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Hey YOU!

Tired of business advice that doesn't feel like...YOU? This newsletter is your permission slip to build your business on your own terms...let's dive in!

First off...a big, warm welcome to the nearly 100 new people who joined this space after snagging my Visual Brand Kit Template in a recent bundle collab!

It was my first time doing something like this, and it was so fun...I’m already planning more! It feels good to find ethical, non-draining ways to connect with values-led business owners like YOU. (P.S. If you missed it, just hit reply and I’ll send the template your way 💕).

So now that you're here (or have been here I while), I want you to know that I’ve got two main goals when I show up in your inbox:

1. To help you feel less shame, less burnout, and more empowered as you build your brand (whether we work together or not).
2. To get to work with cool people doing cool sh*t (aka maybe you)!

I try to keep these emails less “sales funnel” and more “open journal,” because I believe the more curious, honest, and vulnerable we are as entrepreneurs, the more we change the way business is done. (Boss babe energy? Bro marketer hacks? Nope. Not it.)

Anyways...

This week I honestly wasn't sure what I was going to write about because I'm feeling pretty content (the happy kind, not the social media kind).

Usually my emails stem from being anxious, angry, or passionate about something but this week I'm just feeling grateful and hopeful...which is weirdly hard to write from.

I’m booked up for the rest of the year (okay, it’s only like six weeks but it still feels cool to say). And I do only take on 2-3 clients per month so I can keep my evenings kid-friendly and my brain happy.

Honestly? I am able to do this work sustainably because I have a partner will a full-time job and benefits.

I didn't wait to go all in until I was booked out...we made the decision to prioritize our kids well-being (with me as the default parent) while also giving me space to create my dream job.

That kind of privilege is real, and I never want to pretend otherwise. Too often we find ourselves comparing where we are with where others are at. We never really know someone else’s support system, financial setup, or behind-the-scenes reality. That’s why the only business model that truly works…is the one that works for YOUR life.

There were yearsssssss where I juggled a full-time job, a photography studio, and two tiny humans while getting my first book finished (and oh yeah...throw a pandemic in that mix). I was hustling HARD. Of course, I burned out.

Sometimes I wonder if burnout is a rite of passage in entrepreneurship. Like, is that collapse moment the wake-up call that shows you how you *actually* want to do business?

But, what would happen if we skipped that part?

What if we were told from the start to build slow, to rest more, to believe that momentum can come without self-sacrifice?

Would we even believe it?

That’s the thing no one tells you at the start of entrepreneurship: It’s not just about building a business. It’s about unlearning all the garbage you've absorbed about worth, success, and how fast you “should” be moving.

Most of us aren’t doing it “wrong.” We’re just working inside systems that were never designed with our nervous systems, bodies, or values in mind.

So if you’re feeling tired lately…or behind…or like you’re the only one still figuring it out...I promise, you’re not.

There’s no one right way to build your brand. But I do know that when you show up vulnerably, as yourself....

...your brand starts doing the heavy lifting for you.

Not because you hacked the "algorithm."

But because you built something real...a brand that reflects your values, your story, and your capacity.

And when your brand is a reflection of YOU, the right clients start to find you instead of you trying to chase them.

You stop using strategies that don’t fit. You start attracting people who actually get you...

And you build something that lasts because it was built on truth!

And that is pretty amazing...

Have you had your own “burnout wake-up call”? Or are you trying to skip that chapter (I hope you can!)? Email me back...I'd love to know your thoughts!!

Thank you so much for giving me space in your inbox! Missed a previous email? Catch up here!​ xo Emily Lauren Whenever you're ready, here are some ways we can work together: ✍️ Branding – Anything but vanilla branding so you can stand out and call in dream clients! 🤖 Brand Recipe Maker Bot – Trained by me to turn your business brain "scramblies" into a clear brand guide—so every post, page, and pitch feels confident, consistent, and totally aligned. Intro price: $199 CAD! 💋 Website Templates – Websites that help you stand out without burning out (coming soon!). *COMING SOON* More tools, templates and support for values-led entrepreneurs who want to show up online like themselves. ​