Fireside

Abandoning "Value" and Figuring Out Who You Are Online - Blog Post Omnibus

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 1 Mar 2024 07:00:00 +0000

Welcome back to Fireside. Today’s episode is a blog post omnibus, where I share the blog posts that I’ve published the previous month. In this episode, I cover three blog posts written in January and February, talking about some behind-the-scenes from my rebrand, embodying more than what is portrayed online, and the relief of not having to be a leader in my online space.

In this episode I talk about:

All the figuring out that I’ve done and am still doing about the new Kayte Ferris brand
The disjoint between this actual me, and the me I am online
Remembering my word of the year
Realising that I don’t want to lead

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Identifying Unhelpful Patterns In Your Work

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 07:00:00 +0000

Hello and welcome back to Fireside. Today I’m beginning to share what it’s like to work within my Finish With Confidence programme, and in these episodes I’ll take a deeper dive into some of the things asked by the last cohort, and, of course, my responses. Today we’re covering those unhelpful patterns and cycles you begin to notice within yourself that hold you up, or hold you back.

Interrogating the pattern and cycle
Observing parts of the cycle neutrally
Actively anticipating patterns and cycles

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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How To Find Your Secret Sauce (Or Not)

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 16 Feb 2024 07:00:00 +0000

Hello and welcome back to Fireside. Today I’m going to be talking about something that has stirred a lot of thinking in me: secret sauce. What I mean by this is the ‘thing’ that makes us successful online, and particularly on that app we can’t help but love-hate: Instagram.

The ways in which Instagram has changed, and what it’s meant for ‘growth’
The beauty in the absence of strategy
Embracing creation, and showing up, and infectious joy

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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The Big Overwhelming New Thing

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 9 Feb 2024 07:00:00 +0000

Hello and welcome back to Fireside. Today is a topic prompts very much a ‘been there, know that’ feeling for me, because if there’s one thing I’ve always done, it start big, new, overwhelming things. Whilst that is part of the fun of it, there are a few ways in which you can approach it to make your redirection easier, and more easily attainable. That’s what I’m talking about in today’s episode.

Not underestimating the limiting power of the ‘box’ you’ve put yourself in
Mourning your old vision
Being organised and deliberate - without rushing it
Detaching from the outcome
How to break a redirection down as a project

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Shame And Creative Tools

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 2 Feb 2024 07:00:00 +0000

Hello and welcome back to Fireside. This is an episode about creativity and also about shame. In it we explore the root of shame around the ways in which we feel creative, and how to perhaps look at it differently.

What I talk about in this episode:

How you view your creativity
Embracing new ways to tap into your creativity
Interrogating your shame
Carrying on in spite of your shame

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Getting Curious About How You Feel (About Goals)

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Hello, and welcome to Season 2 of Fireside. I’m back a little earlier than expected due to a very interesting January-themed question that I received, and it’s all to do with goal setting - or the lack thereof! In this episode I talk why I personally enjoy goal setting, why you may NOT feel the need to set goals (or not in the New Year sense, anyway) and about getting curious about what you actually need and feel.

How the goals I’ve set have changed over the years
Why I enjoy goal setting
Interrogating our emotions - namely, guilt
Alternatives to aims and goals depending on how you feel
Embracing the magic of the questions
My One True Want workbook, available for free to download

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Intentions, Goals & Word of the Year 2024

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Tue, 2 Jan 2024 06:00:00 +0000

If 2023 was concluding the last chapter of my life, then 2024 is the turning over into the next one. Almost every aspect of my life is completely different now than it was a year ago, and at this point I have no idea what’s going to happen with all these new plot points and locations nor where the story is going to go. But then, as I was writing that sentence, I remembered: I’m the author. I decide what happens in this next chapter.

What I talk about in this episode:

What I hope to embody in 2024
The goals I hope to achieve in the coming year
What my Word of the Year is for 2024, and how I came to decide on it

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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2023 Review: The "Rock Bottom" Year

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Wed, 27 Dec 2023 06:00:00 +0000

What I talk about in this episode:

What hitting a perceived ‘rock bottom’ actually felt like
How this year has felt in relation to the future
How 2023 has helped me become a person in the world

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Burn Out & Changing Names - Blog Post Omnibus

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 1 Dec 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Welcome back to Fireside. Today’s episode is a blog post omnibus, where I share the blog posts that I’ve published in November. It’s also the last episode of Fireside for this season, and for this year, so now seems as good a time as any to share with you something exciting that you can see in 2024.

What I talk about in this episode:

How I recognised that I was on the brink of burnout
The self reflection processes that helped me recognise that burnout was at the door
How to bring yourself back from the brink of burnout
How the Simple and Season name started - and why it’s changing

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Making Time For Sacred Work

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 24 Nov 2023 08:00:00 +0000

Welcome back to Fireside. Today’s episode is about time management but it’s also about the work we want to keep sacred - this means ring fencing your time, and doing what’s necessary to carve out that space in which deep work to happen.

What I talk about in this episode:

Creating stronger boundaries around deep work
What dropping everything teaches people about what they can expect from us
Working through discomfort to ring fence your time
Introducing themed days to your working process
Changing up your environment to improve productivity

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Keeping Going When You Don't Have Faith

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Welcome back to Fireside. In today’s episode I’m talking about trust, faith and keeping going, often when you feel like you don’t believe in what you’re doing. I mention my own ongoing experience with keeping the faith, and what you can do when you’re just not feeling it.

What I talk about in this episode:

My own experience with keeping the faith
Approaching things with curiosity in the face of disbelief
Celebrating the small wins
Believing that the end point is worth it

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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How To Get Over Resistance

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 10 Nov 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Welcome back to Fireside. In today’s episode, I’m talking about resistance to doing the work: acknowledging the resistance, working out what it’s protecting us from, and what a robust approach to working with it might look like.

What I talk about in this episode:

Developing a working relationship with your resistance
How to recognise your resistance ‘levelling up’
Seeing what our fear is protecting us from
Using an experimental approach to do the work

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Self-Management, Disappointment and Marketing Basics - Blog Post Omnibus

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 3 Nov 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Welcome back to Fireside. Today is a blog omnibus episode, in which I share the blogs I published in October, bringing them freshly to you, or giving you a new perspective on them. In this episode I cover my realisations about self management, the reactions within me that not winning a writing prize provoked, and the marketing basics that I managed to forget for a while.

What I talk about in this episode:

Learning the hard way about how to manage myself when there was no one to tell me to stop (or tell me off)
The misconceptions about being ‘booked out’
Learning what I need to do to manage myself better
Overcorrects and coping mechanisms that disappointment stirred in me
The marketing basics I’ve realised I was actually right about

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Pivoting - Creating Space Not Solutions

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 27 Oct 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Welcome back to Fireside. Today is another episode about pivoting, and this time we’re covering the messy middle of a pivot. In this episode, I’ll be using experience gained from my own pivots, as well as insights from coaching I’ve received, to advocate for pivoting from a place of security, safety, and abundance, not from a place of panic and desperation. Pivoting can be fun - I promise!

What I talk about in this episode:
The discomfort of pivoting away from work that no longer aligns
Buying yourself the space to pivot
Knowing your ‘energetic zero’ (and your numbers!)
Resisting the rush to find The Thing

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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How To Share Yourself & Your Thoughts

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 20 Oct 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Welcome back to Fireside. Today I’m talking about…talking! Specifically in the online sense, as inspired by a question I received recently about tackling the ‘imposter syndrome of talking about life, mental health, growth, passions and joys’. In this episode I cover profundity, storytelling, and communicating your truth.

What I talk about in this episode:

Speaking when you want to be heard online, but don’t know how to say what you want to say
Enoughness
The pressure to be profound
Setting out to tell a story, as opposed to making a point
The difference between the truth, and your truth
The shifting boundaries about what you are and are not willing to talk about online

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Never-Ending To Do Lists

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Welcome back to Fireside. Today I’m talking about the never-ending-ness of to-do lists. This includes how I manage my time now, and how to structure what you need to do in a way that means it doesn’t get forgotten (and actually gets done!)

What I talk about in this episode:

Your expectations of yourself, and whether you’re holding yourself to impossible standards
Why your ‘master list’ might be a problem
How to manage my own to-do list
Creating your own structure around the way in which you like to work
Being honest with yourself about how long things take
The Effectiveness, Impact and Joy method

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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360 Degree Pivot & Day Job Reflections - Blog Post Omnibus

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 6 Oct 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Welcome back to Fireside. Today is a blog post omnibus episode, which means I get to read you the blog posts I published last month. This time, I’m talking about the natural way I’ve pivoted back to where I started, and what I’ve learned from 2 months of my day job. There’s also a reminder about Finish With Confidence, my new accountability container.

What I talk about in this episode:

How my pivots have ended up coming full circle
How working one-to-one has been a natural format to pivot back to
The reasons behind my part-time return to employment
The lessons in confidence and organisation that a job has offered

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Starting, Finishing, Committing

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Welcome back to Fireside. Today is an episode in which I explore commitment, starting, finishing and basically getting stuff done! This was prompted by a question I received on procrastinating, and I’m delving into the two answers that should support you in finishing with confidence…

What I talk about in this episode:

The fear of finishing stopping you from getting started
Identifying and rationalising your fear
Reframing your procrastination as part of the process
The structure spectrum
Introducing accountability - and working out what kind you need
Replenishing your excitement

Join Finish With Confidence!

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Starting To Pivot - What Not To Do!

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Welcome back to Fireside. In this episode, I’ll be offering my thoughts on pivoting your business, and what I wish I’d done to make shifts within my work easier to navigate. We talk about the feelings you might be having about changing what you do, and when (and how) to start making the change.

What I talk about in this episode:

What I wish I’d done when I pivoted
The timing of a pivot
Investigating your doubt around pivoting
The purpose of your pivot

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Being Multi-Passionate Renaissance Women

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 15 Sep 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Welcome back to Fireside. Today’s episode is for those who find themselves inspired by, and doing, so many things, they can’t (and don’t want to) pin it down. I talk about why I’m no longer so sold on the idea of niching down, and how to approach your different interests and offerings in a way that makes sense to the way you work, and to your audience.

What I talk about in this episode

What we mean by renaissance women
When to refine things down, and when to embrace the various elements of your work
How I work as a renaissance woman
How to make sense of the different things you do, and how to make it make sense to others
Creating energy around your work

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Being Chaos & Art vs Business - Blog Post Omnibus

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 8 Sep 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Welcome back to Fireside. In today’s episode, I’m introducing my new feature: blog omnibuses, where I share with you some of the recent blog posts that I’ve put out into the world. Today I talk about embracing my own magic within my business, what happened when my to do list was blown all the way off course, and seeing what’s possible when it comes to marrying my craft with making money.

What I talk about in this episode

The different business models that I found myself torn between
Doing business that’s expressive as well as safe
Leaning into chaos
How July didn’t exactly go to plan
Returning to the work
Fusing art and business; continuing to write whilst also making a living

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Making A Start

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the first ever episode of Fireside. I’m so excited to once again be drawing up a chair, getting cosy, and joining you each week at whatever stage of your journey into creative working and living that you find yourself.

In today’s episode, I talk a little bit about the journey I’ve taken thus far, the spark and eventual stoking of Fireside and what it aims to be, and how it’s going to flow going forward. This segues nicely onto the topic of starting things, so, I’ll be talking about balancing the flow of ideas with the execution of them, and including some actionable suggestions for getting started on your best ideas.

What I talk about in this episode:

They journey I’ve taken thus far, the space I’ve occupied until this point
An introduction to the informality of Fireside
How to put space and time around ideas
How to sift through your ideas for the ones that stick
Challenging the effort that things take - and the concept of effort itself
Accessing flow through discomfort

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Grow With Soul Is Becoming Fireside

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 12:12:44 +0000

What to expect from this new podcast, Fireside.

The End of Grow With Soul

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 21 Oct 2022 05:00:00 +0000

As you can tell from the title of this episode, today is the last episode of Grow With Soul. I don’t really know what to say after that. It feels like I need to say everything at once. I know some of you have been listening from the very beginning and some of you have only more recently found the podcast, and I imagine you may have feelings of some description around this news. Today, I thought I’d tell you how and why I came to this decision, show you the thought process, and hopefully leave you with one last pep talk.

What I talk about in this episode:

How I came to the decision to end Grow With Soul
The direction of my work
Where you can find me now

The best way to stay connected with me is to sign up to my newsletter, which you can do here. You can also find me on Instagram.

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Energetic Working 101

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Today I’m doing a quick crash course in energetic working, or working according to your energy levels not in spite of them. I know energy is often a topic that people are interested in, and I’ve spent a lot of time over the last two years getting to know how my physical and mental energy works and changing the way I work, and the entire rhythm of my business, to work alongside those patterns. In this episode I’m talking about how I’m defining energetic working, how to get started with planning your tasks with your energy, and how to start making this work not just in theory but in reality too.

What I talk about in this episode:

My own energy cycle
Planning for your energy levels
Being honest with yourself about your energy
Giving your body what it needs for mental and physical energy

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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How I Get Ideas

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 7 Oct 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Today’s episode is all about having ideas. I think we really worry about having ideas - we worry when we’re not having them, and we worry whether they’re “right” when we do get them. Being blocked and in an idea rut is a lonely, scary and frustrating place to be, so today I thought I’d talk to you about how I get ideas - about the kind of mindset I’ve cultivated, and the kind of activities and questions that always help me spark something.

What I talk about in this episode:

Remaining open to ideas - and remaining curious
The power of metaphor
Topping yourself up with stimulus
Embracing the counter-intuitive method of idea generation through body movement

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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"This Is Why" - Experimenting with Human Design, with Annika Roberts

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 30 Sep 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Today’s episode is a deep dive into getting started with Human Design with Annika Roberts. Annika and I met in a group coaching programme with Madison Morrigan, and I was always dumbfounded by her depth of knowledge about human design and how nuanced it made her view of herself and the world. I wanted to get her on to talk about what Human Design is and how to get started with it, as well as how to start using it - but we ended up with much simpler answers than I’d imagined.

What we talk about in this episode:

An introduction to what human design means
Avoiding over-identification
Always coming back to your body in decision making
An overview of the types and what they mean
The power of your authority

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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4 (Unexpected) Work Habits To Break

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 23 Sep 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Today’s episode is four pep talks on four of the things that become bad habits in our work. They are all things that I have done, and all things that people I’ve worked with have done too. This isn’t meant in a shame-y way; these are just the grooves we slip into in our work, that even serve us for a time, but which eventually stop us having a happier, calmer work life. I’ll talk about over-committing yourself, sticking to the plan, following the rules and making things mean something. There are lots of fun stories as well as practical next steps in here, so, let’s get going.

What I talk about in this episode:

Respecting future you - and making decisions with them
Thinking of your plan as a safety net, not a straight jacket
Breaking the habit of following ‘the rules’ through curiosity
Exploring all the possible meanings for the way you’re feeling about your work

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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A Beautiful & Replicable Creative Process

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Today I’m excited to share with you a lot of thoughts I’ve been having about process; about the creative process, about working process, about processes that are beautiful and pleasurable and that work. This thinking came about after an August that didn’t go to plan, so we’ll talk about that, and then get into the nuts and bolts of defining process, describing my own beautiful and replicable process and get into thinking about process as a practice for grounding into a generative life.

What I talk about in this episode:

Grounding myself in work
The working process that works for me
Replicating your process
Enjoying and achieving via your process

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Taking Enjoyment Seriously with Sasha Glasgow

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 29 Jul 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Today I am catching up with Sasha to talk about our work in life as we enter the summer season. We talk a lot about the difference between having a hobby business and side hustle, and why that’s not a bad thing, taking enjoyment seriously, monetising, freeing up the pressure and finally finally ditching the Instagram rules. We also talk about Sasha’s summer of fun, and the commitment to be here enjoying life. This is the last episode for a couple of weeks as I take a break for August, but we will be back in September.

Before launching into the episode, I have opened up a more affordable way to join The Cabin for those who want to immerse into the content without the pressure of 121 support. You can now join The Cabin at a reduced rate without 121 support included - you get access to the membership site and resources, the monthly content and can ask questions in the monthly Q&As there’s just no 121 time with me (unless you want to add it later). You have two weeks left to join The Cabin and it won’t reopen again until September 2023, so head to simpleandseason.com/thecabin to learn more and start making your life worth living.

What I talk about in this episode:

The difference between taking it seriously and being serious
Embracing a hobby business
Valuing our creativity
Accepting the ‘for now’
How we currently feel about Instagram
Focusing on being ‘here’

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Presence, Devotion, Ritual, Effort

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 22 Jul 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Over the last few weeks I’ve been pre-launching The Cabin and writing a lot of content on the blog that really digs into some of the concepts we’ll be immersing in in The Cabin. In the last episode, how to be fulfilled, I super briefly covered the nine pillars, so today I’m sharing the four deep dives from the blog: Presence, Devotion, Ritual and Effort.

What I talk about in this episode:

Practicing presence
How we’d behave if our life was someone we loved
Our need for rituals
Grounding into yourself
Pushing through effort

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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How to Have a Fulfilled Life

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 8 Jul 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Clickbait episode title alert! This is not going to be an episode that’s going to tell you an exact formula for feeling fulfilled in the next 3-5 working days - but I think you know me well enough by now to know that wasn’t really going to happen. Rather, today I want to talk about what I’ve learned about fulfilment so far, giving you some jumping off points on your own journey.

What I talk about in this episode:

- An introduction to The Cabin

- What fulfilment looks like

- Relaxing into fulfilment

- Practicing fulfilment

- The 9 main themes of fulfilment

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Have You Overcorrected?

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 24 Jun 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Today I have a topic for you that has been coming up for me over and over again in conversations with friends, with people I work with, and in my own head: overcorrection. We know what it means to overcorrect in a car, but we do it in our decision-making too. We experience something as so painful, so frustrating, so unbearably uncomfortable, that we turn the wheel a full 180 in our efforts to get away from it. And sometimes that works. But often it leads us somewhere we don’t actually want to go.

What I talk about in this episode:

What overcorrecting means
How overcorrecting has shown up in my own life
How to recognise when you’re overcorrecting
Correcting the overcorrect

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Longing Q&A

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 17 Jun 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Today is a Q&A episode with questions around longing and curiosity and what to do when things feel impossible. We have questions about getting started when things feel out of reach, openness, the hard in-between, what to do when work is all-consuming and how to stop going after the new and shiny things.

What I talk about in this episode:

Removing impatience and expectation to open up possibilities
Just taking the first step - and then doing the next thing
The struggle of the in-between
Prioritising to resist the new and shiny

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Fear of Failure vs Fear of Regret

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 05:00:00 +0000

In the last Q&A episode I said something like ‘rather than failure, I’d be more worried about regret’. Quite often, I don’t know I think something until the words are coming out of my mouth, and that is a particular statement that has stayed with me since it tumbled out. I’ve been thinking a lot about using fear of regret as a tool, trickling it into my thinking and planning and prioritising, and today I thought we’d have a deep dive into this - the pros, the cons and whether it actually works.

What I talk about in this episode:

How cultivating a fear of regret lead me to bother more
Reconnecting what’s important to you
How a fear of regret can alleviate discomfort
The danger of over-correcting a fear of regret

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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I Am Willing, with Sasha Glasgow

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 3 Jun 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Today I am back catching up with Sasha in a very juicy, sunny episode. We talk about the fear of judgment around making changes or seeming chaotic and where it even comes from, we talk about coming to an objective place about what it is you really want and where we’re at as we approach the mid point of the year. We also talk a lot about resources, money, energy and how our perception of them is changing, as well as what we’re willing to do.

In this episode we talk about:

Sasha’s new chapter
The misconception of failure
Finding a happy medium between your resources - money, time and energy
Evaluating what you’re willing to do
How we feel at the midpoint of the year

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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A New Name - The Evolution of my Work Pt. 3

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 27 May 2022 05:00:00 +0000

And now we emerge blinking into the new era. We have, over the last two episodes, talked about how Simple & Season started and grew into a business, and then the messy middle of deconstruction where it became less and less like a business. And that leads me to now, where I have a lot of pieces of things and am about to put them into a new shape.

What I talk about in this episode:

My relationship with control
The freedom in saying what I actually do
What my business model looks like now

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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The Messy Middle - The Evolution of My Work Pt. 2

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 13 May 2022 05:00:00 +0000

This is part two in this series on the evolution of my work, and last time I told you about my motivations for starting out and the circumstances that pushed me into my first pivots. I left you just as 2020 was about to start, so shall we continue?

What I talk about in this episode:

The lessons in an unsuccessful launch
The struggle of a long breakup, and its effect on work
How I came to pivot the business
The difference between ‘a business’ and ‘my work’

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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In the Beginning - The Evolution of My Work Pt.1

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 6 May 2022 05:00:00 +0000

I am writing this at my desk at home, in the second week of April and outside it is raining like it’s October. By the time you are listening, however, it will be May, and I will be in Lisbon, hopefully walking along sun-dazzled streets in a floaty dress. Although I will be writing on the trip, it now no longer occurs to me to take my podcasting equipment away with me, even though that is something I have definitely done before. So, for the beginning of this new season on the podcast, I’ve put together a three part series of solo shows about the Evolution of my Work.

What I talk about in this episode:

The early pursuit of ‘growth’
How I transitioned from a salaried job to a business of my own
How work obsession led to burn out

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Separating Work From Worth for a Radically Content Life, with Jamie Varon

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 29 Apr 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Today is a special episode with a conversation I’m so excited to bring to you. As you know, as a rule I don’t do interviews on Grow With Soul but I make exceptions for people whose work I find super interesting - and Jamie Varon is one of those people. After decades of never feeling good enough and always wanting to achieve more, Jamie began the process of unlearning so she could approach work and life from a place of peace, joy and radical contentment. Today we talk about her writing process, defining her own success metrics and loose goal setting, separating personal worth from work and a radically content approach to working.

What we talk about in this episode…

The pressure to find your ‘one thing’
Accessing joy
Using your own metrics to measure success
Putting your value in how you show up for yourself
Non-specific goals
Redirecting our thoughts
Opting out of comparison
How Jamie’s work fits into her life
The concept behind Radical Contentment

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Winter Review and Spring of Devotion with Sasha and Cait

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 1 Apr 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Today is an end of season bonanza with both Sasha and Cait joining me to talk about our winters and how we are going into spring. We talk about rejecting career paths, control, the practising of devotion, fun and lightness, uncertainty, fitting a new shape and the need to buy new clothes. We also share our favourite reads of the last three months. This was such an interesting and thought provoking conversation where we all took away deeper questions we want to ask ourselves, and we hope you enjoy it too.

What we talk about in this episode:

What winter looked like for each of us
The shifting definition and perception of 'working'
Releasing control
Our focus for the season ahead
Fun VS light

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Projects & Productivity Q&A

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 18 Mar 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Today is a Q&A episode where I’m answering questions submitted by you on Instagram all about projects and productivity. I’m covering rediscovering drive after burn out, procrastination, time blocking, structure, and overcoming fear to do the thing you want to do. In the survey I did a few weeks ago, many many people said they were struggling with actually doing the thing they really wanted to do - whether that was starting it, keeping it up, or calling it finished.

So, I am working on a practical course called Do Your Thing - a no-frills container of templates and worksheets to help you start, continue and finish the thing you want to produce. If this episode resonates with you, then Do Your Thing might help you to, well, do your thing.

What I talk about in this episode:

Carefully picking a project to work on when you’ve been ravaged by grief
Redirecting your energy from procrastination, and choosing just one idea
My approach to structure within my week
How I manage projects
The peace in failure

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Love, Control, and What Do I Want Right Now, with Cait Flanders

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Today I’m chatting with Cait from her new home where all the writing was going to happen. We talk about whether the writing is, in fact, happening, and how Cait balances a lightness in her projects with the need for financial security. Mostly, though, we talk about love. Cait wrote a newsletter about embarking on a year of love and so today we talk about our experiences of this as single women - we talk about growth, about control, about friendship, about self-respect and ultimately about choosing how the relationships in our life work.

How solitude and a change of scene nourishes ideas
Our frank financial goals
Our feelings of control in relationships with others - both healthy and unhealthy
Self belief
The pressure to look visibly happy to be single
What are the stories in your head preventing you from experiencing?

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Reflections on a Launch

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 4 Mar 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Today I thought I’d share with you a bit of a review of the Mapping launch - what happened, how it went and my insights and feeling about it in general. I feel like launching is one of those things that can consume us if we let it. We can drown ourselves in all the launching advice there is out there and we can build these huge walls of expectation that we can’t ever scale. Launching so often can feel like a make or break moment in our businesses. So today I wanted to talk about my launch just to break down some of the power around it.

What I talk about in this episode:

The walls of expectation around my launch
The expectation VS reality nature of the Mapping launch
The downside of being a chronic daydreamer

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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To Routine or Not To Routine, with Sasha

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 25 Feb 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Today is, shall we say, a low energy episode with Sasha. We were both feeling a little meh about things, and decided to talk our way to why that was. We touch on surrender, the seasons, go into morning and night time routines - and do you need them - big picture vs day to day, and also all the word play around being and having confidence. Life is tiring, so come be tired with us.

What we talk about in this episode:

Listening to our bodies
Having confidence
How we feel about morning and nighttime routines
How breaking your routine can be part of your routine
How life makes us tired!

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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How To Manage Energy

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 18 Feb 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Energy is a fickle thing that is hard to pin down or systematise - we know whether we haven’t or we don’t, but beyond that it is mysterious. Unlike time, which has books after books after podcasts after articles written about it, energy seems to get lumped in with sleep and nutrition and other topics rather than stand alone. But without an understanding of energy, you can’t live and work and play. I’d go so far as to say that energy management is just as crucial as time management.

In this episode I talk about:

My personal experience with energy
The guilt and fear around energy
Holding energy, rather than using it
Leaning into cycles of energy
Accepting our energy

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Flow State, Thriving, and Becoming Yourself with Cait Flanders

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 11 Feb 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Today I’m catching up with Cait who is now in the same time zone after her transatlantic move. We talked about becoming yourself again after a huge change, having curiosity instead of panics about your work, the connection between thriving and a flow state and whether it’s possible to have one without the other.

What we talk about in this episode:

- Getting to know yourself as you evolve
- Invisible growth
- Ways in which we approach our time
- Surviving vs thriving and turning to curiosity
- Being in flow state

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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12 Pep Talks About Fulfilment

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 4 Feb 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Over the last three years, in increasing intensity, I have been thinking, writing and living about fulfilment. How does happiness happen? What stops us living true lives, enjoying our lives? And all that thinking and writing and living has converged into Mapping, my new programme which has opened today. Mapping is the the most distilled version of everything I know and have experienced about finding fulfilment, and today I wanted to give you some of that inside information. I will be taking you through the fulfilment process and sharing my favourite parts from each section of Mapping, making today’s episode a series of twelve little pep talks.

What I talk about in this episode:

Introducing Mapping
Unravelling our beliefs
Stepping out of the march of linear time progression
Redefining what is important
Becoming your own source of permission
Knowing your energy

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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From Survival to Space - Appreciating What It's For with Sasha

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 28 Jan 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Today I’m back with Sasha for our first update of 2022. Since we last spoke, Sasha has changed jobs, and also had some realisations about how her ability to turn her hand to anything was a way to keep herself small and in survival. We also talk about not overcommitting ourselves, self definition and job titles limiting the scope of our work, as well as new year feelings, bringing the lessons with us, and words of the year.

What we talk about in this episode:

The power of 'for now'
Slow growth and not overcommitting
Meeting yourself with compassion
Being limited by professional labels
Opening up different possibilities with a different take on 'word of the year'
Leaning into the times you have the most energy

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Making Change - Change You Want and Change You Don't

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Welcome back to Grow With Soul, and this first episode of 2022. Thank you so much for coming back and listening in and supporting the show. Today I wanted to talk about something that is as fitting in January as it is any other month: change. The only thing we can guarantee is change. Sometimes it happens fast, sometimes it is glacial; sometimes it is good, sometimes it is bad, and sometimes it feels bad but is actually good. Sometimes it’s within our control, and other times it is thrust upon us with no say. But however it happens, it happens. So today I’m talking about dealing with the change you want, and the change you don’t.

What I talk about in this episode:

Going easy in change that you want
Grieving the paths not taken
Not swimming against the tide of change

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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2021 Review - Out Of The Hole and Into The Air

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Mon, 20 Dec 2021 06:00:00 +0000

As I have been collecting my thoughts ahead of writing this review of 2021, that well-worn, never-quite-attributed quote keeps coming to mind: you overestimate what you can do in a day, and underestimate what you can do in a year. That really feels like the story of my 2021 – not much happened, but so much happened. This time last year I was at the bottom of a very dark hole, so much so, you may remember, I couldn’t even write a proper year review. It feels mind blowing to now be in a new home, free, in the wide open air; I am so glad that my hole-dwelling self raised from her depths a resilient persistence to get us here. And yet, this also feels like the year I didn’t really do much. But let’s see if that’s case when I tell the story of 2021.

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Elevating Your Perception, Creating Ooze, and Following “Sheep Trails”

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 26 Nov 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Q4 is always a bit of a strange one because there is this push/pull between “making the most of the end of the year” and also hitting November and thinking “well that’s the year done”. Even as the product businesses shout at me that the year is very much not done, I do feel that no matter your business, by the time you get to November there’s a sense of “getting through December” and thinking forwards to plans for the next year. This is not a time for starting, it feels, but a time for culminating and looking ahead. So today I thought I’d speak to this a little bit, and give you some ideas to shape your thinking.

What I talk about in this episode:

The struggles of Q4

Changing your perception and considering possibility

How to parent your big ideas

Structuring your vision and plans for the ooziest possible life

Recognising the ‘sheep trails’ in your work

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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How To Stop Caring What Other People Think

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 19 Nov 2021 06:00:00 +0000

I wanted to talk about this topic today because it’s a common barrier to doing what you want with your life: other people. It doesn’t matter how certain you are about what you want and where you want to go, other people always have the potential to derail or deflate your plans; and when you’re not certain, not confident, then they can stop you from even considering it. As with so much, this is a difficult topic to generalise, depending as it does on our own relationships with others, our personalities, our tics in relating and how we’ve been socialised. But my hope with this episode is to draw attention to this barrier, suggest a few tools, so that you may feel slightly more equipped when you come up against it.

What I talk about in this episode:

Explaining what you do to real-life acquaintances

The conflicting intensity and anonymity of people on the internet

Having resilience and self-sourcing and stubbornness to be doing what you’re doing in spite of what unsupportive friends and family might say

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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How To Rebuild Confidence with Cait Flanders

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 12 Nov 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Today I am back with Cait, and as we promised in our last conversation, today we’re wrestling with the question of how to rebuild confidence. As with all great conversations, this took us to many different places, and uncovered things we didn’t even really know were there. So we talked about commitments to self and to others, self betrayal, self sabotage, the difference between confidence and trust, and came out with perhaps more questions than answers. But isn’t that the way of life?

What we talk about:

Craving stability
Upholding the stories we’ve been told about productivity
Slowly releasing the idea of no commitments
Self betrayal

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Efficiency & Direction Q&A

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 5 Nov 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Today I am back answering your questions following the mindset Q&A episode a few weeks ago. Today’s questions are more practical, about sticking with your path, redirecting your career, choosing which ideas to follow, figuring out what you want and simplifying rather than being stuck in the busy trap.

What we talk about in this episode:

What to do when what you want to do goes against what is expected of you
Fighting the urge to be ‘busy’
Avoiding the over complication of our time, and our work
Keeping momentum going when life makes work slow
Letting go of one career path to follow another
What to do when what you want to do goes against what is expected of you.What to do when what you want to do goes against what is expected of you.

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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The Value of Our Time - Productivity, Leisure & Screen Time with Sasha Glasgow

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 29 Oct 2021 05:00:00 +0000

This week I’m sharing my next conversation with Sasha. It’s a little earlier than planned, because I have been moving house this week. This week was definitely not the time to be recording a new solo show, so I’m bringing this conversation forward. Earlier in the month, Sasha sent me an article about time millionaires, that we decided that we should talk about in the podcast. So on this episode we talk about how we’re valuing our time, productivity vs leisure, and the dreaded screen time.

What we talk about in this episode:

How we’re REALLY feeling
Trying to control things that can’t be controlled
Our thoughts and feelings on employment
The value of our time
Getting angry

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Being The Same Human At Work As In Life, with Syreeta

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 22 Oct 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Hello, today you are meeting my final guest co-host Syreeta. In this conversation we moved from relating in person and online and what the ramifications of the last year are on how we do that, and how we’ve both dealt with a winter in our work and the awareness that you are the same human at work that is dealing with a lot in life.

In this episode we discuss being in our bodies, and living as a part of nature rather than outside of it. There’s a lot of internals and externals in this conversation, as well as some lovely truths as well.

In this episode we talk about:

The power of human connection
Syreeta's story so far
Putting only the energy you’ve got to your business
Listening to the messages your body sends you
Realising that we ARE nature

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Mindset Q&A - Crisis, Comparison, and Cultivation

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Today is the first Q&A episode of the new iteration of the podcast, and I have to say that everyone who submitted questions via Instagram knocked it out of the park. Your questions were so thoughtful and piercing, and it has been a wonderful challenge, and also a joy, to put this episode together. Your questions were also so numerous that I’ve had to split them into two episodes - your more practical, efficient work-y questions will come another day, but today is all about mindset and the emotional experience of this thing.

What I talk about in this episode:

Letting the world crash
Working out the non-negotiables
Seeking direction from inside yourself
Accepting and testing the hypothesis that you might just be worthy

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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When Work Is Disappointing, with Cait Flanders

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 8 Oct 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Hello! Today I am back with another co-host this week, and sharing the first chat with Cait. We had a big old catch up about what we're even doing with work at the moment, and something that seemed to be a big topic for us was experiencing a huge disappointment in work, and how that affects...well, everything. Cait is always so open and honest and today is no different.

What we talk about in this episode:

The pressure to feel grateful
Following your interest
Thinking short term
Stepping out of the career trajectory
Building change into your business

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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A Fulfilment-Orientated Business - And Having "More" As Your Boss

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 1 Oct 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Hello, welcome back to Grow With Soul, thank you for coming back, it is very much appreciated. It is just me again today and today’s episode I think follows along nicely from last week’s episode with Sasha, probably because this was all stewing and condensing in my mind since that conversation. We spoke a lot about the career ladders and following growth trajectories without even really interrogating them, and this episode is kinda the next step from that - what do you fill the vacuum with that’s left behind when you stop chasing a growth you don’t even want?

What I talk about in this episode:

What's left when you stop chasing the growth
The non-specific 'more' that we persue
My own 'growth' journey

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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The Energy of Not Growing and End of the Day Us, With Sasha Glasgow

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 24 Sep 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Hello! Today is the first episode of our new guest co-host episodes and I am beyond excited for you to listen to this conversation with my friend Sasha. To be honest, this episode has caused me a bit of a headache because we covered so many different and sprawling things that I had no idea what to name it, so you will just have to trust me that it is so much more than what's on the tin.

What we talk about in this episode

Rejecting the career ladder
Doing the thing that keeps the lights on to do the thing that lights you up
Finding identity outside of work based ambition
How our family’s relationships with work affect our own view of what work should look like
Finding comfort in a hyphenated work-life
Questioning the ‘should’s’
The difference between ‘not now’ and ‘not this’

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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The Magic Potion of Work IN Life

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 17 Sep 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Welcome back to a slightly revamped and refocused Grow With Soul. In the last episode I hinted at the changes that were to come, and you will have already seen the new artwork and heard the new jingle so you’ll know that something is afoot. Today I thought that I’d expand a little more on what exactly it is I mean by “work in life”, as well as introduce you to my wonderful new guest co-hosts who you will start to hear from next week (we’ve already recorded a couple of the conversations and they are just wow).

What I talk about in this episode:

What I mean by work in life
Introducing my brand new Grow with Soul podcast co-hosts

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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I've Been Asking The Wrong Question - What's Next For Grow With Soul

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 30 Jul 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Hello, and welcome to episode 116 of Grow with Soul. I was writing this episode sitting in the sun on the wall outside my house as the UK neared the end of a nearly 2 week heatwave. This episode should have reached you last week. If I was being 'good' and 'professional' there wouldn't have been a week gap in between episodes, I would have got it out on time. But instead I had a week off to enjoy the sun, enjoying the garden, racing through two books, deadheading the roses, and swimming in the sea every evening.

What I talk about in this episode:

The previous blocks on putting life above work
Prioritising a life worth living
The continuing direction of Grow with Soul

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Coaching Catch Up - Niching, Unravelling Self Doubt and Getting Into Your Body with Kathryn Ho

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 16 Jul 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Hello, and welcome to episode 115 of Grow with Soul. Today, I'm catching up with Kathryn Ho, a coach who helps untangle self doubt to bring creative dreams to life. When we first met Kathryn back in episode 28, she was just about to start her coach training, she was figuring out how to combine her coaching services with her art practice, and feeling like a little bit of a fraud. The last two years have seen Kathryn organically journey to find her flavour of coaching, understand and deal with her own self doubt and the self doubt of others, and learn to work intuitively and in tune with her body - all of which we discuss today.

What we talk about in this episode:

Finding the flavour of coaching
Approaching niches in a different way
The tools and self awareness that we can use to feel aligned
Re-framing rules as options
The four faces of the protector, and how it relates to self criticism
Making decisions according to how it feels within your body

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Limbo, Burnout, and Finding Abundance

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 9 Jul 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Hello and welcome to episode 115 of Grow With Soul. Almost everyone I know is in a kind of limbo right now. Whether it’s where they’re going to live, what they’re going to do, who they’re going to be, what their next steps are, there is this sense of not quite being the old them and also not quite being the new them either. That’s how I feel right now too; I have restarted this episode three times already because I don’t quite know what to say, being neither the old podcast host or the new podcast host. I have a sense that I am living in the shadow of the self I want to be: the girl who doesn’t have a knee injury and who has fully stepped into the clarity of what she wants.

Here's what I talk about in this episode:

The limbo of living in the self of the person you used to be
Burning out from thinking too much, as opposed to doing too much
Downscaling your goals in order to deal with both limbo and burnout
Reframing the mental block of ‘starting again’
The role of abundance

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Coaching Catch Up - Pressure, Identity and Not Just Doing What You're Good At with Sarah Fraser

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 2 Jul 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Hello and welcome to episode 113 of Grow with Soul. Today I am catching up with Sarah Fraser who, when we first met her back in episode 44, was just in the beginning phases of setting up her book editing services alongside her day job as a teacher. Over the last 2 years, Sarah has been on a hell of a journey, discovering that the big picture of book editing was actually completely draining her and was really heavy, and she's now pivoted into a completely different kind of business. We talk about the process of realising when something isn't right, how the 'shoulds' sneak up on us, the pressure of having a capital B Business, mixing identity with our work, and how Sarah managed to turn towards the joy.

What we talk about in this episode:

Backing yourself into an identity corner
Overriding our intuition because we think business 'should' be a struggle
The release in pressure that being experimental brings as opposed to meticulously planning
Sounding like yourself online
Finding a flow for your energy, rather than your skills

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Dealing With Resistance and Listening To The Message

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 25 Jun 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Hello and welcome to episode 112 of Grow With Soul. When I did the last Q&A episode somebody sent me a DM with a question that I forgot to include in the show, but felt that we could probably devote an episode to it in itself. The question was about resistance: “How do you deal with resistance? When you know exactly what you need to do, but somehow you just can’t do it. All the fears kick in and you freeze. Does it happen to you?”

What I talk about:

Recognising the symptoms of resistance
Opening up to your resistance and understanding the message
Trusting yourself and leaping into limbo

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Coaching Catch Up - Creative Freedom, Not Scaling Up and Prioritising Life with Jane Lindsey

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 18 Jun 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Hello and welcome to episode 111 of Grow with Soul. Today I'm catching up with Jane Lindsey of Snapdragon Life, who we first met back in episode 19 of the podcast. At that time Jane was at the very beginning of scaling back her six figure product business. 3 years later, she no longer has a team, and she is focused on her lifestyle membership. In this conversation we dig into so much juicy stuff! So we talk about money, setting up your business for creative freedom, truly aligning with your values, the challenge of descaling, and the mindset shift it takes to get away from this belief that we have to perpetually scale up. This was such a freeing and affirming conversation for me, and I really hope that you enjoy it too.

What we talk about:

Jane's difficult decision to close elements of the business that required team members
Rejecting scaling for the sake of scaling
The importance of time vs exponential income
Setting up your business for creative freedom
Committing to getting back out in the world following the pandemic

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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What I Can't Talk About Anymore

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 11 Jun 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Hello and welcome to episode 110 of Grow with Soul. As you all know from episode 106 on pivoting a few weeks ago, I am doing a lot behind the scenes at the moment to shift, well, pretty much everything in my business. The structure, the focus, and my own understanding of what my job role is and what I actually do. I've never done this before, but today is a short episode, sharing with you what I also shared with my newsletter subscribers last week, which is kind of an update on where my thoughts are at this moment in time, and a little bit of a pep talk too for anybody in the same sort of situation.

Here's what I talk about:

My thoughts on content creation whilst pivoting
What I just can't talk (or write) about any more
The bigger questions that are fuelling my excitement right now
Accepting what is true, and letting go of what doesn't feel right
Where Grow with Soul is headed for the remainder of 2021

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Coaching Catch Up - Work and Worthiness, Burnout and Releasing Control with Kara Leigh Ford

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 4 Jun 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Hello and welcome to episode 109 of Grow with Soul. Today I am catching up with Kara Leigh Ford, who was the very first coaching episode on the podcast way back in July 2018. The last three years have seen Kara grow and develop her business model to include not just making her pottery, but also teaching her courses, hosting a membership and writing a book. It's also seen her come up against challenges in the emotional experience of running a business too. Today we talk about how and why the changes came about and what's been so positive about them, as well as Kara's experience of detaching her worth from her work, recovering from burnout, and creating healthier work habits. So, let's dig in.

What we talk about:

Feeling warmth towards our past selves
A recap on Kara's story, and how she's diversified her income since we last spoke
How the organic sharing of knowledge led to the creation of a course and a community
Leaning into the enjoyment of writing despite initial reservations
Tackling burnout by separating your self worth from your work
Prioritising rest
Trusting what you've built

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Goals, Manifesting, and Making Things Happen Q&A

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 28 May 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Today I am answering a couple of your questions submitted on Instagram earlier this week. I’ve grouped together a couple of questions that all had a similar feel: knowing what you want and making it happen. So we are talking about manifesting, knowing if your goals are the right ones, picking yourself up after disappointment, choosing yourself and your dreams and dealing with challenges. There are some juicy questions in here, so let’s dive in.

What I talk about in this episode:

The role of privilege in manifestation
Giving away your agency vs standing in your power and trusting yourself
Bridging the gap between where we are now and where we want to be with medium sized SMART goals
Identifying when the inability to get into the nitty gritty actions of your goals is resistance
Being kind to yourself when a launch doesn't go the way you'd hoped
Playing whack-a-mole with the challenges of business

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Coaching Catch Up - Experiencing Growth and Leaning Into Values with Jane Badu

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 21 May 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Hello and welcome to episode 107 of Grow With Soul, and welcome as well to a new short series on the podcast, which is going to be released every other episode over the next couple of months, called Coaching Catch Ups. So, what I'm doing is having conversations with previous Coaching Episode guests to see how they're getting on. Today I am joined by Jane Badu, founder of We Are Nomads, an online interiors store inspired by travel. Jane and I last spoke back in March 2019 on episode 33, at which point she had less than 100 Instagram followers, and was just starting out in her business. Today we discuss growth, take stock of how following her values continues to see her true, and how she's redefining the way she approaches social media.

What we talk about:

Where Jane was with We Are Nomads last time we spoke
How the pandemic and Brexit has diversified her brand
The growing strength of storytelling
The feelings and factors behind Instagram growth
The challenges of working alone
Emerging from survivor mindset and moving into CEO mindset

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Planning A Pivot — Yours And Mine

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 14 May 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Hello and welcome to episode 106 of Grow With Soul. Today I want to talk about pivoting, and specifically getting going with a pivot. A common theme of my conversations over these first few months of 2021 has been re-routing, pivoting, changing things up, shifting. It seems that the last year has, naturally, had many of us reassessing what we do, and not only wanting to make our businesses more stable but also wanting our lives to be different. I seem to be having less and less conversations about growth at all costs and more and more about how work slots into a more truthful and fulfilling life. And for many of us, these feelings naturally lead us to needing and wanting to pivot.

Here's what I talk about in this episode

The mindset that sets a pivot in motion, and what led to the beginning of mine
Recognising what constitutes 'enough' to want to shift your business
Managing resistance when you navigate a pivot
Structuring your pivot
The role of content within a successful pivot

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Baking Change & Flexibility Into Your Business, Plus Accessible Pricing with Nicole Antoinette

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 26 Mar 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Hello and welcome to to episode 105 of Grow With Soul. Today we have our first returning guest to the show, Nicole Antoinette, who you may remember from episode 62. Given everything that has happened in the last year, Nicole and I wanted to talk about having change and flexibility at the core of your business, rather than it being something you have to do reactively. Today we talked about how to build around an approach rather than a thing, the three questions Nicole asks when she’s thinking of making a change, dealing with discomfort, and also how Nicole as introduced accessible pricing into her business.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

An introduction to Nicole's work and online presence
Building flexibility into your business and normalising change
Being open about your process
The questions to ask yourself when you feel the need for change
Valuing small, incremental changes
The way in which Nicole implemented a sliding payment scale into her business and why

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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The 3 Types Of Work & What They Can Tell You About Misalignment

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 19 Mar 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Today I am sharing some thoughts around the work, the work, and the work. So these are the three different things that we think and we talk about when we talk about work. When there is a disjoint, a misalignment, or just a general demotivation, we tend to go looking for the big solution in the entirety of our work, instead of pinpointing which type of work is actually causing the problem. In this episode I'm going to describe the 3 types of work, how to identify which one is the problem, and also provide some ideas and solutions to each one. If you have a feeling that something's not quite right but you're not sure why, then this one is for you.

Here's what I talk about in this episode:

Recognising the 3 types of work
Identifying which type of work is the problem and going further than just demotivation and dissatisfaction
Ways to shift misalignments in the 3 types of work
How to decide whether to shift the content or the format

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Heeding The Call and Writing As Empowerment with Sasha Glasgow

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 12 Mar 2021 06:00:00 +0000

In today’s episode I am just thrilled to be talking Sasha Glasgow of Frank and Feel - writer, doubter, doer. Sasha is one of my favourite writers on Instagram and to be honest I just wanted an excuse to have a conversation with her - but what a conversation it was. We talk about how she started out with an intention to be a candle brand before heeding the call of the words, the empowerment of sharing the truth of your feelings, the impact vs the aesthetic of a journaling practice and our approaches to getting out of our brains and into our bodies.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Introduction to Sasha and how Frank and Feel unfurled from a creative calling
Creating simply because you want to in this transactional world
How easeful differs from easy
Tuning into our bodies as well as our minds
Working with self doubt as opposed to overcoming it
How to turn inspiration inwards to find journal prompts

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Motivation & Focus Q&A

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 5 Mar 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Hello and welcome to Episode 102 of Grow with Soul. Today is a Q&A episode, with a focus on motivation, focus, and how things work out. Some of the questions I'm answering are ones that we didn't quite get to in the 100th episode, and they're slightly more personal ones, and there are some others which you submitted on Instagram, which are about being able to focus, and a lack of motivation. Let's dig in...

Here's what I talk about in this episode

My thoughts and feelings on what I would change about the growth of my business now that I can look back on it
Telling the difference between lack of motivation and being in the right line of work
How life as a business owner now compares to my expectations when I started
How I have changed as a person as a result of my business journey
Dealing with magpie syndrome
Managing your motivation

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Coaching Episode - Building An Audience From Scratch and Trusting Your Work To Do The Work with Mariana Gomes

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 26 Feb 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Today is a coaching episode with Mariana Gomes a writer and founder of Ok What’s The Next Step. Mariana started her website after feeling a lack of creativity in her life and wanting to connect to others in a similar place. In this episode we talk about how to get more people to find you when you don’t have a large Instagram following, trusting the process while being pro-active, finding ways to show up when you’re shy and letting what you do be at the heart of your promotion

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Introduction to Mariana and how her offerings came about
Mariana’s struggle with long term strategy
Broadening the approach to Instagram and getting in front of your audience through collaboration
Growing confidence in pitching to Podcasts and managing shyness
Separating value from help
Efficiently using content to ensure time isn’t taken away from doing the actual work

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Break Ups, Burnout and Reclaiming The Stuff Of Life - Kayte interviewed by Lawrence Toye

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 19 Feb 2021 06:00:00 +0000

100 episodes feels like a big deal for someone with trouble sticking to things and always coming up with new ideas, so I wanted to do something a little celebratory. Today, I am being interviewed by my good friend Lawrence Toye. As well as having the auspicious honour of being the first man on the podcast, Lawrence is a personal development coach who facilitates events and festivals, and also knows me from actual real life rather than the internet, so I knew he would do a great job. We had some questions submitted from Instagram and the newsletter which were all so deep and juicy and I’m so grateful for your investment in asking them - as you can guess we went off on tangents and didn’t get to every single question this time but I will circle back to any we missed in a later episode. In this episode, we talk about lessons learned from burnout, moments of knowing, what the future holds and how I’m prioritising the stuff of life.

Before we get into it, I also wanted to tell you that I’ve put together a little commemorative ebook to celebrate today as a gift for you guys for sticking with me (or for joining if today is your first episode!). 100 Ways To Grow With Soul is a compilation of every guest’s answer to the final question, how do you grow with soul in your work and life, as well as some of my favourite quotes and a few musings and tips from me. If you’re already subscribed to my newsletter you will already have your copy in your inbox, but if not go to simpleandseason.com/gws100 to get yours.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Introduction to Lawrence
Playing to your environment
How personal and global circumstances are affecting planning in advance
Growing self trust and finding pivot points for your own life
Navigating a breakup and reclaiming yourself
The interaction of the work self and the alone self
Prioritising the stuff of life and really living in it
How I grow with soul in my work and life

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Rethinking and Reclaiming Your Time

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 12 Feb 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Today I want to talk about time. At the beginning of every year I do a survey, kindly filled out by my newsletter subscribers and some of my Instagram audience. This year I took all the responses to the question ‘what is your biggest challenge’, and I could see that the word used the most as a challenge was ‘time’ - it’s something we’re clearly all feeling acutely at the moment. This is why my first Make It Better workshop of this year is going to be all about time, and as I’m preparing for that workshop I thought that in this episode I would share some of the methods and resources that have been crucial in me changing my thinking about, and ultimately reclaiming, my time.

Here's what I talk about in this episode:

How outsourcing can free up time and mental space, and justifying that cost with how it makes your life feel better
Being realistic about your time and how to approach planning it
Changing your focus through radical prioritisation
Goal focused working
The focus of time in the first Make it Better workshop

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Coaching Episode - Realigning Your Messaging After A Reactive Pivot and Making Time For New Things with Kimberly Taylor-Pestell

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 5 Feb 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Today is a coaching episode with Kimberly 國子 Taylor-Pestell an artist and illustrator who has been selling greetings cards and paper goods both directly and wholesale for three years. Like so many businesses, Kimberly was forced into a pivot in 2020 and has been running virtual creative retreats and finding a lot of joy in it. Now she wants to work out how to better integrate her reactive pivot into her existing business by approaching her retreats more strategically, streamline her content and figure out where to take it next. Let’s dive in.

What we talk about:

Kimberly's background and the beginnings of Lacelit
How the pandemic prompted a pivot
Creating content for different audiences and income streams
Finding a purpose and platform for hosting a community
Allocating time and energy to different income streams
Challenging perfectionism

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Deep Dive On Value In Marketing

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 29 Jan 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Today I wanted to look at value. The truth is that ‘value’ is more multi-layered than it at first seems - there is the identifying it, the believing it, and then the applying of it. Understanding your value is not just important for your marketing going forward, but really knowing and believing in your value can also help to highlight the right direction for you and where you can best serve others with your business.

Here's what I talk about in this episode:

The theory behind value in marketing
Different types of value
Separating value and helpfulness
Finding your own value and how to use it

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Coaching Episode - Communicating Purpose, Focusing Ideas, and Bringing Your Audience Along On A Pivot with Agnes Becker

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 22 Jan 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Hello and welcome to episode 96 of Grow With Soul. Today is a coaching episode with Agnes Becker of We Are Stardust. Craving less time in front of a computer and more mud in her life, science communicator Agnes started We Are Stardust as a way to bring to life the wonder of science and nature through prints and greetings cards. She now finds herself at a place where she wants to grow the business to be financially sustainable, but doesn’t want to be a greetings card factory - so is looking at how she can pivot. In this episode we talk about starting a pivot, understanding and using your purpose, narrowing down all the ideas and how to bring your audience along with you.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Agnes' story, and where her curiosity and subsequent career in science started, and how she expresses her fascination through art
Finding the purpose in a pivot
Focusing the many ideas you have when you're pivoting
Communicating your ideas as the transformation they provide to your audience

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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My Goals For 2021 And Setting Your Own Gentle Goals

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 15 Jan 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Hello, and welcome to episode 95 of Grow With Soul - and to the first episode of 2021! Today’s episode is in two parts. The first part of this episode is a recording of my Goals, Intentions and Word Of The Year blog post, unsurprisingly sharing what my goals are for this year and where my focus is - after sharing my End Of Year Thoughts like this I found be a really lovely and intimate way to share these kinds of thoughts. Then I’ll close out with a second part with a few thoughts on thinking about and approaching your planning for this year. Let’s dive in!

Here's what I talk about in this episode:

How global and personal uncertainty is influencing goal setting this year
My word of the year for 2021 and 4 specific focuses within it
My 2021 goals and intentions
Coming up with plans and goals based on how you want to feel in your work, as opposed to how it looks
Using a towards and within approach to set ‘being' goals alongside SMART goals

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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End Of Year Thoughts 2020

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Sun, 20 Dec 2020 06:00:00 +0000

For the last three years I have published an End Of Year Review. They have always been some of my favourite things to read and my favourite things to write – a chance to share everything that happened behind the scenes that made up the whole year. This year, however, is a little different. This year there are too many untied loose ends, too many still misplaced hopes and too much not processed that it just isn’t the right time to share my usual warts and all review. I did think, though, that I would share some end of year thoughts for 2020 that are arising as I reflect on the changes that I have been making – and I actually think this has worked out better than usual.

Here's what I talk about in this episode:

Reflections on my word of the year for 2020
Moving away from marketing in my work
Writing a book and how that's going
Realising I was prioritising comfort over joy
The relief of surrendering to a clean slate and a new life
The experience of moving from One-To-One to One-To-Many

You can find the full blog post here.

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Coaching Episode - Getting More Strategic and Communicating Your Difference with Katie Ford-Thomas

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 4 Dec 2020 06:00:00 +0000

Today is a coaching episode with Katie Ford-Thomas of Fen & Field Magazine. Katie grew Fen & Field from an idea sparked from a documentary to a fully fledged print magazine in a year, and now, two issues in, finds herself at the point of needing to level up. Having grown an Instagram following and newsletter audience organically, she’s now feeling stuck of how to move it all forward and broaden the magazine’s reach. We talk about alternative ways to use Instagram, getting granular with customers and thinking strategically about them, and communicating your difference.

Here's what I talk about in this episode:

Background into Katie
When you think about growth, think about why and where you want to grow rather than just growth itself
Instagram is a social network so the end goal is for it to be social
Go deeper into the elements on social media to reach out to those ideal clients

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Marketing & Business Q&A #3

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 27 Nov 2020 06:00:00 +0000

Today I have lots of your questions that you submitted on Instagram that I’m going to answer. It is perhaps a sign of the times that there seemed to be a trend of uncertainty through all your questions - just a hint of worry and feeling stuck - so I hope today can be a comforting episode that gives you a few new jumping off points. I’m covering overthinking, email sequences, decision-making, channel planning, and our old favourite, Why How What.

Here's what I talk about in this episode:

What to do about overthinking everything
Creating email sequences
Making decisions when you feel stuck
Do you really need to do all the channels?
How I found my why
How to book clients
Staying motivated
Overcoming the fear of no one buying your course

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Discover more about The Trail

Get 50% off Flodesk email provider (this is an affiliate link which means I get a commission if you sign up and no extra cost to you)

Get my free Slow Marketing Workbook

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Coaching episode - Navigating The Post-Covid Pivot with Lucy Moakes

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 10:42:51 +0000

Today is a coaching episode with Lucy Moakes of Lulubell Tents. After growing an events business for five years, the events of 2020 provided Lucy with the opportunity, and necessity, of pivoting and starting up the shop venture she’d been thinking about for two years. Today we talk about how that experience has been emotionally and practically, talking about how to think about adding new things to what you do and working out how to talk to new customers.

Here's what I talk about in this episode:

Background into Lucy
Your customer is the same person at different life stages
Think about your customer’s life journey and how you can be an element of joy throughout it with your business
How to balance the tasks for two different businesses

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Diving Deep On The Inward Attainment Map

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:00:00 +0000

When you have a problem in your business, whether that's with getting going or making a big decision, we want the magic answer and a system to follow, not to have to turn inwards. The Inward Attainment Map is the best of both worlds, providing a structure to help you work out the answers you need. In today’s episode, I wanted to talk through the Inward Attainment Map methodology and how you can start using some of the key milestones within it to start making progress in your projects and shift your life onto a more fulfilling track.

Here's what I talk about in this episode:

All about the Inward Attainment Map – how to use key milestones to create a shift in your life
We are often drawn to the ‘must-dos’ when we feel disconnected and uncertain in our business
Over time your values and priorities shift – your idea of fulfillment and attainment will change as well

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Discover more about The Trail

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Coaching Episode - Being A Magnet vs Being Stumbled Upon with Lynne Davies-Crane

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 6 Nov 2020 06:00:00 +0000

Today is a coaching episode with Lynne Davies-Crane, a coach living and working in tune with nature. Lynne officially started her business earlier this year, and while she has booked a few clients she doesn’t feel like she’s gaining traction or building community, and knows she’s over-relying on Instagram. In this really practical episode we talk about how to position your content to help people find you, locating your customer and their journey, and combining being a magnet and having people stumble upon you.

Here's what I talk about in this episode:

Background into Lynne
You can be stumbled upon, or you can be a magnet
Is there something in your content that is FOR them?
You need to interrupt the conversation already going on in their head
Give people opportunities to make a change in their lives

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Aligned Self-Employment and Opting Out with Cait Flanders

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 30 Oct 2020 06:00:00 +0000

Today I’m talking with Cait Flanders, the author of The Year of Less and the new book, Adventures in Opting Out. I wanted to get Cait on the show because she really represents a way of doing things differently and writes around taking aligned control of your life. Today we talk about all sorts of things, like taking not-perfect steps into self-employment, the realities of being a self-employed author, money, opting out of marketing, and making friends with who get it.

Here's what I talk about in this episode:

Background into Cait
Take the safer first steps when starting to freelance, you don’t have to take the huge scary steps right at first
Find goals that are supportive to you to work towards something and let it unfold
Don’t let your ego get attached to being “self-employed” to the point where you don’t want to get a job if you need to – if you need money, you need money!
If you’re not enjoying where you are, you’re not giving people an experience

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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What Worked In A Small Launch That Went Well

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Today I want to talk about launching, whether it’s a new service, digital product, or physical product. I know there are many podcast episodes and resources out there about launching with all the tips and tricks about how to have a massively successful launch. But I know that they can feel a little out of reach or out of touch. I’ve listened to podcasts where someone talks through the step by step of their launch by laying out what each member of their team did or bringing in multiple six figures from one launch, which was miles away from my own goals just not to feel applicable. Today, I wanted to share my lessons of what worked from a small launch that went well.

Here's what I talk about in this episode:

All course sales have followed the same pattern: a few small sales in the beginning and middle and a very large influx right at the end
The Trail sold out and relatively easily so – the structure of the program was very different from anything else I had done before creating different buying behavior in addition to launch methods
What I didn’t do during the launch
What I did do
What worked

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Coaching Episode - Pivoting, Balancing and Regaining Excitement with Kelsey Mech

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 16 Oct 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Today is a coaching episode with Kelsey Mech, a therapist working online and in-person in Canada. Kelsey’s business has grown and matured exceptionally quickly, and she now finds herself a little burnt out, needing to make things more sustainable and wanting to get a bit more of the joy and excitement back - a feeling I know well. In this episode we talk about pivoting a business model and balancing the different audiences you want to talk to, as well as the importance of getting a bird’s eye view and how to start to feel excited by it all again.

Here's what I talk about in this episode:

Background into Kelsey
You don’t want to escape the thing that you built
Different customers need different things and you will find them in different places so you can be laser-focused on what you’re saying on what channel
You want to feel more like a CEO and less like an employee when it comes to running your own business
Allow there to be joy within it all by shifting the mindset in your work

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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How To Find Your Ideal Customer

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 9 Oct 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Today I’m doing a deep dive into one of the things I’m asked about most often - identifying your ideal customer. This is one of those things that you know you’re supposed to do, you know it will crack a code for you and help you to know what to do next, yet you always feel like there’s a secret you’re missing and you’ve not quite got it right. If this is something you want to uncover a little more, my new Customer Kit workbook is now available and linked in the show notes, and in this episode, I’m going to take you through the process shared in that Kit.

Here's what I talk about in this episode:

Knowing your customer is fundamental in marketing
Many business problems come from a misunderstanding of the customer
Finding your ideal customer can be separated into 3 parts: identifying, locating, and talking
Find out where your customer comes out to ‘fill up’ and get specific with it
Talk to your customer in the customer-focused approach, it is less about what you want to say and more about what they need to hear

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Coaching Episode - Feeling Good About Selling and Creating Your First E-Course with Charlotte Holroyd

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 2 Oct 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Today is a coaching episode with Charlotte Holroyd of Creative Wilderness, a designer who creates branding for conscious and ethical businesses. Charlotte has grow her design studio to a full roster of design clients, but with a few hectic years under her belt and the purchase of a camper van, she’s craving a way to reduce her client load and have her business enable a more remote style of working - and is working on a new e-course to help her get there. In this episode we talk all about some ways to think about making this change, some of the mindset blocks Charlotte has around the traditional ways of selling e-courses and some tactics and ideas to start selling her course in a way that feels good.

Here's what I talk about in this episode:

Background into Charlotte
How to not lose momentum with your clients and your job
Ways to figure out what you want your business to look like in terms of price point and how you want your clients to view it
Getting comfortable with selling
Details into the pre-launch and launch process

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Formalising Thought Leadership and Refining Your Process

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 25 Sep 2020 05:00:11 +0000

Lately, I’ve been working on my thought leadership. Working on these things hasn’t been something that I have ever really done consciously. I think it’s been fair to say I’ve been in a test and learn mode - being confronted with problems from clients and students and coming up with ways to help those problems, and those ways, when they work, become subsumed into the canon of things I know how to help with. Through this episode, I thought I’d explore more about this process and what it looks like to refine it.

Here's what I talk about in this episode:

Look at new ways to go deeper into the methodology
Know who you are within a space instead of trying to ‘own’ it
What works for one person isn’t going to work for every person in every business
The endpoint is not knowing how to market your business but feeling free and fulfilled every day
4 stages to find fulfillment: align, accept, apply, ascend

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

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Changing What You're Known For with Sara Tasker

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 31 Jul 2020 05:00:06 +0000

Today I’m in conversation with Sara Tasker, who you will undoubtedly know and love as the business and Instagram brain behind Me & Orla and podcast and book Hashtag Authentic. After the release her book last year, Sara went off the grid for months and re-emerged with a brand new programme different to what she’s done before - and I have been dying to know exactly how that came about behind the scenes. So today, Sara and I talk about how she came up with a brand new idea, her process for putting a new programme together, her mindset and approach to business and how she began marketing something different to what she’s known for. We also, of course, touch on Instagram.

Here's what I talk about in this episode:

Background into Sara
Putting together a new project
Marketing something different than what she is known for
The importance of long-form content
Market research helps us to zone in and create more valuable content for our audience

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram

Sara on Instagram

A New Way To Think About Niching

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 24 Jul 2020 05:00:21 +0000

A week or so again I did an Ask Me Anything on Stories, and a question that came up more than once was “how do you find your niche?”. I found I couldn’t quite put into a couple of paragraphs what I think about niching, and as a few people had asked I thought it might be worth doing a podcast episode on niching - so here we are. I think niching is something that comes up over and over again in your business - it’s often something we want to get ‘right’ at the start, but it continues to rear its head as we keep developing our work. I have a mixed relationship with the niche, I change between thinking it’s a good and a bad thing, so today I thought I’d explore the why’s and wherefore’s of niching, and how to start thinking about your niche.

Here's what I talk about in this episode:

A niche can give you focus and establish what you are known for
Niching can also back you into a corner because if you are known for one thing, it is harder to change people’s opinion of you down the road
Niches give us steep initial growth but it is not sustainable growth
Niches often help us define “what” we do rather than “why” we do it
Focusing on the “why” instead of the "what" allows us to have flexibility with our business

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram

Coaching Episode - Time Management and Radical Prioritisation with Bex Massey

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 17 Jul 2020 05:00:24 +0000

Today is a coaching episode with Bex Massey, the founder of Bramble & Fox, an online hygge store. After a brief hiatus, Bex is putting the shop lights back on and is struggling with managing her time around her family and knowing where her precious time and energy is best spent. In this episode we talk about creating processes and rhythms in the business, how to radically prioritise tasks, perfectionism and also, for good measure, whether it’s worth doing a newsletter.

Here's what I talk about in this episode:

Background into Bex
Developing time management practices
Creating processes and rhythms
Planning for busy periods during slower seasons
How to prioritize tasks
Dealing with perfectionism
Ways to communicate with your audience through various platforms

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram

Cultivating Self-Trust In Business

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 10 Jul 2020 05:00:15 +0000

Today I want to talk about self-trust. I have jumped into some many decisions and ideas without it ever occurring to me to check whether I actually wanted to do them - and as a result I’ve felt stuck and sad that my business reality doesn’t live up to my business daydreams. Because it is supposed to feel better than this. The pressure, the worry, the actions taken out of panic or uncertainty, the tasks you dread are rooted in a lack of self-trust. I acknowledge here my privilege as a white woman that the colour of my skin, nor my sexual orientation nor a disability are something that unfairly holds me back. It is reductive of me to say that every single problem for every single person is founded in self-trust. Yet I do know that everything becomes harder when you aren’t on your own side, when you are another barrier for yourself to get over. It doesn’t have to be hard, and it can feel joyful. So, let’s talk about trust.

Here's what I talk about in this episode:

How to advocate for yourself in your business
Discovering what I enjoyed doing
Finding and building self trust
Learn more about my membership and system program The Trail
Having your work align with your values

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram

Coaching Episode - Talking About Your Why Without Looking Like You've Jumped On The Bandwagon with Rosie Harriott

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 3 Jul 2020 05:00:14 +0000

Today is a coaching episode with Rosie Harriott, a textile designer who has worked across fashion and homewares both in-house and as a freelancer, and who is now shifting from being freelance to a business. Rosie has also had a personal journey of wellness and awakening over the last few years which is the reason for the business shift - but she’s worried about how to communicate this in her content without looking like she’s jumped on the bandwagon. In this episode we talk about starting to talk about your business across your channels, maintaining community when you start talking about what you do, making sure your why reads as authentic and approaching a personal tone of voice.

Here's what I talk about in this episode:

Background into Rosie
Changing the context of your work and business
Using social media to engage with your audience
Building excitement with a launch or reveal
Distilling your messaging with repetition
Knowing the difference between the truth and your truth

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram

Transitioning & Simplifying My Business Model

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 26 Jun 2020 05:00:02 +0000

This month, on my blog and on Instagram, I’ve been sharing the experience of transitioning and simplifying my business model in response to my values and I how I want my business to support the life I want to live. I know that this is a perennial problem for many - the moment where you have out grown the old skin of your business but don’t know quite how to shed into and evolve into a new skin. It is a natural part of business, of life, but it is also one that is messy and feels, at times, insurmountable. I know that particularly this year many of you have been reflecting on how your business and life interact, so I felt that it was apt to share more of the step by step of my process here.

Here's what I talk about in this episode:

Reconnecting with my business values
Transitioning from 1:1 to 1:many
How lockdown allowed me to simplify my business
Pivoting my products to answer bigger problems for my audience
The importance of business models

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram

Getting Back Into Alignment with Your Work with Nesha Woolery

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 19 Jun 2020 05:00:07 +0000

Today I’m talking with Nesha Woolery, an educator who started her online design business aged 18 and has evolved and developed over the last 8 years in business. This year, Nesha cancelled a huge launch the night before the cart was going to open because she realised that the whole thing was out of alignment and disconnected, and instead spent weeks reconnecting with her why and redefining what she really wanted. In this episode we chat about this journey, from how to know if you’re out of alignment, reconnecting to your why, niching and finding success in a feeling.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Background on Nesha and her business
Falling out of alignment and the process of getting back to your why
Not being so attached to your goals and achievements
Evolving your niche as your business grows and changes
Getting confident about sharing your values with your audience
Becoming comfortable with being transparent with your business journey

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram Nesha on Instagram

Using Stories to Create Valuable, Memorable Content

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 12 Jun 2020 05:00:01 +0000

Today I’m going to share more detail about my approach to content creation, how I think about it and how I try to make it valuable and inspiring. My approach to content has changed over the last couple of years, both because content trends have changed, and because I’ve developed as a writer and learned more about what makes people tick, and click, when it comes to my content. So in this episode I’m going to share more about the story of my content progression, and the major change I’ve made.

Here's what I talk about in this episode:

Major changes I have experienced with my content creation process
Discovering that people learn best when they work something out for themselves
Being selfless with my content creation for my audience’s benefit
The power of stories
How I use my experiences to help educate others
Learning that connection creates conversion and stories create connection

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram

Coaching Episode - Finding Clarity When You Don't Have The Lifelong Big Dream with Giulia Mazzola

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris) — Fri, 5 Jun 2020 05:00:02 +0000

Today is a coaching episode with Giulia Mazzola, who you may know online as Giulia Writes. Over the last four years Giulia has been on a personal journey of deconstructing her version of success after leaving corporate finance, and exploring and getting confident with sharing her writing online. She wants to be supported by her writing, but doesn’t know what that is going to look like - and is going round and round with ideas and what does and doesn’t feel right. I loved having this meandering conversation with Giulia about the nature of clarity, listening to and trusting your inner voice, deciphering ideas and knowing what you want.

Here's what I talk about in this episode:

Background into Giulia
Gaining confidence and belief in yourself
Defining your own plan and action steps
Creating fulfilling and meaningful work for your audience
Determining what opportunities are a fit for you and your business
Figuring out your non-negotiables and boundaries
Tapping into your inner voice
Determining when you are ready to start vs. ready to implement

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram

Tiny Shifts To Completely Simplify Your Content Marketing

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 29 May 2020 05:00:16 +0000

Today I wanted to go into everything content, because content is everything. Often we hear the word ‘content’ and think it’s just blogging, but it’s not. In marketing we tend to break channels up into silos because it’s easier to think and talk about them all separately - so you have your blog over here, your Instagram over there, your email list in the back room, Pinterest, perhaps a podcast or video channel in your back pocket. While they all link up, we tend to treat them as separate entities. We might have a different strategy or different pile of ideas for our Instagram to our blog and all the other things. But really this is an over-complication because it’s all content.

Here's what I talk about in this episode:

Developing an effective content strategy
Making a manageable posting plan for you and your business
Creating content that clarifies your message rather than confusing it
Discovering clear blog post objectives
Why you should invest in your content marketing
Repurposing content across channels

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram

Coaching Episode - Should I Start A Podcast? With Cate Terry

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 22 May 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Today the coaching episodes are back, and I’m talking with Cate Terry, a yoga teacher and holistic health therapist . Cate has been toying with the idea of starting a podcast, but keeps talking herself out of it - because it might not be the right thing to do or she might not be able to stick with it. We talk about how to know if an idea is the right option for you, how to differentiate your content channels, how to stand out as a new podcast and making the space for a new marketing channel in your day to day.

Here's what I talk about in this episode:

Reviewing her current marketing efforts
Discussing her want to start a podcast for her business
Defining the results she wants to achieve with the podcast
Dealing with starting something new in a weird time
How to incorporate bulk work into your schedule
Using low expectations to your benefit
Building relationships with your followers and listeners

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram

Realisations and Changes from Lockdown

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 15 May 2020 05:00:00 +0000

I was going to dive right back in after this break with a “normal” episode, but something was stopping me. It didn’t feel quite right to barrel back in and not take a minute. I know for many this is a reflective time. A time that is sharpening priorities both for your future, and the future of society. In this episode I'm sharing what I've reflected on over the weeks since we last spoke, some breakthroughs, and the changes they've sparked.

Here's what I talk about in this episode:

How to restore balance in your life amid the current situation
The benefits of slowing down my review periods
Handling high expectations
The different types of goals you can implement in your life
The power of list-making and completing
Honing in on what I value
Looking strategically at the craft of business

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram

Finding and Keeping Focus

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 17 Apr 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Today is the last in the Staying The Course series of episodes, and having spent time looking at your goals, your routine and your mindset, I thought we’d look practically at focus. Focus is something that ebbs and flows at the best of times, but particularly during times of stress it can be even more fleeting than usual. Particularly during this pandemic, apathy is rife - that feeling of not wanting to really do anything, but also feeling like you should, or need to do everything. In this episode, I’m going to talk you through the practical ways in which I cultivate more focus to give you a few tricks and strategies to get your bare minimum done, and have a few moments of feeling like you can still do this.

Here's what I talk about in this episode:

Dealing with focus in times of stress
Strategies for cultivating a focused day or period of time
Uncovering tripwires that block your productivity
Starting your focused day the night before
Incorporating the Pomodoro method into your day

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram

Cultivating a Positive Mindset

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 10 Apr 2020 05:00:00 +0000

So far in this Staying The Course series, we’ve looked at letting go of the old plans and goals and creating a daily routine, and this week I thought we’d look at mindset. During times of uncertainty, mindset can be something that holds you, an anchor point to keep coming back to when you feel worried or stressed or lost. It is a way to care for and support oneself. In this episode, I’m going to talk about how I perceive and use mindset and some ways to start cultivating your own mindset during a stressful time.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

What does mindset mean?
Ways to have a positive mindset
Having a vision to return back to
Making a choice
Competence & achievement
Self Trust

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram

Structuring a Daily Routine

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 3 Apr 2020 05:00:00 +0000

In today’s episode, I’m going to be talking about structuring your days and weeks. This is an important part of staying the course, as routine and structure a) helps you to get things done and b) helps to reduce stress and make you feel comforted by the predictability of it. I will share with you how creating a daily routine has helped me as someone who really didn't want one, and my tips for thinking about your own.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Thinking about why you want to create a structure?
What do you want your routine and structure to do for you?
Setting out a routine that works for you
Tips for sticking to your routine
Experiment with your routines

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram

Grieving The Old Goals, Setting Survival Ones, and Staying The Course

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 27 Mar 2020 06:00:00 +0000

Ordinarily, I’d be sharing an interview or coaching episode with you this week, but this isn’t an ordinary week. I have decided to keep the podcast going to give you a little support, direction and normalcy week to week, but with a few changes. For at least the next four weeks, I will only be publishing solo shows. I thought I'd do a series on staying the course. One particularly apt for our current times, but not so peculiar to them that you can’t revisit these episodes when we’re on the other side of this thing and need to stay the course for another reason.

In today’s episode, I’m talking about wiping the slate, re-evaluating and getting mentally ready to stay the course. I’ve also put together an email support series for the next four weeks if you’d like to get more active in this topic. After the podcast goes out each Friday, I’ll send you an email with a worksheet to help you go deeper and enact the themes discussed in the episode. There’s no pressure, of course, to be doing anything if you’re not feeling up for it (productivity is not the measure of how well you’re dealing with things), but if you’d like these extra resources and feel at a bit of a loose end at the moment, you can sign up to my list at simpleandseason.com/stayingthecourse to get the email series.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

How to stay the course
Reassessing your goals
Setting new goals
Working out your milestones
Choosing happiness

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram

Content & Strategy Q&A

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 20 Mar 2020 06:00:00 +0000

Today is a solo episode that follows on from episode 63 from last month because I’m answering the second half of the questions you guys submitted on Instagram. These questions are all about content and about strategy, planning content, Instagram, business growth and transition, finding your values, dream clients and many more.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

How to write a Content Plan?
I am struggling to organise and categorise content on my blog, any tips?
How to start incorporating SEO into Blog posts
What steps did I take to grow my following and how to build an Instagram from zero?
How do you balance between growing a business to it be sustainable v's growing slow and at the pace you are comfortable with?
How do you really unlock your core values?
I would love your advice on pivoting a business, I am shifting from product to service
How would you recommend approaching a minor rebrand?
How do I increase my prices?
How do you deal with dream clients that you would love to work with but they can't afford your services?
I am a coach with two niches, do I need a separate website, social channels etc?
How do I bring more of me into my business?

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram

Coaching Episode - Building, Owning and Trusting Your Space with Hira Sameer Ahmed

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 13 Mar 2020 06:00:00 +0000

In today’s coaching episode I’m talking with Hira Sameer Ahmed, an artist with a multi-passionate creative practice and creativity coach. Hira is finding that she worries she confuses her audience by having lots of different artistic projects and can feel like a jack of all trades, and that this a block to getting paying customers. Through this episode we unpick this, thinking about how to own your status as a multi-passionate creative and bring everything together so it make sense, how to talk about your product more often, and also realising how many of your worries are caused by what you see others doing and cultivating self-trust. Let’s dig in.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Background into Hira
Having consistency in your messaging when you are multi-passionate
Comparing yourself to others in your industry
Becoming clear on your services and getting more visible to share your story
Repurposing your content
How to differentiate between a passion project and an income-generating project

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram Hira on Instagram

Choosing Which Projects And Ideas To Pursue

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 6 Mar 2020 06:00:00 +0000

One of our challenges as creative people running or starting businesses is idea wrangling. For sure there are periods where we think we’ll never have a good idea ever again, but there are also times where it feels someone’s plugged a cosmic USB stick into us and we’re just downloading and processing all these different ideas. Sometimes they are really specific this product or that product kind of ideas, sometimes it’s a billion blog posts ideas over a weekend, sometimes they are more general, around your approach or offering that feels like a levelling up. Having these ideas is great, it makes you feel alive and like you’re really existing within and in tune with your business and your purpose. But it does also leave you confused, overworked, uncertain, ready to rip everything up and lacking in clarity. In today's episode, I dig into all of this.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Keep accessible records of your ideas
Define the shape of the idea
Tune into how you feel about that idea
Assessing each of your ideas with two questions
Choosing between ideas that are quick wins or slow burners
Different types of idea overwhelm
What format your idea should be in
Having an idea at the worst time
Are the new ideas time-sensitive?
None specific ideas
What's my one thing

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram

Coaching Episode - Mixing Physical & Digital Products and Bringing Things Back Under Control with Kim Heemskerek

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 28 Feb 2020 06:00:00 +0000

Today is a coaching episode with Kim Heemskerk of De Alchemista. Kim started her business 18 months ago and it’s exceeded her expectations but now it’s starting to feel like it’s not entirely under her control - it’s been growing organically, but not necessarily in the way she would choose. Today we talk about ways to reclaim the control and managing a business which sells both physical and digital products - we discuss the customer and customer journey, defining how you want the business to be, creating objectives and strategy and how to make free content work better.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Kim's introduction to her business;
Mixing digital and physical products
How to structure freebies into the marketing of your business;
How to plan out your calendar for physical and digital products
Splitting up your content for customers who are in different stages of their business journey
Having a clear objective when producing freebies for your business
Building your community
Getting over the fear of selling

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram Kim on Instagram

Productivity, Work/Life, and Online Course Q&A

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 21 Feb 2020 06:00:00 +0000

Today I am answering your questions that you submitted via Instagram Stories last week, so thank you to everyone that did. In fact, you submitted more questions than I could answer in one episode, so I have split them into a doubleheader. Next month I will answer your strategy and content questions, but this week we’re talking about productivity, motivation, habit setting work/life balance, and I’m throwing in a couple of questions about creating and selling online courses for good measure too.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

How can I get into a writing habit/write faster/write when I am just not in the mood?
How do you get through procrastination?
How do you keep up motivation when you are a start-up?
How do you do self-care when you have pressing deadlines every day?
Have I ever done a coaching course or am I self-taught?
Do you have any specific tips of streamlining marketing when working in two languages?
How do you handle people not understanding what you do or even worse people not seeing it as a proper job?
What trend do you typically expect for selling online courses in terms of pre-order numbers versus last-minute orders?
How do you go about creating an online course?
Any tips for marketing online courses?

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram

Creating an Income From Values-Led Work, Experimentation, and Community with Nicole Antoinette

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 14 Feb 2020 06:00:00 +0000

Today I’m in conversation with Nicole Antoinette, the host of the Real Talk Radio podcast and someone who is the best example I could think of of creating an income from your passion and values. I was keen to get Nicole on the show because she is always so honest and frank about money and the realities of life and business, and because I knew she would have so much wisdom to share from her 12 plus years navigating the internet. In this episode we talk about community-building, Patreon and subscription-based business models, pricing and finances, the very practical application of your values in your business and experimenting and finding your way. There are just a ton of a-ha moments and permission slips in here and I’m so excited for you to listen.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Nicole's background & story
How to build a business when you are multi-passionate
Turning a Podcast into a business
The Patreon model to monetize the Podcast
How to get people on board with the Patreon model and funding goal;
How to make the Patreon successful as the fundamental part of the business;
Having an experimental mindset
Building a community
Introducing new offerings that are aligned with your values
How Nicole doesn't rely on Instagram for business purposes
How Nicole fits in work as a digital nomad.

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram

How To Move People From Instagram To Your Own Channels

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 7 Feb 2020 06:00:00 +0000

Today I’m talking about a topic that someone mentioned in a survey I shared - so if that was you, thank you for the great question! We’re talking Instagram. So often the default when we think about marketing - it’s the first place we think of to be able to talk about new products or share a piece of coverage or introduce changes. As consumers too, I know that if I hear about a business or someone is recommended to me, I go off and find them on Instagram as a first stop, following or saving like the app is my own little Filofax. Yes, Instagram is often our first and last resort when it comes to marketing our business, but we’re always being told not to rely on it. ‘What if Instagram disappeared tomorrow, what you have?’ is what people like me always say. We get it, it’s not good to have all your eggs in one basket, but how do you actually get the eggs out? How do you move people away from Instagram and onto your own channels?

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

What is the creative solution when trying to solve a problem?
How do you overcome the disruption for your consumer to move from Instagram;
How do you minimise disruption to people to come over to your different channel?
How can I make the disruption worthwhile to make people come over to my website?
Using the bread crumb method
Making an unapologetic disruption
Choose your call to action and own it
Make it easy to find what they are looking for
Create a Start Here page on your website
Provide clarity on what they are getting themselves into
Be scroll stopping - start with your target customer
What makes you leave Instagram and deconstruct this

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram

Coaching Episode - Niching, Freelancing, and Transitioning Your Offering with Jo McCarthy

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 06:00:00 +0000

Today is a coaching episode with my friend Jo McCarthy, who you may know as Firain Shop. At the end of 2019 Jo closed down her online shop, despite enjoying it and it being in profit, to pursue work that felt more aligned with her values and the life she wanted to live. Of course, that then opens the door to a new set of problems! In this episode we discuss the decision around changing the business model, naming a transitioning business, the difference between freelancing and business owning, niching, defining offerings and content.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Jo's Background & Story
Firain's evolving & transitioning
Coaching & Mentoring
How to build a business that offers two different services and how to make it flow
What is the impact you really want to make and what difference will it make to them?
Getting clear on your vision
Tracking your goals
Visioning your goals have already happened
Niching and knowing your value
Making sure your message is clear to your audience
What makes you different so people choose you over anyone else

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram Jo on Instagram

Using Data & Numbers In Your Business, and Why I Don't Track My Stats

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 24 Jan 2020 06:00:00 +0000

Today I want to talk about stats and measuring your activity because I know it’s something that a lot of people worry about (i.e., they worry they’re not tracking the right things) and because, and I’m going to drop a bomb here, I basically don’t track any stats in my business. So in this episode, I want to get into what the point of tracking stats in your business is, defining what’s important to track and what isn’t, and also write you a big permission slip to stop worrying.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Kaytes background into data;
Tracking data is a waste of time;
So many measures are out of your control such as Instagram followers;
Most things you can measure don't make a real difference in your business;
Encourages reactive behaviour;
Checking data can be soul destroying;
Find the few things that do affect your business and focus on that;
Look at what you will do with the information that you are tracking;
Use data as a tool for problem-solving;
Track what feels good to track;
Track your progress on goals;
There is only one stat that matters, that is the money coming in;
The stats that Kayte tracks

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram

Coaching Episode - How To Talk About What You Do In A Way That Feels Like You with Lauren O'Sullivan

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 17 Jan 2020 06:00:00 +0000

Today is a coaching episode with Lauren O’Sullivan, a former head of marketing who re-trained as a psychotherapist who now combines the two as a business coach - although putting a name to that combination is something Lauren’s been struggling with! We talk about giving yourself a job title in this episode, as well as structuring what you do as a product or package, and dig deep into ways of communicating it online - creating content that models the experience, focusing on the end result, and showing up comfortably and valuably on Instagram.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Lauren's story and background
How to come up with a job title depending on the product and service you sell
Creating your own style of content creation and how best to communicate it to your audience
Defining your services and offerings
Pricing your services - hourly v's packages
Finding your own voice online using instastories
Using prompts for your content and videos for social media
Do your captions on Instagram need to be relevant to the picture you post

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram Lauren on Instagram

Reviewing the Old Year & Planning The New

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 10 Jan 2020 06:00:00 +0000

This week it's just me thinking about new year energy. Although I’m not under any illusions that the movement of a clock will suddenly make me a different person, but I relish the start of the year as a new clean page and feel empowered to decide what I write on it. I know that not everyone likes to give the new year quite so much magnitude, but for me, it is a really powerful reset so today I thought I’d share my review and planning process for starting to define the shape of 2020. This episode also acts as a companion to my End Of Year Review blog post and to my Goals, Mindsets and Word of the Year blog post.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Choosing a word of the year
Having a clear vision
Using Tarot cards
Lifestyle, Habits & Goals
Turning goals into tasks
Using The Planning Kit to set out the next quarter

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram

Surrendering To A Positive and Productive Relationship with Your Coaching Business with Jen Carrington

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 29 Nov 2019 06:00:00 +0000

Today is a conversational episode about coaching with my good friend Jen Carrington. Jen is a creative coach who has been running her business for about six years, and she actually coached me back in 2017 when I first had the idea of setting up my business. Today we talk about how we plan out our years, the direction of our business as coaches, the difference between finding and surrendering to balance, what jobs your marketing has to do as a coach or facilitator and how we both approach the dreaded selling.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Background into Jen Carrington
How Jen plans her year as a Coach
Planning rest days into your schedule
Finding freedom in your business
Striving for fulfilment
Making time for you and showing up as the best version of yourself
Building a better day with daily routines and planning
Learning to trust yourself to get things done
Building a relationship with your business
Effective organic marketing
Communicating with your audience through your content
Approaching selling in your business

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram

Marketing & Business Q&A #2

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 22 Nov 2019 06:00:00 +0000

Today is a solo show and back by popular demand it is a Marketing Q&A. We are going to cover tips from how I started out, getting my first clients, transitioning and scaling.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Do I have any plans to write a book?
What are my worries, and how do I unwrap them?
How I pinned down exactly what my business will be
How long did it take me to secure my first clients and how did they initially discover me
How I tested the market when I first started
Can I start anything business-wise when my style hasn't developed yet, and how do I market that?
How would you approach starting a podcast for your business?
How much of the work am I going to have to do when I start a Podcast?
I am transitioning my business from wedding photography to holistic therapies, I have had to add in agency work to make up for the financial shortfall while I am still building the business, what is your tip for juggling lots of activities and still getting stuff done?
How do I make my paper good business more financially sustainable without turning into a card-making factory?

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram

Coaching Episode - Valuing, Pricing and Selling What You Do with Jo Hooper

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 15 Nov 2019 06:00:00 +0000

Today is a coaching episode with Jo Hooper, who you may know better as Mad And Sad Club. After two mental health breakdowns in as many years, Jo took redundancy from her job in communications and started Mad And Sad Club to help organisations better help and support their employees. 6 months in, Jo is struggling to nail her value as, in her words, she’s made up this new job and is unused to applying value to her work outside the corporate framework. This, obviously, has a knock on effect to pricing and selling her services, so we dig into all of this today.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Background into Mad & Sad Club & Jo
Value and Selling
What to do when doubt comes in
Stop focusing on the how, focus on the value
Pricing your services
Getting testimonials
Using LinkedIn to get clients
Using visuals on-line to get more engagement
How to show your personality and values with B2B
How to work with B2B and offering your services

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram Jo on Instagram

Managing What's On Your Plate and the Power Of Choosing What You Put There with Carina Lawson of Ponderlily

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 8 Nov 2019 06:00:00 +0000

We talk with Carina Lawson the founder of the Planner brand Ponderlilly. You've likely seen beautiful Ponderlilly planners in photos on Instagram, but you may be surprised to find out how the brand came about and how it's run. In this episode we talk through the juggle, the cult of busyness, what's working for her at Ponderlilly and Carina's five simple planning changes.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Background of Carina & Ponderlilly
Where Carina has been focusing her marketing efforts & what she finds works best
Juggling a full-time job and self-employment
Planning the seasonal products ahead of time
Having set days to work on certain areas in the business
Tips on how to be productive over busy
Concentrating on things that move the needle in your business
Looking at your ultimate gains and costs
Ending your day with gratitude
Trusting your intuition
Hard work that's done with heart as opposed to hustle

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram Carina on Instagram

Why You Think You Hate Sales and 5 Ways To Make Selling Easier With Kayte Ferris

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 1 Nov 2019 06:00:00 +0000

Today it’s just me, and I want to talk about the dreaded SALES. This is something that came up on a Q&A I did on Instagram Live recently, and it is generally just a perennial challenge for so many of us. Many of us feel deeply uncomfortable with the idea of selling, which of course causes one or two problems when you have a business and need to sell things. So today is a bit of a pep talk on changing that mindset and finding ways to sell that feel more comfortable.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

-Why you think you hate sales
-Building trust with your customers & clients
-How to build trust with your email marketing
-Planning your sales copy and Pitch
-Using stories to engage people to buy
-Be clear and honest, no smoke, no mirrors
-Just get them to come back

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram

Coaching Episode - Tactics For Overcoming Comparison, Expectation and Perfectionism with Emma Bradstreet

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 25 Oct 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Today is a coaching episode, and I’m talking with illustrator Emma Bradstreet all about self-doubt in business. We identified that Emma was struggling with what I call the Holy Trinity of low confidence - comparison, expectation and perfectionism. We unpack each of these with useful self-talk and exercises to not let them overcome you at the moment, being pro-active and taking action around your doubts, building self-trust and aiming to live with, rather than completely obliterate your fear.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Background on Emma Bradstreet
Recognising self-doubt
Dealing with perfectionism
Focusing on customers who are engaged with your products or services
Being more proactive in generating conversations with your customers
How to engage with your audience online as an introvert
Coping with fear in your business
Comparing yourself to others
Experiencing emotions in your business
External and internal expectations
Self-trust & listening to your inner voice

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram Emma Bradstreet on Instagram

Making Choices, Getting Out of Stuck-ness, Self-Celebration and Finding Your Everyday Joy with Tamu Thomas

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 18 Oct 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Today I am speaking with Tamu Thomas, the founder and coach behind Live Three Sixty. Having worked as a social worker for fifteen years, Tamu felt stuck and trapped in her life and dove into a period of research into self-development and neuroscience in order to better make sense of herself. Finding the wellness world overwhelmingly millennial and Western orientated, Live Three Sixty was born as conduit to help women in their late 30s and 40s escape the cult of busyness and cultivate their joy. This episode was a pretty mind-blowing one for me to record, as we talk about Tamu’s research, the concept of everyday joy and how to find and seize it, feeling stuck, self-celebration and making life feel like a verb.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Tamu's journey & business background
What has worked well and the strategy used to grow Tamu's business
Establishing your values and what gives your life meaning
Positive Psychology
Dealing with your inner critic
Everyday joy and the approach to finding and ceasing it
Life as a verb
Doing things in a conscious way
Seeking support
Going from survival to thriving
Self celebration

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram Tamu Thomas on Instagram

Understanding the Customer Journey

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 11 Oct 2019 05:00:00 +0000

In this episode, I talk about the customer journey. So you will have probably heard me refer to a sales funnel before which is the way people move through your band from discovery to purchase. The customer journey looks at the entirety of the journey from when before someone finds you to past the point of purchase and beyond. The customer journey is a huge piece of the puzzle when it comes to your marketing, and in this episode, I wanted to talk you through the best way I have found to take your customer on the journey through your sales funnel.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

What is a customer journey?
Building trust with your customers
Providing value to your customers
Creating great marketing materials
Practical steps in thinking about your customers journey and areas for improvement
Keep the customer journey in your mind when producing content
My new training course Playbook which is launching in January 2020

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram

Big Dreams, Daily Joys with Elise Joy

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 4 Oct 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Today I’m joined by Elise Blaha Cripe, perhaps better known online as Elise Joy, to talk all things goal-setting and productivity. Elise was a maker and blogger, but over time found the thing that she was most excited by was helping others achieve their goals, so she developed and launched Get To Work Book, the planner you’ve likely seen some of your favourite business owners using on Instagram. Her new book, Big Dreams Daily Joys builds upon this goal-setting passion. Today we cover the gamut from setting goals in the first place, to breaking them down, dealing with procrastination and how to have a productive day.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Background on Elise and her business
How did Elise get into making a Planner
Goal setting in practical terms
Setting out your big goal
Keeping motivated to take steps to reach your goal
Taking action on your goals
Building a productive day and dealing with procrastination
Daily joys and why it's so important
How to inject daily joys into your day
Monetising your hobby
The process of writing a book

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram Elise on Instagram

Coaching Episode - How to Find Your Ideal Client and Talk to Them with Ami-Lou Harrison

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 27 Sep 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Today is a coaching episode with Ami-Lou Harrison a Graphic Designer and illustrator working on building her freelance business. I know I talk a lot about the importance of knowing who your ideal customer is and using that to inform all of your marketing but how do you do that exactly? That is what Amy and I are talking about today. Going beyond the demographics to find the problem that you want to help with, using educated guesses and your existing experience to work out your ideal client, the customer journal and then applying all of that in your copy and in your marketing.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Background into Ami-Lou
Building Trust
Refining your ideal client
Thinking about your ideal client's pain points
Defining the types of people you want to work with
Understanding the customer journey and which marketing approach is best to find your ideal client
Asking your audience what their needs are for information gathering
Building an audience on Instagram
Specific pain point scenarios to cover with your marketing

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram Ami-Lou on Instagram

How I Approach Pricing Services & Offerings With Kayte Ferris

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 20 Sep 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Sharing my thoughts on the question and struggle of every business owner - pricing.

You get an idea you think is pretty good, you wrestle with the content and the format, you fight away all the the self-doubt about who am I do to this, and you get yourself to a place where you are excited to introduce a new thing into the world, and then you turn around and you walk straight into this brick wall, which is, what the hell do I charge?

In this episode I am going to share my thoughts and my approach to pricing and how I price what I do.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Who is it for and what can they afford?
What is the end result worth to the customer?
Define a price range before making the product
Defaulting to time when pricing products
What feels right and fair
Considering happiness and health when pricing products
Raising your prices

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram

Fun Not Fear with Allie LeFevere

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Today I am joined by Allie LeFevere the owner of a humour based Marketing agency Obedient. I was really keen to get Allie on the show as I knew she could provide a really interesting new take, that would provide a new prospective on all of our struggles. We dig into using fun as an alternative to fear based marketing and the science begin it, we discuss examples of humour led marketing, we talk about what to do if you don't think you are funny and we leave you with some really practical exercises to take away and start to use to really differentiate yourself through your copy and your imagery.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Allie's journey and story;
Why your clients are drawn to you
Understanding your customer
How to position your brand with personality
Resonating with your client
How to inject humour into what you are doing and stand out in your industry with examples
Looking at ways to communicate with your audience
Visual identity and visual experience for your audience

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram Allie on Instagram

Coaching Episode - Finding the What to Your Why and Getting out of Research Mode with Sarah Fraser

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 6 Sep 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Today I have a coaching episode with Sarah Fraser of Novel and Kind. A high school English teacher by trade she began blogging over a year ago to reconnect her creativity and in doing so found that other people were making money online and she wondered if this was something she could do too. Today we are talking about matching your skill set to an offering, getting over the need for more qualifications and how to stop planning and start doing.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Sarah's journey and finding her why
Do you need more qualifications?
Thinking about your clients pain points
Having the right mindset when self doubting
Getting work experience to boost your confidence
Should you start a new Instagram page when you change direction
Your Instagram Bio
Writing a sales page
Dealing with fear
Setting deadlines for productivity
Having an accountability partner
Having short-term and long-term deadlines,
Small actionable goals to move you forward

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram Sarah on Instagram

How To Get Going In Your Business (Starting Out or After A Break)

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 30 Aug 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Today is a shorter kind of pep talk style episode with me. What I want to talk about is getting going. At the time I am recording this, it is the end of August where here in the Northern Hemisphere we are starring to look ahead to the Autumn and get going with new projects or pick up old ones, as we get that back to school feeling, and in the Southern Hemisphere as you are emerging into Spring there is also that sense of getting going too so it feels like a good time to look at how to start something new or invigorate an existing business after a break.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Start gently and realistically
Fertile void
Starting out with a new idea
Reconnect with why you are doing this and who you are doing it for
Set some goals
Match your activity to those goals
Make movement

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram

Coaching Episode - Should I Spend More Time Making Or Marketing? With Fran Norris

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 23 Aug 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Today is a coaching episode with Fran Norris, an Artist and Illustrator based in the UK. Fran's hasn't been in business for long and after realising she had taken a bit of wrong turn and arrival of her second child imminent she decided to take down her online shop and start over with the marketing, In this episode we talk about finding the right direction and setting tiny goals to get there, time management, being efficient on the activities, knowing when to work on the work and when to work on the marketing and how to start to building an audience with your work.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Fran's Story
Turning art into a business
Changing direction
Selling & marketing your business
Setting goals, milestones and vision
Testing markets
Building an audience
SEO & traffic drivers
Spending time on marketing and spending time working in your business and finding a balance
How do you market when you don't have a website
Time management & being intentional

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram Fran on Instagram

Marketing and Business Q&A With Kayte Ferris

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 16 Aug 2019 05:00:00 +0000

I have been away from the Podcast over the summer and I am so excited to back in your headphones as we head into Autumn which is my power season. It seems to be where my energy is unleashed. I have a few things that are coming up over the next few months, which include;

Basecamp: This is a Course for those who are starting out in their business or feel like they are going round in circles to get them started to generate some forward momentum. This is available to start all year round to work through at your own pace, whether you want to do a deep dive over a weekend or little and often over a few months. If you need some accountability and structure, I will also run intensive months in September and February, during which I’ll be available in the Facebook group to answer questions and where you can work through week by week with the rest of the group.

New online multimedia workshops during Autumn. The first is Creating and Communicating Value which is in September

Kit: Planning, Goal Setting & Reviewing Your Business which is in October

Course: Especially for Coaches, Teachers, Mentors or those who facilitate change in other people to help you stand out in a crowded market.

All the links are below in the shownotes

For our first episode back, it is a bumper Q&A. I asked my followers on Instagram to submit any questions, which I have covered in this Podcast.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

What advise would you give to somebody who wants to create an ecourse?
When trying to find your why how do you know that you have found it?
I would love to hear more about what product based businesses can offer to email subscribers?
I feel I have a good product, I realise its niche, how do I reach more people?
How do I get amazing testimonials?
How to decide between bringing out new products to promoting existing products?
How important do you think engaging is in terms of conversations and comments?
What advice do you have for creating a website, what elements do you consider essential?
How do I get people from likes on Instagram to making purchases?
Tips for navigating the initial slow periods when you have launched but no one has bought yet?
How do you cope with the rejection that's inescapable when doing outreach?
How to price an offering when some of your audience are broke students or unpaid interns?
How can we increase our own website sales away from Etsy?
You talk a lot about being present and how critical that is and yet you also talk about not doing the things that you really don't want do. What is the thing that you really don't want to do is Instagram Stories with yourself talking, is that crucial or optional?
How do you stay motivated to create when you have a new business whilst working as well?
Any tips for where and how to market an evergreen course?

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram

Creating and Selling Digital Products With Kayte Ferris

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 31 May 2019 05:00:00 +0000

I wanted to talk about creating and selling digital products. I know that digital products are are on a lot of peoples radar at the moment as they are touted as easy/passive ways to make money while you sleep or do another job. So for those of you who are playing round with the idea of a digital product then this episode is for you.

I have been running e-courses for over a year now and in the last month I launched two other digital products The Purpose Kit and my Online Workshops, so I am going to share the leanings of all those different experiences.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

What is a digital product?
Are digital products for you?
Is the market saturated with e-courses?
What will make your e-course or digital product more successful
How will it make a difference to your customers life?
Getting clear on your why and on the feelings of your customers
How do you find out what your customers specific problems are
What is the best format to deliver your digital product
How to create an e-book or digital product
Getting feedback
What software and platforms to use
Thinking about pricing
Pre-launch tips
Open & Close Carts and building momentum
Evergreen content
What if they don't sell?

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram

Coaching Episode - Defining Your Business Model with Elin Lööw

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 24 May 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Today is a coaching episode with Elin Loow, a writer and blogger who supports creatives going through the process of turning idea into reality. Elin is right at the start of figuring out what her services and offerings might look like, so today we’re talking business models - 121 vs one-to-many, how to choose the right business model for you and your customer, expectations and also getting away from the rules to create the best product you can.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Business journey of a Blogger
Finding your niche
1-2-1 vs one-to-many business model
Recognising your ideal client
What defines an expert?
Having variety, balance and freedom in your business
Personality strength finders test
Having certainty in your business
Having a structure and a process in place to enable you to test new products and services
Defining your role
What is the difference between a Coach and a Mentor?
Growing your audience
What can you do that will move your business forward this week?
3 Key things to make your business a success

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram Elin on Instagram

Over-saturation, Vulnerability, and the Marketing That's Stopped Working

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 17 May 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Over the last few months I think we have all felt a bit of shift in the online landscape and the conversations I have been having with clients have reflected this too. It all started with questions about saturated markets, struggling to stand out, authenticity and vulnerability, Instagram growth and email signs up are grinding to a halt, in spite of people doing all the right things. Today I wanted to unpick on what is going on with this, look at emerging trends and look at ultimately getting some ideas on where the marketing space has headed and how we can keep ahead of the curve now that all the tried and tested things are not working anymore.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Over-saturation of product and marketing style
Vulnerability to trigger growth
Authenticity and connections
How to be unique and different
Playing to your strengths
5 practical steps you can take to start reassessing your marketing
My Online Workshop - Forget 5 Step Formulas: Embrace your own style of marketing

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Tickets to my online workshop, Forget Five Step Formulas, are available here.

Kayte on Instagram

Finding Your Voice and Joy In Writing with Greta Solomon

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 10 May 2019 05:00:00 +0000

My guest today is Greta Solomon, a writing coach and author, whose latest book, Heart, Sass & Soul: Journal Your Way to Inspiration and Happiness, is, as the title suggests, all about finding joy in creativity and self-expression through writing. While she now focuses on creativity, Greta also has a background in teaching business-writing, so in this episode we cover the whole spectrum - from balancing the personal and professional through to finding joy in writing. We discuss the rise in sharing vulnerable stories and treading carefully through that, as well as overcoming the mental blocks you may have around writing to find your true voice.

In 2006, she discovered a talent for helping people overcome the blocks, fears and shame that stops them from fully expressing themselves. Through talks, workshops and online programmes, she teaches real-world writing techniques and inspires others to live rich, full lives. Her work has been featured in Forbes.com, Writers Digest, Kindred Spirit and The Numinous. She is a published poet and songwriter, a psychology graduate, certified life coach, trained lifelong learning teacher and holds a specialist certificate in lyric writing from Berklee College of Music. She lives in London with her husband and their daughter.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Business Journey of a Professional Writer
Tone of voice when writing for your business
What will your reader want to hear?
Sharing your personal stories
Conveying your personality
The Communication Pyramid - Mind, Body, Heart, Soul & Voice
Journaling

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram Greta on Instagram

What Does Finding Purpose Really Look Like?

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 3 May 2019 05:00:00 +0000

You know how people say that when you're thinking of buying a certain type of car you start to see that car everywhere? Well I'm getting that at the moment with purpose. In the week that my new product, The Purpose Kit is going live, and because of this i'm seeing it everywhere. Personally, I’m glad to see more people talking about purpose - it’s something the world could use a little more of all round. I think people are cottoning on to the fact that in an increasingly saturated market, you need more than pretty visuals to sustain a business. But I’m finding, and maybe you are too, that a lot of the conversation and resources around purpose are very conceptual - there’s a lot of theory, but not a lot of hard examples of what this could actually look like for you and your business. Purpose is a concept and very different for each individual. In this episode I wanted to bring purpose to life a little bit, to look at the concepts around purpose but to talk through how they've shown up for me in my business from the beginning and how I continue to use it, so that you can see how it works practically as well as conceptually

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

The Purpose Kit
The concept of Purpose
What is Purpose?
How I found my Purpose
The three pillars of Purpose
Knowing your Why and your core Values
Having an impact and knowing your strengths
Underestimating ourselves
Understanding your Purpose
What fulfils you?

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram

Coaching Episode - Communicating Your Purpose, Your Personal Story, and the Mentality of Starting Something New with Emmeline Bramble

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 12 Apr 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Today is a coaching episode with Emmeline Bramble, a visual and verbal apothecary who helps women in business unearth their intuitive Purpose and create their visual and verbal branding. Emmeline and I are very aligned when it comes to the importance of Purpose and intuition in business, so I enjoyed having this conversation with her. We talk about how she came to find her own Purpose, and then dive in to communicating that purpose through the offerings you design, and the copy you write. We also dig in to how to include your personal story in a resonant way, how to launch new service offerings and the mentality of starting something new. Let’s dive in.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Journey of a verbal and visual apothecary
Values and sense of purpose
Intuition
Communicating your offerings with purpose
Dealing with impostor syndrome;
Coaching v Mentoring
Launch strategies
Wording for landing pages
Wording for About Me pages
Telling your story
Launching products
How to built trust and give value
Facebook & Instagram Lives

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram Emmeline on Instagram

Getting Started With Wholesale and Selling with Therese Ørtenblad

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 5 Apr 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Today I am talking to Therese Ørtenblad from Small Business Collaborative. Therese is a wholesale expert having a decade of experience working for large and small wholesale businesses selling products into brands as big as John Lewis or small as your local gift shop. She now mentors small product businesses helping them to make the most of their wholesale opportunities. In this episode we start basic, talking about how wholesale fundamentally works and go onto share selling and confidence tips, we talk pricing and we look at what opportunities might be right for you. Therese’s local airport was particularly busy as we recorded so you may hear some planes coming and going throughout this episode.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

The Journey of a wholesale business
Why does wholesale work?
Why is wholesale a good opportunity?
-Approaching retailers for wholesale
Cold calling
Delivering your products
Wholesale pricing and how to price your products for wholesale
How your branding can help with wholesale retailers
Knowing your end user
How to deal with wholesale when you are an introvert
Getting to know your wholesalers
Approaching wholesalers with the right mindset
Trade-shows

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram Therese on Instagram

Coaching Episode - Making Instagram Work For You When You Have Less Than 1000 Followers with Jane Badu

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 29 Mar 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Today is a coaching episode with Jane Badu, the founder of online homewares store We Are Nomads. After a holiday to Morocco 6 months ago Jane was inspired to bring the artisanal products she discovered to the UK, and now sources textiles, pottery and accessories from all over Africa. With the logistics all set up, Jane is turning her attention to social media, which is where this episode comes in! We’re talking about getting going on Instagram especially when you have less than 1000 followers - we discuss content creation, the Instagram rumour mill, inviting engagement and being found.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Business journey of an online homewares store
Market research
Knowing your strengths
Growing a following
Scheduling apps
Instagram algorithms
Creating content
Hashtags & captions
Using customers content & testimonials
The Weekend Hashtag Project
Engaging with your followers
Building an audience
What Photography works best
Structuring your feed
Your core messages
Instastories

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram Jane on Instagram

Coaching Episode - Overcoming Indecision and Empower Your Decision Making with Carissa Tanton

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 22 Mar 2019 06:00:00 +0000

Today is a coaching episode and I’m talking with Carissa Tanton, an illustrator who lives near me here in North Wales. Carissa has a problem that I think we can all relate to: indecision. Particularly as she works on her business part time, she finds herself spending way too much time researching and agonising over decisions as widespread as which print to list in her shop, how to spend her time and where she should invest in the business. In this episode we talk through these situations and talk about tactics to overcome indecision.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Carissa's business journey as an Illustrator
Clarity and Direction
Market Research with intention
Indecision with products
Going into the right task with the right mindset
Having a clear idea about your brand to enable you to market a product easily
The five why’s
Customer profiles
Getting opinions on services or products
Thought patterns & self-awareness
Deciding where best to spend money when its limited
Where to spend the most time on your business, when time is limited.
Fulfilling your promise to your customers & clients through your branding and direction
Changing your mindset from employee to business owner
How to be more organised
Growing a sustainable business
Being Authentic

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram Carissa on Instagram

Using Enneagram For Self-Awareness With Jessica Uys

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 06:00:00 +0000

Today I’m talking with Jessica Uys, a personal growth coach who uses enneagram to help people release old habits and live an uncompromised life. If, like me, may have seen people mention their enneagram type online, but not really know exactly what they’re talking about. I think that, especially when you’re starting and running your own business that any self-awareness you can gain will have a huge impact on you and your work, so I wanted to get Jessica on to talk about this form of self-awareness and how we can all use it.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Jessica's business journey and how she got into Enneagram
What is Enneagram and its history
The outward benefits
Personal Development
Finding your Type
How to use your Type to change your patterns
Reflecting and observing your Type day to day
How it works within work scenarios
The impact it has on your daily life
Stereotyping
Miss-typing and digesting your Type
Checking intentions and listening to your body

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram Jessica on Instagram

Starting and Running A Business Q&A With Kayte Ferris

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 8 Mar 2019 06:00:00 +0000

Today is a Q&A episode where I'm going to be answering the questions you asked me on Instagram, all about starting and running a business. Thank you for sending in such a big variety of questions, this means that we're gong to be covering topics as widespread as money and Instagram, competition and motivation

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

How I decided on the name Simple & Season rather than using my own name
What I think is the biggest thing that holds back freshly started businesses
Is there a surge of entrepreneurs because of Instagram and how to deal with a saturated market
How to best spend your time when starting out
How to get the courage to talk about your idea
How to motivate yourself when you know what you need to do but you’re scared
How to maintain momentum in a new business
How to properly convey your why into your work
How to choose a business idea when you have two conflicting passions
What goals I have for my business this year
Tips for avoiding that bare look when first starting out on Instagram
Should you use your current Instagram and pivot the content, or start afresh, when just starting out in business
Have I always had as many likes and comments as I do now, on my Instagram since day one
The best way to build a mailing list for new businesses
Is local marketing important for online businesses who don’t have a location open to the public
When customers have unrealistic expectations and complaints, how to handle the emotions that come with this
Where to start with Financial Planning and Business Models
How long it took me to match my earnings from my previous job
Spending before you have the income.

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram

Coaching Episode - Engaging Your Audience with Elizabeth Stiles

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 1 Mar 2019 14:00:00 +0000

Today is a coaching episode with Elizabeth Stiles, a fashion brand consultant based here in the UK who helps existing and emerging fashion brands take their ideas from paper to production. Elizabeth has been in business for about six months and has already done A LOT in her marketing, so today we talk about keeping going, maximising the effectiveness of her channels and adjusting your messaging to make sure you’re engaging the people you want to work with.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Elizabeth’s business journey as a Fashion Brand Consultant and what she offers
Your target audience
Direct Sales Marketing
Client & Customer pain points and communicating properly for each one
Balancing your messages
Marketing buckets
Instagram tips on content and graphics
Facebook Groups
Building your email list through Facebook Groups
Lead Magnets
Instastories
Podcasts
Finding a community, collaborations and outsourcing

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram Elizabeth on Instagram

Coaching Episode - How to Build a Business For Coaches & Creatives With Kathryn Ho

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 22 Feb 2019 06:00:00 +0000

Today is a coaching episode with Kathryn Ho, an artist and coach-in-training based just outside of Dundee in Scotland. In art school Kathryn developed serious mental health problems and by the time she graduated was disillusioned with creativity, and took a marketing and operations job. However, a few years later she found the urge to paint again, and is now driven to help other creatives on their journeys through coaching. In this episode we talk about balancing the very different income streams Kathryn has across all the channels, thinking about who the customer is for her different offerings and building the brand around herself.

In this episode we talk about building a business for Coaches and Creatives and how to build a brand when you have two business streams. So let’s dive in.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Kathryn’s business journey as a frustrated creative
Clarifying your business model and income streams
Marketing and building a profile
Instagram Marketing
Pre-launch phase and content
The difference between product and service marketing
How to think and engage with your target audience to build your mailing list
How to bring together two different business streams
Your Personal Brand
- Blogging for coaches and creatives
- Building a Brand using Videos, Lives & Instastories
- Website design ideas
- Self Acceptance

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram

Pinterest Q&A with Curly Carrot

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 15 Feb 2019 06:00:00 +0000

Today is a slightly different interview format than those I’ve done before. My guests are Dorte and Georgie of Curly Carott, and we’re talking all things Pinterest. Now, I know how powerful Pinterest can be, but it’s something I’ve been pretty lax in setting up for my own business, so rather than try to come up with some questions myself, I let my Instagram audience volunteer their own questions. So today is a Q&A all about Pinterest, from what it even is, to how to set it up and how to be strategic with it.

Get 15% the Grow Your Creative Business With Pinterest e-course with the code GROWPIN15

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Dorte and Georgie's business journey
Pinterest basics - how it works, business vs personal account
How does Pinterest even work? How does it drive traffic?
What is repinning? How do you repin?
How does it differ from other social media - can you build a community on Pinterest?
How should you share your own content?
Pinning multiple posts multiple times
What is the ideal balance between sharing our own vs other content?
Niche boards vs general boards
Writing your pin descriptions and hashtags
How to get other people to see your pins
How do you get a pin to go viral?
How do you grow?
Is Tailwind necessary?

Find links to the resources we discuss in the full show notes.

Social Pow Wow on Instagram Kayte on Instagram

Coaching Episode - Starting Your Marketing When You've Been Avoiding It with Christina Paul

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 8 Feb 2019 06:00:00 +0000

Today is a coaching episode with Christina Paul, a web designer and copywriter to helps Heart Workers with their brand clarity to feel fully expressed in their words and websites. Christina has been avoiding marketing her business, but now she’s introducing a new offering and feels empowered to share her message, she wants to start slowly and quietly being more visible. In this episode we talk about how to think about marketing and the customer journey, how to introduce new offerings aligned with your purpose, what jobs your channels need to do and how to be consistent with your activities.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Christina’s business journey itching to be more creative
Finding what drives you
Balancing space versus doing your marketing
Time and pleasure tracking to help you balance your time
Having a purpose for your channels and marketing
How all the channels can work together
Using your Why in your content to attract dream clients
Centring everything around the website
Using a free workbook to introduce yourself to the world
Creating your marketing for your audience, not because what you think you should do for your ‘job title’
Consistency on Instagram
Having themed days to keep focused on tasks

Find links to the resources we discuss in the full show notes.

Christina on Instagram Kayte on Instagram

From A Seed Of An Idea To Planning Your Launch

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 1 Feb 2019 06:00:00 +0000

This is a solo episode talking through a question I’ve had several times over the last few months: how do I go from the seed of an idea into a fully-fledged actual business? I want to clarify too that this isn’t just for people who haven’t yet started their businesses, it’s for those of you who are thinking of launching a new offering or new product collection too. The 3 part process I’m going to talk through is the one I use myself and with clients when you want to introduce something new to the market, no matter how long you’ve already been there.

Here's What I Talk About In This Episode:

Refining the idea
Thinking about the customer
Doing your market research
Preparing your marketing plan and materials
Pre-launch and launch
Being visible during your launch period
My launch experience

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

If you have an idea you want to launch, my group coaching programme, Make It Real, starts very soon.

Find Kayte on Instagram

Coaching Episode - Getting People To Sign Up To Your Email List with Joanne Griffin

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 25 Jan 2019 06:00:00 +0000

Today is a coaching episode with one of my former coaching clients, Joanne Griffin of Arnold & Bird. Joanne started Arnold & Bird to creatively empower design-led souls in making their ideas a reality. She specialises in developing product ideas for creative businesses to expand their product range and bespoke graphic design. After completing a Surface Pattern degree and working in e-commerce for over 10 years, including writing the trend guides for Not On The High Street, she realised that bespoke design and working 121 with creative businesses is her passion.

In this episode we do a deep dive into email marketing - growing your list, opt ins, marketing your emails like a product and how to make sure they get opened. So let’s dive in.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Joanne’s business journey
Finding new people vs converting existing people
Opt-ins
Marketing your opt in and newsletter with testimonials and shares
Using webinars in a non-salesy way
Channels to use to market your list
Using outreach to grow your newsletter list
Subject lines and open rates
Talking about your newsletter frequently, and interestingly

Find links to the resources we discuss in the full show notes.

Joanne on Instagram Kayte on Instagram

The Answers Are Already Inside You with Susannah Conway

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 18 Jan 2019 06:00:00 +0000

I’m so excited to bring you my conversation with this week’s guest as she is someone who’s work is one of my favourites to follow. Susannah Conway is a writer, photographer and teacher who’s been sharing her heart online for over a decade. Dedicated to helping people know, trust and express themselves better, her work is steeped in self-compassion, kindness and practicality. Susannah’s creative courses have been enjoyed by thousands of people from over 50 countries around the world, has published three books and writes a monthly column for Project Calm magazine.

This year, 2019, marks ten years of Susannah teaching online via e-courses and books, and today we have a twisty conversation through the lessons she’s learned in that decade and how she runs her meaningful business. Particularly if you are feeling frustrated near the beginning of your business, I hope this conversation brings you perspective, light and hope.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

How Susannah started her business
Your courses are about you
There is no ‘right’
Dealing with the fear
Why your course isn’t selling
Creating with your audience
Susannah’s process of creating a new course
Knowing what you want and sticking to it
Being honest and showing up as your true self
Sell by being a friend rather than an expert

Find links to the resources we discuss in the full show notes.

Susannah on Instagram Kayte on Instagram

Lessons Learned In The First Full Year Of My Business

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 4 Jan 2019 06:00:00 +0000

Although this episode is going to have a slight round up feel to it, it’s definitely going to have something useful for you whenever you’re listening. As 2018 is drawing to a close, I thought that I would share with you some lessons that I’ve learnt in the past year, which happens to have also been my first full year self-employed and running my business. So whether you're starting out, re-starting or just slogging away, I hope this episode can serve as some useful tips or reminders to help you grow with soul.

Here's What I Talk About In This Episode:

Some more time spent planning and not so ‘in it’ would have been useful
There is no reason why you can’t other than what you tell yourself
It’s nothing to do with you
Investigate everything
Accept the way you work and lean into that
You’ve got to ask for what you want
Connect to a personal why to make sure you’re doing your most fulfilling work
You need a life
Tell yourself you’re good and celebrate

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

My e-courses and group coaching programme are all now open for 2019! Check out Campfire, Smoke Signals and Make It Real.

Find Kayte on Instagram

Planning and Productivity with Josephine Brooks

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 28 Dec 2018 06:00:00 +0000

Today I’m chatting with Josephine Brooks who is a planning and productivity mentor for side-hustlers. Her mission is to help side-hustlers build a business that gives them the freedom to do more of what they love by helping them plan more effectively, and boost their productivity. Josephine was a client of mine through 2018 and so I knew she was the perfect person to get on the podcast to talk all things planning. So much useful stuff in here for you, and I hope you enjoy!

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Josephine's business journey so far
Why planning is the key to success
The three step planning method
Quarterly planning
Finding the time scale that works for you
Planning your weeks
Writing great to do lists
Finding a planning routine

Find links to the resources we discuss in the full show notes.

Josephine on Instagram Kayte on Instagram

Getting Your First Client and Acquisition Strategies

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 06:00:00 +0000

Today’s episode is just me and I’m going to talk to you about a question I’ve had four times in the last two weeks - how do you get your first client? That is such a loaded question, as it’s not just about acquisition strategies, but also navigating the emotional rollercoaster of starting out. Even if you have booked clients before, or you’re not a service-based business, there is still lots in here for you - I’m going to talk about all the different types of acquisition you can do in any business, tell the story of booking my own first client and also give you some mantras to think about when you’re feeling stuck.

Here's What I Talk About In This Episode:

The difference between acquisition, conversion and retention
The theory of seven contacts
Choosing acquisition strategies based on your strengths
Types of acquisition strategy
How I got my first client
The silent watchers
Knowing when you need to change your product
Not panicking

For links and resources discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram

Coaching Episode - How To Define Your Value with Jane Lindsey

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 9 Nov 2018 06:00:00 +0000

Today is a coaching episode with Jane Lindsey of Snapdragon Studio. Jane is a designer, writer, photographer and teacher based in rural Scotland, right on the edge of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. She creates physical products, subscription boxes and e-products inspired by the seasonal change that she sees around her.

I was excited to get Jane onto the podcast as she has built the on-paper success many would dream of with over 100,000 sales on Not On The High Street, but in the last year has decided to take the business in a new direction. In this episode we talk all about value - what it even is, the difference between physical and e-products, and we get into the free vs paid debate.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Jane’s story and the scaling of Snapdragon
What it’s like selling through marketplace websites
Having a membership business model
Working out the value of e-products
Trusting your customer to find the value themselves
Standing behind your e-products
Drawing the line between free and paid - especially when people complain
Systematising free vs paid

Find links to the resources we discuss in the full show notes.

Jane on Instagram Kayte on Instagram

Side-Hustling, Balance and Believing In Your Work with Supal Desai

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 2 Nov 2018 06:00:00 +0000

In this episode I’m talking to political risk strategist and blogger Supal Desai. Born and raised in America, Supal decided to make the jump to living in the UK while studying for a Masters in International Relations at the University of St. Andrews.

She has enjoyed a diverse career, spanning from working in intelligence, to now owning her own consultancy specialising in luxury brand strategy. The motivation to take the leap from working in government to running her own brand consulting and blog was fuelled by her love of creativity and fashion.

I met Supal on the photowalk she led for Blogtacular this year and was so impressed by her life and story, how generous she is with her knowledge and how she is living her life without compromise. I wanted to get her on to talk about embracing this working set up, balancing everything she’s doing, taking opportunities and believing intensely in your work. There’s a great mix of practical and conceptual takeaways from this and I hope you really enjoy it.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Supal's story of making the life she wanted
How your side hustle helps your main hustle, and vice versa
Scheduling for balance
Working efficiently, not hard
Prioritising and creating the time
Tips for pitching to brands or bloggers
The importance of customer experience
Not worrying about numbers and believing in your work
Start where you are, use what you have and do what you can

For links and resources we discussed in the show, see the full show notes.

Supal on Instagram Kayte on Instagram

Coaching Episode - Increasing Your Visibility and Pitching with Vanessa Dennett

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 26 Oct 2018 05:00:00 +0000

I have a coaching episode for you today which is all about getting out of your own channels and making your business more visible. My guest is Vanessa Dennett of The Simpson Sisters, who uses her skills and experience acquired over the years to bring together like minded women in a warm and welcoming environment where they are so good at encouraging, supporting and enthusing each other. We talk about finding your audience, defining key stories, the mindset of pitching and the intricacies of it too. So I hope you enjoy this really practical episode and it gets you thinking about how you can get more visible too.

If this episode resonates with you then you may be interested in my outreach course Smoke Signals: Putting Your Message Where Your People Can See It, which starts on November 5th. In the course we’ll go into all the things we discussed in this episode and more besides to help you make outreach part of your strategy and to get you pitching and connecting. You can sign up here.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Vanessa’s life and journey so far
Finding clarity in your business
Where are the people you want to find?
Outreaching on social media
Having an objective for outreach
You are the least important thing
Finding your key stories
How to approach pitching
The concept of reverse outreach
Pitching
Planning forwards for visibility

Find links to the resources we discuss in the full show notes.

Vanessa on Instagram Kayte on Instagram

How To Get Stuff Done

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 05:00:00 +0000

This week I want to talk more about how we work in our businesses, productivity, mindset and how to get stuff done. I think that a lot of us struggle with this in different ways, and productivity and motivation is something we tend to beat ourselves up over. So today I’m going to take you through a few tools and concepts that I use to keep going and getting stuff done.

Here's What I Talk About In This Episode:

The concept of Intention + Action
How to introduce more intention and action into your planning
The Minimum Viable Product
Using three things to prioritise tasks
Projects and campaigns
Defining your job role

Find links to the resources we discuss in the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram

Coaching Episode - Creating A Marketing Plan with Ellen Carr

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 12 Oct 2018 05:00:00 +0000

Today is a really juicy coaching episode, which, like all great conversations, went down lots of interesting tangents and ended up coming out in a much better place than we expected. My guest is Ellen Carr of Being Change, a purposeful and holistic living coach based in Manchester here in the UK. In this episode we’re talking a lot about what a marketing strategy even is and whether you need one, and once you’ve figured that out, some ways to simply and easily plan and think about your activities. I really enjoyed this conversation and I hope you will too.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Ellen’s journey to turning Being Change into a business
Types of marketing strategy
The fear of putting something live
Taking part time work
Creating a marketing plan
Purpose is the difference between a calendar and a plan
How I approach SEO (or not!)
How to approach pitching
Launch planning
Where to start with connecting to your body

Find links to the resources we discuss in the full show notes.

Ellen on Instagram Kayte on Instagram

Seasonal Branding & Consistent Visuals with Margie Jansen of Everyday Artefacts

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 5 Oct 2018 05:00:00 +0000

One thing I haven’t spoken much about yet on the podcast is visuals, and I guess that’s because it’s a subject that’s hard to do through audio. However, I thought it was time for that to change, so today I’m talking to branding expert Margie Jansen of Everyday Artefacts all about being consistent with your brand visuals. You 100% know Margie’s work because she created the visuals for Grow With Soul so they’re right there in the palm of your hand! And in this episode we talk about colour psychology and seasonal brand identities with lots of take aways for you to think about.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Margie’s journey as a designer
Where Margie starts with branding design and her process
Seasonal personalities as a structure for finding your personal style
How to find your seasonal personality
How to find your colours
Creating a style guide and maintaining consistency
Choosing fonts
Using boundaries for creative consistency
Why consistency is important
Not being scared to do it wrong on Instagram

Find links to the resources we discuss in the full show notes.

Margie on Instagram Kayte on Instagram

Coaching Episode - Creating and Planning Content with Christianne Squires

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 28 Sep 2018 05:00:00 +0000

Today I am sharing with you a coaching call where we really dig in to the ins and outs of content planning. My guest is Christianne Squires of Bookwifery who runs courses to help people birth their books, from discerning whether someone is pregnant with a book, all the way through pregnancy, labour and post-natal care. In our conversation we get really into thinking about the customer journey and how to speak to people at the stage they’re at, planning content effectively, what goes on each channel, and there’s a little bit of book writing chat as well. There’s so much good stuff in here, and I hope you’ll enjoy it as much I did.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Christianne’s journey to Bookwifery
How knowing her why helps Christianne connect with her people
Using the funnel to know what content to post where
Purpose of channels
Email marketing and newsletter content
Having jobs for your content
Repurposing content
How to birth your book

Find links to the resources we discuss in the full show notes.

Christianne on Instagram Kayte on Instagram

Marketing and Creative Business Q&A

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 21 Sep 2018 05:00:00 +0000

For episode 12 it's just me talking to you. Since starting the podcast twelve weeks ago, I’ve had lots of little questions which don’t quite make up their own full episode, but I really felt they would be universally helpful to answer. So today is a bumper Q&A episode answering all those little questions about marketing, working and everything in between. I hope you enjoy.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

What to focus on when first starting out in business
How I first started booking clients
How to stay relevant/keep people interested in what you do
Instagram content for service-based businesses
How to get started when you're not confident with your photo skills
How to use time wisely when business is slow and when it’s fast
How to narrow down your what
Managing fear and self-doubt
How to filter out the noise and not be a part of it yourself
The pressure of being original with your work
How stay motivated
Taking your business to the next stage

Find links to the resources we discuss in the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram

Coaching Episode - How To Take Action on Your Big Idea with Anna Dunleavy

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 05:00:00 +0000

This episode is all about how to take an idea that you’ve been mulling over and put it into action. My guest is Anna Dunleavy, a photographer who has recently gone full time in her main business, but has an idea for a membership community that she can’t shift. In this episode we talk through the idea from business model, through target customer and content and how Anna is going to make it real.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Anna's big idea and what she's done so far
Defining a business model for the membership
Pricing and practicalities
Defining the target customer and how to reach them
Content planning
Setting goals and deadlines for the big idea

Find links to the resources we discuss in the full show notes.

Join the September intake of Make It Real here.

Anna on Instagram Kayte on Instagram

How To Write Creatively with Huma at Our Story Time

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 7 Sep 2018 05:00:00 +0000

For episode 10 of Grow With Soul I have a treat of an episode for you. I’m talking Huma Qureshi, a client of mine who has turned into a good friend. Huma is the curator of the online store Our Story Time, and is also an award-winning published author and creator of the writing course The Quiet Words. In this episode we talk all things writing - starting a writing practice, how to write when you’ve been told all your life that you can’t, reading, journaling and generally the power of words.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Huma's journey as a writer and as a business owner
Adding value and connection to your writing
How to get ideas for your writing
Reading as a writer - and reading what you want to write
Using journaling to help your writing
Setting up a writing practice
Starting to write when you don't feel confident

Find links to the resources we discuss in the full show notes.

Huma on Instagram Kayte on Instagram

Coaching Episode - Selling Without Feeling Icky & Treating Your Business Like A Client With Indie Foolheea

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 05:00:00 +0000

It's episode nine of Grow With Soul. This episode I’ve got another coaching session for you and I’m talking to Indie Foolhea who runs Unfold Change, providing marketing services for ethical and impact-driven business. Her goal is to enable mission-driven people and businesses to explore and tell their story to the world in the most authentic way, to reach their most engaged fans and grow their community.

Indie hasn’t been full time in her business for long, so in this episode we get into all the boggy stuff that comes when your figuring out this business thing. We talk about selling without feeling icky, giving things away (or not), as well as personal things like learning to manage your time and growing a support network of like-minded people.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Indie’s story and the background of Unfold Change
Pricing your services
Hunting vs farming in sales
Earning the attention of your ideal client
Giving away information and knowledge
Setting routine and treating your business as a client
Analysing your habits regularly
Instagram engagement
Making business besties
Using real life experiences to sell

Find links to the resources we discuss in the full show notes.

Unfold Change on Instagram Indie on Instagram Kayte on Instagram

How To Collaborate With Indie Magazines with Caroline Rowland of 91 Magazine

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 24 Aug 2018 05:00:00 +0000

My guest for episode 8 is Caroline Rowland, who is not only the founder and editor of 91 Magazine, but also a blogger at Patchwork Harmony and a published author. Caroline was one of the first names I had on the list to speak to on the podcast as everyone I speak to, myself included, is inspired by 91 magazine in some way. In this episode we talk about balancing online and offline content, the future of print, how to pitch to magazine editors and moving from products into in real life events.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

The story of 91 magazine
Why indie magazines are growing
Approaching sponsored content
How to pitch to a magazine editor
Moving offline into real life experiences
Learnings from our workshops

Find links to the resources we discuss in the full show notes.

91 Magazine on Instagram Caroline on Instagram Kayte on Instagram

Coaching Episode - Reaching And Interacting With Your Audience with Aiste Saulyte

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 17 Aug 2018 05:00:00 +0000

For episode 7 I have another coaching episode for you. Aistė Salute is a photographer, illustrator, writer, and witch. She creates etherial & emotive photography for whole-hearted & free-spirited creatives, brands, and couples. She was brought up in Lithuania but moved to London for university and after 5 years of city life decided to start fresh in Lewes, a small English town she knew nobody in. Here she launched her photography & illustration business and spends time growing connections locally & online based on honesty, vulnerability and sharing her authentic self. In this episode we talk about the difficulties of finding your way in business, dream clients, and connecting with an online audience as an introvert.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Aiste’s story to becoming a business owner
Defining yourself and your work, and niching
Reaching more people as an introvert
Interaction vs broadcast on social media
Being proactive by having an audience profile
Allowing your audience to see themselves in you
How do you figure out what’s relevant to talk about?
Planning content
Instagram as a tool
Outreach ideas

Find links to the resources we discuss in the full show notes.

Aiste on Instagram Kayte on Instagram

The Two Foundations Of Marketing: Your Why & Who

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 10 Aug 2018 05:00:00 +0000

Today on the podcast it’s just me, and I’m digging into two of the most crucial elements in marketing, that just happen to also be the two things people struggle with - knowing your why and knowing your audience. These are so important because they inform your whole marketing strategy - the content you create, where you put your brand, even the products and offerings you provide must all stem from these things. In this episode I talk you through why and how you can use this information to grow your business, and the exercises I go through with clients to help them find their why and get to know their audience.

Here's what I talk about in this episode:

Why you need a why
How to find your why
The 21st century elevator pitch
How audience knowledge helps you in your marketing
How to get to know your audience - goals, challenges, watering holes
Understanding the eco-system of your audience

Find links to the resources I discuss in the full show notes.

Kayte on Instagram

Approaching, Working With & Being An Influencer with Olivia Tripp of Weekend:IN

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 3 Aug 2018 05:00:00 +0000

In this episode I am chatting to someone who is really doing some great work in the world of influencer marketing, in a small business context. Olivia Tripp is the founder of Weekend In, a Bristol-based agency that helps independent brands, connect, engage and grow their audiences. Olivia is someone I noticed online because she’s doing some really innovative, creative work with influencers and events for her clients and I just had to get her on to share her knowledge. This episode is packed with advice for people wondering how to use influencers in their marketing, if you want to do some influencer work yourself, or if you’re thinking about running events within your business. I was so inspired and galvanised after talking to Olivia and I hope you will be too.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Olivia's background and the story behind Weekend:In
The best channels to promote your small business
Organising an influencer event
What should be in your pitch to an influencer
How to choose influencers to work with
How to work with big and small influencers
What Olivia looks for in an influencer
Where the value is with in-person workshops
The importance of brand clarity
Selling workshops

Find links to the resources we discuss in the full show notes.

Weekend:IN on Instagram Olivia on Instagram Kayte on Instagram

Coaching Episode - Building A Purposeful Side Hustle with Rabya Lomas

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 27 Jul 2018 05:00:00 +0000

I have another coaching episode for you this week. I’m sure many of you will know my guest today, Rabya Lomas, perhaps better known online as She Flourished. Rabya works full time in the corporate world of Project Management and is also a mother to her little boy Rafe, and wife to Chris Pratt lookalike Alex (her words, not mine 😉). When not working her 9 - 5 day job, she's playing - creating visuals for Instagram, baking, painting, and generally making a mess! Rabya is a huge advocate of playtime for adults because she believes play unlocks creativity, takes us out of ourselves and gives us momentum in the most unexpected and joyful way.

I really wanted to talk to Rabya because she is starting her business from a really strong sense of purpose. Rather than monetise her Instagram in some of the more obvious ways, she is really passionate about her why and starting a business around that. In this episode we talk about some ways to focus on your business baby when you’re also working full time and have a family, focusing on owned channels and the importance of play.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Starting a business from a strong sense of purpose
Taking the pressure off having the perfect offering
Saying the thing that you do
Creating and attending in-person events
Finding time when you’re working full time
Taking a long term view of your priorities
Making sure all your channels match up in terms of quality
A blog with a business vs a business with a blog
Treating your business like a job

Find links to the resources we discuss in the full show notes.

Rabya on Instagram Kayte on Instagram

Coaching Episode - Content, Comparison & Scatterbrain Working with Kara Leigh Ford

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 20 Jul 2018 05:00:00 +0000

This week's episode isn’t a traditional interview, but a coaching call where we dig into some real life business and marketing problems and find solutions to them. My guest is Kara Leigh Ford, a ceramicist and potter based just outside of Bath in Somerset. Kara started pottery as a hobby 14 years ago, becoming hooked after taking an evening pottery class and rushing home from work every evening to pot late into the night. In 2015 Kara gave up her day job to follow her dream to be a full time potter. She designs and hand-makes everything from her garden shed, making modern rustic table and homeware inspired by the textures and colours of her favourite childhood beaches.

In our conversation we cover so much, from tactics for dealing with comparison, creating an effective work routine, all things email marketing, and creating content when writing doesn’t come easily. I know that not only will you love Kara, but that you will relate to so much of what we talk about on this episode.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

Kara's story of becoming a full time potter
Comparison as a marker of how far you've come
Using comparison to inspire action to improve your business
Being a scatterbrain when working for yourself
Themed days and budgeting time to help you stay organised
Struggles with writing blog posts and email newsletters
Ways to create content without writing
Finding ways to provide value
Marketing your email list
Marketing in-person experiences

Find links to the resources we discuss in the full show notes.

Kara on Instagram Kayte on Instagram

Slow Living In The Hustle of Online Business with Geoffrey & Grace

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 13 Jul 2018 05:00:00 +0000

Melanie Barnes, perhaps better known online as Geoffrey & Grace, is a blogger living by the sea in Sussex, England with her husband Leo, 6 year old daughter Bailey and cat Juniper. Melanie writes about slow, wholehearted and creative living, and she has worked with brands like 20th Century Fox, The Linen Works, Farrow and Ball, Vitabiotics, and Toast. Central to Geoffrey & Grace is the belief that in order to experience those wholehearted moments that are present every day we need to slow down and reconnect to our bodies. Before having her daughter, Melanie taught yoga and was a massage therapist, so wellbeing is at the heart of everything she does.

In this episode we talk about how Melanie balances slow living with the ‘fast’ world of blogging and social media, and we also get into our thoughts about the ‘hustle’, money, and practical things you can do to tune into your body and intuition more. Through my conversation with Melanie I realised some things about my own priorities, so I hope you find this episode as enlightening as I did.

Here's what we talk about in this episode:

How Melanie came to be a blogger and grew her audience
Our thoughts about the rhetoric of 'hustle' and how to shift our thinking around work
Guilt and ickiness around money and selling, and methods for overcoming those feelings
The importance of listening to your body and intuition
Practical steps to tune into your body more
Setting your purpose and priorities for your work and life
Finding slow moments and rethinking slow living

Find links to the resources we discuss in the full show notes.

Melanie on Instagram
Kayte on Instagram

A Slow Marketing Manifesto

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Fri, 6 Jul 2018 05:00:00 +0000

The first episode of Grow With Soul introduces the key components of slow marketing and the freedom to grow a business and a life that is true to you.

In this solo show I talk through the concept of slow marketing and why it's the best way to build a sustainable business, how to simplify the marketing you're currently doing or think you should be doing, how to find your purpose, the power of focusing on your audience and being human, and how and why to be valuable.

It's my hope that this episode helps you to stop everything you think you should do and want and focus in on what you really want in your work and life.

You can read more about slow marketing in this blog post.

Introduction

kayte@simpleandseason.com (Kayte Ferris | Simple & Season) — Wed, 27 Jun 2018 09:10:00 +0000

Grow With Soul is the podcast for creative business owners and dreamers who want to grow soulfully, sustainably and slowly in their work and life. If you feel fear and overwhelm around the idea of marketing yourself, if you're tired of all the 'should dos' and 'guaranteed formulas for success', you've found a home here.

Grow With Soul is hosted by Kayte Ferris, a creative business and marketing coach working with creatives to start and nourish businesses that are purposeful, wholehearted and balanced.

Through solo shows, guest interviews and coaching episodes getting to the nub of real life business problems, this podcast will demonstrate that marketing can be something you love doing, that sustains your business and that fills up your soul.