The Business Burnout Cure

I am all for figuring out ways to make my life simpler.

And my garden hasn't been contributing.

Last fall I got slapped with an HOA letter letting me know I had to install landscaping in my backyard.

What do you mean I can't just have dirt in the desert if I want to?

So landscaping has become my part-time hobby.

Little did I know how much time and brain power goes into figuring out all the things that go into desert gardening, and how much I would actually enjoy it.

How to amend soil for drainage, the proper tools needed for digging into rock-hard native soil, the correct mulch that won't cook my new little babies in 120 degree weather (my hired landscapers did me really dirty here).

And after months of learning, and testing, and making poor decisions, I went into the last big planting session of the season ready and equipped with a planting SOP that my husband was able to follow so I could sit back, supervise, and sip on a mojito  we could do all the planting in twice the time.

Now all I need to do is some final prep before the summer scorch to see if everything will survive and I'll adjust from there.

But let me just tell you, it's looking like an absolute dream out there.

But here’s the thing.

This dreamy little garden moment only happened After months of figuring things out.

After I learned what plants even belong in a desert yard.
After I hired contractors that installed the wrong drip heads that I had to later replace.
After I took way too many trips to the nursery because I forgot one more thing.

And most importantly…

After I had done it enough times that I could Create a Process.

A repeatable way of doing the work.

A way to estimate the time.
A way to prep the materials.
A way to actually hand the task to someone else and know it will get done correctly.

That’s when something stops being an experiment and starts becoming a System.

Now contrast that with how a lot of creative businesses get built.

A client comes along with a need.

You’ve never done that kind of project before… but it sounds interesting.

Sure, why not. You'll figure it out along the way. It can't be that hard.

You say yes.

And suddenly you’re figuring everything out in real time:

How to actually do the work.
How long it takes.
How to manage the project.
How to communicate with the client.
How to price it profitably.
How to prevent it from completely taking over your life.

Every step of the way you're improvising.

Which is exactly why so many creative business owners are in constant burn-out mode.

Because when every project is brand new terrain, nothing becomes efficient.

Nothing becomes scalable.

Nothing becomes delegatable.

If you can’t hand the project to someone else with clear steps and expectations, that’s usually a sign the service isn’t fully developed yet. Even if you have zero plans of ever handing it off.

And that’s okay.

I spent years in the messy learning stage before offering lettering as a service.

Before that, I was a copywriter while I practiced and refined the systems behind my craft.

I built skills.

I developed processes.

I figured out how to be efficient.

Only then did it become something I could confidently sell.

That’s the difference between Learning a Craft and Building a Service around it.

And helping creatives bridge that gap is exactly what we do inside The Division.

We help you take the things you're good at and turn them into services that are clear, structured, profitable, and sustainable.

And if often starts with starting simple and adding in services as your capabilities and capacity naturally grows so you're not constantly spinning up a new plate.

So if you're tired of reinventing the wheel on every project and you're ready to build a business that's streamlined and simple instead of having a business that's exhausting…

We’d love to have you inside.

Stephanie Owens

Lady Gardener of the Desert
Simpler Business & Life Enthusiast

Co-Founder | Maker Division

Frontier by Shortstache

Favorite Presets

I'm a big fan of 1. Anything that makes my life easier and 2. The work of Garrett King (Shortstache). His photography presets have fast become my go-to packs, and his recent launch makes me want to head outside and get some shooting in.

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G.O.D &Amp; the Broken Ribs / Dericho Demonico

Now Playing

Don't mind me. I snagged some Jack White tickets last week so I'll be listening to his latest drop on repeat until the show.

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Jen Wagner

Design Resources

This font you're ready right now? Jen Wagner designed it. I'm a big fan of not just her fonts but her analog-style design assets (papers, textures, etc.) She's got a great handle on elegant design with just a hint of 90s editorial grunge, just how I like it.

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Sometimes the business we think we want isn't it. And that's exactly what happened to Maker Division member, Shawn Papineau.

Shawn came in last year full of energy and a stack of creative skills.

We're talking videography, photography, sound engineering, software development.

Because when you've got a healthy creative life and an appetite for growth, that's usually what happens. The crafts stack.

Inside The Division we ask our members to choose one, maybe two aligned crafts to initially build their business from. And to give that simple service model a good 6-month trial to make sure it's not just what clients want from you, but also where you want to take your life.

And Shawn did just that. He went all-in on photography and videography, what I like to call “peanut butter and jelly” skills because they make sense together from the eyes of a client.

And Shawn went at it hard. Landed clients. Photographed his favorite band. Honed in on not just his style but where he fit in the market place.

And after six months? Nope, this just wasn't for him. He gave it a go. He scratched that itch. But in the end he had a huge realization.

Shawn values remote work. Being present for his family. Innovation on a bigger scale.

Sure, he can still take on a photo gig if he's feeling it. And he can absolutely enjoy taking photos and videos purely for the creative fun of it.

But in the end, he's moving into his “Shawn the Software Developer” era. And we're super stoked to see where he takes this next.

Glad you listened to yourself on this one, Shawn!