You got into business for freedom. But behind the scenes of your hard-won success is a solopreneur working long hours and second-guessing decisions. We need sustainable business and marketing strategies. We crave meaningful conversations. And we want unfiltered fun.This isn't just content. It's a community - one in which curiosity, self-expression, and heart are the only prerequisites. Online business owners, this is your stomping ground. (Warning: You may be asked to spill your guts.)
When in Rome.
Published 7 months agoΒ β’Β 7 min read
MADE WITH LOVE & GUTS BY
πΈ HAPPY HOUR EDITION
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IN THIS ISSUE:
Germs (sorry)
My #1 travel tip + highlights from Italy
A steal-able idea to organize and filter your CEO ideas
An invitation to hang with me next week
Hey Reader,
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Here today with an important reminder: Never make big decisions when youβre sick or in a bad mood.
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I spent the last couple of weeks sick AND in a bad mood, and I was ready to torch everything.
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The sickness actually started while I was in Italy (side note: I went to Italy!) and crescendoed after I got home. I thought Iβd be riding my pasta/wine/cheese high for a while. I thought Iβd bring home vacation vibes and endless inspiration from my travels. But all I brought home was a bad attitudeβ¦ and phlegm.
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Instead of seeing everything through rose-colored glasses, I saw everything as a problem.
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I looked around at my houseβwhich I didnβt leave for a literal weekβand saw clutter and dust. I looked at my business and saw a mile-long to-do list and zero passive income. I looked at myself in the mirror and saw dark circles and new sun spots.
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At some point, I stopped sweating through my sheets long enough to remember that feversβand feelingsβarenβt permanent.
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If Iβd let either of those things drive my decision-making, I might have axed my favorite offer and given everything I own to Goodwill. Instead, I drank gallons of tea and dropped $400 on an LED mask for those sun spots.
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Hey, I never said I succeeded at not making big decisions.β β
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Here's my #1 favorite travel tip
Plus a few highlights from Italy
β I once read that one-third of your enjoyment of an event comes from anticipatingit.
β I'd be willing to bet that another one-third of your enjoyment comes from reminiscing about the event. And since I have the memory of a goldfish, I came up with a fun way to reminisce in detail instead of letting the memories all blur together:
β Write down all the little details from your trip that you can think of. The characters, mishaps, meals, surprises... anything that stands out.
β At first, you'll write down the obvious things you'd probably never forget. But the longer you keep at it, the more vivid and specific your memories will be. (The same is true when I force myself to write at least 20 headlines. It always gets better and more interesting the more you write.)
β This can be a fun game to play on a torturously long flight home, and if you had a travel buddy, you can play and reminisce together.
β Here are a few of the details from my first-ever trip to Italy I want to remember: β
πͺ Walking half a mile through the winding cobblestone streets of Trastevere with my new rolling suitcase, clocking the old man playing the accordion on a stoop, thinking βI should really appreciate thisβ while not really appreciating it... because I was in the final hour of a 17-hour journey
β π―ββοΈ Hoards of Italian teenage boys (where were all the girls?!) hanging out outside and all dressed exactly the sameβsame haircut, same black clothes, same sneakers
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π My first bite of pizza with real cheese in about six years
β βπ When said husband's family warned us that food portions tended to be bigβand then the ancient, impossibly hunched-over server brought us two massive platters with about five pounds of carbonara apiece. This was followed by a clarification: "The portions are big, but they're not usually THIS big." Also my first creamy, cheesy pasta in about six years β β βπ€πΌ My extremely limited Italian somehow getting progressively worse as the week wore on β
π» Practically having Aragonese Castle in Ischia to ourselves and having a strange video malfunction in a room we later learned had a gruesome history... then deciding it was most definitely haunted β
β It's nice to reflect back on these memories and remind myself that Italy wasn't just a fever dream. β
Now back to business... (steal this idea)
Create your own CEO Garage and filtering system for all your genius and questionable ideas
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β After three years in business and a million ideas in the same timeframe, Iβve learned that most ideas are not worth pursuing.
β But I've alsolearned that I need to scratch the creative itch when an idea strikes. And I don't want these ideas taking up space on my mental hard drive or getting lost in a notebook somewhere.
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Enter the CEO Garage: a dedicated place for me to park and organize my ideas.
My CEO Garage lives in Notion, but you could make one anywhere
To give my CEO Garage some structure, I have a helpful filing system and categorize my ideas into Big Ideas, Little Ideas, and Squirrel Ideas.
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Big Ideas are the ones that make you a little nervous in a good way. They're the ones that will grow your business in big and bold directions.
β Rebranding this newsletter and calling it The Speakeasy was a Big Idea. I also have ideas for a course, a summit, and even a book in here. β
Little Ideas are the random things you know you need to do and will improve your business, but only incrementally. A lot of them are things you can likely get your VA's help executing.
β My ideas on this list include small messaging and offer tweaks, creating pinned posts for Instagram, and making website sitemap updates. β
Squirrel Ideas are fun ideas that arenβt directly aligned with your goals right now. You're saving them for one day, but they might never come to fruition.
β On this list I have ideas like creating low-ticket products for other copywriters (fun, but definitely not a priority), switching from HoneyBook to Indy (HoneyBook keeps pissing me off, but this would probably require more work than itβs worth), and creating a card deck or journal with brand messaging prompts. (Actually, I still like this idea! Maybe I'll move it to the Big Idea list.) β
How do you decide whether an idea is a Big, Little, or Squirrel idea? You use a filtering system. Your values and your long-term goals are the filter.
β βIf an idea does not directly support an existing goal and is not aligned with your values, it's a Squirrel Idea. Resist the shiny object. Park it, but don't pursue it. You'll likely be chasing your tail.
β βIf it's aligned with your values and helps you achieve a short-term goal, it's probably somewhat administrative in nature or doesn't move the needle a whole lot in your business. It's a Little Idea. You can pursue it, but proceed with caution: You don't want too many Little Ideas on your to-do list at once. Prioritize accordingly. Otherwise, you'll always feel like you're busy yet never making progress on the things that matter most.
β βIf it's aligned with your values and helps you achieve a visionary long-term goal, it's probably scary and/or exhilarating and therefore a Big Idea. You must pursue this idea, no matter how inconvenient or overwhelming. This is the idea that will change lives if it comes to fruition. But here's the thing: No one will insist you pursue this idea. You have to motivate and support yourself. You have to fucking go for it.
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What do you think of this CEO Garage idea? Will you create one for yourself? Let me know what you think if you do. I can't wait to see your Big Ideas come to light.
β βWITH LOVE & GUTS,
Cassieβ β
π¨ New tool I love:
βSenjais a free tool to automate your testimonial collection and sharing process. They make it so easy!
^ This is my affiliate link, but the free version is great and what I use.
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π Next book on my to-read pile:
The Hero and The Outlaw: Building Extraordinary Brands Through the Power of Archetypes
β I'm sure I'll be doing a recap at some point.
π Event you're invited to:
In celebration of the start of Q2 (and 3 years of Mettle & Tonic), I'm hosting a CEO brainstorming/coworking session just for Speakeasy subscribers next Friday, April 5th at 2pm ET. Join me here.β
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SPILL YOUR GUTS
Iβm trying to decide the theme of the next Draft House session and could use your help. Past themes have included launching your evergreen offer and growing/nurturing your email list. Ideas for the next theme include:
finding your unique factor for potent brand messaging
ethical pitching/cold outreach
creating an unforgettable, on-brand client experience (from proposal to onboarding to asking for the testimonial)
your idea here
What kind of training and resources would you like to see come to the Draft House? Spill.
(And get on the waitlist for the next session here. We're kicking off again in May.)
This issue of The Speakeasy was brought to you by Focusmate, Cowboy Carter, and phlegm.
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a hideaway for kindred spirits doing business bravely by Mettle & Tonic
You got into business for freedom. But behind the scenes of your hard-won success is a solopreneur working long hours and second-guessing decisions. We need sustainable business and marketing strategies. We crave meaningful conversations. And we want unfiltered fun.This isn't just content. It's a community - one in which curiosity, self-expression, and heart are the only prerequisites. Online business owners, this is your stomping ground. (Warning: You may be asked to spill your guts.)
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