How to start (and fix) your business partnerships with Sara Urquhart - 79

Join me and seasoned entrepreneur Sara Urquhart as we share stories (good and bad) about business partnerships and give you the tips you need to make smart business partnership decisions. Sarah spells out the critical questions that you should ask yourself when you are deciding whether to go solo, bring on a partner, and how to navigate changing roles, expectations, and life events that can threaten successful business partnerships. If you are in a business partnership (or planning on being in one!) ESPECIALLY if you are going into business with friends, or family, don't miss this deep dive episode!  In this episode:  Why a lot of female founders think they "need" a business partner and how to overcome it What you should look for in a good business partner How to evaluate business partnership compatibility How to use dynamic equity to make business partnerships more fair How to structure more peaceful partnership check-ins What intellectual property issues need to be addressed between business partners early in the "business marriage" What's a "business prenup" and why do you need one +++ more! Links:  SaraU Productions Sara's Instagram Slicing Pie E-Myth Revisited Alt Summit Shift Gathering   HELPFUL RESOURCES Creative Counsel Episode 45 - Business Partnerships 101   Operating Agreement Template - the business "prenup"   Make sure you’re legally legit with my free legal workbook!   Do you have the contracts you need in place? Take a free quiz and find out exactly what you need for your business at creativecontracts.co.   Listen and subscribe to Creative Counsel on iTunes, Overcast, Stitcher, Spotify, and iHeartRadio.   Or browse through my quick tips and tricks by connecting on Instagram.   LET’S CONNECT Interested in working together for one-on-one legal services? Book some time on my calendar!   *Not legal advice. No attorney-client relationship. For informational purposes only.*

Courtney Brown is the CEO and founder of Cents of Style and Be Fulfilled, two multimillion-dollar Utah-based eCommerce companies. Cents of Style aims to bring the latest in clothing and accessories in an accessible and affordable way while Be Fulfilled aims to help influencers develop, source, ship, and service their own product lines.  In this episode of Creative Counsel, Courtney shares her 15-year journey in building her companies from the ground up, including some giant pivots and bringing her husband into the businesses full-time. She also geeks out with me about how we’ve had a front-row seat to the changing shape of eCommerce, especially with brands grown through influencer and affiliate marketing. Courtney also shares how to create business boundaries, especially when working with friends, how to handle the inevitable curveballs that come with physical product, her best tips on hiring and managing team members, and how to approach the constant problem-solving that is part of the entrepreneurial journey. In this episode:  what to do when what you're working hard but not making any money why affiliate marketing is a win-win how to work with your spouse in your business hiring on skillset vs. mindset what to do if you have problems with your physical product should you source overseas if you're worried about copycats what the "netflix" hours are and how you can be using them to your advantage why not everyone will start or success in business Courtney's favorite business books what you should be doing to check in your vision every year Courtney Brown's Quotes:  "If you're passionate about something, don't let that deter you.There will always be something standing in the way. There will always be a challenge. That's where the opportunity lies. If you can figure out how to solve the problem that others say is impossible. That's the largest opportunity if you can figure it out." "If it were easy, everyone would do it. But your willingness to find solutions to the problems and move beyond them to shift, to change. And to keep going -- that is the number one predictor of success." "Let's not forget the market is enormous. You don't need the whole pie. I don't want the whole pie. I just want a little piece of it. I want to create enough value that people see the value and want to participate in it. You can take up a little bit of the pie and live a very beautiful life and help and bless a lot of people." Links: Krazy Coupon Lady Hip2Save Essentialism by Greg McKeown Good to Great by Jim Collins The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz   Other podcast interviews with Courtney:  Fight Like a Mother: Raising Kids with Mental Illness Dr. Julie Hanks: Healing Aspirational Shame Nitty Gritty: Courtney and John Brown   Connect with Courtney Courtney's Instagram Cents of Style Be Fulfilled Contract Templates for eCommerce Companies: Website BUNDLE 2.     Client Service Agreement Operating Agreement Independent Contractor Agreement Affiliate Agreement Pop-up Shop Retail Agreement Wholesale Retail Agreement Giveaway/promotions bundle Model Release   Brand Protection: Interested in securing and protecting your own brand name? Chat with Brittany about whether you are ready for a federal trademark registration to protect your brand assets.   Ready to get your business legally legit? Download my free legally legit workbook HERE and get access to my newsletter with tips and tricks for YOUR growing creative business. Like to listen and learn?  Listen and subscribe to Creative Counsel on iTunes, Overcast, Stitcher, Spotify &  iHeartRadio   Let's Connect Interested in working with Brittany for one-on-one legal services? Sign up for a 15-min phone consult at brittanyratelle.com/services.   Want an attorney-drafted, industry-tested legal template for your business? Take a free quiz and find out exactly what you need for your creative business at creativecontracts.co.   Or, browse through my quick tips and tricks by connecting on Instagram.

Worried about recession rumors? Want to get your online or creative business as resilient as it can be? Business attorney Brittany Ratelle guides you through the most important things you can change in your business to help set up business boundaries and protect your profits and peace.  In this episode:  what do you actually need in your website footer what are the new privacy laws in 2023 and do they matter if you're a smaller website what is negative option marketing and how can you avoid it  why did Vonage and ABC Mouse get into trouble with the FTC what is the best practice for cancellation for a subscription business what are the most important contracts for a service business what should be in a good client service agreement how old blog post photos could cost you money and how to fix them are those copyright infringement scary letters real for real what's a business prenup and do you need one how you can create a real business boundary Quotes:  "I don't believe in fearmongering. I do believe in preparation and I also believe in opportunity." "The ability to self-confront and to be able to challenge yourself and to be able to work through these issues is a really important critical skill for a business partner." Other Episodes   Episode 45: BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS: 5 TIPS FOR A GOOD FOUNDER’S AGREEMENT   Contract Templates mentioned in this episode:   Website BUNDLE Client Service Agreement Operating Agreement Independent Contractor Agreement Giveaway/promotions bundle Model Release   Brand Protection: Interested in securing and protecting your own brand name? Chat with Brittany about whether you are ready for a federal trademark registration to protect your brand assets.   Ready to get your business legally legit? Download my free legally legit workbook HERE and get access to my newsletter with tips and tricks for YOUR growing creative business. Like to listen and learn?  Listen and subscribe to Creative Counsel on iTunes, Overcast, Stitcher, Spotify &  iHeartRadio   Let's Connect Interested in working with Brittany for one-on-one legal services? Sign up for a 15-min phone consult at brittanyratelle.com/services.   Want an attorney-drafted, industry-tested legal template for your business? Take a free quiz and find out exactly what you need for your creative business at creativecontracts.co.   Or, browse through my quick tips and tricks by connecting on Instagram.

Hala Taha joins attorney Brittany Ratelle on the Creative Counsel podcast to share macro podcasting trends and reveal how Hala used battle-tested skills (and perseverance) to grow a 7-figure business podcast and podcasting agency from the ground up. Hala Taha, dubbed the “The Podcast Princess,” is the host of Young and Profiting (YAP)  Podcast, frequently ranked as a #1 Education podcast across all apps. Hala is also the founder and CEO of YAP Media, a social media and podcast marketing agency for top podcasters, celebrities and CEOs. She is well-known for her engaged following and influence on Linkedin, and she landed the January 2021 cover of Podcast Magazine. Hala has interviewed star-studded guests from Matthew McConaughey to Seth Godin and her show was recently awarded as a 2022 Webby Honoree and is currently on track to bring in over $1M in revenue in advertising sponsorship deals in 2022. In this episode, you'll hear: What to do when your friends and family don't "get" what you're trying to do Hala's exact LinkedIn re-targeting recipe What is happening with podcasting, YouTube and long-form video What a personal brand should be doing to elevate their offerings How to overcome a scarcity mindset, especially in crowded fields What you should (and shouldn't) be doing in your podcast journey How to monetize your podcast (with ads and beyond!) ++++ MORE! Connect with Hala: Hala's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/htaha/ Hala's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yapwithhala Clubhouse: @halataha Ready to get your business legally legit? Download my free legally legit workbook HERE that will guide you step-by-step on how to legalize your modern small business and get access to my newsletter with tips and tricks for growing your creative business. Are you a podcaster? If you interview guests, make sure you are using a GUEST RELEASE so you can repurpose all that awesome content (including on short-form video) If you are ready to get monetized through sponsorships, make sure you have a legit agreement when the brand says "Yes!" to your pitch with a PODCAST SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENT, especially for 360-deals where you are leveraging other channels. Brand Protection Interested in securing and protecting your own brand name? Chat with me, Attorney Brittany Ratelle about whether you are ready for a federal trademark registration to protect your brand assets. Let's Connect Browse through my quick tips and tricks by connecting with me on Instagram @brittanyratelle!

Kristen Ley, founder of Thimblepress® shares her wholesale secrets from being in the stationery businesses for more than a decade. Thimblepress is an international lifestyle company that encourages kindness and inspires fun, through her artisan cards, Push-Pop Confetti, and viral hits like the "Your butt looks great in those jeans!" card. In their interview with attorney for creators Brittany Ratelle, Kristen dives into her creative process, how she launched Thimblepress and grew it to an internationally successful company as a passionate creative, businesswoman, coach, and woman of faith. Kristen has grown Thimblepress as a reflection of her life, love of her family, and reflecting back on one of her favorite places in the world; one of them being her home in Jackson, Mississippi. In this episode:  How Kristen got started with an antique letterpress The journey from side hustle to “burning the ships behind her” when she left a safe corporate job Pros and cons of trade shows (and how Kristen did her first few all on her own!) How she decides what she wants to offer for wholesale - and how she coaches other people through these decisions Pricing for wholesale profitability What sparks her creativity for new art products Why Kristen shares about her faith alongside her business How Kristen teaches her coaching clients who want to get into licensing or wholesale Kristen’s advice for overcoming “noise” on social media How to hire the right way The three things your customers want – guaranteed! Online wholesale outlets Kristen mentions (where you can find Thimblepress):  ABOUND  Bulletin  Kristen’s questions for creatives who want to expand:  Where are you actually making your money? Where are you spending your time? (What you're doing over there – is that actually making you money?) Are you excited about it? Don’t invest in something that doesn’t excite you, just because others are. What about YOU? Have you done the “time, heart, money” analysis like Katie Hunt from Proof to Product recommends? Have you developed a brand book?  Can you make a pitch about your work?   Quotes:  “I have been running this business since 2012 and it looks very different than it did, but the integrity and the core values of our brand have always remained the same.”   “When you hire, if people don't align with your core values, it's going to make communicating with them and them going out and communicating for your brand super difficult.”   “You need saved three months of being able to pay your employees in a savings account because those times will get hard – things can happen out of your control.”   “One of the worst things I’ve done in my business is having to let people go – and that usually comes from hiring too fast.”   “I feel like I'm making a difference in people's day-to-day – even if they're little small differences. I visualize all those little small products, like every greeting card that goes out, those hundreds of thousands of push-pops of confetti, out into the world. And I think of every time we send something out, it's like a little red heart. So I picture all these little red hearts everywhere.” “A legal lesson I learned the hard way - if you file for a provisional patent application, make sure you follow up within a year later and file the actual patent, or you lose that right forever.” “Don't look around at what everyone else is doing and make the right decisions for you, your family, your company, your faith, all those things like are so important.” “Don't make work your idol – make it part of your life, but not the hero. Because you're the hero - not what you do.” “I always say people don't ask for what they want enough. Pitch yourself as much as you can. The more you ask - just mathematically - the more yes’s you're going to get.” “You have to big be your biggest cheerleader. If you're not going to be excited about the things that you're doing, how do you expect anyone else to be excited for you? “For promoting yourself, sometimes you have to yell when even when you think it's a whisper, especially on social media. Sometimes, I feel like I'm saying things over and over again, and that I feel like I'm yelling at them but truthfully, it’s not that because we’re all inundated with noise.” “I always say it boils down to three things. People just want to feel seen, loved, and heard. If you can make your customers feel seen and loved and heard, I would say job well done.”   Resources:  Wholesale Agreement Template Pop-up shop Agreement Template Website BUNDLE    Kristen:  Thimblepress Business Coaching by Kristen Ley (1:1 creative call, monthly mentoring and weekend workshops) Kristen’s Stronger Together Facebook Group Her Vision Board and Dream Workshop download   OTHER EPISODES   Episode 74: 7 Biggest Legal Mistakes Physical Product Companies Make   Contract Templates mentioned in this episode:   Website BUNDLE Wholesale Pop-up shop Independent Contractor Agreement     Brand Protection: Interested in securing and protecting your own brand name? Chat with Brittany about whether you are ready for a federal trademark registration to protect your brand assets.   Ready to get your business legally legit? Download my free legally legit workbook HERE and get access to my newsletter with tips and tricks for YOUR growing creative business. Like to listen and learn?  Listen and subscribe to Creative Counsel on iTunes, Overcast, Stitcher, Spotify &  iHeartRadio   Let's Connect Interested in working with Brittany for one-on-one legal services? Sign up for a 15-min phone consult at brittanyratelle.com/services.   Want an attorney-drafted, industry-tested legal template for your business? Take a free quiz and find out exactly what you need for your creative business at creativecontracts.co.   Or, browse through my quick tips and tricks by connecting on Instagram.

Want to avoid the 7 biggest legal mistakes that physical product and eCommerce companies make? Attorney Brittany Ratelle walks through the most common mistakes that land modern product companies in legal hot water and how you can avoid these headaches as a small business owner.   Here are the top 7 mistakes:  1. No operating agreement or business “prenup” Operating agreements, also known as founder or partnership agreements, define the roles and responsibilities of a business and are a private binding contract that outlines equity, exit planning, intellectual property ownership, non-compete obligations, manager roles and how decision-making will be handled in a business partnership. These agreements are sometimes dubbed as business “prenups” or prenuptial agreements because, without them, many businesses can end with ugly business divorces with multiple parties claiming they had a different understanding of the rights and responsibilities of the business, whether they are fighting over assets or liabilities. *Highly recommend when you start a business with friends or family!*   2. Failure to protect intellectual property   There are 4 main types of intellectual property with different tools to protect them: patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. Intellectual property protection and boundaries can increase the value of a company and its brand, its products, and the way in which it solves problems for consumers. If you don’t protect your own intellectual property, you can get ripped off by other companies and if you don’t pay attention to your own practices, you can be at risk of infringing on someone else’s property by using intellectual property that doesn’t belong to you. If you have protected your own IP (intellectual property), you may be able to license it out and make additional revenue streams and grow your company into an empire. For physical product companies, the IP protection you want is:    Trademark: overall brand name, logo, slogan, and product name Copyright: any surface pattern design, important product photos/audio/video Patent: design or utility patents or both on the actual new and novel product Trade secret: formulas, recipes, processes, methods, market research, vendor information, pricing/markup, customer data/email list   Sign up a for a consult with Brittany if you are ready to get your intellectual property protected   3. The website isn’t legally compliant   All websites need these documents to be legally compliant: privacy policy, website terms, copyright statement, and necessary disclosures/disclaimers. Get all of these in the website legal bundle. Also, make sure that your website is ADA-friendly with the current WCAG standards.    4. The product has safety/labeling/testing issues and liability Physical products come into contact with real human beings and their environments, so by their very nature, they have bigger legal exposure. Make you are complying with any relevant CPSC, testing, and labeling standards, especially if you sell baby & children’s goods, toys, health and wellness products/supplements, and dangerous products.    5. No written contracts with vendors and/or manufacturers    Get your agreements in writing! A fairly drafted contract is nothing for either side to fear and can help outline expectations, resolve ambiguities, and set up a clear working relationship for both parties in a deal. Make sure to use written (and solid) contracts for your affiliate program, for wholesale, and for pop-up shops (whether you are the or the guest). You also might want a model release or event waiver if you do your own product photography with models or host events.    6. False advertising issues   Don’t lie. The Federal Trade Commission is in charge of protecting consumers and a big part of that is in policing the actions and the marketing of companies, especially around claims they make about their products. Be careful about statements regarding “Made in the USA”, any claims that your product cures any illness or disease. Remember that if you can’t back up or “substantiate” the claims you are making – don’t say them (and don’t let your affiliates, direct sales people or other individuals say them either as a “workaround.”)   7. Employee misclassification - your “contractors” should really be       “employees”   If it looks like an employee and smells like an employee - that person is an employee (whether you call them that or the individual even wants to be classified as such). Make sure you are properly classifying your team members as either contractors (1099ers) or employees (W2) as there are significant state and federal penalties for misclassification and for failing to provide HR compliance such as payroll taxes, employee handbooks, unemployment insurance, workers compensation, HR posters, and other compliance when you have accidental employees.  Resources:  Employee classification test (https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/flsa/misclassification) (https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1779.pdf)   Other episodes:   Episode 10 copyright vs. trademark Episode 24: 6 ways a trademark can protect a brand   Contract Templates mentioned in this episode:   Operating Agreement NDA Website BUNDLE Wholesale Pop-up shop Affiliates Agreement Independent Contractor Agreement   Brand Protection:   Interested in securing and protecting your own brand name? Chat with Brittany about whether you are ready for a federal trademark registration to protect your brand assets.   FREE RESOURCES Want a free LEGAL workbook to get your creative business legally legit? Download HERE and get access to my newsletter with tips and tricks for YOUR growing creative business.   Listen and subscribe to Creative Counsel on iTunes, Overcast, Stitcher, Spotify &  iHeartRadio     LET’S CONNECT Interested in working with Brittany for one-on-one legal services? Sign up for a 15-min phone consult at brittanyratelle.com/services.   Want an attorney-drafted, industry-tested legal template for your business? Take a free quiz and find out exactly what you need for your creative business at creativecontracts.co.   Or, browse through my quick tips and tricks by connecting on Instagram.   *Not legal advice. For informational purposes only. No attorney-client relationship.*

Serial entrepreneur Sierra McCleve, founder of two successful Utah-based food businesses, Thirst and Dottie's Kolaches shares on the Creative Counsel Podcast how created a positive team culture in the challenging food industry. She shares her wisdom as a baker, manager, owner, mom, wife, garage gym fitness enthusiast and now an investor in other projects. Sierra talks about how radical ownership can transform your role as a founder and CEO and help create a positive customer experience – even in a business with lots of moving parts and people.  In this episode we discuss:  How to decide if a business model is viable When to pay attention to competition and when to ignore it The secret to good customer experiences The real role of an owner/manager What to do when stuff goes wrong in your business How to create a positive company culture Why owning everything in your business is actually liberating How to forecast in the food business How to make your team feel valued How to make your check-ins and meetings more effective  Creating and nurturing superfans Sierra’s top 2 business book recommendations Quotes    “Create value and just find that thing that people need, that people want – and then try to figure out how to solve that need.”   “One of our mottos is employee satisfaction is number one. And we believe that it will translate to the customer experience, customer satisfaction, and even quality of products.” One thing that I've learned that’s very painful, but also very liberating – everything is your fault.  “When you have ownership, you have control over it, whereas if it's someone else's fault, I have no control over that person.” “I tell my team – as an owner, I work for every single one of you. And my job is to get you the tools and the education you need to do your job super well. So, let's not get it confused with the traditional business management pyramid. I think that gives managers and employees the ability to more quickly come to you with problems and issues that are going to be solved much quicker as opposed to keeping them quiet because they're worried they’ll get in trouble.” “Over-communicate on appreciation.” “If you can't step away from your business for a day or for an afternoon, you need to work on your systems so you can trust that your people are going to get it done.” “On Conflict and risk management: Be a good human, be honest, take ownership of your mistakes and treat your people well.” “You have to get buy-in from every single person at every level of your company. So, I would say be deliberate about it. Consider nicknames and retreats and just stuff like that – make people feel valued. Be really liberal with your praise and, limit your criticism, but deliver it in a way that's going to be uplifting  “Do not be audacious enough to think that everyone is there to serve you.”    Sierra’s Favorite Tools for connecting with team members:  Snapchat Slack   Books:  E-Myth Jocko, Willink, Extreme Ownership.    Other episodes: Creative Counsel episode 54: HOW TO BUILD A BUSINESS FOR THE LIFE YOU WANT WITH EMYTH VP TRICIA HUEBNER - how to find your “primary aim”   Brand Protection:   Interested in securing and protecting your own brand name? Chat with Brittany about whether you are ready for a federal trademark registration to protect your brand assets.   Team Protection:   If you are trying to build a positive team culture, make sure you have clear expectations for your contractors and employees! Independent contractors or 1099ers need to have a solid independent contractor agreement and employees should have an employee agreement, an employee handbook, and other HR-compliant systems like payroll, Unemployment insurance, and worker’s compensations.    Connect with Sierra Her Instagram Her Podcast: Make a Dent   FREE RESOURCES Want a free LEGAL workbook to get your creative business legally legit? Download HERE and get access to my newsletter with tips and tricks for YOUR growing creative business.   Listen and subscribe to Creative Counsel on iTunes, Overcast, Stitcher, Spotify &  iHeartRadio     LET’S CONNECT Interested in working with Brittany for one-on-one legal services? Sign up for a 15-min phone consult at brittanyratelle.com/services.   Want an attorney-drafted, industry-tested legal template for your business? Take a free quiz and find out exactly what you need for your creative business at creativecontracts.co.   Or, browse through my quick tips and tricks by connecting on Instagram.   *Not legal advice. For informational purposes only. No attorney-client relationship.*  

From corporate to freelance with an abundance mindset with content marketer Carina Wytiaz Carina Wytiaz joins the Creative Counsel podcast to share how having an abundance mindset allowed her to pivot as a content marketer working in tech, to her time as a solo freelancer, and then how she rolled that experience back to corporate leadership. Carina shares how she discovered what she is REALLY good at and how to market that value to others and has some killer macro-industry insights on modern content marketing and how to Her work experience includes time at Franklin Covey, Marchex, Orange Soda, Workfront, her own agency and now is the senior director of Vasion. Carina has a passion for killer writing and making sure women are included and empowered at important tables, everywhere and this is conversation you don’t want to miss out on! In this episode, you will learn:    Why the skills you’re learning in higher education matter more than the degree name How to know if it’s time for you to start your own freelancer business How to approach value pricing as a freelancer What to do when you have freelance work you can’t or won’t do What an abundance mindset actually looks like as a solo freelancer How to find a good content marketer (or become a better one yourself) The essential questions to ask when crafting a content strategy  How to get back on a work ramp if you have been staying home with kids The secret to getting whatever work experience you want (and no, it doesn’t necessarily mean working for free!)   Quotes:    “My friend Alma Loveland told me some great advice:  “as a freelancer, it's nobody's business how long it takes you to do something.”   “If you’re a freelancer, you need to ask a lot of up-front questions about your clients to get a sense of how much work it's going to take to fulfill what they're asking you to do and what that is worth for you to do just that.”   “Always keep a copy of your work.  Keep a copy of everything that you are writing organized by type of work in drive or dropbox so you don't have to go back and find it later when a new client wants a sample.”   “Be your own best advocate. No one else is going to advocate as well for you.”   “Build up a network of people who do what you don’t do (or don’t want to do). There's more work out there than you usually can handle.”   “It's a universal law that what you put out comes back. And if you put out generosity and abundance and that kind of sharing across the board – if you help people, they turn around and they help you, they share, they boost you. It's one of the most important lessons that I've learned.”    “If you’re not happy with the life that you're living, if you're not happy with either where your career is or what your opportunities are, you don't have to take that. Reach out to your network and let them know you are looking for a change.”   How to be a successful Freelancer - Carina’s Tips   Save your own work  Be your best advocate Ask lots of questions before pricing Build a network and refer work out – what goes around comes around   How to get back in the workforce after staying home with kids - Carina’s tips    Internships Consider contract and freelance work as on-ramps Try to reframe skills – even with a resume “gap”   Freelancer Resources   If you’re a freelancer and want to make sure you can keep (and share) a copy of the awesome work you did for a client, make sure you are using a client service agreement that says just that   What are the 8 types of bad clients that all freelancers need to avoid?    FREE RESOURCES Want a free LEGAL workbook to get your creative business legally legit? Download HERE and get access to my newsletter with tips and tricks for YOUR growing creative business.   Listen and subscribe to Creative Counsel on iTunes, Overcast, Stitcher, Spotify &  iHeartRadio     LET’S CONNECT Interested in working with Brittany for one-on-one legal services? Sign up for a 15-min phone consult at brittanyratelle.com/services.   Want an attorney-drafted, industry-tested legal template for your business? Take a free quiz and find out exactly what you need for your creative business at creativecontracts.co.  Or, browse through my quick tips and tricks by connecting on Instagram.   *Not legal advice. For informational purposes only. No attorney-client relationship.*

Today, we are joined by my sweet friend Heather Fujikawa! We are so excited about the arrival of her little girl and reminiscing on our journeys as wives and mothers who are also busy in their careers!  Heather, my friend since college, started her company and entrepreneur journey as an interior designer in Los Angeles. She was drawn to the fashion and design industry and started a hair accessory business with her twin sister who was also in California at the time. It took off quickly, being in magazines and having a line at Nordstrom. You can see their work on Taylor Swift and Kelly Clarkson. They saw the trend starting in the early 2000s, noticing hair accessories were very popular and knew they could supply a growing demand.    They then jumped from that company to writing a book called Fairy Birds, teaching children to “shine bright and help others” she says. They sold through Scholastic and Costco, and credits her communications education in allowing her to have solid media attention and skills to sell her products to retailers.    “I was going through years of infertility and I gotta connect to kids somehow as I was waiting on these babies, it's kind of where the heart of the book came from.”   Heather's designs now are focused on finding the heart of people in her designs, and takes inspiration from organic environments. Watching her mother be a designer, she knew interior design is her passion and has spent time designing homes in Dalla, Texas since.    Quotes:   “There’s going to be a lot of no’s out there, but someone's bound to say yes, and you gotta keep going”   “There is a no from this person, but it does not mean it is a no on the whole project. It doesn’t have to be a deal killer.”   “Remember those punching bags as a kid, the inflatable ones with the sand at the bottom? It’s like that, you get knocked down but you get right back up over and over again”   “Instead of pushing and pulling in directions, lean in to what feels natural.”   “Make it big and bold”    “Throw fear out the window”   “You can give value; you can do anything”    “Have the desire to keep building; just move forward”   Takeaways- Learn from the no’s- there are tips you can get from no’s. Ask how you can improve and change your problem points with your clients.  Be self-aware, and be willing to change and be taught. Humble yourself to ask “is this process working for me and my clients” Move forward with faith and build- you should always be building up.  Heather and Heidi had to learn what was the right fit for her and their company, it is okay to say no, be told no, or learn when something is not a good fit.  The right fit will feel like you are being pulled to it, when she was being pitched shows by TV producers, she felt a strong desire to not be on TV until the right situation came forward.  Opportunities do not happen overnight, trust the process and have faith in it.  When the reality tv show started filming, they lived in chaos and had to work hard to find balance. Set ground rules with not only the people you work with but yourself. Boundaries are incredibly important to maintain a work-life balance and allow you to avoid burnout.  You will have to stand up for yourself- over and over again.  Lean into it- instead of pushing and pulling into directions, lean into what is naturally happening.  Communication is key- make sure your staff is matching your vision, attitude, and personality. They can then be trusted to do the heavy lifting so you can take on more projects.  See your own weaknesses- Your brand will be stronger when you see these things because it means you can keep improving. Self confront.  People first- Heather and Heidi were not only business partners but sisters. Finding that balance in working with someone you have a personal relationship with is key to succeeding in business ventures. While Heather admits she and Heidi get along incredibly well and don’t struggle in this area, she says the biggest way to keep things smooth is to put their personal relationship first over their business relationship. Love on the people, and people come first. Don't apologize- don’t make yourself small. Take credit for your work, and don’t shrink your vision by talking your business down. When someone asks about your company, don't brush it off as “just a small website, etc” Use actual legal counsel- the value of real experts makes your journey easier than online DIY legal services.  Three tips to starting a business- Start with the end in mind. Ask yourself “what could this be? What do I want it to be?”  Throw fear out the window. Lean on others and their testimonies until you have your own and are confident in yourself.  Write it down. Write down the small specific tasks, it makes the bigger goals less daunting. Micro steps give you the energy to accomplish building those big goals.  Balancing being a mother and entrepreneur- Make sure to be present when you’re with your kids. Heather takes her apple watch off, to ensure she is not distracted by work. She says “When I’m working, I’m working, but when I’m off, I try to be off.”      Connect with Heather- https://housesprucing.com/ Instagram- @house_sprucing Watch “Design Twins” on Amazon Prime 

What is a vampire client (bad clients who "suck you dry") and how can you avoid them? Or are there no bad clients but only bad "systems" for managing those clients? (and let's be clear...we're not talking about brooding vampires with extra "sparkle" or annoyingly hot vampire brothers...) We're all with Team Jacob on this one.   Listen to this Creative Counsel podcast episode from Attorney for Creators Brittany Ratelle and learn all about vampire clients, red flags, and what you can avoid before, during, and after working with these nightmare clients to manage boundaries over your time, money, and energy.   This episode will help any done-for-your or service-based business (SBB) protect their most precious resource, their energy (yes, it's even more important than time), and make sure you are setting up your modern freelance business for success.   We'll also dish on my favorite legal and business process tips to set up clear collaborative contracts that establish healthy working relationships so that you can keep doing client work without hitting freelancer burnout.