on messaging, simplifying & landing clients just by being yourself ft Pip Laiika

[00:00:00] Kat: If you've ever tried to make money doing what it is that you love, so trying to, whether it's start a side hustle. Become a freelancer, launch a business based around the work that you really love to do. It doesn't usually take you very long to figure out that there is a lot more to it than just being really good at the thing that you do.

[00:00:24] And so that then brings with it all sorts of challenges, both practical, so figuring out like, what is it going to take for me to make money doing what I love. Is that going to look like training more? Do I need more skills? Do I need a better strategy? Like am I on the wrong platforms? But then we've also got the other side of things, which is some of the mental and emotional blocks that can come up too. 

[00:00:51] So for this reason, I am really excited to introduce you to today's guest. Pip Laiika is a creative business coach with a spiritual approach and her whole mission is also her passion and it's all about inspiring creatives to believe that they have what it takes to follow their creative passions and make a living out of their art.

[00:01:13] And her story is cool on so many levels because one, she is evidence of walking the walk. In the work that then she's helping her clients do, but she's also sharing so transparently and honestly about these challenges, both on the practical and the emotional, mental and spiritual side. And I am sure you're going to find her episode.

[00:01:38] Inspiring as well as helpful. Our talk went down a few different rabbit holes, some of them to do with the challenges of showing up online and trying to show up professionally and play the part that you think that you're supposed to play in order to become successful and, and build a brand. We talk about burnout and the temptation to just push and push and push when things aren't working and what happens when you actually do the opposite of that. 

[00:02:11] And we also talk about how one of the most challenging parts about marketing is messaging and how it can mess with your head so badly when on one hand, it can seem so complicated, but on the other hand, the key is simplicity, and how she has managed to navigate that and find her core message and now share it with so much more confidence and clarity than she used to.

[00:02:38] Now that's just a little tease and I should not be giving away any more spoilers, so all I will say is that whether you are already getting paid to do what you love or you've been thinking about it and maybe a little bit scared to take the leap, I'm sure that there is gonna be something in this episode for you.

[00:02:54] So I'll stop talking except to say that if you do enjoy this episode, please screenshot it and tag us because honestly, it makes our hearts explode with joy when we know that this content is making a difference. And, we'll be forever grateful for your feedback. So, with no further ado, enjoy the episode and meet Pip.

[00:03:17] first of all, I am so excited to have you on the podcast. Thanks for joining me. 

[00:03:21] Pip: Thank you Kat. I'm so excited to be here. 

[00:03:24] Kat: Oh, talk about, I mean, we've been talking about this for a little bit. It's a bit of a full circle moment, but we can, we'll talk about that a little bit later.

[00:03:32] Before we dive in, cuz I like to get ahead of myself. How about in your words, you tell us what do you do today and a little bit about, about your background. Like what, what got you to this point in your opinion? 

[00:03:45] Pip: Yes. Cool. I am a creative business coach and I like to add with a spiritual approach, to the end of it, but it has been quite a journey to get to this point, which I think is very much the entrepreneur journal journey, not journal journey like you do.

[00:04:05] It does take time to figure out what exactly it is that you do. But I guess I always knew that I wanted to work for myself and have a business. I have always been creative since I was really, really young. And when I was at high school, I used creativity a lot. 

[00:04:22] It, it kind of became my savior because I'm quite a sensitive person. I was very introverted. I had a lot of emotions, but I didn't really know how to express myself. And so creativity really became, I guess you would say like a sanctuary for me in a place where I could draw and get those feelings out of my mind and body and onto some sort of paper.

[00:04:42] When I continued Doing my art studies throughout school I picked topics like spirituality and dreams and nightmares and I used my art to like really explore and I guess you'd say start finding myself or at least start that sort of spiritual journey. And yeah, I had this like light bulb moment the other week because I did this art Folio in high school on, on spirituality, and I had pages written on the Chinese elements and the yin and yang and like all of these things. And I had this moment the other day where I was like, oh, I kind of used my art journals as vision boards for what I wanted to do because I ended up studying kinesiology much later down the track.

[00:05:24] And that's all based in the five elements in Chinese medicine and all of that. So I had this. Connection made the other day, which was really cool. But after school I went more into the creative side of things. So I went to art school for one year and I studied everything from painting to drawing, to illustration, to digital design, to printmaking, ceramics and even photography , which was really cool.

[00:05:47] We did did. Analog photography. So we were in the dark rooms Oh, nice. Developing our own pictures and that kind of stuff, which was really cool. But yeah, it was, it was textile, like the more tactile kind of thing that stole my heart. So I'd applied for textile design and. I think a graphic design course and interior architecture.

[00:06:07] And I got into interior architecture and textile design. And I was like, at this point where I'm like which direction do I go? And I often think to myself like, wow, how different my life would've been if I had gone down Interior Architecture Road it would've been. So different. But I followed my heart and I went with the textile design, so that was a three year university degree where I majored in knitting, which I think is pretty hilarious.

[00:06:33] Kat: I did not even know that that was a major. 

[00:06:35] Pip: Yeah. 

[00:06:35] Kat: My grandma would approve. She never stops knitting. Like I swear she's like knitting while she sleeps as well. Like she's sleep knits. 

[00:06:41] Pip: I love that. Yeah. I always make the joke that I'm ready for early retirement. Cause I majored in knitting in a three year university degree.

[00:06:50] Kat: That's amazing. 

[00:06:51] Pip: I think at the time when I was studying, I started opening up to that spiritual side again, in me. I was going to meditation classes where I was learning everything from, meditating to psychic development to reiki as well. And that was where that sort of unlocked that, that door, again, I think there was a bit of a time between high school and that point where I shut the door a little bit. 

[00:07:16] But I, started to get in touch with that side of me again, and I started making crystal jewelry and textile products and dream catchers and stuff. That was in my, second year of uni. In the last year of uni, I studied an elective in small business management and I was like, yep, I don't wanna go into the industry. One: the sustainability side of things was like, no, I don't wanna, I don't wanna touch the fashion industry.

[00:07:40] Kat: Mm-hmm. 

[00:07:41] Pip: And then the second thing was like, I was just I knew that I wanted to have a business and, and follow that kind of passion. And then that journey in itself has been a lot of experimentation and a lot of different ideas, from having that more creative product business to then I did graphic design for a little while, and then it was in 2020 in the pandemic I did a diploma of mind body medicine and coaching. So I learned kinesiology, hypnotherapy, EFT, NLP, a whole range of stuff. And then I was like, oh, maybe I should go from, graphic design into brand coaching. 

[00:08:17] And that was what led me to where I am now. And that sort of evolved again and it's become helping creative business owners build their businesses, but also work on all those mindset and energy pieces. So (whew) exhale! 

[00:08:33] Kat: My goodness. Talk about... I I was gonna say multi-passionate, but it's not just that multi... skilled-in-ite. That's not a term, but oh my goodness, I did not realize just how much study you had done. That's, that's amazing. 

[00:08:45] But I also know that it can be a. It can be a double-edged sword when you do have so many interests and so many potential paths to take. And I see this for the multi-passionate person that there is this okay, how do I, how do I either blend all of these together or do I have to choose?

[00:09:01] And that can be a little bit... a little bit overwhelming at times. So I'd love to know, when you first found me, I remember that. You were in that of stage of navigating, "how do these pieces fit together?" And I know that was its own challenge in itself, but I guess what else was going on in your business when we first met? What were some of those challenges that you were coming up against? What were you going, oh, if I could just like get these things in place, everything would start to feel a little bit easier. 

[00:09:29] Pip: Hmm. I think I've always had very big curiosity for learning everything. And I think that's what's led me to study so many things and learn so many things to really find what it is that I wanna do. But like you said, it is that double-edged sword because with so many options and there's so much potential of what you can do. 

[00:09:52] And I really feel like I've worked through lots of different stages of that to get to where I am now. And I think each of those stages was really important for me to be like, okay, I have all of these skills, but how can I turn all of these skills into one service or one product or one business that actually makes sense. 

[00:10:12] Getting back to your question, I think, when I first found you, I had pretty much just finished my diploma and in that six month course I did a lot of deep work and a lot of self-discovery and a lot of looking at myself and my business and what worked and what didn't work. And yeah, I guess I just, I realized that marketing was where I was not doing so well in my business. 

[00:10:40] Like I had all the ideas, I had thousands of ideas and I think I remember one time having like coffee with a girlfriend and we were talking about our businesses. She's also a coach, and she was like, why don't you do like brand coaching or content coaching? And that kind of planted the seed in my head. 

[00:10:58] And so I went home and I Googled brand coach. You were the first person who came up. I started consuming your content. I think I downloaded like a webinar at the time. But then I started listening to your podcast, listening to every episode, like I'm still up to date by the way. 

[00:11:14] Kat: I gave people plenty of time to catch up recently! 

[00:11:17] Pip: But yeah, just everything you were saying and sharing really resonated for, for where I was at. And I think it was just like, I don't know, it was almost like you were talking to me when I found your website. I was like, she's doing everything that I thought this could be for me, it was still different, obviously, but I just knew that I needed to work with you.

[00:11:36] Like I, from when you invited me onto the podcast, I never thought when I was going for my morning walks and you were in my ears, I was listening to all of your words and you were sharing all of your wisdom that I would, I would end up here as a guest.

[00:11:51] Kat: So cool. I love the universe and how it works like that.

[00:11:54] Pip: Yeah. 

[00:11:55] Kat: Now I know that, I have a bit of a habit of when I'm teaching things like I like to go deep, but there's a, a lot of information and I think there's often a bit more work involved than people realize when they first sign up for some of my programs. Cause Oh yeah, brand. Like you're just like, pull these things together and we're just gonna make it pretty. Like I'll launch my website. Throw together a service. Off I go. 

[00:12:17] Obviously not always the case. When you started doing that very intentional work, applying what I was bringing to the table and then adding it to all of your other knowledge, what was some of the challenges that came up or just anything that was like unexpected? 

[00:12:32] Pip: I think lots of stuff came up to be honest. And I know you're aware of this too from the group calls that I attended, and what I would share in them. But I guess just realizing how powerful your words are was like a huge aha moment for me in my business, but also I really struggled in like how to like, make the words make sense, like I had the idea and I I could write well. But it wasn't clear. 

[00:13:04] So I think that was probably one of the things learning all the copywriting techniques and all the little bits and pieces... I didn't realize I needed that because when I found you, I didn't realize how important words were in marketing. Because I've always been on that visual aspect... with graphic design, it's all about the looks and the aesthetic and how pretty it is. But yeah, I've come to realize that the words are just as powerful if not more powerful than what it looks like. 

[00:13:30] I don't know if that answers the question?! 

[00:13:32] Kat: No, I love that. I suddenly had a flashback to when we were doing the website reviews, the copy reviews, and I'd done the review of your I think it was one of your main services pages at the time. And I got you to go back over it and you were giving me your feedback, when you read it from your client's perspective and you were like... " it's just like, words... like they're just , just words sitting on a page!" 

[00:13:55] But then I got you to go and write that letter to your dream client- an actual letter as opposed to trying to write that website page. And I'll never forget when I opened it up and started reading and I was like, oh my gosh. I had goosebumps and I had tears in my eyes because suddenly you were so connected with your purpose and that person that you really desired to serve. 

[00:14:17] And it shows the, the power of just, tapping into your emotions and getting to the actual core of things when it's so easy to get caught up in the copywriting formulas that people put out there and make sure you're saying things like this and create urgency and make sure they click.

[00:14:32] But really when it comes down to it, we're all just human beings connecting with each other and looking for someone to help us feel better about ourselves. So I love that journey that you went on to just slowly, I guess stripping away some of that marketing and branding shtick that we're sold and realizing, oh, it doesn't actually have to be that complicated. I mean, that's what I think. Feel free to comment on that. Maybe it's more complicated.

[00:14:55] Pip: Definitely I think there's a time where you are, you do learn the theory side of things or, or the more technical formulas and all of that kind of stuff. And I feel like that's really important and that's really helpful. But then, when you do have that moment where you drop in and you're like, oh, these are the words that I'm meant to be saying, like it makes sense now. Actually, you've reminded me of that letter. I should go back and read it. . 

[00:15:17] Kat: You should. And I have to do the same thing, like seriously. I think we can all fall into that trap of trying to lean so heavily on the structure, on the templates, on the theory, because we don't necessarily trust ourselves to know what we need to say and we're worried about getting it right, but then the more you're leaning into that, the more you're disconnecting from emotions and from your soul and what it needs to say. 

[00:15:41] And it's a really challenging balance to find. Like I just have to regularly remind myself to go, hang on, hang on. What are you trying to say, Kat? Stop complicating things. Tap into the message first, and you can go and edit it later on. It's a separate step. But yeah, it's probably the most challenging thing in building a brand for just about anyone including professional writers. 

[00:16:04] Pip: And I think sometimes there's like a moment which I found recently is you write out like the first draft of a website page or a blog post or a piece of content and you write it out and then you do have to come back to it and be like, okay, like this was how I wrote it for me. Now how do I write it for my audience and my clients? This makes sense to me, but now I've gotta remember the people who might be finding me might not have ever heard of this service before or they don't even know that they need it. So how do I make it as simple as them? 

[00:16:34] Kat: Mm-hmm. I love that advice. So there was one other breakthrough moment that you were having that I really wanted to talk about because oh my goodness, there is barely a person I've worked with who hasn't struggled with this at some point in time. But there was this moment where you were feeling a bit stuck and like you weren't making a lot of progress and, you know like "my content's just not doing what I wanted to do". 

[00:16:57] And I can't even remember how we got to this conclusion, but you were like, hang on, I'm not showing up as the real me. And underneath that you also managed to – which is wonderful cuz so many people never have this level of awareness, so well done, you – but you are like, I just realize it's because I'm so concerned about the people that are currently following me that aren't necessarily ideal clients, but you know, colleagues, friends, family, I'm so worried about what they're going to be thinking of me if I really show all of me. 

[00:17:26] And for you specifically, this was about bringing in more of that spirituality and the, "the Woo"... I mean, I remember that part, but I'd love you to elaborate on what came up then and also what you did about it. What was your process for getting out of that place? Because I know now today, spoiler alert, you are showing up very authentically. But it was, it's not just the ah ha moment. It's it's the action you take afterwards. 

[00:17:48] Pip: Yeah. I remember that very vividly as well. And I guess to touch on what I, I shared just before, around learning all of the, the technical formulas and, the more theory side of running a business and content creation, I feel like that's almost a rite of passage. There is a time in your business where it does feel a little bit clunky, you fumble a little bit you're learning how to write posts, you're learning how engage with your audience, and there is this time where I guess you, you haven't injected too much of your personality into it yet. 

[00:18:21] And then like you said, on top of that, there was that fear and that comparisonitis and caring what other people thought and what helped me really overcome that was learning to, to not care so much and to stop being professional when I'm not really a professional person. Like in the way that I am in my personality. Like I'm a bit more fun and playful and, and cheeky. Like I felt like I was trying to be corporate and business-like, and it was almost like I was creating content that was still relevant to my brand, but it was surface level, so it was like above the surface. But I'm quite a deep person and there was much more to me, but I wasn't allowing myself to go to those depths yet. 

[00:19:01] Kat: Mm-hmm. And this is gonna come up for everyone, especially when you first come out online, trying to build your brand or you do a big pivot. Are there any tactical things that you did, or was it more of that perspective shift and just leaning into the discomfort a bit? 

[00:19:16] Pip: I think I might have unfollowed like a few people that didn't really align with me or if I looked at their stuff, this is probably more on like the energetic business side of things, but like I was not aligning with what they were sharing anymore. So if I saw their stuff, I might pass judgment or, or feel a little bit envious or something like that. So I did unfollow people in that regard, which just really helped to clear the energy. So when I was looking at the people on my Instagram, it felt really inspiring. It felt really motivating. It was messages that I resonated with. 

[00:19:53] So I guess in doing that, that probably helped me show up more as myself because I was consuming people of the same vibe. And the practical things would've been like the small steps. I talk about this journey a little bit in my own content, but how I when I first started, I started, sharing some quotes, maybe some illustrations that I had done. And then when I got comfortable doing that, maybe I was posting three times a week, then I was posting five days a week. 

[00:20:21] Then I started to do videos and I started to do reels and I started to do lives. So each time I just pushed that comfort zone a little bit more, and now it's just completely habitual to create content. Like I don't, I don't even care at all anymore. You've probably seen some of my videos, so it's just it's very silly and that's okay because that's who I am, and I feel like I'm starting to shine in that. 

[00:20:46] Kat: Yeah, I can, I can attest to that , and I've been watching that journey and I just love seeing you so at home, in your own skin when you are showing up. And it's not, it's not an easy thing to do because it is a process. And I think A lot of us, - me included - occasionally go through periods where we wanna sort of do the behind the scenes work to just get to that point of it feeling good enough. Like you, you feeling good enough to show up.

[00:21:12] But what you did was just continue to show up and then just lean into the direction that you wanted to go until it stopped feeling uncomfortable, which, you know how they say you can't go over it, you can't go under it, you have to go through it. That is essentially what this personal branding and visibility thing is. So well done for your persistence and, determination to get to that point. 

[00:21:37] But I would also love to know how it's paid off. What is the difference, before and after, from the way you were showing up before, what was the response to your content versus what you're experiencing now when you're showing up.

[00:21:49] Pip: Mmm.... Great question. . I haven't thought about that before, but as you were talking, I was thinking like, how when that message wasn't clear through how I was showing up, I was attracting clients that actually resonated with the message I was sharing. But that wasn't the message that I wanted to share.

[00:22:08] So I guess in that sense, like in more recent times, like I've had new clients sign up from all over the world, which has been crazy. They've found me from one video and signed up for my program which has been amazing. I've had reels that have gotten 15,000 views and 600 likes. And I'm just like, how did that even happen? I, I didn't do anything. I don't have any secret, like I just posted, a video that I thought was good and yeah. 

[00:22:36] So it's I guess it's the more that I've lent into the energy of, of who I am and showing up in that sense, it's just like the results are almost unbelievable. I have to pinch myself sometimes. 

[00:22:49] Kat: That is so cool. And the the best part is you're not forcing it, it's the complete opposite. Like when you weren't getting the results, there was so much more forcing and pushing. and now it's just, it's flow. Which is incredible. It's not to say that we're not gonna have good days and bad days and it's all just suddenly magic when you come from this place.

[00:23:07] But I guess, well you can speak to this I guess even if let's say you were showing up and you were feeling really great about what you were creating and you weren't getting those tangible results that week... as in you didn't necessarily get any leads and your engagement wasn't super high.

[00:23:21] How would you feel about that today versus if you're not getting the engagement when you were showing up from that different place? The place of kind of forcing? 

[00:23:31] Pip: Oh, that's a great, really good question as well. But I think, like, if there's a week where I don't get 15,000 views on a reel – which has definitely happened since that that time – is I've just really stopped getting caught up in the metrics of it all. I mean, I still look at how well posts perform on a weekly basis, that's part of my routine, but I don't have that fear or that sadness or that anger if it doesn't go a certain way anymore.

[00:24:01] It's more just, okay, that got low views and, and low likes. Now it's a good chance for me to experiment and try something new because that didn't work or that did have a lot of engagement, a lot of comments and led to a lot of conversations so maybe I need to do more content like that.

[00:24:19] And then the next week I might try to do more content like that and then it doesn't do as well. So it's okay, now we'll try something different. So it's more like I'm showing up, I'm having fun, and I'm mindful of what goes well and what doesn't, but at the end of the day, I'm not getting caught up in it. 

[00:24:36] Kat: Yeah. You know that you are in your worth showing up, being you and there's not more you can do in that moment. So not oh, low engagement means I did something wrong. Cuz we know that that's not the case. There are so many variables. That sounds a lot more sustainable than the highs and lows of oh my gosh, I went viral. Oh no, everybody hates me. That is bit of a rollercoaster that I do not enjoy.

[00:25:00] Pip: Yeah. But yeah, again, just knowing that it's one big experiment and it's actually so much more fun now because there's no expectation attached to it. It's just, "this is who I am, this is what I do, if you like that, come and say Hi". 

[00:25:18] Kat: I love that so much. And like how much more creative do we get to be when we're just actually enjoying ourselves? And it is an experiment like when it's life or death that we have to get it right, we immediately shut down creativity cuz we're just gonna look around and go, that person's doing well to get these results, so maybe I need to do something that the way they do instead of just like tapping into... What do I feel like creating today? 

[00:25:41] Okay, so there is, there was one other big moment that I recalled from our little journey together. I mean little, it was actually quite long. It went in a blink though. So on that call, you were definitely not your sparkly self. And you were just basically talking about how you were feeling flat uninspired and potentially burnt out, which I think everyone has been there at some point. 

[00:26:06] And especially when you are self-employed, when you have your own brand and you know that your results are reliant on you showing up. Usually when we're feeling in that space, the temptation is to push harder. Because a lot of fear kicks in of, if I stop, if I slow down, what's gonna happen? Like I'm gonna lose momentum and everything. 

[00:26:26] And so I know you were sort of going through a little bit of an internal battle with a bit of conflict there of do I just keep pushing? Or do I... Well, what else can I do? And I recognized that in you because I've lived it enough times over and I challenged you to do the complete opposite of pushing.

[00:26:45] Essentially I was basically like, yeah, stop doing anything. Stop trying. Which is the last thing anyone wants to hear, I think. And I would love you to share with everyone what that process really looked like. 

[00:26:57] Pip: Yeah. It was very confronting for me cuz especially in the coaching world as well there's a lot of like drive, momentum, moving forward. Like moving away from the results that you don't want. So stopping everything felt very counterintuitive. But it ended up being a very intuitive time, so I just sort of kicked off my shoes. Probably lounged around in tracksuit pants way too much, but in that time I think I got three massages. The lady said it was the tightest back she'd ever felt, which is probably like an indication of how burnt out I was and how stressed I was and how much of that tension I was holding in my body. 

[00:27:36] But I guess I, I would call it creative rest. So I stopped being creative in my business in terms of the content creation or like the planning side of it and that pushing side of it. 

[00:27:50] Kat: And like the strategic stuff that you were creating in order to get something else to happen. 

[00:27:54] Pip: Yes. Correct. The strategic side of things. And I got out my big box. I've had this box that I've been lugging around for years now. So as part of my degree in textile design, we made fabric. So I didn't design clothes. I designed fabric and there were these little knitted swatches, so I didn't hand knit. We had these big knitting machines that were like really long and had a whole bunch of needles.

[00:28:19] They were around a lot in the seventies and the eighties. But we used those knitting machines and I had hundreds of these little swatches, and for years and years and years, I've carried this box around with me. I'm gonna make them all into little purses. And so I finished all of them. Like it took hours. But as I was doing these creative projects and finishing these things, like these pouch has now become like the little gift that I send to my clients after we've worked together. 

[00:28:46] So it was like I was putting in all of this love and this energy and in that process, one, I was healing myself. But two, I was getting all of these other downloads of ideas and I was filming myself doing these processes and making it, and people were like, wow, that's so cool, you're so creative. It was really nice, like reminder of I don't wanna say like where I came from, but it kind of was

[00:29:09] Kat: You went back to your original calling. 

[00:29:12] Pip: Yeah. 

[00:29:12] Kat: And passion. 

[00:29:14] Pip: Back to back to the Roots, I guess you would say. So it was really healing in that time as well. A new business name came through which was, was really exciting and I feel like I guess everything we've spoken about in this episode is that not showing up as myself and then feeling really burnt out I feel like they were all linked together. 

[00:29:34] Mm-hmm. And this new business name came through and instead of slaving a way to launch the business and have the website ready and do all the things, instead I was doing these sewing projects and drawing and creating and doing all of these different things.

[00:29:51] I think at the time I'd made, I called it like a secret TikTok page, like no one knew about it. And I was just drawing every day and filming myself, filming everything. And it just became like a really nice outlet. And then this business name came through and I spent that time just letting everything settle and I launched it and I didn't really know where it would take me, and then it all unfolded. 

[00:30:15] So it was a lot of trust. So it was like the opposite... I did exactly the opposite of what it was before, and then everything... everything made sense. 

[00:30:23] Kat: That is such a beautiful story. I love it and I think we all need to hear it. I'll need to re-listen to this cuz I go through the phases of trying to over control everything because it gets scary. What if, what if this doesn't work and what if I don't get enough done and, and also just watching what everyone else is doing and you can feel behind like that person was already doing this by this age.

[00:30:44] And it can get up in our head. And we just feel this external pressure to, to force. Whether it's setting our business models up in a way that we think we're supposed to and packaging our offers that way, or it's the way we price things or it's the marketing. Like it's, it's so easy to be influenced by that, which is why your... reconnecting essentially to your souls calling. 

[00:31:06] Like you put your focus on something that just brings you joy and then suddenly boom, you're hit with all the inspiration and all the answers that you need. And it like, it always makes me think of I believe it was Albert Einstein says, where a problem can't be solved from the same level of consciousness that it was created.

[00:31:22] Meaning if the problem was created, cuz we were in our heads and pushing, pushing, pushing... well we're not gonna get out of that problem if we're still doing the exact same thing. It's like we do need a pattern disrupt and to completely flip the way we're seeing things. . And you're living proof of this now. So thank you for sharing . 

[00:31:40] Pip: Thank you for the task, . 

[00:31:42] Kat: Oh my pleasure. Very easy for me. But yeah. No, I wish that, I could travel back in time and give myself the same advice cuz I, Like, I didn't have that wisdom back then and I burnt myself out so many times before I finally figured out the solution.

[00:31:58] But yeah, any other, and we've already tapped on a couple of things I guess, but if there was one particular thing, maybe I'd love to know how your perspective on personal branding and, and marketing, that whole thing has shifted since when we first met, which was, the time of recording 18 months ago-ish.

[00:32:15] Pip: I guess I really loved how you always encouraged us in, in the coaching calls to find a way of doing business that worked for us. There was a lot of yeah, there was a lot of work around values and your personality and all of that kind of stuff, and that's stuff that I've definitely taken on into the work that I do with clients as well because I believe now that the best strategy you'll ever have, and we've spoken about it a lot in this episode, is being true to yourself and, and being authentic. 

[00:32:45] And authenticity is like one of my core values. It's something that I always come back to. Authenticity and curiosity. And even, if I talk about my textile business again, like whenever I made something, no two things were the same. Even if I did embroidery, I would use different colors. Each crystal would be different. It would be wrapped a different way. Everything had that element of uniqueness to it. 

[00:33:07] I guess my perspective now is just you are the strategy basically. And it's, I had this little light bulb moment where it's, that's why it's called personal branding, right? Because it's personal to you. So yeah, I think that's probably the biggest shift that I've made. It's like there's no secret way of doing it. Maybe you have a secret way of doing it for you, but there's no big secret, there's no hacks, there's nothing. It's just showing up as you.

[00:33:35] Kat: Oh, well said. I mean, that's a bit of a mic drop moment. If I could drop my mic, I would. But it's too expensive to drop... and attached to a stand. Okay, so final question before we get to the lightning round. What, and try not to overthink this gut instinct. What are you most proud of yourself for accomplishing so far?

[00:33:56] Pip: Mm. I think having an international client was a huge win and something that I didn't expect at all, but I honestly think the thing that I'm the most proud of is that over the years and in the many times where I could have given up and I could've have gone and had a full-time job that I hated, working for someone else, I never gave up and I kept going. So that I'm definitely really proud of myself for. 

[00:34:25] Kat: Oh, and so you should be. Okay, let's wrap this up. So here's the deal, lightning round. I've got five questions for you, and the idea is to answer them as quickly as you can. Okay. So first question for you is what actions or tactics have made the biggest difference for you as in gotten you the most results, whether tangible or intangible? 

[00:34:48] Pip: I think simplifying everything, just, yeah. Simplify everything. That's all you need to know. 

[00:34:55] Kat: Yes. So good. Okay. And what actions or tactics or you know, strategic stuff turned out to be less important than you originally thought?

[00:35:05] Pip: I'm not sure if this is strategic, but ditching perfectionism. I think that was one of the messages I resonated with a lot when I first found your content. And I think back then I was a recovering perfectionist, but now I feel like I'm a recovered perfectionist. But yes I don't know if that's really a strategy, but yes. Ditch it:, it's just procrastination at the end of the day. 

[00:35:28] Kat: Spot on. Spot on. Okay. If you only had one hour a week to intentionally work on your brand, how would you spend it knowing what you know now? 

[00:35:37] Pip: One hour is not a lot of time, but I feel like I would split that hour up into three 20 minute blocks, and so I'd spend 20 minutes like making Tik Toks or reels. And then I'd spend 20 minutes recording a podcast episode, and then I'd spend 20 minutes nurturing my audience with meaningful and fun conversations. I would say. 

[00:35:58] Kat: Good. Love it. I know it's a tough one. I put you on the spot, but it's just good to see when gold comes out. Okay. If you could go back and tell past Pip, or I guess... something we didn't talk about is that when I met you, you were going by Phillipa, which was also part of the whole, I need to show up and being more professional.

[00:36:16] And then you went back to being a Pip, which I love cuz I've also done the whole like Katherine back to Kat thing. But if you could go back and tell past Pip slash Phillipa one thing what would it be? 

[00:36:25] Pip: You've got this. Plain and simple. But like in more recent times as well, I've been working with a one-on-one coach and we came up with a new goal and we we made it like a project and it turned into Project: It Is Working. So just like always coming back to that belief it is working. Even if you can't see. The tangible results yet just know that it is working. I even have it on my little pin board, vision board in front of me, so every time I look up from my computer, it's bam: it is working. It's right there.

[00:36:57] Kat: Oh, that's so good. Because I mean, we show up differently if we're in the belief that it is working versus if we don't believe that it's working. So even just the fact that you're already trying to take on that belief means it's way more likely to work. So I think that's very clever. 

[00:37:12] Pip: Yeah and I've had moments where I've been like, oh my God, it IS working. Which is really exciting. 

[00:37:19] Kat: Very. Okay this leads us into what are you working on right now and what's lighting you up? Aside from the general glow of just being in flow and in purpose.

[00:37:29] Pip: At the moment I am loving working with my one-on-one clients. It's been a big shift that I had. So I used to have a six week program and each session was two hours, and it was a lot crammed into those sessions, and I've since eased the stress a little bit by making a longer program. So it goes for three months now and there was maybe like six things per session in in that program.

[00:37:57] And so I've pulled them all apart. They're all separate bits in my Notion. And then I just intuitively feel into what the person needs and I can draw from all of the skills that I have from the mind mindset to the energy stuff, to the brand building stuff. And yeah, it just feels so nice. And I've had a few sessions in the last few weeks where it's been like, I've planned what I'm gonna go with, and then the session's just gone in a completely different direction.

[00:38:21] I guess that's that creative, intuitive flow of it. But it's been so powerful for the clients as well. So I guess just like letting go of that structure and that expectation and just allowing it to be what the person needs in the moment. So that has been really exciting. What lights me up is helping people share their magic and their creative passions.

[00:38:44] Kat: That is so good and oh my goodness. Yep. It's so funny that the whole theme of surrender and flow, like I, I know as well as a coach, it can be so tempting to try and control everything and have the plan way ahead into the future. and think, okay, this is like the perfect plan, like we're gonna achieve all these things.

[00:39:01] But the fact is when your client shows up, often, that's just not what they need and mm-hmm. , I think it's a really powerful thing to be able to show up and really just respond to that. And your clients are very, very lucky to be working with you. 

[00:39:15] Pip: Thank you!

[00:39:15] Kat: Okay, how can everybody find you especially if they wanna learn more about potentially working with you or just following your creative energy, where's the best place for them to do that? 

[00:39:23] Pip: Yes, the best place to come and say hi will be Instagram, but I am also on TikTok as well. And the handle is @StudioSoulStar. Also have a website, which is www.studiosoulstar.co and I also have a podcast if you wanna come and listen to that... it's called the Outcast Creatives Podcast, and that's on Spotify and Apple and all of the places. So yeah, I'm having a lot of fun showing up and, and sharing in that new way as well. 

[00:39:52] Kat: ... and I can confirm that you'll hear me at some point if you go and subscribe! Yes, we're doing a podcast swap. 

[00:40:00] Ok. Awesome. I'll make sure everything is linked in the show notes. Thank you so much for sharing and being vulnerable and honest about your journey. Cause I know it's gonna have the power to help a lot of other people who are going through similar challenges, so I really appreciate you. And I'm glad we got to have this full circle moment. 

[00:40:17] Pip: Yes, I know. Thank you so much. It's been a pleasure being a guest. 

[00:40:22] Kat: Yay. I will definitely be talking to you soon. Bye! 

[00:40:25] Pip: Bye!