From procrasti-faffer to purposeful: the confidence to say no, charge more and put myself first
Eve’s story
Eve Sturdy runs a creative business that, from the outside, looked like it was doing pretty well. But behind the scenes, running it didn’t feel as clear or intentional as she wanted.
This is her story, in her words.
“My business felt chaotic and not truly like my own”
Before I joined Fliss’s community, I was trying to do too many things. Networking. Courses. Things I thought were helping move my business forward. But they weren’t really the right things. I never made time to work on my business - and often followed what others were doing.
When I first became self employed, I took every job I was offered. I said yes too much, and I’ve definitely done work that wasn’t right for me.
I saw other small businesses being truly themselves and wanted my business to feel like me. To attract the right customers, and do the things I genuinely wanted to do - not just what I ‘thought’ I had to. My business persona wasn’t fully formed and I felt really lost.
Honest conversations changed how I see myself
I’ve had a lot of revealing realisations just from having honest conversations in the community. Some real ‘wow’ moments. I’d never had space to talk about my business like that before.
Being in the On Brand community has made me feel less alone. Fliss helped coax ideas out of my brain that I didn’t even realise were there. And I also realised that other small business owners are going through exactly the same things as me. You realise it’s not just you. We encourage and support each other. We’re all figuring it out.
I realised I could design my business differently
Being honest with myself about what I actually want has made the biggest difference. I’m really clear on what my brand isn’t now.
I know who I want to work with. I know how I want to work. And I know what I want to offer.
I’m moving into more ‘Done with you’ services instead of just ‘Done for you’. That decision wasn’t random. I want, and need, work that’s more flexible. My health is up and down and if I push too hard, I pay for it. So I can’t build a business that ignores that. And I don’t want to work every hour that God sends. Working until 2am just isn’t right for me anymore!
Hustle culture isn’t welcome in my home
Something big has shifted in how my business fits into my life. The reason I’m self employed is flexibility. It’s being able to show up for my son, and help my sister. Not feel guilty and make up the hours late at night like I used to.
Through working with Fliss and being in the group, I’ve realised those things aren’t distractions from my business. That’s why my business exists. I’ve finally realised it needs to work for me and my family. And that’s changed how I make every decision.
Saying no has been empowering
The biggest tangible change is that I’m not afraid of saying no anymore. If the work or client doesn’t feel like the right fit, I won’t take it. My confidence has really grown.
I’ve learnt to charge for the value I bring now and I’m not afraid to say I want to earn more money this year. That used to feel taboo, but now I can say it. There’s always that worry that if you charge too much you won’t have any clients. But you’ve got to start somewhere. Charge what you think it’s worth and adjust if you need to. At least then you’re making a conscious decision. That feels very different from undercharging and hoping for the best.
I’m building my business on purpose now
I give myself space to think about the future of my business, not just react to what’s in front of me anymore. I book afternoons off, schedule time to work on my business, and have regular CEO days. I even randomly take Friday afternoons off sometimes. I look after myself now - which was unheard of before.
For me, the biggest shift is that I’m making decisions based on what I want now. Not what I think I ‘should’ be doing. Not what everyone else is doing. I call myself a great ‘procrasti-faffer’, but I’m learning to take action quickly on the things that actually move my business forward now.
My brand is still evolving, but I’m evolving it on purpose. And I’m putting myself first in my business.
Stories like Eve’s are exactly why I care so much about the work we do inside On Brand.
Getting clear on her brand didn’t suddenly change everything overnight. What it did was give her something to come back to when decisions needed to be made. With her brand guiding her and keeping her focused on why her business exists, Eve is now trusting her instincts. She’s building something that actually fits her life.