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Are you on the verge of burnout in your design business? I think we’ve all been there, but you can prevent it! In today’s episode Lucinda Nixon joins us to share practical ways to prevent burnout. Listen in as she shares her experience in overcommitting, coming down with shingles, and what she put in place to avoid it happening again!
Lucinda Nixon is the owner of Hello Luci, a brand identity design studio based in Tampa, Florida. She is passionate about working together with creative founders to craft sustainable businesses through brand strategy and intentional design. Outside of design work, she loves helping new designers build their design careers by sharing educational tips & resources through her YouTube channel and digital products.
Experiencing Burnout as an Entrepreneur
Lucinda has been hustling since college, where she was managing school, work, and freelance design work. She started seeing the first signs of overextending herself and burnout during that time. From mistakes in her design work to not paying attention in classes, Luci quickly learned what burnout could look like for her.
Around 2017, Luci started a new full-time job and taken on a big project at the same time. In overcommitting to too much, Luci ended up getting sick and developing shingles. This left her unable to really complete any projects for a full two months.
This was a turning point—to stop doing too much. For the first time, burnout for her hit her physically and her body told her that she needed to stop.
This meant it was time to look at ways to prevent burnout.
Practical Ways to Prevent Burnout
Prior to this experience, Luci had been saying yes to any and every project she could book. She decided to take a look at her schedule, determine what her working hours were, and how she could build out a realistic schedule. This took her work schedule, time for rest, and how much she could dedicate to projects into consideration.
Once she went through this process, she realized she can only take 2 projects per month for her branding clients. She immediately implemented a waitlist and set aside more time for rest in her calendar.
Once she started putting boundaries up, she had to overcome the guilt that came with saying no to clients. If you’re struggling with this, it’s okay. You can say no to projects that you just can’t take on or don’t want to take on. Saying yes to all the things will lead to unhappiness and cost you your wellness.
Actionable Boundaries
Along with understanding how you can review your time to prevent burnout, Luci has incorporated a few additional boundaries that help her navigate work and avoid burnout:
- Is the client a good fit? By looking at the industry of the client, is it something she’s passionate about, and do her values align with the clients’?
- What are the communication styles of the clients and do they match her style? When you’re working long term with a client, you need to be on the same wavelength for communication.
- Nailing down services and projects that she was invested in and passionate about.
Guided Journaling for Designers
If you’re looking to really hone in on setting boundaries for your design business, you can join Luci in a 4-week guided journaling series, made just for you. After enrolling in this free series, you will receive prompts once a week in your inbox, for reflection throughout your week and during certain seasons of your design journey.
Catch the Show Notes
Get to Know Lucinda (3:12)
Declining Health (6:52)
Protecting Yourself Against Burnout/Stress (11:19)
Overcoming Guilt for Being Unavailable (13:16)
Actionable Boundaries (21:08)
Stay in Your Zone of Genius (25:03)
Steps to Creating Boundaries (27:55)
Encouragement (33:06)
Connect with Lucinda
youtube.com/channel/UC6F40M4ZQMzi030V-wb0mKQ
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Review the Transcript:
Bonnie:
Hi friend, and welcome to the brand strategy podcast. A show created to equip you with the inspiration, encouragement, and clarity. You need to build a brand of your dreams. I’m your host, Bonnie BTI, brand designer, and founder of the retreat from sustainable strategy to heartfelt encouragement. Each episode is designed to equip you with the tools you need to chase after your dreams, because you deserve a brand that empowers you to do what you love, connects with your dream clients and offers a deep sense of fulfillment along the way. So grab a cup of coffee and join the on this journey. Won’t you Friends.
Bonnie:
Welcome back to the Brand strategy podcast, where today we are talking about practical ways to help prevent burnout for designers with the incredible Lucinda Nixon. If you haven’t had the opportunity to connect with Lucinda before, she’s the owner of hello Lucy, a brand identity design studio based in beautiful Tampa, Florida. She is so passionate about working together with creative founders to craft sustainable businesses through brand strategy and intentional design, but actually outside of design work, she loves helping new designers build their design careers by sharing educational tips and re resources through her YouTube channel and her digital products. And it was actually through her YouTube channel that I found her actually Lucy and I had the privilege of both being speakers earlier this year at the thriving designer summit. And it was so fantastic to get to dive into the content that she shares on her YouTube channel. And one of the topics that I saw her cover in one of her videos was actually burnout.
Bonnie:
And now this is something that if you’ve been a long time listener of the podcast, you know, I’ve shared about my experience with burnout in the past. And it’s something that I know so many of us and the online business community, it’s something that we so frequently experience. And so it’s important that it’s something that we are able to take action to really protect ourselves from so that this is something that hopefully we’re experiencing less and less, or at least to lesser extents. And so, especially as designers and the work that we do so much of the work we do requires a lot of back and forth with our client. It requires a lot of, you know, collaboration with the, the clients that we’re working with. There’s a lot of pressure that we feel to perform at a high level and to create as close to perfect as we can. And that takes a toll over time. So today I’m really excited to have this conversation with Lucy all about some PR ways to prevent burnout. Um, because as designers, I know that this is something that we all can learn from and really, really appreciate. So Lucy, thank you so much for joining me. I’m so excited to have you on the podcast today.
Lucinda:
Thanks so much for having me. I’m so excited to be here with you as well.
Bonnie:
Well, if you are up for sharing, I would love it. If you could share a little bit more about who you are and what you do and this incredible business of yours.
Lucinda:
Yes. I feel like my own journey has been sort of all over the place, but I started designing in college when I went to school. I changed majors quite a few times, but ended up settling on graphic design. And at the same time, that is when I started doing freelance work as well, to get a little bit more cash in, to help pay for all of my studio expenses. And so I’ve been doing freelance design and design work in general for about, I wanna say 13 years now. And so I definitely have experienced so many ways of burnout and overextending myself over this time. Most of my career in graphic design has also been spent working full time too. I ended up going to grad school for interior design because I was also very passionate about architecture and design in 3d form. And also throughout grad school, I was doing freelance graphic design work.
Lucinda:
And that also ranged in so many different project avenues. Um, but just understanding how to juggle freelance design while being in school. I experienced that. And then at the same time as I was going into the architecture industry for my career, I continued doing freelance design work through that as well. And then in 2020, I went full time with my business and I didn’t really have a full business plan figured out then. And so I was also sort of just trying to take things as they come, as I figured out what kind of full design business I wanted to have. And so there was definitely a lot of overextending myself during that period as well. But I feel like over the past two years, I’ve definitely made it to a really good place with boundaries in my business, especially when it comes to, if you do have multiple passions, if you are still working full-time and you’re doing your business well, or if you are working full time with your design business, but just want more of a design business life balance.
Bonnie:
I love hearing, I I’m such a nerd in this way. I love hearing people’s stories of like how they got into owning their own business or running their own. And, um, just hearing how your business has kind of grown with you and kind of evolved over the years. It’s, it’s just, you know, I know that’s like the super condensed version, but it sounds like such an amazing journey, but something that I heard you mention is, you know, obviously when you were in college, especially like trying to stay on top of your classwork and those responsibilities and having freelance work on the side, like so many different things that you’re juggling at that point in time. And it sounds like as you went into school and, you know, life just kept, uh, moving forward, it’s it doesn’t necessarily sound like the amount of responsibilities that were on your plate really, really lightened up. So I heard you say that you experienced burnout during some of those seasons. What, what did you notice, like when did you start to notice that you were getting burnt out and were there kind of some clear signs that you felt or experienced that helped you kind of clue in of, okay. I’m not really, I’m, I’m not really like operating at my healthiest and my best capacity.
Lucinda:
Oh yeah. There have been different signals throughout the years, I suppose. And now I definitely feel a lot more in tune with when, when I do need to step back or take a break, but in school, I guess I would find myself working on schoolwork and then trying to also work on design work. And I would just feel physically a sense of stress or I guess, tightness in my body. That’s when I probably also wouldn’t sleep as much. I would stay up late trying to make sure I keep up with my own obligations as well as my freelance work. And I would just be so tired that it was really hard for me to focus maybe in school or I might have, you know, more typos or something in my design work. And I feel like when I have overextended myself, maybe that even means just taking on too many projects at once.
Lucinda:
I honestly could also see a little bit of like the quality of my work falling through the crack. Um, in the past I might also have a client, you know, reach out and be like, oh, Hey, like this isn’t. Um, so those were times in the past where I would really notice that I’m probably taking on too much. And then actually I wanna say about maybe four or five years ago now I had just started a new full-time job. And I also had taken on one of my biggest projects, which was, um, creating this whole presentation deck series for this company for their like weekly retreat. So I had to produce, I wanna say at least like 15 different presentation slide decks, and they were all different. Like there was a lot of work involved, but there was a really hard deadline and were so many revisions.
Lucinda:
And I had just started a new job and my mom was in town at the same time. And towards the end of it, I actually ended up getting really sick and I had shingles and I ended up not being able to do anything for, I wanna say about two months. And so I think that was the absolute biggest turning point where I realized that I could not keep doing what I was doing, what I had been doing for so long, which was just putting too, like so much on my plate to the point where it was too much. And I ended up getting busy from it.
Bonnie:
Isn’t that wild, the way that our bodies will like, yeah, they will go out of their way to like drop us these hints. And it’s like, yes, it’s like, they, they start with like the little things, right. Of like, oh, I’m like my, for me personally, it’s like, my patience wears out really quickly or I’m not sleeping while, or I’m finding myself to be really anxious. And it’s like, it’s like your body’s trying to like give you these little like, kind of whispers of like, Hey, this isn’t sustainable, but if you ignore them, then eventually ends up like shouting at you with something like, you know, something’s gonna knock you out and kind of force you to rest. And I, you know, I to hear that that was your experience, but wow. Like what a clear way for us to look at how our bodies are actually trying to communicate with us and help us. And it’s, it’s up to us to actually like pay attention and learn how to listen to those cues. Right.
Lucinda:
Yeah. I really think though, I also had a lot of headaches or like tension headaches and migraines in the past as well. And I do think there was a correlation between how much work I was taking on, um, and how I was physically feeling. And like you were saying, I just kept pushing myself and pushing myself until finally I think my body was like, we are not going to do this in anymore. And I think just being out and so sick for so long, it really made me rethink how I approach everything in my life.
Bonnie:
Hmm. Yeah. I can totally understand that. Well, if you’re comfortable sharing, what were some of the, uh, when you came back from that and as your health began to return to you, like, were there certain boundaries or certain actions that you found yourself taking to, to make sure that you were protecting yourself against that kind of burnout or that kind of, you know, like just overwhelmingly physical response for, um, from all the stress?
Lucinda:
Yes. There were quite a few at that time that I put in place. Um, I feel like before, especially because I was trying to establish myself more as a business owner in branding and website versus taking on freelance projects, I was finding myself saying yes to pretty much everyone who was interested in working with me. And so I first actually took a look at my schedule and I sat down and figured out what my work hours were, uh, making time to actually rest and then seeing how much time was left to dedicate to design projects. And from there I realized, you know, oh, I can only take on, you know, this type of project. And this is about how long it’s going to take. For example, back then, I think my branding projects, or maybe four to six weeks. And so realistically sitting down, blocking out my a and saying, I can only take on like two clients for, you know, the month of January and February. And that is it. And I actually then started a wait list, a wait list for my projects instead of saying yes, immediately. And so that was one thing that helped me with my timelines and just making sure I didn’t feel tired. And then yes. Also making sure I put in time to rest. I feel like I, I personally have to plan it and put it in my calendar. If something is blocked in my calendar, then I usually always do that. And so I also make sure to put in times for rest,
Bonnie:
Oh, I love that you schedule that into the calendar because I can so relate to that. I’m the same way. Like if it’s in my calendar, I’m, I’m paying attention to it and I’m taking it seriously. And if it’s not on my calendar, like, I, it usually falls through the cracks because it I’m not prioritizing it. So I really love the way that you’re like, no rest, this is a non-negotiable, this is something that is, is happening.
Lucinda:
Yes. I feel like one of the things that came up when I was starting to implement more boundaries in my business was that I started feeling, I wanna say guilt or some sort of feeling. I started feeling bad, um, that I was starting to say that I couldn’t work with people or that I wasn’t available to take them during the time that they wanted. Um, so that was something that I had to definitely overcome if, if somebody’s listening and they are experiencing that, I feel like it’s definitely normal. If this isn’t something that you haven’t done before. Uh, but after actually, you know, putting my wait list in place and saying that, you know, I only take on X amount of projects. I think it really helped my overall just feelings of not being stressed and overwhelmed. And it definitely reduced my own burnout.
Bonnie:
Mm. I love that. So I know that when I first, you know, when I look back when I was growing my business years of go, I know that turning people down or turning people away, like, like exactly what you were saying was something that I, I think probably for me personally, it was like, it was probably a bit of people pleasing. Like I wanted to, I wanted to make everyone happy and I wanted to be that person that, you know, everyone was going to and I could be like, yes, I can help you and I can help you right now. Yeah. Um, but I think that when I personally learned that the price of people pleasing and keeping the peace was my wellbeing and was my, my health and my sanity in some ways I, I noticed that, you know, like trying to be everything to all of the leads that come your way are trying to be everything to your clients and going above and beyond.
Bonnie:
And in these unsustainable kinds of ways was it was costing me too much. It was costing too much of like my wellness and my happiness and, you know, all the things. And I think for me personally, like I just, it, you know, it kind of came to this point where I realized like this isn’t something that I’m willing to keep doing. Like I’m not willing to keep making this trade of, of my time or my energy or wellbeing for this person, or, you know, this project, or, you know, whatever’s kind of the opportunity that’s coming my way, but it’s, you’re right. It’s definitely, it’s like a practice almost. It’s something that you, it doesn’t happen overnight. And it’s not something that like clicked in my brain. And then it, I, you know, all the desire to people please like magically disappeared. It, it was this practice. And I even now still find myself in, in certain, you know, situations having to, you know, practice that self-awareness and say, okay, like, this is an opportunity for me to honor my boundaries with myself. Did you find when you were starting to implement these, these boundaries, did you find that it was, it was kind of a, there was a learning curve almost with that.
Lucinda:
I’d say absolutely. I also have a lot of people pleasing tendencies. And so I always want to make sure my clients are happy. I want to help as many people as possible, even if it’s at the expense of my own time or relationships with people like, you know, I’m married. And so I would, you know, cancel date nights just to do work for clients. Um, I would, I would absolutely overextend myself in that way. And it was a really hard learning curve. And sometimes I still find myself wanting to, you know, take on too much at once, but then I actually take a step back now. Um, one of the things that helps me because I am a very visual person. Um, I, and I always also try to stick to words that I tell myself, I ended up a list of what my like, boundaries were.
Lucinda:
And I also made, um, like a little flow chart of sorts to see if this was a project I would want to take on. And anytime I felt some sort of pull or emotional reaction to feeling like, oh, I wanna say yes, but I’m not sure, but I feel bad. I don’t help them. I would look at my like list and my flow charts that I made for myself. And that would determine if it was actually a good fit for me. And so sometimes I need a actual visual reminder to also help me keep those boundaries with myself
Bonnie:
That is genius, like such a brilliant idea of ways to practice, like, like keeping yourself accountable to yourself and with yourself and ways to like, make it easier for easier for you. So that like, instead of having to remember like, like manually recall all of those boundaries, you can like, look at that list. You can go to that flow chart. And that decision making process in and of itself is, is like clear in that way. I love that.
Lucinda:
Yeah. I can’t tell if it’s extreme, but I personally need those to remind myself, you know, like, this is what you said, this is what you promised yourself. I know you’re feeling a pull in the other direction, but, but you said it in the past and this is you. So it helps me listen to myself more.
Bonnie:
Yeah. I love that. And I don’t think that that’s, I don’t think that that’s dream at all because, you know, it’s, it’s a new, it’s a new way of, of being, it’s a new way of thinking. It’s a new way of behavior that like, you’re learning and I don’t know about you, but for me, like when I am learning something new, I need to be reminded of it. And, and so like having any kind of support or having, you know, like a, a guide that I can, I can check back in with, or in my office, I have a whiteboard behind my desk writing it on the whiteboard so that something that I can see when I turn around every day, like those kinds of things help me to create those new, those new, like a associations in my mind of like, oh, when this happens, I do this instead of doing this other habit that wasn’t serving me well. So I, I think that it’s a matter of like being self-aware and knowing what supports you and you have the self-awareness to see, okay, like I’m a visual learner. These things help me to be able to see them. And so having, having the, those things visible and out there where you can access them whenever you need them, I think that’s a really powerful and actually like very elegantly, simple form of self care.
Lucinda:
That’s a great way to put it. I love that you have a whiteboard as well.
Bonnie:
Yes. I’m like, I’m just one of those people that, like, I I’ve got lists on lists on lists, like my lists have lists. And so I need a space where I can just like brain dump everything. And for me that was, that was the whiteboard. So yeah.
Lucinda:
I love it.
Bonnie:
Well, you said that, like, when you were putting together that list yourself and kind of creating that flow chart, you were identifying some kind of like non-negotiable type boundaries. So, uh, aside from what you’ve already mentioned, like, you know, putting rest on the calendar and, you know, like things like that, what are some actionable boundaries that you find helpful that, that helps support you in protecting yourself against burnout?
Lucinda:
Yeah. I would say some other ones that have been important to me, even when deciding to take on a client or even when working with clients first, you is, is the person that I’m talking with is their industry or their mission, or what they’re working on. Is that something that I’m also very, very passionate about? Do their values align with me? Do we align with each other fully? That’s something that I take into consideration and then communication, is there very important to me or even communication style? Um, I personally, when I’m working, I don’t like doing emails back and forth. And so making sure all conversations are in my project management system, because even in the past I would give my clients my phone number. And so then they would text me or they would call me and it would kind of go into my own personal space when I didn’t love it.
Lucinda:
But that was, that was a, that was something that I gave them. Like I gave them my phone number. And so they’re like, oh, I can call her like anytime and talk with her anytime. So also setting up communication agreements between my clients and myself. That’s something that was helpful for me. Um, yes also I would say really nailing down what my services were and what I was interested in doing and how they would help or how my services would help the clients and then making sure those aligned what they wanted aligned with me as well. For example, you know, people would be, people would inquire and maybe ask, you know, like, oh, can you do X, Y, and D for me? And maybe it’s something that I hadn’t done before. And maybe it was something that I wasn’t necessarily like passionate about doing, but I would say yes.
Lucinda:
And then I would go out of my way to, to learn and research what they were, what they were wanting to accomplish. Um, even though it would in the end, cause me more stress and overwhelm, especially if I wasn’t that like passionate about it. And so also just making sure my services aligned with their needs and that it was something I was equally invested in taking on and not necessarily just saying yes to, to help them. That was one that one took a while. Actually, that was the one that was there. And then I’m sure there’s some other ones, but those are the ones that came to the top of my mind.
Bonnie:
Those are so incredibly helpful. And, and what I really respect about several of those kind of boundaries are that they center around the way that you and the potential client or the lead are an alignment with each other. And I think that’s something that, um, as designers, maybe we don’t, we don’t like acknowledge enough the role that taking on a client or taking on a project that isn’t actually a good fit, the way that that can lead us to burnout where it’s, it’s so much friction, it’s constantly kind of, not even necessarily like friction in the sense of like, it’s, it’s a horrible relationship and there’s a lot of like, you know, negativity, but friction in the sense of, it’s not seamless, it’s not full of ease. It’s not flowing really well because maybe the person that you’re working with or the company that you’re working with, like you said, doesn’t align with your values.
Bonnie:
And so then you’re yourself having to kind of compromise in some ways, or having to stretch yourself in ways that really aren’t comfortable to figure out how you can deliver a brand and an identity and a website for this person or this company that aren’t really in alignment with what you normally do. And I just think that that is it’s, it’s almost deceptively simple, but it it’s like something that will help you so much if you understand that, like, okay, if I wanna protect myself from burnout and I wanna consistently do my best work, it’s, it’s equally important that I think about taking on client projects that are a good fit for what I’m passionate about and align with my values. Just like you said, Lucy.
Lucinda:
Yes. And also that reminded me of something we were talking about before, as well as also recognizing if you need to ask for help or assistance as well. Um, that has helped me a lot. For example, a lot of clients would come through and maybe they want a specific website platform or they’re doing something and it’s Pacific program. And so before one example that really stands out is my first Shopify client. I had never used Shopify before, but I was like, oh yeah, like, I can definitely help you with your Shopify site. And then I got in, I had no idea what I was doing. It was so stressful. I was so overwhelmed. I felt bad that I ended up taking on the project, even though I didn’t have that skillset. Um, so my biggest takeaway from that was also, I guess, staying in my own zone of genius.
Lucinda:
Um, if it is something that a skill that I do want to acquire or learn, I will definitely take it on. But at that time, Shopify, wasn’t actually something I was interested in, but I still said yes. And then I ended up asking a developer to help me. And so even in those instances, knowing what your skillset is, what you enjoy doing, and then also being able to recognize, actually, maybe I will work with a developer or maybe I’ll work with an illustrator. Also, I don’t think, you know, hand drawn logos are a strong skill for myself. And so in those moments, recognizing that sometimes asking for outside help will help you. And it will also be what’s best for the client too.
Bonnie:
Hmm. That is such a great point because you’re right, like opening ourselves up and asking for the support we need or knowing our own limits and knowing when maybe it’s not a great idea to like, learn how to design at our, you know, a massive eCommerce site in Shopify’s never done it before, you know, like those things. Yeah. That makes a ton of sense. And I’m so glad you shared that.
Lucinda:
Yes. So there other, I’d say there, I say there sort of on the same level of setting boundaries is also just recognizing what you want to take on, if you have the capacity to take it on. And if this might be a time to also ask for help.
Bonnie:
Mm absolutely. Well, for those who are kind of new to this idea of implementing more boundaries or implementing even like in some ways, some self-care practices to help protect themselves from burnout, are there any, um, are there any places or steps or any, anything that you would recommend that they focus on when they’re getting started with that?
Lucinda:
Sure. I think one of the things I first started doing was if I was working on a project and I noticed some sort of feelings of friction somewhere, I would take a step back and then kind of think about why I was feeling that way. And then jot that down to see if that is, if there was some sort of boundary or something I could implement in the future. And so maybe just making a list of boundaries that you already know you want to have, or boundaries that you do have, and then reflecting on projects or experiences that you’ve had that may not have felt fully like the best fit and writing down why that was. I think that’s a good place to start as well as taking a look at maybe your services and who you want to work with your working hours, if you like your working hours, just starting very small.
Bonnie:
I love the, the power of like those kind of small foundational pieces, how powerful and how helpful they can be when we actually implement them. Like you said, like your office hours, do you like your office hours? And you know, we have evaluating those, those foundational pieces too, I think can be really helpful.
Lucinda:
Yeah. I’d say also one of the things that helped me, because I was really nervous about instilling boundaries in my business was taking a look at my contract. My contract was probably one of another foundational piece that I started at, for example, before I didn’t really even set in place how many revisions somebody could have, and they didn’t know that. But one of my projects, I think had probably one of my very first projects probably had like, I don’t know, 12 revisions or something. Um, and it was like a, like a $100 project or something like that. I was just like, oh my gosh, like this project is going on forever. And they keep asking for revisions. And then my husband was like, well, did you tell them how many revisions they could have was like, oh no, I didn’t. So I guess they don’t really know.
Lucinda:
Um, so even just looking at my contract and putting information in there and putting information in all of the, um, client packets that I send out to sort of set those boundaries as well, or, you know, like this is how many revisions we have for the project. This is how we can communicate during the project. These are my office hours. And that was a good place for me to start too, was just having it written down somewhere. That way, if a client did contact me for some reason, or, you know, outside of my hours or something else did happen, I could also just gently guide them back to the contract and the information that I had shared. So that was a good stepping stone for me, as somebody who felt like setting boundaries was it was like really challenging and it felt almost confrontational sometimes, but those were good stepping stones as well for me.
Bonnie:
Yeah, absolutely. That’s like a fantastic thing to keep in mind of, of, you know, okay, what are, what are these almost like supporting documents or spaces where we can outline our boundaries so that the burden of like the responsibility of being the one who’s communicating that and always being the one that is reinforcing that isn’t fully on you, because you have like your tracked or a welcome guide, or maybe in your email signature, you have these, these methods of communication or your office hours listed. So you can always, like you said, gently point the client back towards here’s where we can find this information. Here’s how we can best communicate with each other. This is when I’m available to answer your questions and like that. So, um, don’t for those who are tuning in today, don’t forget, or don’t sleep on the power of some of these things that sound really simple. Um, you, you would be amazed at how transformational they can be when you have them set up and you’re actually using them and implementing them in your business. So, Lucy, I love that you recommended that that’s so smart.
Lucinda:
Yeah. I definitely feel like burnout can come from a couple of places. Like we had talked about. Sometimes it comes from taking on too much work. Uh, but sometimes it might come from not setting up those boundaries as clearly as you would like to be again with. And so I think taking a look in different areas is really helpful.
Bonnie:
Absolutely. I completely agree. Wow. One question that I always like to ask here towards the end of every conversation on the podcast centers around encouragement or a little pep talk that you’d like to share with those who are tuning in today, who are ready to take thoughtful action in order to implement stronger boundaries and their design businesses. So what kind of, kind of final words would you like to share to those who were tuning in, who have been resonating with what you’re sharing and who are really ready to kind of take those initial steps and, and take that action for themselves?
Lucinda:
My encouragement would be that you can definitely do this. If you are experiencing burnout right now, definitely be short to take a break and take some time for yourself and maybe reflect on how you’re feeling and how you can take small steps to prevent that in the future. And I always also recommend journaling. I love writing out my thoughts and my feelings. I have found that when I take some time for myself to sit down and for how I feel, a lot of things are uncovered that can help me move forward. And so definitely just taking time for yourself and being sure to rest, and also starting to make that list of your own. Non-negotiable
Bonnie:
Such fantastic encouragement and some practical advice too. Uh, now L I know that those you’ve been tuning in today are definitely going to want to be able to follow along with you and learn more about you. So where can people find you online?
Lucinda:
Yeah, you can find me pretty much everywhere with the same handle. Hello, Lucy, it’s Lucy with an I. And so on Instagram, I’m at hello Lucy and my YouTube channel is also hello, Lucy,
Bonnie:
Amazing and friends, of course, as always, I’m gonna have all of Lucy’s links in the show notes for today’s episode, plus the link for a really amazing freebie that she’s sharing with us. And it’s a four week series delivered straight to your inbox specifically for, and it’s a, a, a four week series of journal prompts, right? Lucy?
Lucinda:
Yes. There are a few different types of journal prompts in there. There are, there’s a monthly check-in weekly check-ins, and then some prompts that have also helped me navigate exactly what we’re talking about. So there are some prompts for client situations or prompts for when I’m feeling a little less motivated or need some sort of inspiration as well.
Bonnie:
Hmm. That sounds absolutely amazing. And would you say for those who are tuning in, um, if you are new to journaling and that’s a practice that you’re just kind of starting to dabble with, is, is this something that, you know, people who are like dedicated journals or maybe are newer to that practice, can they, you know, kind of follow along and, and really engage with it?
Lucinda:
Yes, absolutely. In the E series, there are some, I wouldn’t say instructions, but just some recommendations. If you are new to journaling, how you can maybe do one prompt a week or just kind of check in with how you’re feeling. But if you’re also more experienced with journaling, there is a actual bonus fifth email that comes through with additional prompts that you can, um, add to your practice daily. And so there’s a lot of guidance in there on how to get started and also helping you choose what pace you are comfortable with.
Bonnie:
Wow. That sounds awesome. I can’t wait to like download it myself. Um, but friends, if you’re tuning in and you are really be excited about this amazing journal series that Lucy’s put together for you, you can go to brand strategy, podcast.com and click on the link for the latest episode. And you’ll find everything in the show notes for today’s episode. Lucy, thank you so much for joining me. Thank you so much for not only sharing this amazing resource, but also just more of your experience around burnout. Some boundaries that have been helpful for you, and some ways that we can start to practice better boundaries to prepare ourselves and hopefully protect ourselves from burnout in the future.
Lucinda:
Thanks so much for having me, Bonnie. This is such a great conversation.
Bonnie:
I am so glad to hear that. And I’m so grateful to be able to share this with everyone who’s been tuning in. So as always friends who are tuning in and joining us, if this conversation resonated with you or encouraged you, or was of help, be sure to connect with Lucy, let her know your thoughts and let her know that you appreciate this. And if you know someone, maybe it’s your biz besty. Maybe it’s someone that you work with. Maybe it’s a family member who maybe they could use this kind of encouragement, or they could use this kind of support. Be sure to pass this along because the more that we’re able to share these kinds of conversations, uh, with each other freely and openly, I believe the more we’re able to normalize some of the experiences that we have are round mental health in the online business community. So as always, thanks for tuning in and I’m cheering y’all on from Waco.
Bonnie:
Thank you so much for joining me today, friend, before you go, I would be so grateful to receive your feedback on the brand strategy podcast. If you enjoyed this episode or the podcast and general has held you grow your brand, I’d really appreciate it. If you left us a review in iTunes, your positive reviews enable the brand strategy podcast to continue to grow and reach like-minded creatives. Just like you. Thank you for all your support and encouragement as together. We pursue building brands with purpose and intention until next time and share you on from Waco.
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