✨ the SPARK 211 ~ Calm in the Chaos and Consistent Sales

When Things Feel Fun Again

This time of year tends to be busy no matter how well we plan or try to get ahead of everything that needs to be done.

We’re expected to add all these extra tasks and activities to our lives, but we rarely remove anything to make room for all the extra. 🤔

That being said, having spent what felt like a million years in retail management, I try to enjoy all the little things that this time of year brings for one reason… because I can.

As a store manager, I was mandated to work 6 days a week from the day after Thanksgiving through New Year’s (the last company I worked for). We did get an extra week off that wasn’t vacation time for doing that, but not until after inventory (sometime in January).

By the time that extra week rolled around, I felt like I had lived at warp speed for three months (because retailers naturally start all the holiday preparations months in advance).

When I left retail for good, I promised myself I would never go into a store the weekend after Thanksgiving (well before we were all shopping online), and I’ve kept that promise.

Of course, we now have an ‘inbox version’ of that chaos with Black Friday Cyber Monday sales starting in October 🙄.

I won’t be doing anything for BFCM (it’s a mouthful) this year because I just don’t have the energy.

I hope everyone participating has incredible sales or picks up things they want or need at a great price.

It’s one small way I’m finding calm amid the chaos this time of year can bring, not to mention the chaos we feel across the globe right now.

One of my closest friends has a saying that has become somewhat of a mantra (and I’m sure I’ve shared it with you before):

“That’s not a today problem.”

Sometimes, we can’t find the calm, so we must create it.

I’ve gone back to my list of “three things” to focus on daily, and my life feels lighter after only a few days.

Since Thanksgiving in the US and Christmas are so close this year, you can save yourself undue stress or anxiety by removing expectations wherever you can. It’s perfectly OK to say “no” at this time of year.

Side note: I think I’m entering my “No” era. 😂

I had hoped to have another visual guide out or at least in progress for my business by now, but I haven’t. So, instead of trying to crank it out and push myself, I’m taking my time outlining it.

I’m using this time to create a process for making these visual guides to keep them consistent (layout, format, etc.) and have a smoother workflow.

Don’t try to cram anything else in at this time of year - in your life OR your business.

A friend was telling me that something was taking her longer than she expected, and she wanted to find a way to do it faster.

I told her you don’t need to rush “quality.”

When you know better, you do better. And until you do better long enough, it will take what it takes.

Enjoy the process.

This brings me to things feeling fun again and consistent sales. 🤑

There’s so much hype in marketing about 7-figure launches, 6-figure months, and passive income that it’s easy to become numb to the small wins.

I am thoroughly enjoying my business again.

It started with my move to Substack, then finding a problem that needed solving (the wonky settings and creation of a publication on Substack), and then sharing the solution to the problem (my Visual Guide to Substack ebook).

I’ve now set up an automation with Make where I can take my Substack subscribers and send them to Kit so I can do all my email marketing from Kit (I love Substack for publishing, community, and connection, but I want to do more with email than Substack allows).

The automation is working, and now I have to write new welcome sequences.

I’ll work on that next week after I enjoy the long holiday weekend.

In the meantime, ebook sales continue to come in, and I’m having fun again.

I’m intentional about the platforms I use, the content I consume, and where I spend my time.

I’d rather play ball with my dog, play Rummikub on my iPad, or get lost painting watercolors than Doom Scroll…even when I agree with the perspective (hmm… interesting that the few things I listed all feel like “play” 😊).

My wish for you as we wind down this year and step into the New Year is to simplify.

The more I simplify things, the better everything works.

Including me.

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SPARK Spotlight 🔥

AI / ChatGPT Prompts for Entrepreneurs - Facebook Group

I’m not much for joining Facebook groups these days, but holy moly! This group is FIRE. Jonathan Mast created it and has over 250k members. It’s incredibly helpful, a true community, and you’ll never run out of prompts or ideas.

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A Little Brainpower 🧠

Not sure what to write about? Try these “5 Types of Stories to Market Your Business.”

Why Substack is a Goldmine for Writers Over 50: An exclusive interview with Dr Mehmet Yildiz, author of “Substack Mastery.”

Great insight from Lenny Rachitsky of Lenny’s Newsletter on hitting 500k subscribers. “Ten Lessons Learned From Building This Newsletter.”

It’s hard to believe ChatGPT is 2 years old already!

Denise Wakeman

celebrates this milestone in “Happy Anniversary ChatGPT.”

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Tool Time 🛠

• AI sidebar (sidekick?): This feels a bit like something an AI agent can/will be able to do (haven’t done much research about agents yet). It understands what you see and hear to boost productivity. Try TwinMind free here.

• AI learning: I remember this name from last year but didn’t realize it had become a free place to learn AI! There’s a pro version, but you can start for free. Check out Ben’s Bites for free AI training.

• YouTube: This is for the YouTube viewer, not the creator. Here, you can find lessons, tutorials, podcasts, lectures, and more. Try “NotClass” free here.

• AI Voice: A voice model for fluid, emotive conversation. You can clone your voice. Try Play.ai free here.

For Claude Pro Users: You can now integrate Claude with your Google docs if you have a Pro or Teams account. Read how to integrate it here.

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HAHA… I don’t think I could ever try this 😂

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The fact that next week is December is blowing my mind.

Although… this year also feels like it’s been at least a decade. The first part of the year never feels long to me (OK - that’s not totally true. When I’m ready for winter to be over, the months seem to drag)- it feels ‘normal.’

But the second half seems to fly by.

I fully intend to enjoy the long holiday weekend here. I look forward to seeing family on Thursday and enjoying a quiet few days with a cozy fire and “Christmas-ifying” the house.

And if I haven’t said it lately, I appreciate you for being on this journey with me.

With gratitude,
Kim