Hi First name / lovely,

 

She's back. Not that I ever really went anywhere, I've still been sliding into your inbox from time to time... but this, The Founder's Edit in all its glory, has been quietly gathering dust since last May last year!! (Hangs head in shame.) And TBH I've missed it.

 

When I was sending these regularly, a few of you replied to say it was one of your favourite things in your inbox. No pressure then - LOL! But honestly, that's exactly why I wanted to bring it back.

 

The timing feels right too. I've just turned 43 (6th May - gifts welcome), spent a glorious week in Cornwall walking, eating, drinking too much coffee and staring at the sea, and came home feeling like myself again. That kind of reset has a way of reminding you what actually matters.

 

This is one of those things.

 

And I'm bringing back the voice note version too! If you'd rather listen on a walk or while you're making a cuppa, click here to tune in →

 

 

Right, I'm going to say upfront that I'm not banning the SB leggings and an oversized sweatshirt. Some days that's exactly what's needed, and I will die on that hill.

 

But I've noticed something. On the days where I spend an extra five minutes actually getting dressed, doing my hair, maybe pulling out a nice pair of earrings... something shifts. 

 

Even if I'm not going anywhere beyond my lunchtime walk. I feel more like the CEO of my business and less like the admin assistant quietly keeping the whole thing running.

 

It's not about looking good for anyone else. It's the energy of it. 

The signal it sends to yourself: this matters, I matter, today matters.

 

So if you're reading this in yesterday's hoodie... zero judgement. But maybe tomorrow, give it a go!?

 

I've been doing a bit of an internal audit lately. Not of my finances (although I do love that too, weirdly), but of the beliefs I'm still dragging around that honestly belong to a version of me that no longer exists.

 

Things like: it has to be perfect before it goes out. A gift from my corporate days. I used to work in environments where things went through seventeen rounds of approval before anyone saw them. I left that world years ago. The belief, apparently, didn't get the memo.

 

Or this one: if I'm not at my desk from nine to five, grinding away, how will I ever make it work? Time at a desk doesn't equal effort. Output doesn't require suffering. The world has genuinely moved on, even if our nervous systems haven't quite caught up yet.

 

So here's a gentle question for you: what are you still doing, or believing, in your business that actually belongs to someone else? An old job, an old version of you, a rule no one actually asked you to follow?

 

Maybe it's time to put it down.

 

A few things I've been loving this last month…

 

📚 Hannah Lynn (and her whole glorious back catalogue)
I picked up one of her books on a whim and then... well. I came up for air about six books later. 

 

My absolute favourite was about a woman who inherits a houseboat and opens a little coffee shop along the canal. Dreamy doesn't even cover it. 

 

If you love cosy, feel-good fiction that makes you want to quit everything and live on a narrowboat, she is absolutely your person.

 

🗓️ The Productivity Method Digital Planner by Grace Beverley
For what feels like years I've had planning systems scattered across approximately nine surfaces. Notes app, Notion, a notebook, my iPad, my brain, a rogue sticky note on the kitchen table. All the ideas were there. Just absolutely nowhere useful.
 

Then I found this planner and felt like someone had quietly tidied my mind for me. It's not just for work either, you can put personal stuff in there too. Meals, workouts, projects, to-dos. The whole lot, in one place that actually makes sense.

 

 

🗂️ Finally sorting my content planning (it only took a hundred attempts)
If you've ever had content ideas living in four different places at once, pull up a chair.

I had ideas in my notes app, in Notion, in a notebook, on my iPad. Not lost, just chaotic. 

So I finally built a Notion board that actually makes sense: a section to brain-dump freely, a section to plan with real dates, and views I can filter by week or month, separated out by Instagram, blog and email. Simple. Organised. Life-changing (okay, close enough).
If you want tips on setting this up for yourself, just hit reply with the word "content" and I'll share what's working for me.

 

👟 Running (back with a plan, and possibly a race)
I've gone back to structured training with Runna and I'm genuinely loving having a proper plan to follow again. I also, slightly nervously, joined a running club in Plymouth that looked intimidatingly cool from the outside. (Turns out it is cool, but in the best possible way!) 

I may also have just signed up to the Plymouth 10k this weekend. I'm on the waitlist, so it might not happen... but the fact that I signed up at all feels like progress.

If you've been running-curious, fancy a bit more structure or you're working towards a particular goal - Runna is such a great app to use. You can try two weeks free with my code RUNNAMJIR6WQ. Go on, give it a go! 

 

 

Testimonials and reviews have serious clout when it comes to new clients. Seeing someone else rave about you does something that no amount of "here's why I'm great" copy ever quite manages.

 

But they don't have to be dull. 

 

Try: "I can't believe my clients said this..." or "cute things my lovely clients have said about me." Build in a little intrigue, then deliver the goods. Slides of testimonials, screenshots of lovely messages, Google reviews, DMs. All of it counts.

 

Let me know what's doing it for you this month, I always love hearing from you.

 

P.S. Want to work with me? Here's where things stand right now:

 

I'm booking brand and website projects for June onwards, so if that's been sitting on your list, now's the time. See my services here →

 

And if you just want a professional eye over your existing brand or website, audits are available now for May. Hit reply with the word "audit" and I'll send you all the details.