Leading Yourself First: The One Habit That Changed My Creative Business
Hi There-
Let’s be honest: most of us didn’t start a creative business because we dreamed of project management apps and time-blocked calendars.
We started because we love what we do. Quilting. Painting. Designing. Making.
Somewhere between “This could be a fun side hustle” and “Why do I have 37 unread emails and no clean coffee mugs?” things get real.
I’ve been there. (Still there some days—let’s be real.)
You can’t lead your creative business if you’re not leading yourself.
Wait… what does that even mean?
Leading yourself means doing the boring things before the fun ones.
It means putting boundaries on your time so your brain doesn’t burn out.
It means learning how to show up—even when it’s messy, imperfect, or you’d rather be binge-watching people organize their quilting rooms on YouTube.
It means becoming the kind of leader your creative life actually needs.
For me, that started with one habit:
The Morning Meeting—with Myself.
Before my email. Before Instagram. Before I peek into the studio and start rearranging fabric "just to clear my head."
I grab coffee. I sit down.
And I ask:
What’s the ONE thing I must finish today?
What can I let go of?
Who needs a response, and who can wait?
It takes 10 minutes. But it’s a reset button. It keeps me from spending the day in a swirl of half-finished ideas and half-drunk lattes.
Here's why this matters:
You are the CEO of your creative business—even if you also wear the hats of shipping manager, social media intern, and retreat room vacuum-er.
And like any good leader, you need time to think. Time to plan. Time to breathe.
Leadership isn’t about having it all figured out.
It’s about choosing what matters most, over and over again—even when it’s hard._
So if today feels scattered, try this:
-> Grab something warm to drink
-> Ask yourself what matters today
-> And lead from that place
Your future self (and your creative business) will thank you.
Want more real-talk tools to build better habits and show up as your best creative self?
Stick around. There’s more where this came from.
And hey—if you’ve got a messy, magical story about learning to lead yourself, hit reply or leave a comment. I’d love to hear it.
With you in the journey,
Donna
