August Check-In: End of Summer Edition
happy long weekend ☀️
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Happy Labor Day Weekend!
As we anticipate the busiest season of the year and navigate all the different feelings that come up with it, we’re sharing a light and breezy end of summer Check-In with a few tips and tools to support you. Whether you read it today or flag it for next week, we hope you find it helpful.
Have a wonderful long weekend!
Kathryn & Carla
p.s. Please “heart” this post! It helps other small business owners and creators find it.
Summer Wrap-Up Audit
Before we get swept up in crazy schedules, take 30 minutes to look at what worked well for you and your business over the past 3 months, and where you might be able to streamline or improve.
What was your biggest work accomplishment?
What was your top performing social media post?
What feedback did you receive from customers, clients or trusted partners/advisors?
What felt great in your business?
Where is there room for improvement?
What are you most proud of from the past 3 months?
Carry these reflections into fall as you start outlining goals and content. Next month we’ll be sharing tips for finding your focus for September through the end of the year, so stay tuned!
Streamline It
What is one simple system or template you could put into place now that would lighten your load or support you during the busiest time of the year?
Here are a few suggestions:
Calendar block in a way that best supports your work preferences. For example, if you are most productive in the morning, block that time for deep work. Or if calls and meetings eat away at your day, designate specific days of the week for those and clear the others for focused or creative work. We also like to block one day a month to create content.
If there are passwords, account numbers, codes, or even emojis you are constantly searching for, add them to your desktop for easy copy and paste. We’ve been using Stickies on our Mac for the better part of a decade. :)
Download our free monthly content calendar template and save it on your desktop to help you plan your fall content.
We’re excited to spotlight AYN Member Michelle Blaser, a marketing and advertising guru who has worked for brands including Netflix, Duolingo, and Fortnite. Michelle is currently running LinkedIn for Duolingo and she gave an *incredible* LinkedIn workshop to our members this month — so many excellent takeaways and insights!
Michelle is also the author of The Pollinatr, a Substack about marketing trends and fresh insights and ideas to connect brands to culture. It’s written for marketers, but it’s really for anyone wanting to keep a pulse on what is trending. It’s one of our favorites!
Here are a few of her latest topics:
Why Tennis is Serving Looks and Gaining Street Cred
Why Rucking is Having a Moment
Make sure to follow Michelle on LinkedIn and subscribe to her newsletter!
“As the founder and author of a Substack newsletter, The Pollinatr, I have found AYN to be an instrumental tool in my arsenal. It’s helped me hone my brand story, be my accountability partner when it comes to press, and it’s a supportive community of likeminded business women and awesome founders who provide in depth expertise” - Michelle Blaser
Click here to be notified when membership doors open again and join our amazing group of up-and-coming small business owners, designers, artists, experts, content creators and creative entrepreneurs.
Reading:
Currently on hold in our Libby app:
The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V.E. Schwab
Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors
Tiny Hot Dogs by Mary Giuliani
The Names by Florence Knapp
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Listening:
We’ve been following Sammi Cohen on TikTok for years now and are excited for her new podcast, Social Currency. She talks all things at the intersection of business, tech and culture.
Following:
Michelle shared this cool Instagram account with us that shares visuals related to “the art and science of happiness”: @newhappyco
What is on your last weekend of summer bucket list?
And just for fun, does your coffee order change with the seasons? Share in the comments!
~ Kathryn & Carla
Thank you for the feature!! So grateful to be a part of this awesome and badass community of women! 💛
Enjoying iced lattes but will be making the switch to hot pretty soon ☕️