The Playful Mompreneur

Are you making one of the top 3 money mistakes in your business? Today, my friend and fellow business owner, Anne Gray and I talk through these three mistakes and share our best tips for avoiding them. It's actually more like one BIG TIP, and (spoiler alert, it's the Proft First System, developed by Mike Michalowicz. I'm going to be leading a Profit First Read-Along with Anne on her Leaders' Library Platform. The Read-Along runs for 8 weeks, starting with a free introductory session on Thursday, 7 March 2024 at 12pm SAST. Sign up for the FREE Introductory Session here. Then, the practical application and accountability kicks up a gear with the full read-along experience, which is R1749 for the following 7 weeks. Sign up for the Full Profit First Read-Along here.  

Lauren Kinghorn gets very honest about what she thinks about social media in this, the third and final part of our interview. She shares about why she enjoys using Pinterest and LinkedIn; and then she goes into some detail about how she uses LinkedIn strategically for her business.What I kinda love about this episode is that it was recorded several months ago and although Lauren casts a bit of shade on Instagram in the interview, I've seen her popping up in my feed recently! What I take from this is that we all have the licence to use social media in the way that suits us and the season of business we're in. It suits Lauren to do IG videos right now and it makes sense to show up there as she sets up her new business. At the same time, she's using the platform she's established on LinkedIn and Pinterest.There really are no rules when it comes to social media. Instead, think about what makes sense for your personality, your capacity, and where your ideal clients are hanging out. And as with all things in business, be prepared for a little bit of discomfort as you either learn a new tool/platform, put yourself out there on audio or video, or do anything else that makes you grow and up-level!Incidentally, this is part of the advice that Lauren has for new mompreneurs (get comfortable with being uncomfortable as you grow and notch up!). It's a great episode that's full of both practical tips and some deeper thoughts about the playful mompreneur journey.Here are links to Lauren's websites: Inspiring Mompreneurs, Happy Human Pacifier, and LaurenKinghorn.com.The best way to connect with Lauren is through LinkedIn, where you can also join her Fempreneurs Unite Group. She's also on Instagram @laurenjeankinghorn.Connect with me, Shelley Tonkin Smith@shelleysmithcreative on Instagram.On my website, shelleysmithcreative.com.Got a question about this episode? Go to playfulmompreneur.com and record it. I'd love to answer your question and feature you on a future episode of the podcast!Don't miss out on any of our episodes! Go to playfulmompreneur.com and join my email list to stay in the playful mompreneur loop. In addition to that, please SUBSCRIBE to the podcast on your podcast player (TPM is on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast — and a whole lot more players!)

Today, Lauren Kinghorn joins me again to talk about playful time management and productivity – basically an answer to that blanket question, “How do you do it?” With a playful edge...Lauren is a serial entrepreneur and a mom. She’s such a bubbly and inspirational presence, so it’s no wonder that one of her other businesses is called Inspiring Mompreneurs, where she interviews mompreneurs and shares their journeys. At the moment, she’s building a fourth business to support moms with a plant-based eating lifestyle. In the interview, we talk about how important it is to find your Zone of Genius and to then operate in your Zone of Genius as much as possible. Lauren also alludes to what became something of a lockdown project from her – she read each lesson from the book A Course in Miracles and published a video and podcast a day for a year from March 2020 to March 2021. So while we absolutely talk about some great practical time management and productivity tips for mompreneurs, we also get a little deeper, as we consider the spiritual and emotional aspects behind how we manage our time. I’m starting to realise that greater self-awareness is key not only to being more successful in life, but also to enjoy life more and make a bigger and brighter impact amongst others.Here are links to Lauren's websites: Inspiring Mompreneurs, Happy Human Pacifier, and LaurenKinghorn.com.The best way to connect with Lauren is through LinkedIn, where you can also join her Fempreneurs Unite Group. She's also on Instagram @laurenjeankinghorn.Connect with me, Shelley Tonkin Smith@shelleysmithcreative on Instagram.On my website, shelleysmithcreative.com.Got a question about this episode? Go to playfulmompreneur.com and record it. I'd love to answer your question and feature you on a future episode of the podcast!Don't miss out on any of our episodes! Go to playfulmompreneur.com and join my email list to stay in the playful mompreneur loop. In addition to that, please SUBSCRIBE to the podcast on your podcast player (TPM is on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast — and a whole lot more players!)

In this first episode of 2022, Lauren Kinghorn shares how she started and monetised her first blog, and then went on to set up two more blogging businesses. Now Lauren is starting a fourth business (!) around her passion for plant-based eating and so we spend some time in this episode brainstorming ideas for a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) for this new business. So if you’re looking for MVP ideas, or want to know what an MVP is in the first place (and how it could really help to simplify your business and reduce decision fatigue), then stick around for the second part of the interview.It was such a joy to chat to Lauren -- so much so that we were still chatting after three hours! So I've split her episodes up into three parts. Tune in next week to hear how Lauren manages her time as a busy entrepreneur and mom, as well as some ah-ha moments that she's had about being playfully productive.Here are links to Lauren's websites: Inspiring Mompreneurs, Happy Human Pacifier, and LaurenKinghorn.com.But the best way to connect with Lauren is through LinkedIn, where you can also join her Fempreneurs Unite Group.Connect with me, Shelley Tonkin Smith@shelleysmithcreative on Instagram.On my website, shelleysmithcreative.com.Got a question about this episode? Go to playfulmompreneur.com and record it. I'd love to answer your question and feature you on a future episode of the podcast!Don't miss out on any of our episodes! Go to playfulmompreneur.com and join my email list to stay in the playful mompreneur loop. In addition to that, please SUBSCRIBE to the podcast on your podcast player (TPM is on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast — and a whole lot more players!)

Percolating is not just for coffee ;) Your business ideas can also benefit from a bit of percolation, and by that I mean some time and space to develop — before you run headlong into action. BUT... when is percolating actually procrastination? And how can we as playful business owners percolate on our ideas... productively? Is that even possible?These are some of the ideas I'm discussing in today's podcast. Why? Because I've been doing a lot of percolating myself over the last few weeks. Listen in to hear how this has changed my approach to publishing my book, producing this podcast, and balancing life and business.I also share how I'm percolating productively — I hope you'll pick up some ideas for your own business. It's easy to slip into procrastination mode when you percolate on an idea for too long; however, with the right intentions and structures, you can get so much value out of a period of percolation. In fact, I believe it's often far more productive to percolate on an idea than rushing headlong into action that's not aligned with you or the season of life you're in. Here are links to some of the people and resources I mention in the podcast:Rowena Mabbott, (my) Business and Life Confidence Coach (who uses the term "percolate" with me all the time and who also is taking a sabbatical over the Australian summer holidays to do some percolating of her own — walking the talk!). The Lazy Genius Way, by Kendra AdachiMore info on Bullet Journaling (remember to keep it simple and start small!).Connect with me, Shelley Tonkin Smith@shelleysmithcreative on Instagram.On my website, shelleysmithcreative.com.Got a question about this episode? Go to playfulmompreneur.com and record it. I'd love to answer your question and feature you on a future episode of the podcast!Don't miss out on any of our weekly episodes! Go to playfulmompreneur.com and join my email list. When a new episode goes live, I'll let you know — and I'll share tools and insights for your Playful Mompreneur journey. In addition to that, please also SUBSCRIBE to the podcast on your podcast player (TPM is on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast — and a whole lot more players!)

I don't need to tell you that life can be tricky. If you need any convincing, just consider the last 18 months or so, since we started living in pandemic times. (By the way, I've taken to using the term "tricky" after becoming an avid fan of Dr Becky's parenting podcast, Good Inside).So in the midst of life's trickiness and challenges, how do you keep your business ticking over? Or — maybe you've started your business in these tricky times... How do you do that when at a moment's notice you may have to supervise your kids' online schooling or have to go into self-isolation?In the past we've been told that we need to establish a healthy work-life balance. I've always found that concept to be elusive. With the pandemic, it has become impossible to achieve. Instead, in this episode, I propose that we embrace the messiness of life and drop the idea of achieving work-life balance.I believe that you can create a business to support your life (with all of the trickiness that entails!). And I'm not just talking about any life. Your business needs to support your BEST LIFE (which yes, still includes the tricky parts!).OK, so how can you create a business that supports your BEST LIFE? In the episode, I explain that you could choose one of two extreme options:You could Wing It, accepting that there's no use in planning for the future because anything could happen. Problem is, you can start feeling directionless and without a sense of purpose.You could Control It, accepting that "if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail" and taking the power back with a solid and detailed plan. The problem with this approach is that you'll never be able to plan for all of life's tricky situations and you'll be left feeling resentful when life doesn't go to plan.But there's a third option that sits in the middle of this spectrum (which, for now, I'm calling the Business Approach Spectrum). And that is:Play It. When you choose the playful approach, you take some of the stability and structure from "Control It" and some of the spontaneity and creativity from "Wing It"... And you land in the sweet spot of "Play It". When you "Play It," you'll have a loose focus, you'll be driven by your own personal vision, and you'll be the one to make the rules in your business — so that it truly supports your BEST LIFE.I share in the podcast that I've had to walk the talk over the last month or so, as I've had to deal with some tricky situations with some playfulness. From contracting COVID-19, to navigating the changes involved with a new job for my husband — plus trying to wrangle the manuscript I've written into the book it wants to become — I feel like life has been tricky (and exciting and awesome at the same time!).But in the midst of this trickiness, I've had so many ah-ha moments, one of which is that this podcast is probably going to get a name change... The Playful Business Revolution. That's also going to be the title of my book. I'd love to know what you think, so drop me an email at podcast@playfulmompreneur.com or DM me @shelleysmithcreative on IG and find more info at shelleysmithcreative.com.Got a question about this episode? Go to playfulmompreneur.com and record it. I'd love to answer your question and feature you on a future episode of the podcast!Let's stay connected! Go to playfulmompreneur.com and join my email list. And please  SUBSC

Get the Playful Sales Page Template at a 20% discount (before 30 September 2021) — that's $20 instead of the regular price of $25. This template will save you hours of time, approximately 10  grey hairs, and potentially thousands of dollars (or tens of thousands of rand!) on the services of a copywriter. That's because I've given you a proven sales page structure and packed the template full of my best high-converting copywriting tips.Simply answer the prompts and voila — you'll have a sales page (or starter website) written up and ready to be plugged into your website builder of choice. As you know, my favourite website builder for sales pages and starter websites is resoundingly Carrd*. And if you'd like to get some guidance setting up your Carrd site, check out my course, Sales Page Superhero. This course will be updated soon, and the price will go up. However, you can get Sales Page Superhero now for only $49 — and you'll get lifetime access to the course and all updates. So sign up today!Timestamps for this episode, Sales Page Copywriting and Tech Tips[00:04:10] Sales Pages turn browsers into buyers[00:05:27] Copywriting tips for your Sales Page[00:05:27] Use your audience's language[00:08:04] Use the AIDA Formula (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action)[00:12:42] Make the problem clear[00:15:45] Asnwer the question: "What's in it for me?"[00:16:32] Long-form vs. short-form Sales Pages[00:20:55] Get voicey[00:23:34] Tech options for hosting your Sales Page[00:27:25] Why Carrd is totally awesome for Sales Pages[00:30:45] Get Sales Page Superhero to set up your Carrd siteConnect with me, Shelley Tonkin Smith@shelleysmithcreative on Instagram.On my website, shelleysmithcreative.com.Got a question about this episode? Go to playfulmompreneur.com and record it. I'd love to answer your question and feature you on a future episode of the podcast!Don't miss out on any of our weekly episodes! Go to playfulmompreneur.com and join my email list. When a new episode goes live, I'll let you know — and I'll share tools and insights for your Playful Mompreneur journey. In addition to that, please also SUBSCRIBE to the podcast on your podcast player (TPM is on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast — and a whole lot more players!)Remember, get your copy of the Playful Sales Page Template at psptemplate.shelleysmithcreative.com.Or, get Sales Page Superhero (which includes the Playful Sales Page Template) for $49 before the price goes up. You'll get all the updates for free.* affiliate link — I'll get a small referral commission if you choose to purchase, at no extra cost to you. 

Get the Playful Sales Page Template at a 20% discount (before 30 September 2021) — that's $20 instead of the regular price of $25. This template will save you hours of time, approximately 10  grey hairs, and potentially thousands of dollars (or tens of thousands of rand!) on the services of a copywriter. That's because I've given you a proven sales page structure and packed the template full of my best high-converting copywriting tips. Simply answer the prompts and voila — you'll have a sales page (or starter website) written up and ready to be plugged into your website builder of choice. For more on the tech side of things, tune in next week. For now, I'm happy to tell you that my favourite website builder for sales pages and starter websites is resoundingly Carrd*. And if you'd like to jump ahead and get some guidance setting up your Carrd site, check out my course, Sales Page Superhero. Timestamps for this episode, Why you need a Sales Page — like yesterday![00:03:56] What is a sales page?[00:13:56] Use a Sales Page as your starter website[00:16:05] Sales Pages for Minimum Viable Products (MVPs)[00:18:53] A Sales Sage is the home of your launch[00:21:33] Examples of Sales Pages for mompreneurs and other playful business owners[00:22:19] Sales Pages for Service Providers[00:24:37] Sales Pages for Digital Products[00:26:58] Sales Pages for Authors, Thought Leaders, Speakers[00:27:27] Sales Pages for selling Physical Products[00:28:13] Sales pages for Homeschool Moms[00:29:09] Get the Playful Sales Page TemplateConnect with me, Shelley Tonkin Smith@shelleysmithcreative on Instagram.On my website, shelleysmithcreative.com.Got a question about this episode? Go to playfulmompreneur.com and record it. I'd love to answer your question and feature you on a future episode of the podcast!Don't miss out on any of our weekly episodes! Go to playfulmompreneur.com and join my email list. When a new episode goes live, I'll let you know — and I'll share tools and insights for your Playful Mompreneur journey. In addition to that, please also SUBSCRIBE to the podcast on your podcast player (TPM is on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast — and a whole lot more players!)Remember, get your copy of the Playful Sales Page Template at psptemplate.shelleysmithcreative.com. * affiliate link — I'll get a small referral commission if you choose to purchase, at no extra cost to you. 

As a mompreneur, I'm sure it's safe to assume you don't have a whole lot of spare hours in your day. In fact, when you get some child-free time to focus solely on work, I'm sure you feel the pressure to be as productive as (super-)humanly possible! The thing is when we put ourselves under this kind of pressure, then it's difficult to feel playful. Our work can stress us out, instead of making us feel fulfilled and energised.So today, I'm talking about playful productivity and I'm drawing on some of the incredible tips and strategies that Alison Deary shared with me when I interviewed her. (For more on Alison's incredible business journey and how she managed to grow her online sales at The Papery by 200% in 2020, tune in to Episode 22!).Here are some of the topics we cover in the episode:The difference between an ideal, real, and typical schedule — and why it is important to have a plan for your week, even if life doesn't always go to plan!The importance of priorities over productivity.How to set an overall Objective for your business to guide every decision you need to make.The importance of practice over perfectionism. It's all about the baby steps, Mamas!How to get "Out Of Overwhelm." Alison walks us through her process for banishing overwhelm and taking action.Connect with me, Shelley Tonkin Smith @shelleysmithcreative on Instagram.On my website, shelleysmithcreative.com.Connect with Alison and The PaperyThe Papery Website*2022 Mom Diary* (pre-order now for delivery in Sept 2021)Free Out Of Overwhelm E-book from Alison and The PaperyThe Papery on Instagram* That's my friend Lynne's affiliate link for The Papery. Lynne connected me with Alison, so I thought it would be nice if she gets a small commission if you decide to buy any Papery products, at no extra cost to you. #mompreneurcommunityGot a question about this episode? Go to playfulmompreneur.com and record it. I'd love to answer your question and feature you on a future episode of the podcast!Don't miss out on any of our weekly episodes! Go to playfulmompreneur.com and join my email list. When a new episode goes live, I'll let you know — and I'll share tools and insights for your Playful Mompreneur journey. In addition to that, please also SUBSCRIBE to the podcast on your podcast player (TPM is on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast — and a whole lot more players!).

When the going gets tough, it’s often really difficult to feel playful. We have to feel safe to play and I think for many of us, feeling safe has been a bit of an issue over the past 18 months or so.My guest today has had her share of tough times in business and with her own health. Alison Deary, is the co-owner of The Papery, a proudly South African online store that sells beautiful diaries, journals, and other stunning stationery products. In 2020, The Papery lost out on five week’s worth of sales during the hard lockdown when they weren’t allowed to trade. They also lost many of their regular diary orders from their corporate clients, who were cutting their budgets due to the pandemic. Then, in what is typically the busiest time of the year for her business, Alison suffered a series of heart attacks.But get this: despite these devastating setbacks, The Papery had a record year, increasing their overall sales by 60% and their online sales by a whopping 200%. And thankfully, when Alison and I had our interview, which was back in May 2021, she was healthy, happy and bubbling over with a playful attitude!It’s this playful attitude that Alison credits, at least in part, to the success she achieved in 2020 — despite all the challenges that came her way. And she even told me recently that they’re on track to smash their 2020 records by the end of 2021!Don’t you want a piece of that kind of success? I know I do. Now, Alison admits that embracing playfulness has been HARD at times. It’s taken a lot of intention and indeed some hard work. But as you’ll hear in the interview, the way of playfulness has been far more effective than the way of over-work, hard grind, and trying to be supermom.Oh yes, because if you thought her 2020 year was remarkable, just wait until you hear what happened back in 2016 when she decided to “do nothing”! So if you’re wondering how you can continue to embrace an attitude of playfulness, even when the going gets tough, then stay tuned!Connect with Alison and The PaperyThe Papery Website*2022 Mom Diary* (pre-order now for delivery in Sept 2021)Free Out Of Overwhelm E-book from Alison and The PaperyThe Papery on Instagram* That's my friend Lynne's affiliate link for The Papery. Lynne connected me with Alison, so it's only fair that she gets a small commission if you decide to buy any Papery products, at no extra cost to you. #mompreneurcommunityDon't miss out on any of our weekly episodes! Go to playfulmompreneur.com and join my email list. I'll let you know when a new episode goes live and share tools and insights for your Playful Mompreneur journey. In addition to that, please also SUBSCRIBE to the podcast on your podcast player (TPM is on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast — and a whole lot more players!).And remember, I'd love your question for a future episode of the Playful Mompreneur Podcast. Go to playfulmompreneur.com and record your question. I'd love to weigh in on your question and feature you on a future episode of the podcast!

It's the Playful Mompreneur Podcast's 21st Birthday (in number of episodes, not in years — just yet!) and I'd love to hear from YOU as I plan the next season of the show.Really — I'd love to HEAR your voice, asking me a 90-second question. You can record your question at playfulmompreneur.com, by hitting the big red "Start recording" button. Feel free to share the name of your business and the best place to find you online. I'll play your question on the podcast and then give you my best answer. I may even bring in a guest expert to weigh in. This is like free business coaching or a (very playful) strat session!In this episode, I'm essentially giving you the highlights of season 1 so that I can jog your memory about questions that you may have had about any of the episodes so far. As you think of questions, write them down or pause the show and dictate them into your notes app. Better yet, pause the show, head to playfulmompreneur.com, and ask your question straight away!I'm also sharing a bunch of topics that I would love to talk about. I'm hoping that you'll have questions about these topics too — so that I can talk about them in a future episode!So go on, don't be shy, record your question. I really would love to hear from you and make the Playful Mompreneur content as relevant as possible to you. I can only do that with your input.I'm excited to get your questions on topics such as time management, creating digital products and online courses, sales pages, copywriting, website platforms, podcasting, homeschooling as a mompreneur... or any question that's popped into your mind as you've listened to a Playful Mompreneur episode so far.Record your question here.Or, if you'd prefer to write in, send your question to podcast@playfulmompreneur.com.

There's a lot of uncertainty in the world at the moment. As moms, we have to navigate this uncertainty not only for ourselves but also for our kids. And then there's the uncertainty involved with starting, maintaining, and growing a business for us as mompreneurs.I think we could all do with a bit of certainty in our lives, what ya think?So in this week's episode, I'm unpacking a comment that Jennifer Locke made in her interview on last week's episode of the Playful Mompreneur. She said that when you were starting out in business, it's OK to get some quick wins under your belt and to make some "quick and dirty" money to build your expertise and network — and to learn more about the highest value work you can offer to clients.I'm so glad she brought this up because I think it's a really important part of the Playful Mompreneur way. I call it "sure thing" work — work that you are good at, you can do very easily and that you can pick up reasonably quickly. It may not be your dream work, and it may not be the kind of work you want to do long-term, but it pays the bills and therefore keeps you on your Playful Mompreneur path.Jenn and I agree that you don't want to be doing "sure thing" work forever, but in the episode, I dive into how you can use "sure thing" work strategically in your Playful Mompreneur business.Connect with Jenn @jenniferlockewrites on Instagram.On her website, jenniferlockewrites.com.Learn more and purchase Book in Six here.Connect with me, Shelley @shelleysmithcreative on Instagram.On my website, shelleysmithcreative.com.[Cough] Jenn's Book in Six website/sales page was designed and set up by moi. Want a page like that for yourself? Check out Sales Page Superhero, where I'll teach you how to do it. Or reach out to me at hello@shelleysmithcreative.com if you'd like me to take the whole job off your hands. I'll write your sales page and design and set it up oh-so-beautifully for ya!And don't miss out on any of our weekly episodes! Go to playfulmompreneur.com and join my email list. I'll let you know when a new episode goes live and share tools and insights for your Playful Mompreneur journey. In addition to that, please also SUBSCRIBE to the podcast on your podcast player (TPM is on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast — and a whole lot more players!).

"Business? Ugh!" That's the response you would have received if you went back in time to Jennifer Locke's college days and asked her whether she'd like to go into business.Yet, Jenn is now in her fifth year of running a successful business! A true Playful Mompreneur, Jenn spends no more than 15 hours per week on her business, leaving the rest of the time to spend with her 5-year-old twin girls. And the girls will be getting a baby sister any day now!Jenn has ghostwritten several books for thought leaders, she has developed a suite of digital products to educate aspiring authors, and she is an author coach. In fact, she's been coaching ME through my book writing process over the last six months.Jenn has so many valuable insights for Playful Mompreneurs — from creative ideas for finding childcare to productivity tips for getting important work done in the small pockets of time that we have as moms.Connect with Jenn @jenniferlockewrites on Instagram.On her website, jenniferlockewrites.com.Learn more and purchase Book in Six here. [Cough] The Book in Six website/sales page was designed and set up by moi. Want a page like that for yourself? Check out Sales Page Superhero, where I'll teach you how to do it. Or reach out to me at hello@shelleysmithcreative.com if you'd like me to take the whole job off your hands. I'll write your sales page and design and set it up oh-so-beautifully for ya!And don't miss out on any of our weekly episodes! Go to playfulmompreneur.com and join my email list. I'll let you know when a new episode goes live and share tools and insights for your Playful Mompreneur journey. In addition to that, please also SUBSCRIBE to the podcast on your podcast player (TPM is on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast — and a whole lot more players!).

Practice over Perfection.This is one of the "Plays" that you'll see coming up in my book The Playful Mompreneur — which is set for release on SA Women's Day on 9 August!!!In this episode, I reflect on my interview with Candice Alvey in Episode 17, highlighting how the practice mindset has fuelled the origin of her first business, Lexi's Lunch — and has also equipped her to start another business, Beautifully Planned!I'm also sharing more behind-the-scenes of my book writing process, which is now moving into an editing and publishing process. More than ever, I'm reminding myself of what I'm encouraging you to do in this episode: Practice over Perfection.

As a Playful Mompreneur, you can design your life and business to your exact specifications.That’s exactly what my friend Candice Alvey has done. Candice has a blog and business called Lexi’s Lunch, where she writes about health and nutrition and shares delicious healthy recipes, perfect for families. In our interview, she talks about how she has designed her business around her life — particularly around homeschooling and parenting her 8-year-old daughter Lexi.In our interview, she talks about how she’s become more playful about things like brand partnerships and involved her daughter in the running of her business. By my assessment, it seems like Lexi has assumed the role of Chief Playful Officer. :)The interview itself is amazing, but Candice has taken things up a notch. Since we recorded the interview, she has started another business, based on the feedback she’s received from her audience! Yes, this is the expansive power of being a Playful Mompreneur! Candice really lit up when we started talking about scheduling and planners at about the halfway mark! She uses her planning process as a self-care and creative outlet, complete with stickers, doodles, recording memories, and meal planning.So I’m pleased to be one of the first people to announce that you can get your own copy of Candice’s Beautifully Planned planner in the next couple of weeks. Pre-order your planner today to make sure you don’t miss out.Candice previously sold digital copies of the planner, so it has been tried, tested, and is now thoroughly trusted. So much so, that her previous customers begged her to sell a printed version of the planner. I know that she has been painstakingly working with printers to make sure that the planner she has lovingly designed will be a joy to use.You can also join her Monthly Sticker Club and get a new set of beautiful stickers each month to not only make your planner Pinterest-worthy, but to also make planning a whole lot more fun.Get more information and contact Candice @beautifullyplannedsa on Instagram and beautifullyplannedsa.com.Of course, you can also find her @lexislunch on Instagram and lexislunch.com.Find me, Shelley @shelleysmithcreative on Instagram or send me an email at podcast@playfulmompreneur.com to tell me about what you thought about the show.

Are you enjoying the Playful Mompreneur Podcast? Then I think you'll love my upcoming book, The Playful Mompreneur's Playbook. I'd also like to invite you to be part of my launch Street Team for the book. As a member of the Street Team, I'd need your help with:Promoting The Playful Mompreneur's Playbook to your networks when it launches. I'm pushing for August the 9th (Women's Day in South Africa!), but if not, it will be the week thereafter, August the 16th.Purchasing a copy of the book and leaving a review on Amazon.Sending me good vibes to complete the publishing.Want to click your support up a notch — and get a free review copy of the book? Then join the team of Beta Readers as well. Beta Readers will also do Street Team duty, as well as the following:Read a review copy of The Playful Mompreneur's Playbook (between July 16th and August 2nd).Send me your feedback, comments, and typo catches. Leave a review of the book on Amazon before it launches.To join the Street Team, send an email to hello@shelleysmithcreative.com and I'll start getting information out to you as I have it. In that email, please let me know if you'd like to be a Beta Reader.I really appreciate your support and cheering! 

When it comes to getting things done, which one do you gravitate towards? The marathon or the sprint?In this episode, I'm reflecting on my interview with the incredible Amanda Jefferson of Indigo Organizing (check out Episode #14). And I'm giving you a behind-the-scenes look at my book writing process as I near the end of the 6-month deadline I assigned to myself. Spoiler alert: It hasn't gone quite as planned and I've had to get creative (and yes, playful ya'll!) with my deadlines and my expectations.If you're finding yourself in a similar situation with launching a big project — an online course, a new service offering, or starting your business — then I'm sure you'll be able to relate to a whole lot in this episode. I hope that you'll be able to learn from some of my experiences and that you'll be encouraged to get your Minimum Viable Product (MVP) into the world, pronto.Here's what I cover in this weeks' episode:My highlights from my interview with Amanda.Ah-ha moments from the interview that have helped me make some exciting (and playful) decisions about my book.How my 1-week writing retreat went (and why I decided to forego the last day — I mean whaaaaaat?!).Why approaching book writing as a sprint has not been working for me — and what's working instead. How I've changed my approach to drafting and writing to focus more on the "fun and easy."How (and why) I've played with my book deadline. And how that's given me a renewed sense of energy (and another book...).Why I'm turning book writing into a marathon. No, a Fun Run!!

Are you a member of the Playful Mompreneur Club? Sign up here. I'll let you know when a new episode drops and share some bonus content with you too.Today’s episode found its own hashtag, #shedtheshoulds. My super spunky guest Amanda Jefferson said it at the beginning of our interview and then it kept cropping up as a theme.If you’re feeling like you “should” be doing a whole lot of things — whether that’s in your business, in your parenting, or in life in general — then take some inspiration from Amanda. You don’t have to unschool your children, or completely change careers, or get a nose ring (not unless you want to!) but Amanda’s journey is proof that you don’t have to stick to a path that’s not working or that’s going to lead you to burnout. Instead, she encourages us to choose the “fun and easy.”Amanda is the owner of Indigo Organizing and one of the world’s first KonMari consultants. She left an inspiring yet stressful 20-year career to start her own business because she felt frazzled with life and was on the point of burnout. Now, she helps people have less stuff, less stress, more space and more time for what matters.This is something that Amanda has modeled in her own life. 2020 was a challenging and painful year for her. Not only did she have to deal with the challenges brought about by the pandemic, but she also lost both her sister and her father to cancer — within two months of each other. Amanda shares how this tragedy prompted her to let go of all the rules she thought she “should” be following, and instead do business and life her way. This has been another step in what Amanda calls her creative renaissance, which began several years ago when she decided to leave her job, start her own business and completely change careers!If you’re looking for some inspiration to face your own challenges, then tune in! Amanda is incredibly wise with a delightfully quirky sense of humour — I know you’re going to be fist-pumping by the end of this episode.Here are some of the topics we cover in the interview (many of them mic drop moments, I might add…): Amanda’s creative renaissance (no, it was not a mid-life crisis!). The events that led her to choose unschooling as an education approach for her daughter. How she left what was in many respects a dream job — but in other respects a potential catalyst for burnout — to start her own business in a field that was relatively new to her. How clutter creates cognitive load and how Amanda helps her clients to win the war on external and internal clutter. How Amanda has carved out an ideal schedule that works for her — even while homeschooling/unschooling and dealing with the loss of two close family members in 2020. In fact, her schedule has even made it possible to consider spending the US winter in Chile, for their summer! Why Amanda has chosen to focus on the “fun and easy” and how this has changed everything for her. Lots of book recommendations from someone who is clearly a bookworm: Untamed, Playful Parenting, Minimalist Parenting, The Untethered Soul. How to deal with our inner critic and the shift that has enabled Amanda to take life and business less seriously. Why finding a community of like-minded individuals can be so powerful — but why is it also important to “keep your eyes on your own paper”! Connect with Amanda: Indigo Organizing Website indigo_organizing o

Are you a member of the Playful Mompreneur Club? Go to playfulmompreneur.com to sign up. I'll let you know when a new episode drops and share some bonus content with you too — like free resources and excerpts from my upcoming book.After a dozen episodes of the Playful Mompreneur Podcast, I'm convinced that we're on to something when it comes to embracing playfulness in our own businesses. The mompreneurs I've interviewed so far have testified to the fact that when they've become more playful, there's been more ease in their businesses, and success (in all its forms!) has followed.But you may be left wondering: What do play and playfulness really mean? Why should I embrace playfulness? What does play look like for me (as a responsible adult!)? What does play look like in the world of business ownership and “work”? All great questions that require some expert answers. So, I’ve reached for Stuart Brown’s book, entitled Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination and Invigorates the Soul.In this week’s episode of the Playful Mompreneur Podcast, I review the book and reflect on how the theory and research have been borne out in my own mompreneur journey.Fun Fact: I recorded this episode a few months ago, as part of my research for my book. I’ve been waiting excitedly for the right time to air it. And I think that now that you’ve heard from several mompreneurs about how playfulness has transformed their business journeys, it’s time to learn some more about the concept of playfulness.Timestamps: 05:42 Thanks to Cate Curley at My Little Poppies/Never Board Learning for recommending “Play” by Stuart Brown in her course, Gameschooling (affiliate link). I'm really enjoying Gameschooling and I highly recommend it to homeschooling moms who are looking to intentionally add a bit more play into their homeschool days. 07:39 Why is play important to us as adults? 10:37 Stuart Brown’s definition of “play” 17:36 What does play look like for adults (and specifically mompreneurs)? 27:06 Work and Play (and why I love the chapter title: “The Opposite of Play is not Work”) Follow me on Instagram and snap a selfie of you listening to the Playful Mompreneur Podcast!

Are you a member of the Playful Mompreneur Club? Go to playfulmompreneur.com to sign up. I'll let you know when a new episode drops and share some bonus content with you too — like free resources and excerpts from my upcoming book.Join Ashley’s FREE Screentime Challenge to create a digital wellness plan that's perfect for your family — May 24th to 26th in her Facebook Group, the Joyful Mama Mentor.One of the plays from the Playful Mompreneur Playbook is: Focus over FOMO. This is a theme that came through very strongly in my interview with Ashley Becker-Nunley in last week's episode.So in this episode, I'm reflecting on our interview through the lens of "Focus over FOMO," highlighting the ways that Ashley has stayed focused — both as a mother and as an entrepreneur — even when it's been very tempting to give in to the Fear Of Missing Out.My key takeaways are: Tactics like being on particular social media channels or using the latest tools and tech can come from a place of FOMO and can lead to Shiny Object Syndrome or resentment that you "have to" use a particular tool or channel. However, Ashley has completely reframed her mindset around using social media (and Facebook in particular). She's now using social media to get hyper-focused on her people and her business goals. Who woulda thought, right?! As moms, we wear many hats and at the moment, one of those is that of "teacher." But Ashley has decided to hang up the "teacher hat" and only wear her "mom hat" with her son. In so doing, she's focusing on the mother-son relationship and letting his school teacher wear the "teacher hat." When we're operating from a place of FOMO, we've got this grippy, grasping energy. We are so attached to a particular outcome that there's very little room for playfulness or fun. Ironically, with more focus, there's more space to play! How Ashley needed to update her ideal calendar so that it was aligned with what she wanted for herself holistically. She realized she was working more hours than she had intended (yes, because she loves her work and is so playful about it), but she needed time to recharge her battery and for self-care. How Ashley keeps focused on her audience and niche by journaling about them and their needs every day. I love how this activity is both a self-care activity and a client-service activity! :) Connect with AshleyJoyful Mama Mentor Group on FacebookJoyful Mama Mentor WebsiteJoyful Mama Mentor on InstagramConnect with ShelleyJoin the Playful Mompreneur ClubShelley Smith Creative on InstagramShelley Smith Creative Website