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Hi Reader,
This week I watched an interview with Vanessa Lau on Jenna Kutcher's YouTube channel (watch it here; fanTAStic episode!) where they addressed a recurring theme I keep seeing/hearing about.
We've been force-fed this hustle-culture vibe via YouTube ads and 'bro-marketers' with Gary V.-style personalities or comments from Kim K. like, "Get your f*cking ass up and work" for perhaps YEARS now, and I think –as a collective entrepreneurial group in the online space– we're all tryna hop off that damn wagon ASAP.
I've followed Jenna for years, because her Goal Diggers podcast was one of the first business podcasts I found when starting my freelance business, but I'm pretty new to Vanessa –having just found her YT channel this year.
But I remember watching Vanessa's "I QUIT." video and being kind of mind-blown that she quite literally walked away from a multi-million dollar business for A YEAR after burning out on her business. In that video, she shared everything she learned & how she got there.
In this podcast episode with Jenna, it was interesting to hear two successful, powerhouse business women in the online space both talk about how easy it could be to get there, what they'd suggest doing differently (hindsight is 20/20) to avoid being there again, admitting blind spots, and more.
TL;DW:
My main takeaways from that episode were...
- Suffering is NOT required to find success.
- Your “worth” is NOT in your output.
- You can change your mind, ANY time, about ANYthing.
- You CAN slow down. (Yes, really.)
- And you do NOT have to prove anything to anyone to deserve peace, rest & validation.
(BTW, next Monday's post in the Club will be diving further into this & I'll also be sharing Vanessa's "I QUIT" video too, so join my free community to get that breakdown in your inbox next week! And search the group for 100+ more, because I've been sharing these every Monday for TWO YEARS now.)
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🥳 The Club turned 2 this summer!!
I canNOT believe it's been around that long already! It all started from a strong desire to get closer to my audience, to learn who you are, what you do, what you struggle with, and figure out how I can help. Now, it's evolved into EXACTly that, and I've gotten to meet so many of you in that time! I absolutely love being in there, and helping people troubleshoot or answering questions. It's life-giving & I'm so grateful for all of my members!
As a business owner, if you're curious how recurring revenue works, SquareKicker just posted a fun spotlight on me & those systems in my business here.
I'll also be doing a live panel interview for Nick & Hannah of SquareKicker, alongside fellow panelists Jen Maher and Noah from Snow Day Design on Aug 6th @ 5p Eastern (Aug 7th @ 9a-10a NZT), so make sure ya get notified so you can join us (free!).
My business turned 10 this month! 😳🤩
I started my freelance biz in the summer of 2015, so THIS YEAR it (in any iteration it's been in the past) turned TEN!! 🤯 C.R.A.Z.Y. pants. 🍌👖 It hasn't always been "this cool" 😂 though. lol
To celebrate with me, use coupon code CHEERS25 through the end of July to get 25% OFF 👇🏼 (coupon code expires everywhere on Aug 1st at 12am Eastern)
🖥️ CRM Systems Collab, in the works!
Today I had a planning session for a templated set up with a Dubsado Certified Specialist, which will provide systems templates for anyone using Dubsado for their CRM and it will include 10+ form templates, 25+ email templates, and 100+ automated workflow steps step-by-step with tutorials galore.
I am ridiculously excited about this because it's a one-and-one setup that make your services truly repeatable with calm & ease. If you took on say, 36 different services in a year, this setup could literally save you 250+ hours a year (or 40+ work days), about $1,600/client, save $12k in VA costs, and nearly $50k in your own admin time based on average hourly rates. 😳🤯 I. am. not. kidding.
It's been a lot of fun so far & I think it'll be REALLY helpful for anyone that's not sure how to set up their Dubs' account! ––No 👏🏻 more 👏🏻 excuses! 👏🏻 😉
⚡️ Ultimate Client Portal System updates
- Editing a video tutorial for this new lesson that gifts you 3 new zap template options to auto-create the new project folder in Kitchen based on a trigger in Dubsado (or whatever your CRM is). Video coming in the next few days!
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Video lesson updates are in the works. SOOO many fantastic feature updates have been added to Kitchen* since May that it's going to take a while to sub in all the new videos. Thankfully, most of the updates are not going to affect anyone's process or setup structure, they're just quality of life changes to existing features & some new permissions levels for our clients which are all still very exciting!
- I'll keep a list of the changes in the July 2025 updates lesson as they each go live, or in subsequent updates after that, shown in the Course Updates module.
🆕 Free Workshop in the Club: Sept. 12th @ 11am ET
In this live masterclass, I'm bringing in acting and public speaking coach Adria Tennor to show you how to show up for your client calls and pitches with real confidence, by using your jitters and messiness as your superpower. You’ll learn simple mindset shifts, a grounding vocal warm-up, and practical tools to turn your nervous energy into the secret sauce that makes people say yes.
Bring your questions (and your awkwardness!). Stay for optional hot-seat coaching to practice live with us, get feedback, and see for yourself that imperfect-human you is exactly who your dream clients want to hire.
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A very common question I see is how to set up the automations on the free plan of Kit to deliver an opt-in or free download of some kind, but it's a trick question! On Kit's free Newsletter plan you can grow up to 10,000 subscribers and you get 1 automation too, ––but you should use that for your welcome sequence to help new subscribers get to know you better after they join your list.
So, if you use that 1 automation on the free plan for a welcome series, then how do you deliver what they signed up for? It's actually built INTO the form's settings. Easy peasy. Lemme show ya how to do it!
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VIDEO/BLOG
Surprise! No automations needed, to deliver freebies via Kit (formerly, ConvertKit). Here's how to set it up AND use it with Squarespace.
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Last week, I shared a bit of my rabbit hole with you. I am detail-oriented person and I like tracking stuff ––but I have a confession: I hate using the 'new' Google Analytics 4 version. The previous version (Universal Analytics) was much easier to use. Ever since Google rolled out GA4 and forced everyone to switch over... I rarely ever open it. 🫣🤭😂 I hate it. I don't know where anything moved to, nothing makes logical sense to me, in there. It's clunky, requires a rocket-science degree to learn (not really; I'm joking... kinda).
If I hate using something, I literally just don't (use it). So when I realized Google was ALSO battling some serious privacy concerns ––or rather, avoiding them 😒–– I decided it was time to stop using Google Analytics if I could, and I started looking for alternatives.
If you saw one of my last newsletter updates about switching to Fathom, this blog post explains why, and shares the research I did before implementing this decision in my business.
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BLOG
Squarespace vs Google vs Fathom Analytics? 🤔
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This week's roundup is FULL of good stuff!
⏯️
In case you missed it:
My exact system using Kitchen's client portal, Tally forms + AI prompts to turn client info into the first draft of website copy.
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📣
I haven't tried this myself yet, but I plan to ASAP because this nifty little tool makes collecting & displaying/using testimonials smooth & easy. They exist in a central location, are embeddable anywhere, and even come with custom screenshot graphics so you don't have to make your own anymore! 🤯 Binge their YouTube channel to see it in action.
Gemma Bonham-Carter shared it with her email list, including her code GEMMA which gives us our first 2 months for $1 –or we can use the forever-free plan to start!
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📈
Breely* AI Assistant
Gavin just added a video walkthrough of the new Assistant (AI) which can actually help you set up (create or make changes, IF you want) AND troubleshoot stuff (understand how to do/fix something yourself)!
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⚡️
I just added 3 new zap templates in the Ultimate Client Portal System course which watch for a signed contract in Dubsado (or switch out your CRM), then create a new project folder in Kitchen for that client.
Works on the free plan:
Works on any paid plan:
- 1 multi-step zap for website projects
- 1 multi-step zap for VIP Day services
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💬
Update: Simple Commenter has built-in features that allow you to 'hide' the comment widget on live websites for anyone you don't want to see it.
Meaning, you can use Simple Commenter on draft (unpublished) or live websites, Squarespace included.
Check out the details in this post for how to set it up.
Try it for free, –if ya like it upgrade before pricing changes! (The lifetime payment option is still available as of today.)
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That's it for this week.
See ya next time!
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Katelyn
Web Designer & Educator
Thrivin' on coffee, community, cursing & carefully laid plans!
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