Hey Reader,

I hope you're having a lovely day regardless of whether you celebrate Valentine's Day or hate holidays that build up on consumerism.

My fiancé and I will shut down our computers early today to work out, enjoy home-made burgers, and finally watch the Wicked movie! 🪄

After an incredibly busy and successful start to the year, I'm now winding down and entering a new season.

The past few months have been all about going outward to create visibility and buzz about our new program, Substack System.

Now, I'm entering a season of going inward and:

• Serving 100+ new clients who have joined our educational programs over the past weeks.
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• Refining and building systems that will help us grow the business in the coming months.
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• Implementing new ideas for sustainable growth.

As creators, we have the freedom to design our own schedules and workflows.

And yet, we sometimes get stuck trying to force a rigid 9-5 routine while chasing "balance" in our daily lives.

I've been in that cycle for years before I figured out that there's another way to design my life.

Instead of chasing that elusive "daily balance," I'm now living and working in seasons.

Some seasons consist of intense work sprints. For example, when we're building or launching a new offer.

But after each intense work season, I enter a slower season to take more time for myself, my hobbies, and my loved ones.

Even though everyone's creator journey is different, we all experience ebbs and flows.

Sometimes, there's more to do, and you have to show up for more hours than you're used to.

Even in the busiest season, I take time for my basic routines like working out, but I have less time for reading or binge-watching my favorite Friends episodes.

Big goals will always require big work sprints.

What matters is that you don't lose sight of nurturing your body, soul, mind, and relationships.

In some seasons, you'll have to focus on learning and planning your next projects.

In other seasons, you fix the broken pieces of your business.

Other times, you take your foot off the gas completely and focus on recharging your batteries.

There's no right or wrong here.

The key is to listen to your own body, goals, and intentions so you can create a schedule that will help you move forward in the most effective way.

There are a million different paths to success, and as a creator, you make your own rules.

This isn't just true for your schedule but also for things like your content or personal brand.

My partner Philip and bestselling Substack writer Veronica Llorca-Smith recently hosted a brilliant talk about how to build your authentic and profitable brand as a creator with tips on:

• How to grow your brand on Substack
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• What it takes to build your brand as a writer/creator in 2025
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• How to share your work and 'promote yourself’ even as an introvert

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Big love from my screen to yours,
Sinem

PS. People who are ahead of you will never judge you.​