Hi Reader,

The last couple weeks have been super busy, but I did manage to record next week's video despite that, which will be a tutorial that shares what I've learned about optimizing images to the new (smaller) WebP image format, after Squarespace's announcement that it finally accepts WebP image formats! 🤓 Smaller files without losing quality. 👍🏻

And yes, I’ve already done videos on this 1–2 years ago, but wow — it’s SO much easier and faster now thanks to new tools made by smarter-than-me humans. 🤭😃

That busy-ness was a reminder I really needed, that
when I let work take over, everything else starts going downhill.

• Working later than 5pm → harder to shut off 🧠 & fall sleep
• Less sleep → harder to focus, easier to skip exercise 👟
• Skipped exercise → ridiculous multitasking & less productive 😵‍💫
• By evening → inbox still full, brain fried, running on fumes 🫩

Not sustainable. Not healthy for my body or my mind.

So last week I flipped the script. Even on the days I didn’t feel like it, I moved first — walk in the morning, walk again in the evening, & sometimes my husband even got to join Luna & I. I began to look forward to those walks again instead of dreading the time it took to do them. And surprise, surprise: I feel so much better (and so much more capable) when I take care of myself first.

That little reset of headspace + moving my body helps me switch from “work mode” to “home mode.”

Most of us (especially when working from home) forget we used to have built-in separation within our commute, whether you're walking, taking the subway, a train or a bus, or driving yourself. But when we work from our home, there's no physical separation of time OR much space between home & work.

Basically, there’s no buffer because 'leaving work' just means you close (hopefully) your laptop & walk into another room in your house. It’s on us to create that boundary.

This week I’m remembering why that’s so important.

We chose this path (hopefully!) because we love our business. But loving the work doesn’t mean sacrificing yourself to do the job. If I don’t take care of myself, I won’t have the capacity to do a great job — or enjoy my life outside of it.

So here’s your friendly reminder:
The emails can wait. The to-dos can wait.
​Take care of yourself first.

TLDR – Here’s the lineup this week: a discount you don’t wanna miss, new Dubsado system kit, a quick Portal update, and a tool still blowing my mind 🤯.

⏰ Save $500 on the Web Designer Playbook™️, by Christy Price

Christy's signature course sale ENDS TODAY → $997 ($1,497). Inside, she shares all her internal templates & systems for working with her clients, including: templates, swipe files, scripts, Christy's full Asana project plan (which you can probably recreate in Kitchen!), step-by-step guidance for every phase to deliver a premium client experience, and 6 monthly group coaching calls + a private student Slack group for support.

Bonus 🎁 → Get an invite to her NYC meetup after Squarespace Circle Day if you're going in-person this year!

📦 Web Designer Flow Kit for Dubsado → Available NOW!

Over the summer, I teamed up with Cait Potter of Forms & Flows to walk her through my current Dubsado client processes so she could create a Dubsado-specific workflow setup + templates (galore!) specifically for web designers working with clients & using Dubsado as their CRM.

Ultimately, the goal of this kit is to give you as much copy/paste templates & guidance as possible, show you how to use it all together & implement it; then you’ll know how to customize it for yourself ––feeling confident to use what works & leave what doesn’t!

The goal ISN’T to automate literally every single part of the process in Dubsado, but it IS to automate whatever can and should be automated so you can focus on creating beautiful websites for your clients, ––not on the logistics for steps that should be repeatable between projects. 😉

It's a great place to start for newer businesses who want to use a CRM but are afraid to start with one because it feels overwhelming and you have no processes yet. Everything's overwhelming at first –this is your guide!

⚡️ Update: Ultimate Client Portal System​

Several new course updates were added this month including short tutorial videos on how to customize your Content Guide form in Tally (swap out images, change colors & fonts, etc), updates & announcements from Kitchen, ––and a new Feature Request form so you can share your feedback with me directly!

→ Check out the updates here inside the course!

I've also added a payment plan option during checkout, so you can now split the purchase into 2 monthly payments if needed!

💜 Update: Senja* is still blowing my mind!

I've been helping my client set up her Senja account the past couple weeks & she connected her Facebook + Google reviews, adding almost 400 reviews in the blink of an eye! Then I went through her website's 'Reviews' blog collection and imported about 40 more, adding tags & images where applicable.

Then I went to set up various widgets to pull in those reviews & got to play with some REALLY cool options, like these simple review widget templates:

Synced review counter with live updated user images:

Auto-scrolling marquee of review highlights:

I've also recently created Walls of Love with my own Senja account so I could share student reviews with my affiliates in the resource hub, so they will accurate social proof for everything.

These Walls of Love have their own share link & stay synced with whatever the settings are in each one, so they will auto-update as more of those reviews come in while being attractive to look at!

For anyone that finds it difficult to store, organize, manage, and share your reviews ––this is a no-brainer that makes the process fun AND easy, and removes the manual labor involved from literally any other method I've tried in the last 10 years!

Yes, I'm a Senja* affiliate but only because it's been incredibly helpful for me & my clients. I'd share it regardless! If you use my code LAUNCHTHEDAMNTHING you can get your first 2 months for $1/ea!

Nothing new this week! Check back next week for a new tutorial on optimizing images & converting images to the new WebP file format that Squarespace accepts! The new method is much simpler than ya might expect. 😁

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2️⃣ things while ya wait on the next post...

As always though, I post weekly Mindset tips in the Club (free for everyone, no login required) so you can always get a dose of my inner-cheerleader every Monday ––or binge read any of the 100+ posts from the last 2 years if ya need a mental boost while ya wait for a new blog/video! 🤭

Psst! Click on the chat icon in the bottom right corner of my site any time to open the Club, click Freeloader Fan Club in the popup's sidebar, and use the filters above 'Start a post' to find specific topics of interest, like Monday Mindsets.

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Squarespace CIRCLE MEMBERS: please go upvote my feature request in the forum to get a little bit more control over organizing our asset library content! Just open the forum post below & click the 'thumbs up' icon! – Thank you!!

This week's nuggets:

⏯️ Catch up: What's the actual cost of doing it all yourself with 'free' options? (Psst! It's a lot more than you'd ever imagine!)

🖥️ ​Web Designer Playbook™️* Christy Price's course is ON SALE through TODAY for $997! ($1,497, saves $500) Includes: templates, swipe files, scripts, Christy's full Asana project plan, step-by-step guidance for every phase to deliver a premium client experience WITH 6 monthly group coaching calls & a Slack group for support. 🎁 Bonus invite to her NYC meetup after Squarespace Circle Day!

📚 ​The Stash v3 Sian Richardson's mega-template for designers will be available starting Sept. 1st! Both licenses come with unlimited uses, and both will be on SALE from 9/1 - 9/12. Commercial License:​ ​Use the template for yourself & for clients; no crediting necessary Extended Commercial License:​ ​Use the template for yourself, for clients & include in edited templates; no crediting necessary

🧰 ​Tool Kit Chrome extension Will Myers has a cool Chrome extension that gives you quick & easy access to a ton of resources like his plugins & tutorials –while you work in Squarespace! Including this free plugin that adds a search bar to the Custom CSS panel.

3️⃣ Sneak Peek: Dubsado 3.0! I'm sharing a bunch of before/after screenshots of Dubsado's new version in this post inside the Club. 👇🏼 ​Check it out here​ & snag a 20-30% off discount code for Dubsado if ya need it!

🖼️ 🆓 Images/Videos Best Practices Just updated the freebie cheatsheet! Grab your updated copy here.

Spots are limited, so reserve your FREE seat now! 👆🏼

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That's it for this week!
See ya next time & hope ya have a great week/end ahead! 😁

Katelyn Web Designer & Educator ​Thrivin' on coffee, community, cursing & carefully laid plans!