My May Favourites: Creative Entrepreneurship Edition
Current Reads, Habits for Physical and Emotional Wellbeing and Small Business Resources to Level Up Your Creative Entrepreneurship Journey
It’s hard to believe that it’s already June, but nevertheless, I’m ready to bring on a month full of sun, weekends away and trips to the beach! To help you prepare for a June in full bloom and navigating the highs and lows of your creative entrepreneurship journey this month, I’ve compiled a list of my favourite resources, habits, tips for wellbeing, small businesses to support and books I’ve been loving throughout May to help set you up for success during the month ahead.
On My Reading List
This year, I made it one of my goals to read more books. With the guidance of book clubs, Heather’s picks, Audible and my Kindle, I’ve been slowly replacing some of my screen time with reading time. Bookending my day with a good novel has made such a positive impact on my overall mindset and my ability to sit down, unwind and learn something new that helps me navigate the rollercoaster that is creative entrepreneurship. Over the month of May, here are the books that got me hooked!
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
With a similar mystery vibe to the show “Only Murders in the Building,” The Paris Apartment is an absolute page-turner. Following Jess as she investigates the disappearance of her half-brother Ben, you won’t be able to put this novel down. When I took my social media break each weekend of May, this novel was a great way to escape into another world for a little while. đź“–
It Starts with the Egg by Rebecca Fett
This fertility book helped me gain so much knowledge and understanding as I navigate my journey and it’s worth sharing if it helps anyone else there. Though “It Starts with the Egg” is a science-heavy read, it was pretty quick to get through and taught me something new on every page.
The People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
Audiobooks are a wonderful way to get your reading in while doing chores, driving or even working! I listened to the audiobook version of “The People We Meet on Vacation” for a lighter read. Following Alex and Poppy as they repair their relationship (and what stands in the middle of it), this was a cute read!
Getting Some Vitamin D with the KM Method Walking Challenge
There’s no doubt that getting outside and moving your body makes you feel more energized, inspired and motivated! An important part of the creative entrepreneurship journey is learning that your business grows where your energy flows, so investing time into yourself is investing in your business. Over the last month, I started participating in the KM method walking challenge and it has been a game-changer for my mood, energy and productivity! Although I don’t always hit the 10,000 step goal, the most important part for me is getting outside, enjoying the fresh air, moving my body and soaking in some Vitamin D. As the weather continues getting warmer, you can head here to join me in walking the path toward a healthier mindset. Even though we are now into June, I am definitely keeping consistent with this game changing routine!
Small Businesses I Love to Support
As an enneagram 2w3, I love supporting and encouraging fellow creative entrepreneurs. Fun fact: I was actually a cheerleader in high school for a hot minute! I’m far from the most flexible and coordinated person (I’m actually pretty clumsy for the most part), but I loved cheering people on. As a branding and web designer that helps small businesses and creative entrepreneurs fly, it’s a full-circle moment that I get to do that now. With such an amazing community of small business owners out there, here are a few of my favourite small businesses that I’ve been loving throughout May!
Modern Mama Mindset
This month, I started hypnotherapy with Modern Mama Mindset and am so grateful for my journey with Ashley. Ashley is a fertility hypnotherapist helping women take back control, regain balance and overcome stress to boost fertility. As an IVF mama herself, Ashley is incredibly compassionate and supportive, so I’m so thankful for her.
Lip Service Beauty
I am completely obsessed with Lip Service Beauty’s natural beauty products! As a women-owned, Canadian-operated brand, they make beautiful plant-based cosmetics by hand in small batches using ethically-sourced local ingredients. Annette and her team create and curate beauty products that not only help you feel good but feel good supporting. I suggest checking out their sunscreen and lip balms for the summer months (and beach trips you’re dreaming of)!
Whole Beauty MD
I’ve enjoy every minute of working with Margo from Whole Beauty MD. As a portal for spiritual healing, Margo facilitates soul awakenings to create a life of more meaning, purpose, health, wealth and joy. After working with her, I feel empowered to manifest the life I dream of and step into it with more trust and alignment. I’ve gotten so much from working with Margo that I’m bringing her on the Self Made Life podcast for an episode coming soon, where she shares how you can overcome mental blocks to step into a life you love. Stay tuned here!
You Need to Download This Game-Changing Resource
Speaking of the Self Made Life podcast, as I prepared for the launch of season 4 during the month of May, one of the resources that has been essential for streamlining my process is Otter.ai. Creative entrepreneurship is all about creating efficiencies where you can, so this tool has saved me a ton of time on transcribing my episodes! I first started using this tool about two years ago when the college I teach at switched to online learning. During this time, I needed to make my course accessible to all of my students by including transcripts and audio versions of my lectures and this tool was the best way to make it happen!
Navigating the Rollercoaster That Is Creative Entrepreneurship: Creating a Wind Down Routine
Did you know that a good morning routine actually starts the night before? As creative entrepreneurs, it’s easy to get carried away with work into the late hours of the night — which can leave us feeling groggy and unmotivated the next day no matter how well we stuck to our morning routine. One of my favourites this month is winding down for bed earlier in the evening, which is why I started implementing tips from the Him & Her podcast Episode #444. Ever since I started prioritizing time to wind down at the end of the day, I’ve noticed a drastic change in my well-being, mood and energy. To cultivate a healthy mindset through all of the highs and lows of creative entrepreneurship, I encourage you to have a listen and to put some extra love and care into your nighttime routine!
What have you been loving this month? Have you read or listened to any books that gave you a new perspective or taught you something new? Did you introduce a new habit that helped you improve your mindset? Let me know, I’d love to add them to my list to try for June!
