✨ the SPARK 164 ~ Ten new cheeses?!

Welcome to the 164th issue of the SPARK. A weekly newsletter where inspiration meets real online strategies, behind-the-scenes stories, and a boatload of valuable resources.

Happy New Year, Reader, 🥳

2024.

Hard to believe, but here we are!

I hope you had some downtime over New Year’s and are back at it with a little normalcy this week.

It really is true what they say about the week between Christmas and New Year’s feeling like a black hole. No matter what day it was, it felt like a different day of the week for me.

Anyway… after some much-needed quiet time, I’m back at it this week (officially on Tuesday of this week), and it feels great.

Even if I did wake up to snow today. 🥶

OK.

I’ll refrain from more weather reports or complaints of cold.

Like many of you I’m sure, I’ve spent some time doing some planning for 2024.

What I’ve enjoyed most about this is that there’s actually very little that’s changing.

The routines and structure I set up in the last half of 2023 have made it super easy to step into the new year.

Clear focus with only a few goals, and I feel almost as if it’s business as usual.

No New Year’s Resolutions for me.

In fact, I haven’t set NY resolutions in years – I tend to go with intentions and goals (semantics? Who knows, but it works for me).

One thing I’ve come across on social, in a few different places, is the idea of setting fun resolutions.

But first, because I was curious, I looked up the origin of setting New Year’s resolutions:

No wonder most people don’t hang onto or achieve NY resolutions… the idea is 4000 years old, AND… we should be allowing ourselves a few more months of hibernation (it actually makes more sense to have the ‘new year’ start at the beginning of Spring, when nature is starting to come out of its slumber, but I digress).

Back to ‘fun resolutions.’

One woman said her resolution was to try ten new cheeses.

What the what?

Um, how much more fun is that?!

I also love that it’s bite-size (pun intended 😉).

How much easier would it be in your business if you focused on something that felt completely achievable? Ten new subscribers in January, one new blog post a month, finding two podcasts to be a guest on the first quarter… you get the point.

But, as simple as those goals are, I’m not sure if they’d qualify as ‘fun.’

Some examples of fun for me that I might implement in my business are:

• More time for doodling to create visuals for content
• Playing with tools/software with zero expectation of replacing something or using it
• Making a list of 10 people I’d love to interview on the podcast and then reaching out to make that happen
• Hosting a cocktail hour via Zoom (or coffee chat) – and just opening it up to anyone who wants to come
• Planning another few days away with my mastermind (i.e., also dear friends) in a new location

In terms of fun in my personal life?

For starters, I can definitely get behind trying ten new cheeses (seriously, everything is better with cheese 🧀).

I need to get my art supplies out of storage and have some fun with watercolors again (I lose all track of time when I’m painting, and it’s delightful).

And twist my arm, but I’d happily find ten new spas to get a massage at. I’d also like to try a float tank. I love the water and meditation… it sounds blissful.

However you’ve decided to begin the New Year, or if you’re still getting your feet back under you after some time off, try to have some fun with it.

Not everything has to be about achievement.

SPARK Spotlight 🔥

I’ll be pulling the trigger (finally) on my new site. I cannot say enough good things about Kadence. I absolutely LOVE this tool! I’ve kept my colors and similar styles, but the entire site is new!

Get Kadence here

A Little Brainpower 🧠

Sometimes, a change of scenery is all we need. Read “3 Ways to Improve Your Creative Focus.”​

Before starting over, try optimizing instead. Read “How We Grew 192% Through Landing Page Optimisation.”​

Laurel Portié is being her brilliant self again. Watch “$54K/Month With Low Ticket: Watch Me Build Out The Roadmap For A New Client.”​

Tool Time 🛠

• Video tutorials: Create video tutorials in minutes with AI that edits & fixes mistakes! Try RecordOnce free here.​
• E-commerce: From conversation to cart! A ChatGPT-enhanced store. Join the waitlist for Cartfuls here.​
• Websites: Another option for using AI to launch a website. Try Launched for free here.​
• Email: Use this free tool to generate a countdown timer you can embed in your emails (and customize the colors). Use Email Countdown Timer free here.​

Haha…fact! 🤣

In Your Ears 🎧

Sometimes, we’re our own worst enemy. Nothing will make your life easier – or help you grow your business faster than doing this one thing. Listen here.​

I’m working on setting up a special series of podcast interviews with women who focus on helping other women with money, finances, selling, pricing, mindset, etc.

I have a list of women I’m getting in touch with, but if you have any recommendations or know someone who’s made an impact on you, hit reply and let me know.

Or better yet, I’d love an email introduction!

This will be a special series separate from my regular podcast episodes. The goal is to air these beginning in February. 😉

I hope you’ve had a wonderful first week of 2024.

Stay curious,
Kim