more. If you’re thinking of starting a newsletter or want to be more intentional with the one you’ve already built this episode is for you. We have a just a few spaces left...

In today's episode Sara and Jen respond to a letter writer who is unsure as to whether or not to invest any money into their business before it makes a profit. They share their own experience of choosing when and when not to invest in their business, why they believe all investments in business are a leap of faith, and their advice for how to make this decision for your own business too. Links to...