I had just finished Mother's Day brunch on Sunday when I realized: I had almost dropped the ball on a very important email that my brand management client needed ASAP.

I was left with no choice but to Irish goodbye the entire family, slip out, and run home to take care of it real quick.

I was back within an hour. No harm, no foul. But still — a sign that shit was about ready to hit the fan, and I needed to do something about it.

The last month has been one of the most fulfilling and exciting months of my life, personally and professionally.

My Brand Brushstrokes beta spots have been going incredibly well (even if they're taking a little longer than anticipated). The 2D Design Masterclass I taught a couple of weeks back was a big success, and I've seen significant growth on Instagram and on my email list.

But on the other hand...

• I've barely had time for content creation.
• My routine has been virtually non-existent.
• And I've officially watched another self-imposed website deadline come and go, knowing full well I'm nowhere near done.

Sound familiar?

The number one feeling entrepreneurs associate with their brand is overwhelm. I'm all too familiar with this feeling, especially right now, because balancing life, fulfilling your offers, and consistently marketing your brand isn't easy.

Way back in 2019, when I was a full-fledged personal development junkie, I learned about Tony Robbins' "Wheel of Life" concept.

The idea is that you want balance in that wheel, because if all your time is spent in one area and none in another, the sections become uneven, creating a bumpy ride instead of a smooth one.

The same concept applies perfectly to managing and showing up for our brands.

I don't think there's such a thing as a perfectly balanced wheel — so here's your permission to accept the fact that there will always be a bump or two in the road.

The question becomes: what can you do to make the ride a little smoother?

Balance and perfection are far from the same thing. Every once in a while, we all just need to take a beat and hit the reset button — to figure out how to make the road ahead a little less bumpy for our brands.

That's exactly where I'm at right now, and it's what I'm dedicating this week's newsletter to.

Let's dive in.

How to hit the reset button & get your brand back on track

Sending this newsletter on a Tuesday? Rarely happens. Getting to May 13th before doing any real planning for the month? Practically unheard of. All evidence that my current to-do list has gotten a little away from me.

And if you're wondering, "But Catie, what does this have to do with MY brand?" here's the thing:

It isn't easy to make time for your brand. Implementing your brand and content strategy and growing and developing your brand take time.

And that is time you have to create, not just find.

Even as an expert on all things brand management, sometimes life starts life-ing and next thing you know, my plans for my brand end up unchecked on a to-do list with weeks-old due dates.

*Cue the overwhelm*

Your ability to get from point A (in the thick of it) to point B (back on your bullshit) is the thing that keeps your brand moving forward.

It's Make Shit Happen 101.

With summer approaching, now seems as good a time as any to talk about it.

Because the reality of growing a brand includes getting overwhelmed, sometimes falling behind, and having to readjust course as needed.

Here's a "take what works for you and leave the rest" list of things to try the next time you need to hit the reset button:

#1: Block Off Time on Your Calendar

Clean up whatever month you're in and plan out at least the next 6 weeks, setting 1-2 focus items for each work day. If you can, take off a CCO week, and include flex time, OOO days, and buffer days around travel.

#2: Finalize Availability

Now that you have an idea of the time that's already accounted for, determine how much open space you have in your calendar and how you want to fill it.

#3: Create Your "Dream Routine"

With each new season, create a "dream routine"—what an ideal work week looks like, and how you want to be intentional with your time and habits on and off the clock, especially in the morning before work.

#4: Double Down on Habits & Hobbies

Think about what habits and hobbies you want to commit to this summer and make sure there's time for those in your schedule. If you want, you can even commit to tracking those habits somehow.

#5: Prioritize Till You're Out of the Thick of It

When in doubt, keep it simple. What are the next three things (no more—no less) that you need to do right now? Write those down on a blank sheet of paper. Once you cross one off, you can add another. This always keeps me from spiraling when my to-do list feels unmanageable.

#6: Know Your Bare Minimums If you're in a "catchup" phase, it's important to reflect on what the bare minimum is that you need to do for your brand.

For me that looks like:

• Stories everyday—at least sharing my "coffee talk" and promoting one offer
• My weekly newsletter

Everything else this week is extra.

When I have my shit together, that list is a little longer. The reality is, I don't want to completely ghost my audience and lose all the momentum I've worked so hard to build, but I also know it's going to take a week or so before I get things balanced out again.

#7: Reflect on What Has Worked for You in the Past

If there's anything on this list that you take into consideration, let it be this point: you don't always have to try a new thing to get back into the swing of things. Instead, maybe just go back to something that was working well for you in the first place.

We're all so quick to challenge ourselves to improve and evolve when in reality, you probably already had it figured out.

Ask yourself:

• The last time you were creating a lot of content, what were you doing differently than you are now?
• What has changed in your day-to-day since you started feeling behind?
• Is there anything you know has worked well for your productivity in the past that could make a comeback?

Growing your brand doesn't have to be all or nothing. Try these things to make the road a little less bumpy, get caught up, and find more balance behind the brand.

FROM THE ARCHIVE make time for your own brand with a CCO week I'm not saying that one week changed everything in my business, but it absolutely created a major shift in my creativity and gave me the momentum I needed... READ MORE

GET THE RECORDING the best design *thing* you'll ever do for your brand Couldn't make the LIVE masterclass? No biggie! You can still grab the recording, and workbook for $20. It may just be the best *design* thing you do for your brand. But don't take it from me, here's what one of the live atendeeS had to say ↓ "I loved that it was so practical and actionable, as well as explaining the 'why' behind it all. I feel so much more confident about creating things now!" STOP WASTING TIME SECOND GUESSING IN CANVA

FREE TEMPLATE create your "dream routine" Click the link below for instant access to my super simple "dream routine" template in Notion. GET THE TEMPLATE

Last week, I finished off-boarding my first Brand Brushstrokes client, and I had to share this with you. When I asked Ash how satisfied she was with her custom illustrations on a scale of 1-5, her response?

"Five, six, seven, eight. Fully satisfied."

She went on to say the illustrations "definitely surpassed what I even had hoped for" and that they gave her "the confidence to really claim my positioning and claim the message that I actually want to get across."

That's exactly why I created Brand Brushstrokes — to help multi-passionate entrepreneurs like you transform your "almost professional" brand into something distinctively YOU without a complete rebrand.

SNAG THE LAST BETA SPOT STARTING JUNE 3RD

This final beta spot is available for just $500 (the price will increase after beta), and includes:

• 3 custom illustrations that capture your unique brand personality
• 1 seamless pattern created from your illustrations
• All files delivered in multiple formats AND all your brand colors (this alone has been a game-changer for clients!)
• A comprehensive presentation showing you exactly how to implement your new visuals across all platforms
• Optional add-on: Brand identity refresh to align everything perfectly

What's really setting this offer apart? My clients are raving about how the presentation helps them see all the possibilities: "It's more than I hoped for because you're able to show me I don't have to just use them in these specific ways — I can use them in ALL these ways."

Ready to elevate your brand with custom illustrations that tell your unique story? This final beta spot won't last long!

ADD SOME BRUSHSTROKES TO YOUR BRAND

P.S. I will only be opening up 3 1:1 spots to work with me in July & August, two for Brand Brushstrokes & 1 for the Signature Site.

If June 2nd is too soon for you, feel free to respond to this email, and I'll add you to the waitlist so you'll be the first to know when the July and August spots are open!

Loving The Weekly Drop-In?

Hit reply to share your thoughts, feedback, & suggestions for future topics. I value your input and can't wait to hear from you!

Let's keep the conversation going!

​

​Catch up on social | Get some inspo | Subscribe | Apply to work with me​