“Doubt kills more dreams than failure EVER will.” I read this quote today and it lit me up inside, and it’s been echoing in my mind ever since.

This week I’m back from maternity leave and I’ve been filled with emotions. One of them is doubt. I’ve been worried about getting back into the swing, now with 2 kids, a mortgage and employees, things just got REALLY real. For reals. So when I heard this quote, it made my jaw drop. I love this so much, that it hurts.

Doubt KILLS dreams.

That’s so very sobering and SO very true. In working closely with business owners who have followed their dreams, I can see where those dreams have taken them… and it’s unimaginable to wonder what life would look like for them, if they hadn’t. What if they’d been too afraid – too full of doubt – to pursue those dreams?

I get it, failure is very real. But honestly, I can’t really think of any one of my clients, colleagues or friends who I would consider to have “failed” at a dream. Instead – they adapted. If sales didn’t work out as planned, they sold something else. If a business didn’t do as expected, they did something else. I wouldn’t call adapting or changing FAILING. Right? When we learn from something, and adjust – it’s surviving and thriving. It’s NOT failing.

So really then, what are we afraid of? Having to adapt or change? No problem. I hear you – it’s not always fun to adapt or change, but it’s nothing to be AFRAID of. It’s definitely not reason enough to NOT follow up on a dream.

Because really – what happens when that dream succeeds? Wouldn’t that possibility be worth it?

What have you been dreaming about lately, that you haven’t moved on because of doubt?

 

---

Need help with balancing your dream and the rest of your life? Need to customize your path and be really true to yourself? For a short time, I’m offering the Design Life Project as a self-study course, and you can take it at your own pace.  We also have a Design Life Project alumni group that you can join (included in your registration) where you can connect with others who’ve taken the course. Not sure if it’s for you? Read more about WHO the course is for and HOW it can help. This self-study version of the course will only be offered for a limited time, so head over and register and you can take the course when you’re ready. We are excited to meet you!!

---

Introducing the summer self-study edition of Design Life Project.

Design Life Project summer self-study edition is a five-week, self-study online course (that can be taken at your own pace) to help you custom-design your LIFE. This summer edition I decided to release for a limited time as a self-study version. Because summer time can be a busy time for a lot of us, I wanted to leave it open to be taken at your own pace, to allow for summer fun to happen in the meantime. Design Life Project will help you find your balance between work, play, life and love by identifying your core, discovering your strengths and weaknesses, and your natural rhythm. Design Life Project will help clarify and simplify your scheduling, help you to know what you should be working on when, get things out of your head and organized, and allow for maximum creativity to do the BEST DESIGN WORK you’ve done. Let’s make the REST OF YOUR LIFE, the BEST OF YOUR LIFE.

You will learn how to tailor a life balance so that you can wake up in the morning feeling FREE and totally present. Design Life Project will help you to develop a customized and flexible schedule that will FINALLY bring all the pieces together, once and for all.

Are you a creative who is:

• Juggling too many things at once, and are afraid of DROPPING the balls?
• Afraid of being too stressed to do your BEST work?
• Making mistakes, and being TOO HARD on yourself for them?
• Burning the candle from BOTH ends?

---

Perhaps you’re JUST starting out in a design business, and you want to start it right so that you develop the balance early on. You’ll learn what I’ve learned in YEARS of running a business, balancing a new family, and doing your best work, in just 5 weeks! I will be completely TRANSPARENT with you and tell you EXACTLY what did and didn’t work for me!

---

Would you like to:

• Wake up in the morning and LIVE out your ideal day?
• Be clear on what you need to work on, and WHEN?
• Use a schedule you can finally STICK to?
• Use 100% of your creative potential and feel TOTALLY inspired?
• Work with your IDEAL clients?
• Know the VALUE of your work and price it right?

---

 

Some testimonials from past students:

“When you work in any creative industry, or work for yourself, most likely you let that seep into every aspect of your being. As full filling as this kind of work can be, it can also be exhausting and overwhelming. It wasn’t until this course that I realized I was missing something. I am a designer by trade, and I wasn’t designing my life! The number one thing that I loved about this course was the confidence Cathy instilled in all us to take control. We truly have the power to design a life we love. There is a place where work and family coexist without guilt, and where we can do our best work free from burnout. I am so excited about the directions my life and business will take with this new found knowledge and support.”

“The Design Life Project encouraged me to really think about how I spend my time. I also took a long hard look at my business practices and the reasons behind why I do things a certain way and where improvements could be made. I walked away with a clear picture of what I need to implement in my business and a list of action items. More importantly, I feel encouraged and inspired to actually get those things done!”

“This course has helped me spend less time on the things that I don’t enjoy, while spending more time on my creative projects. I feel like my creativity has grown as I have gotten more inspired to spend time on the fun parts of what I do. During these weeks, I have given up some of my responsibilities to spend more time on fun projects. I am so happy that my work and quality has gotten better as I am zoning in on the type of work I do. I also started raising my prices on my cakes and will be raising prices on other things I offer as well. By raising my cake prices, I’ve been able to hire an assistant to make the process of baking and decorating go quicker and free up my time. I used to work 7 days a week, but I am now working 6 days a week and spending Sundays with my family. This is HUGE for me as I previously had no life/work balance and worked 24/7. I am making a conscious effort to stop working at a certain time each night and eat dinner and spend time with my family. It doesn’t happen every day, but at least it happens a few times a week and will start happening more as I keep working towards my goals. Thank you Cathy for all of your inspiration! I still have work to do, but I now know what needs to be done, what my priorities are, and have a clear vision for my businesses, know the type of clients I want to work with, and I see that I can’t say yes to everything, and I know I need to pay for help to make it all happen. I have learned SO much.”

“Being a business owner, wife, and mother of 3 little ones can be challenging at times. Last year, I was helping my kids with homework while answering emails on my phone, and ordered pizza for dinner far too many times. I took the Design Life Project last fall and it has made such a difference in the way I schedule my day! And Cathy is awesome!! If you want to design a new and better way of doing things, go get your spot!”

---

Week 1: Your Ideal Day, Motivations and Goals

In the first week, you will learn how to discover what fires you up, what you love to do, and how you’d like to do it. I will help you identify what brings you JOY and what ignites your best work. You will learn HOW to map out your ideal day, and what you’d like it to look like. In little, easy ways, you can start filling your days with JOY.

Week 2: Developing Boundaries and Implementing Them

In the second week, you will learn how to create boundaries, and I will teach you how to start implementing them RIGHT away to start clearing the clutter. I will help you choose which boundaries to put in place, for your desired results. You will be able to start clearing out some time and getting some time to yourself to do the things you love.

Week 3: Getting Help and Developing Your Team

In the third week, you will learn how to get help to clear off your plate, and how to afford it. You will learn tips and tricks to simplify your workflow so that YOU are doing less of the work you don’t love, and MORE of the work you do LOVE. You will develop a plan to work smarter and not harder, right away.

Week 4: Creating a Customized Schedule, Get Laser Focused and Be PRODUCTIVE

In the fourth week, you will learn how to custom-tailor a schedule to work WITH who you are, and how you like to work. You will learn that it’s okay to throw out the traditional ways of doing things and you will learn how to design it to work with your personality and style. You will finally develop a plan JUST FOR YOU, so that everything fits and everything flows. I will also help you get you laser focused, by following your schedule and allowing yourself to be FULLY present in what you are currently doing. You will learn the art of focusing on your project, on your family, on your friends – at the right place and time. You will start getting the MOST of your time so that you can stay productive and get more MEANINGFUL things done (in less time).

Week 5: Putting it All Together and Fine Tuning

In the fifth week, you will learn how to fine tune everything you’ve developed, and help you put it all together. You will start to master living out all of the pieces in balance, and you will be able to fine-tune the areas to work even better. This week we will be oiling the machine that has brought you to living your ideal day. It will all come together this week, and you will finish the course with a well-developed, customized plan to fit only you.

---

Design Life Project is taught by Graphic and Web Designer Cathy Olson, owner of the design studio Love-Inspired. She has over 13 years experience as a professional graphic designer, and has worked with a range of businesses – big ones like Disney, Costco, Best Buy and Walmart – to small ones like work-from-home moms, working from a desk and a laptop in the wee hours. Cathy started her own design business over 5 years ago, and in that time has helped hundreds of businesses find their authentic voice through exploration, social media, marketing, graphics, and web. She has dealt first-hand with the juggling a thriving business, being a mom to a growing family, and personal goals. She’s experienced overwhelm first hand, and has learned how to balance work AND life in a fun, personalized and EASY TO STICK WITH way. This class is perfect for designers, photographers, artists and creatives who want to have more free time, attract their dream clients, work smarter not harder, and truly start to LIVE the LIFE they want to.

---

Let’s FINALLY develop some balance and peace in your design/life. In this course, you’ll learn about setting goals to make your heart SING, determining which boundaries are necessary and ACTUALLY how to STICK to them. You’ll learn how to create laser focus and to REALLY stay productive. You’ll learn how to really be present in what you’re doing and be the BEST at it that you can be. Instead of living someone else’s life/dream/way of scheduling, you will learn the skills to design YOUR ideal day, YOUR ideal week, YOUR ideal year.

---

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

I’m so busy and overwhelmed already. Will I have time for your course? Can I register, but start it later when I know things will have quietened down? The course is recommended to span over 5 weeks – but the self-study version can be done at your own pace. Each week we will have lessons and worksheets, and you can do them in your spare time. If you don’t have spare time, the course will HELP you FIND some. Honestly, the BEST time to do this program is WHEN you are overwhelmed, because you’ll start to clear it out RIGHT away. You will also have access to the private Facebook group to bounce your ideas off of. If you would still rather go at your own pace, you can. You will be able to download all the content and access the course site for three months after the program finishes.

What kind of teaching can I expect in the course? What’s included? The Design Life Project e-course is robust. Enrolling in Design Life Project includes full access to the online classroom, video tutorials, Q&A and worksheets to identify your ideal day, as well as access to a private Facebook group where you can connect and share with your classmates and get feedback directly from Cathy. You’ll create an actual working system that is customized to you, so you don’t have to waste another moment in overwhelm or frustration.

When does the class start? Self-study course is available NOW! It will be for sale for a limited time, so purchase now while it’s available and take it at your pace.

Does the course meet at a certain time? Does it matter what part of the world I’m in? Design Life Project is a virtual course, you can participate from anywhere at anytime! Lessons are online and are meant to be taken throughout the week, and you can log into the course at any time to view them.

How much time can I expect to spend on the course? You’ll get new content on the course site throughout the week, M-F. We’ll start with a lesson, then a worksheet, some observation and testing, and then end the week with an action step. You can expect to spend anywhere between 30 to 90 minutes reviewing the content and completing the exercises and work for the class each day, depending on the length of the lesson. Some people may work through the content more quickly, and others may want to spend more time. All the content will help you develop your personalized plan by the end of the Design Life Project course.

How are payments handled? Payment is securely processed via PayPal and can be made using your PayPal balance or credit card. Please note that all course correspondence will be sent to the email address associated with your PayPal account. To use a different email address, please forward your PayPal invoice to cathy@designlifeproject.com.

Other questions? Email me at cathy@designlifeproject.com.

---

---

 

Just a reminder that today is the VERY LAST DAY to sign up for Create Passive Profits!

Create Passive Profits class starts on Monday! So excited!!

I recorded a welcome video for all the new students to know what to expect – and I’d like to share it with you all as well, in case you’re still on the fence, not sure if it’s a good fit for you, and would like to know what to expect during the course.

Click here to view this video on Vimeo.

Happy Weekend all!

 

---

 

I’d love to invite you to join us in the new 4-week long Create Passive Profits workshop, where I will teach you to take your ideas, talents and passions, and monetize them to create a passive revenue stream.

This is the very last DAY to register for Create Passive Profits – so snag your spot now to make sure you don’t miss out!

I was having a conversation with a friend who’s a wedding photographer – and she was saying as much as she loves her career and business, some days it feels so predictable, and sometimes it feels like she’s on auto-pilot. I know I’ve felt like this before. Goodness, I’ve been a graphic and web designer for over 14 years professionally, and over that time, even though some things have changed – a lot has also stayed the same.

It’s easy to get too comfortable in your role and to start to feel unchallenged as an artist – or really as a person.

So is it creative burnout? I don’t really think your creative tank is EMPTY. I think it’s creative auto-pilot – I think there’s lots of creativity still in there. Since I have been doing this for long, I’ve had to come up with new ways to make it fresh. Here’s some of my ideas for you, if you feel like you’re in a creative rut or that you’re burned out.

1. Passion projects

This is my favorite go-to for when I feel burned out. It’s almost like taking an old car out for a drive. I need a little recharge of my battery, and to push those challenging high speeds for a moment to remind myself that I can. Passion projects can be paid or not paid. Personally I prefer the paid kind (like passive income projects), but I don’t always go that route. Sometimes I just devote my time and energy into a side project. Maybe it’s planning an event, starting a community or group meet up, or maybe it’s planting a vegetable garden. Maybe it’s redesigning a room in your house, or maybe it’s taking up knitting. Whatever it is – it takes you mentally AWAY from your bread and butter and allows you to use some under-utilized creative muscles.

2. Learning

This another favorite go-to: learning. I love to digest new information. I love learning about new experiences, new people, or new things. I love expanding my knowledge and feeling that ah-ha moment about something totally foreign to me. This can be cross-promotional (meaning it helps your career) or not. It can be totally something that has nothing to do with what you do. All that matters is that you are passionate about it, and like learning it. This can be a simple as reading a book, or as elaborate as planning a trip to attend a workshop or seminar. I try to make it to at least one workshop or seminar a year. I love travel in theory, but executing it takes some work with a family. Last year we did a lot of traveling, in prep for this new baby coming. So this year I’m doing more from home learning – which is totally fun too! As long as you feel like you’re growing, that’s all that matters.

3. Simplifying

This can be the hardest of the three – but sometimes it’s most needed. Sometimes we need to EDIT. It may be time to prune your business or life. You could be burned out because you don’t like your offerings – or maybe you like some, but not all of them. Now is the time to see what you love about what you do – and what you could live without. I’m a huge fan of narrowing your market and also your offerings. I’m also a big fan of saying NO and getting rid of things. When you get rid of things – it also makes more room for new things. I’m currently working on launching a new design offering (something that isn’t out there right now but there is a huge need/market for) for Love-Inspired when I return from maternity leave – but it will mean me taking less business from another area. (To answer your question, I’m still not sure what I’m ditching – but rest assured I’ll have to ditch something.) Try getting rid of the things you don’t LOVE and filling that space with more that you do LOVE. Check out the YES list if you need a reminder of the things you LOVE.

 

Not sure if it’s the weather, or the time of year, or a mixture of the two, but I hear a lot of creative people struggling with burnout right now. I’d love to encourage you today to share this with a friend (share buttons at the end of this post) who you know may be struggling with this. Try one or all of these ideas, and let me know if it helped your burnout!

 

---

 

Reminder – Create Passive Profits starts NEXT WEEK! I’d love to invite you to join us in the new 4-week long Create Passive Profits workshop, where I will teach you to take your ideas, talents and passions, and monetize them to create a passive revenue stream.

This is the very last week to register for Create Passive Profits – so snag your spot now to make sure you don’t miss out!

Got 5 minutes?

Today I’d like to share a few SIMPLE steps that you can do RIGHT now – to get more done today. This will take you 5 minutes or less and might make a huge difference in your day. Why not give it a shot?

• Step 1:

Take out 2 blank sheets of paper and your favorite pen. Grab the first blank sheet. Take 1 or 2 minutes to write out everything you could work on today, or need to work on today.

• Step 2:

Pick 3 things – the top 3 things that HAVE to get done today, put a star next to them.

• Step 3:

Pick 2 more things that COULD get done today if you have some more time, put an arrow next to them.

• Step 4:

Grab the second blank sheet of paper, write down what time it is. Pick the easiest/quickest thing on your starred 3 list, write it down, and get started.

• Step 5:
  

When you’ve finished that, physically check it off or cross it out. Then do the same thing with the 2nd starred thing on your list. Write down the time you get started, and get started.

 

---

 

Repeat this with your 3rd starred thing, and if you don’t get to anything else, pat yourself on the back for getting 3 top things done today. If you have extra time and/or you’re on a roll, take the next 2 arrowed things on your list and follow the above!

 

The ideas behind this:

• A lot of us overfill our plate, get overwhelmed, and then start stalling. By choosing only 3 things to get done, you automatically focus in on 3 doable things – it’s an okay amount to chew without getting overwhelmed.

• The idea of writing down the time you get started, starts the clock, and gets you aware of time spent. Time is now ticking and you’re counting. This allows your mind to laser focus in and give yourself an actual starting point. It’s like the gun going off signalling the start of a race.

• Picking the easiest thing to start with builds momentum, makes you want to continue to conquer more, and you don’t tire out on your first task.

• Crossing an item on the list, builds confidence in the fact that you are really seeing progress.

 

Easy peasy? Give it a shot, and let me know what you think!

 

---

 

Reminder – Create Passive Profits starts NEXT WEEK! I’d love to invite you to join us in the new 4-week long Create Passive Profits workshop, where I will teach you to take your ideas, talents and passions, and monetize them to create a passive revenue stream.

This is the very last week to register for Create Passive Profits – so snag your spot now to make sure you don’t miss out!

This is the third post in a series on new idea fear busting. In Create Passive Profits, we are going to start the course by pushing past the fears that have stopped us in the past. In this series, I’d like to dispel some fears here on the DLP blog, to encourage you to start those things you’ve been dreaming about.

New idea fear busting #3: Someone will STEAL my idea

I don’t take this fear lightly. It’s a very real fear – copying exists today more than ever. But we don’t need to fear it, or worry about it.

• You will ALWAYS be the genuine article

Ray Kroc – founder of McDonalds said this:

“We can invent faster than they can steal”.

How true is that. You will always be one step ahead – you will always be the innovator. You will always be able to tout being the “Original” and you will always be able to charge a premium for your quality. The good news, is they can not make it as good as you, because you will always be one step ahead of them.

• Worry is a waste of your precious time

It sucks, and it hurts to be copied. People say it’s the highest form of flattery – but I would beg to say it’s the highest form of a slap in the face! Haha. The good news is, they aren’t worth worrying about most of the time. Even if you decided to litigate – there are always those overseas companies that can skirt around the law. Don’t waste time going backwards – instead, send your C&D orders – and continue innovating.

• Rest easy knowing they will ultimately fail

Copycats never thrive. They are bottom feeders and will always be leeching off of someone else. Copying is a weak business model that’s built on quicksand. You know it and they know it. Be happy that you are on the winning end of the stick.

• They can NEVER be you

You make a great product – and knock it out of the park. Put your heart and soul in – and have a GREAT time doing it. They can never be you.

 

Don’t let copycats stop you from getting your dream. You deserve to produce your idea and get it recognized. Forget them and keep being amazing!

 

 

---

If you haven’t already – read new idea fear busting #1 – it’s already been done, and new idea fear busting #2 – I’m not {blank} enough. I’ll be posting more new idea fear busting this week. I’d also love to invite you to join us in the new Create Passive Profits workshop, where you can take these ideas and monetize them to create a passive revenue stream. Registration is now open – so snag your spot before it’s sold out!

This is the second post in a series on new idea fear busting. In Create Passive Profits, we are going to start the course by pushing past the fears that have stopped us in the past. In this series, I’d like to dispel some fears here on the DLP blog, to encourage you to start those things you’ve been dreaming about.

New idea fear busting #2: I’m not {blank} enough

We really seem to psyche ourselves OUT of the good ideas, don’t we? There are lots of excuses we give ourselves about why we aren’t enough to pursue our idea. I’d love to debunk some of these now.

• I’m not EDUCATED enough

Why is it that we all think we need degrees in anything we do? Maybe it’s the old school way of doing things. It’s never been easier in history to learn how to do something. Hey, I even have a couple degrees in graphic design – but I know a LOT of my colleagues don’t. Since I worked very hard for it, I’m proud of it. But guess what? On the web – no one really cares. I don’t think people hire me because I have a degree – they hire me because they like what I produce, and they know that I can help them. No one cares about your background – they only care if and how you can help them. It’s really, really true.

• I’m not OLD enough, or YOUNG enough

This can be added on to the above – the web is the great equalizer, and nobody cares how old you are. The web is completely merit-based. Age just doesn’t matter anymore. And if for some reason, your ideal clients are looking for age – they are going to be your same age. So even if that is a factor (which it’s probably not) then there will be an audience and market just like you. Maybe that’s part of your niche – and that’s okay too! It’s just a selling point instead, and no reason to be afraid.

• I’m not TECHY enough

Simple software solutions are constantly being built for those who aren’t as technically inclined – as well learning programs for those who want to learn how. You can learn just about ANYTHING on the web these days. And even for free if you’re willing to dig. There’s no excuse any more – they are breaking down the tech barriers as we speak.

• I’m not RICH enough

I have some REALLY great news for you. Remember how I said it’s never been easier in history to learn something? Well it’s also never been cheaper to sell something. Informational products especially are DIRT cheap to produce – and the profit margins are close to 100%. You can get a site started with everything you need for less than $100 these days. You absolutely do not need a lot of money to start your idea. Even sites like Kickstarter.com and Indigogo.com make it easy to gain funding if your project does need it.

So have I convinced you that you are enough? Well, of course you are. You are amazing and ONE of a kind!

 

---

If you haven’t already – read new idea fear busting #1 – it’s already been done. I’ll be posting more new idea fear busting this week and next week. I’d also love to invite you to join us in the new Create Passive Profits workshop, where you can take these ideas and monetize them to create a passive revenue stream. Early-bird Registration is now open – so snag your spot TODAY before the price goes up to the regular rate on Monday!

I’ve written a lot about fighting fear on this blog – and for good reason. Fear stops great ideas from happening – and worse – it stops great DREAMS from happening. In Create Passive Profits, we are going to start the course by pushing past the fears that have stopped us in the past. Over the next couple weeks I’d like to dispel some fears here on the DLP blog, to encourage you to start those things you’ve been dreaming about.

New idea fear busting #1: “It’s been done already”

Perhaps you’re afraid your idea has already been taken – or more broadly, all the good ideas have been taken. It’s not true, and let’s talk about why.

• No one else is YOU

You know this is true, but I think we forget just how special we are sometimes. There is not one other person on this planet that’s exactly like you. You are a totally unique blend of your personality, your thoughts, and your experiences. Nobody will have your exact take on things. YOU are what makes your product/information/service different. Don’t forget it.

• People love to collect things – they own more than one of everything to round it out

People almost always own more than one of something. Because products/information/services vary so much, they will probably own a few. They will all have different features and perhaps they can be used in tandem with each other. And if they love your product – you want them to order more than one, and to share it with their friends! There are more than enough interested parties to go around.

• It’s MUCH easier to enter a market that already exists

Can you imagine how difficult it was for Steve Jobs to sell desktop computers when he first started out? I recently watched the movie “Jobs” and it detailed how he had to cold call people and explain the benefits of having a home computer. Being the first in the industry is back-breaking work. Who says we even want that, right? Wouldn’t we rather head down a paved road? I know I would.

• If you don’t do it, someone else will

How many times have we heard someone say about a new invention – “I thought of that years ago!!” – but they did not do anything about it. The problem with great ideas is they do have expiration dates – because someone will eventually come to the same conclusion. If you don’t do it – someone else will. Why not have it be you?

 

Last thought today: in this world of “I’ve already seen it on Pinterest” – it’s easy to get discouraged. There is something to be said about personal interpretation of an idea. The world may miss out on your take of a cool idea – don’t let it discourage you! Seek out your dreams anyway!

 

---

Stay tuned! I’ll be posting more new idea fear busting this week and next week. I’d also love to invite you to join us in the new Create Passive Profits workshop, where you can take these ideas and monetize them to create a passive revenue stream. Early-bird Registration is now open – so snag your spot TODAY before the price goes up to the regular rate next Monday!

---

Create a revenue stream that’s not dependent on your time, and is tailored for the CREATIVE business entrepreneur.

Create Passive Profits is a 4-week, online course to help you develop a system to create passive income, so that you are no longer exchanging time for money. Create Passive Profits will help you identify profitable and passive revenue streams to add to your offerings, so that you can free up your time and energy for the things you love. Create Passive Profits will help you decide which information or products are perfect for creative entrepreneurs, how to develop them to their full potential, and start making profits RIGHT AWAY.

Passive income is money that’s created without extensive effort, that can be re-used or resold for reoccurring income. Once it’s developed, and systems are automated, you are no longer limited by time and your sales can exponentially grow with little effort. Create Passive Profits gives you the tools to work less hours and still do what you love!

Are you a creative who:

• Understands the value of passive profits, but has no idea how to implement them in a creative business?
• Is afraid of relying too heavily on your current clients or getting new clients for income and stability?
• Finds your revenue is limited because you only have so many hours in a day?
• Feels like you have more information or skills to offer the world, but can’t find the time to figure it all out?
• Would love a flexible schedule and more free time?
• Wants to diversify your income in case you ever need time off?

---

Perhaps you are getting busier than ever before, and you are SERIOUSLY worried about sustainability. Maybe you’re feeling limited in how much income you can earn in your current role and with your current offerings. Possibly you’re like most of us, and feel like your true potential isn’t being utilized, but you’re stuck on how to start. This robust e-course will give you the ideas and tools to help you define the perfect passive income offerings FOR YOU, and walk you through the steps on how to start offering them, in just 4 weeks!

---

Would you like to:

• Reduce your client dependency?
• Build a healthy and more consistent cash flow?
• Create endless revenue stream potential?
• Use 100% of your creative potential and feel TOTALLY inspired?
• Broaden your audience and cross-promotional opportunities?
• Have FUN?

---

---

Each week, you’ll get:

• Comprehensive training videos for each lesson (approximately 15 – 30 minutes long, Mondays and Wednesdays)
• The video lesson in on Vimeo – Mobile-friendly
• Worksheets and examples to help you apply the techniques to your business
• Action steps so you can get actually develop your system as you go
• Teacher feedback, and fellow student feedback

---

Week 1: Smart Passive Income and How it Will Work for YOU

In the first week, you will learn all about passive income and reoccurring revenue streams. You will learn about the different types, including the two major groups, and also some little known others. You will get a great overview of all the possibilities and EXACTLY what it will mean for your business (and for you). We will get you fired up to start this new path by hitting the ground running

Week 2: Identifying Your Direction and YOUR Unique Offerings

In the second week, you will learn how to discover the direction you’d like to take your profits, and exactly how you’re going to do it. I will help you identify what brings you JOY and what ignites your best work. You will learn how to identify market gaps, and what your ideal clients are looking for. You will discover the products or information THEY crave and you will fill the niche and in turn, be able to charge a premium for it.

Week 3: Focusing on Informational Offerings + Taking Action

In the third week, you will learn how all about the potential of informational offerings and how they can create massive revenue streams. I will show you how to use your expertise and smarts to leverage information that others will pay a large premium for. I will show you how to create these offerings, how to price them, and how they can be reused over and over and continually make profits. You will learn how to continue this path and keep creating amazing offerings that blow them out of the water, every time. You will learn how to effectively market your offerings for amazing results.

Week 4: Focusing on Product Offerings + Taking Action

In the fourth week, you will learn how to all about product offerings – both physical and digital. I will show you how to use your strengths and intuition to create products that people love and can’t stop raving about to their friends. You will learn about resources on where to sell your products for maximum profits. You will learn what’s involved in product selling and what will truly make your products stand out from all the others.

---

Design Life Project is taught by Graphic and Web Designer Cathy Olson, owner of the design studio Love-Inspired. She has over 14 years experience as a professional graphic designer, and has worked with a range of businesses – big ones like Disney, Costco, Best Buy and Walmart – to small ones like work-from-home moms, working from a desk and a laptop in the wee hours. Cathy started her own design business over 6 years ago, and in that time has helped hundreds of businesses find their authentic voice through exploration, social media, marketing, graphics, and web. She has dealt first-hand with the juggling a thriving business, being a mom to a growing family, and personal goals. She’s determined to work less and play more – all while cultivating her thirst for art, helping others and using God-given talents. She’s experienced in business, marketing and strategy and LOVES continually learning and teaching others to work less and make more. This class is perfect for designers, photographers, artists and creatives who want to have more free time, have a monetarily healthy and rewarding business, become independent in your business and truly help brighten others lives with your gifts.

---

---

Let’s FINALLY free up your time, and work smarter to make more money with LESS effort. There is a lot of corporate information out there on passive income, but it’s hard to figure out how to apply it to CREATIVE businesses. You will finally be able to identify a clear route towards developing a passive revenue stream JUST FOR YOU. You will learn how to develop the information and products that people WANT from you.

---

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

I’m so busy. Can I register, but start it later when I know things will have quietened down? The course spans over 4 weeks and is very robust. Each week we will have lessons and worksheets, and you can do them in your spare time. You will also have access to the private Facebook group to bounce your ideas off of. We are packing a lot of information into 4 weeks, so you can absolutely take longer at each step if you need to. You will be able to download all the content and access the course site for at least three months after the program finishes.

What kind of teaching can I expect in the course? What’s included? The Create Passive Profits e-course is content and resource rich. Enrolling in Create Passive Profits includes full access to the online classroom, video tutorials, Q&A and worksheets to identify your unique offerings, as well as access to a private Facebook group where you can connect and share with your classmates and get feedback directly from Cathy. After 4 weeks, you will have the potential to start developing your products right away.

When does the class start? Registration opens February 24, 2014! Class begins Monday March 24, 2014. You’ll be able to download all content and access the course site for at least three months after the program finishes.

Does the course meet at a certain time? Does it matter what part of the world I’m in? Create Passive Profits is a virtual course, you can participate from anywhere at anytime! Lessons will be posted online throughout the week, and you can log into the course at any time to view them.

How much time can I expect to spend on the course? You’ll get new content on the course site throughout the week, M-F. We’ll start with a lesson, then a worksheet, some observation and testing, and then end the week with resources to explore on your own. You can expect to spend anywhere between 30 to 90 minutes reviewing the content and completing the exercises and work for the class each day, depending on the length of the lesson. Some people may work through the content more quickly, and others may want to spend more time. All the content will help you develop your personalized plan by the end of the Create Passive Profits e-course.

How are payments handled? Payment is securely processed via PayPal and can be made using your PayPal balance or credit card. Please note that all course correspondence will be sent to the email address associated with your PayPal account. To use a different email address, please forward your PayPal invoice to cathy@love-inspired.com.

Other questions? Email me at cathy@love-inspired.

---

---

You may have noticed lately I’ve been working extra hard. Today’s post will be a little different. I’m purposeful – I’m taking it easy.

I always am busy, I always work a lot – but lately my mind has been spinning and I have been going a million miles an hour. We have launched some BIG & gorgeous websites, I’ve started the new session of Design Life Project, I just launched Pretty Perfect Process and next week I’m opening up registration for the BIG one, Create Passive Profits. So far, it hasn’t bothered me, until today. And it’s not the busy that’s bothering me. It’s my expectations of MYSELF.

I’ve been awful hard on myself since the start of 2014. As soon as my morning sickness had subsided, I pushed the pedal full throttle. I planned/executed a big party for Aven’s 3rd birthday, and put a lot of pressure on myself with that too. As a creative, I want to feed my artistic soul, as a serial entrepreneur I always want to be starting things. As a sort of perfectionist, I want to do everything I do bigger and better. I really enjoy everything I do, so it’s not really work per se.

My biggest problem, is my expectations of myself.

I set the bar crazy high for myself. I expect a certain outcome and when it doesn’t happen, I tend to be very hard on myself. Does this sound familiar? I can’t be the only one! I’m sitting here today, wondering about the new course I’m opening up next week. I’m REALLY excited about it. It’s exactly what I WISH was out there when I was looking. It’s chock-full with valuable information and I’m so excited to share it with the world. I’m expecting it to totally change lives and directions of businesses. But I started to think… what if no one registers? What’s my goal amount of sales on it? Am I launching it too soon? Is it ready? I then started to think about the pricing. Is it too low? Just right? Too high? I’m giving out a ton of information – is it too much? Is it enough? I never really put this much pressure on myself before. This just means so much to me, and I’m so excited – that I’ve set the stakes really high for myself.

But you know what I just realized? No matter what, it will be okay. It is what it is, and it’s not ultimately in my hands. I started to think back to when I was dealing with my tumor – how I was convinced junk like this just didn’t matter. And in the long run, it doesn’t. What matters is that I love every second of learning, teaching, sharing and helping. THAT’S what matters – and that’s the bar I’m going to set for myself. As long as I just help ONE person – that is enough. I am enough. The bottom line does not matter – I’m not doing this for the money anyway. It’s always been about spreading my reach so that I can help others with what I’ve been through.

Helping others is enough. It matters more than anything we can do in this life.

I’d love to encourage you today, to be easy on yourself. Maybe you’re worried about sales, about marketing, about social media presence… just pause for now. Just let yourself be. You are perfect just as you are, right now. You don’t need to prove anything to anyone. Just be perfectly imperfect as God made you, and enjoy it.

I think lately my drive and spirit has pushed me to be pretty salesy and businessy (not that there’s anything wrong with that)… but I’m looking forward to getting more personal and open again with you all. I’d also love to encourage you all to share with me. Have you been through this recently? Are you going through this now?

Happy Friday, wishing you rest and rejuvenation this weekend!