Sometimes your biggest achievements can guide you in very unexpected directions. When I found myself at what many considered to be the pinnacle of my industry, I learned that true success often looks remarkably different than we imagine. In this episode, I share how my journey of creating flowers for Harry and Meghan's wedding led to an unexpected revelation about building a sustainable business - and why your most natural path to success might not be the one you're currently pursuing.

Key Moments:

• [00:00] Introducing our most read journal post: How building a luxury brand from my kitchen table challenged industry norms
• [01:33] Creating royal wedding flowers: The unexpected lessons about sustainable business growth
• [02:11] The journey before the royal wedding: Building relationships with prestigious brands
• [03:15] The reason for sharing this episode: To show you that our biggest achievements often teach us something totally different from what we expect.
• [04:45] The unexpected advantage: How starting without industry knowledge made for a unique approach
• [06:58] Trusting my own intuition: The moment everything changed in my business
• [10:02] Behind the royal wedding designs: What truly mattered beyond the media spotlight
• [12:35] The pivotal moment: When florists sought business guidance over design expertise
• [13:44] Natural business evolution: Building around your core strengths
• [16:27] Practical steps to align your business with your natural expertise

Notable Quotes:

"Sometimes not knowing the 'right' way to do things means you find your own way, one that actually works out better for you."

"Success isn't about getting everything right from the start - it's about learning from what goes wrong and staying true to what you do best."

"We might be chasing one type of success while our natural talents are actually pulling us in a different, often more aligned direction."

Resources Mentioned:

• Read This Week's Full Journal Post
• Episode 058: How to Work with Department Stores with Nic Waller
• www.philippacraddock.com

Share Your Insights:

Has your vision of success evolved as your business has grown? I'd love to hear your thoughts over on Instagram about how your own definition of success might be shifting...

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Have you ever noticed how bigger projects seem to take longer than they should? Those moments when you find yourself doing anything but the main task at hand? Research shows it takes our brain 23 minutes to fully refocus after each and every interruption. Through personal experience and scientific insights, this episode explores how creating space from distractions, during focused project work can help you complete substantial projects more efficiently .

Key Moments:

• [00:00] A More Relaxed Episode - Designed to get you thinking about how you operate when working on larger focused projects
• [01:33] When something needed to change - How building my new website revealed the need for new work strategies
• [03:27] How we approach our relationship with digital tools
• [05:55] Information Overload - What our minds have to cope with on a daily basis
• [06:48] What the research says - It takes 23-minutes to refocus every time we are distracted
• [10:30] Being Realistic - Creating the right environment for completing bigger pieces of work
• [12:19] Learning to recognise digital distraction
• [14:00] Managing Strategies - To create boundaries that stick
• [15:38] Study - Computors In Human Behaviour - The mear presence of a smart phone can...
• [17:20] Learning from how our children approach device boundaries
• [18:26] What works best for you - Building sustainable habits without relying on willpower

Notable Quotes:

"Research has found that just having our phones in the same room - even when we're not using them - can reduce our brain power and ability to focus, even if we're actively trying to ignore them."

"We need moments of what might feel like boredom almost, those times when our minds can wander and our creativity can breathe."

Resources Mentioned:

• Read This Week's Full Journal Post
• Study: "Computers in Human Behavior" - Impact of smartphone presence
• Professor Gloria Mark's research on task-switching
• www.philippacraddock.com

Share Your Insights:

What's your biggest challenge when tackling larger projects? Share your experiences with me over on Instagram - I'd love to hear what works for you.

Subscribe to our newsletter for behind-the-scenes insights, exclusive resources, and first access to new offerings. Each week, you'll receive carefully curated content designed to help you build a stronger, more sustainable business.

What if AI could make your customer service more personal, not less? Building on your writing style guide from last week, I share two practical tools that help you handle everything from common queries to tricky client emails with authentic care and consistency. These approaches will free up your time and energy for the areas of your business you love, while ensuring every response sounds genuinely like you.

Key Moments:

• [00:00] Introduction to AI in customer service
• [01:53] Reflecting on last weeks episode and your success with using the 'Writing Style Paragraph'
• [04:01] First Tool: Using AI for common email responses
• [05:24] Making your template personal
• [10:50] Second Tool: Handling challenging client messages with grace
• [14:42] Practical steps to start using these tools this week
• [17:00] Summary: Becoming more consistantly personal using AI

Notable Quotes:

"Think of it like adding any new tool to your business - you start with the basics, build your confidence, and gradually discover more ways it can support your work."

"This neat little method helps us step back and respond from a place of clarity rather than reaction. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by a lengthy or emotional email, you can quickly identify the core issues that need addressing."

Resources Mentioned:

• Last week's episode: 'The Writing Style Secret'
• 'Writing Style Paragraph Generator Tool'
• Read This Week's Full Journal Post
• 2 Template prompts

Share Your Insights:

Have you tried either of these approaches to managing client communications? I'd love to hear how they work for you. Drop me a DM on Instagram I'm always here and genuinely love to discuss your insights and experiences...

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What if your most valuable business asset is something you're completely overlooking? In this episode we discover why the skills that often feel effortless to you might actually be your most profitable offering - and why most creative entrepreneurs are significantly undervaluing their natural abilities.

Key Moments:

• [00:00] Why your easiest work is often your most valuable and why that matters
• [01:19] The surprising truth about our most valuable skills and why we overlook them
• [04:52] A personal perspective: Learning from past experiences in creative business
• [05:58] Examples: The hidden worth within creative businesses
• [07:24] The ripple effect: How undervaluing natural expertise impacts your entire business
• [08:57] Recognising when you're overlooking your most valuable skills
• [09:47] Understanding the distinction between 'easy' and 'effortless'
• [10:23] Practical ways to recognise and value your natural expertise
• [12:50] From conscious thought to second nature: Understanding the expertise evolution
• [14:42] Building a business around genuine strengths: The path to authentic growth and profitability

Notable Quotes:

"The skills we've truly mastered, the ones that represent our deepest knowledge, are often the very ones we dismiss as 'just basic' or 'nothing special.'"

"When we consistently undervalue our work, we're not just affecting our own business - we're actually diminishing the perceived value of our entire industry."

"Understanding your natural expertise isn't just about charging more - it's about building a business that truly reflects the real value you're creating for your clients."

Resources:

• Read This Week's Full Journal Post

Share Your Insights:

What natural abilities do you catch yourself taking for granted in your business? I'd love to hear about the skills that you feel are almost too easy to charge for - Share your thoughts with me over on Instagram - @philippacraddock I'm always here and genuinely love to discuss your insights and experiences...

Never Miss an Episode:

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for behind-the-scenes insights, exclusive resources, and first access to new offerings. Each week, you'll receive practical guidance and thoughtful strategies to help you build a sustainable and profitable creative business.

There's something powerful I've discovered about business resolutions - only 8% ever succeed, but there's a clear pattern behind the ones that do. What I've uncovered about setting genuinely meaningful goals might transform how you approach your business growth this year...

Key Moments:

• [00:00] The paradox of expertise: Why we often dismiss our most valuable expertise as "too basic"
• [01:35] The valuable down time processing between one year and the next
• [03:19] A different approach to New Year goals, focusing on steady growth rather than dramatic changes
• [03:55] Where so many business goals start to go wrong and recognising the signs you're undervaluing your expertise
• [05:18] The difference between what we think we should be doing and and what we generally care about
• [07:21] How to make sure the goals you set really matter
• [10:44] The steps you can take to make sure you are on track and can hold focus

Notable Quotes:

"When we focus only on discipline and pushing ourselves harder, we miss something really important - whether these goals actually matter deeply to us and whether they make genuine sense for our business."

"Studies reveal that when people pursue goals they genuinely care about, that have clear purpose and meaning for them, they're not only more likely to achieve them but also find the whole process more rewarding."

"It's not about forcing ourselves into a new routine or pushing through with pure determination - it's about working towards something that truly matters to us."

Resources:

• Read This Week's Full Journal Post

Share Your Insights:

What goals feel genuinely meaningful for your business this year? I'd love to hear about the changes you're considering and how they align with what really matters to you. - Head over to Instagram - @philippacraddock for a chat. I'm always here and genuinely love to discuss your insights and experiences...

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Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for behind-the-scenes insights and first access to new resources that will help you recognise and monetise your natural expertise.

Here's a counterintuitive truth about business growth that surprised me - the creative business owners seeing the strongest results aren't the ones constantly working. Instead, they're mastering the art and reaping the benefits of periodically stepping away entirely. I've noticed something remarkable in my own business too - our biggest breakthroughs and clearest strategic decisions have often emerged when i gave myself true permission to rest. Today I'm sharing the evidence and strategy behind this approach, and why it might transform how you think about success in your creative business.

Key Moments:

• [01:35] Welcome and personal festive reflections
• [04:31] Why breaks matter most when we feel we can't take them
• [06:47] The research behind rest and business clarity
• [07:26] How strategic pauses differ from simply stopping work
• [10:11] Practical preparation for taking proper breaks
• [11:45] Building client trust through clear boundaries
• [13:21] How natural clarity emerges during real rest
• [15:52] The importance of unstructured thinking time
• [18:00] Strategies for maintaining clarity upon return

Notable Quotes:

"Strategic pauses help you recover and they create intentional space for growth. Those quiet moments, when we're not actively pushing forward, often become the foundation for our next phase of growth."

"When we're constantly in motion, constantly responding and doing, we're often working from habit rather than intention. A strategic pause gives us the chance to see if those habits are still serving us well."

Resources Mentioned:

Related Episode: 023 - 'How to Unlock Your Best Ideas'

Share Your Insights:

What has been your most powerful insight that came during a moment of rest? I'd love to hear your experience - Share your thoughts with me over on Instagram - @philippacraddock I'm always here and love to discuss your insights and experiences...

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Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for behind-the-scenes insights, first access to new offerings, and weekly doses of practical wisdom for growing your creative business.

You know when a slightly negative message from a customer lands in your inbox and your heart sinks a little - Today we're exploring exactly how to handle those tricky communications with grace, and perhaps even find something valuable in them along the way. What I've discovered about handling unexpected client messages is fascinating - particularly how even the most experienced creative entrepreneurs can feel that initial sting, and why that sensitivity might actually be one of our greatest strengths...

Key Moments:

• [00:00] Introduction: Receiving negative messages
• [02:58] How digital communication changes the way we interpret messages
• [04:59] How we can handle these messages with grace, and what they can teach us about ourselves and how we run our businesses
• [05:54] Analysing message content and how we can perceive them
• [11:47] Why developing resilience doesn't mean becoming immune to feedback
• [13:00] Strategies and practical steps to overcome difficult communications
• [16:34] Understanding how we can utilise these messages to actually improve our businesses
• [19:04] Summary as Philippa reflects back on the original message she was sent that inspired the podcast episode.

Notable Quotes:

"Those challenging messages, while never enjoyable, can actually teach us something valuable. They can help us strengthen our businesses, refine our communications, and develop a more resilient approach."

"The very fact that these messages affect you shows just how much you care about what you do. That's not a weakness to overcome - it's a strength to work with."

Share Your Insights:

I'd love to hear about a time when you transformed a challenging communication into an opportunity for growth. Pop over and share your thoughts with me over on Instagram - @philippacraddock I'm always here and love to discuss your insights and experiences...

Never Miss an Episode:

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for behind-the-scenes insights, exclusive resources, and first access to new offerings. Each week, you'll receive practical guidance and thoughtful strategies to help you build a sustainable and profitable creative business.