This year I’m choosing a soft business…

I love variety in my work. I love being able to choose who I want to work with.  I love sharing movement, I love curating events and festivals, I love mentoring folks working in the wellness world, I love helping folks reestablish a relationship with rest, I love sharing sounds, I love retreating and i love Now Studio. I love my work and I know how rare it is for that to be the case. I takes guts to build a work world that feels good, and a whole lot of heart.

It’s been nearly 10 years since I left a salaried job. Ten years of having my sights on growing the business of me. 

Maybe it’s perimenopause and the joyful tiredness that comes with. I don’t know.

Last year I made the decision to only do “one big thing” a month. ‘22 me said yes to so much without even stepping back and viewing full months picture, it was very much, if I’m free then I do it. It was a very full, very fulfilling year and also left little time for the rest of life outside of work.

It’s funny because these days when I catch up with pals (always infrequently because every freelancer/business owner I’m pals with is smashing it and there’s little time around events and families and other things where our diaries actually match up) we are all so proud of our work and also so damn work riddled.  The cozzie livs has got us all grafting like never before. When a take out curry from sweetmart comes in at £7.50 you know the climate has shifted.

Anyway. Grafting. I have decided I’m not such a fan of the treadmill I’ve found myself on with the studio. The “can do must do better” energy that kept catching me unawares. So earlier this year, I made the decision to have have a soft business. To keep the studio under the VAT threshold very purposely (because that ceiling is annoying when you’re only just over it) and instead of making Now bigger bigger bigger I want impact impact impact. 

I want folks to feel part of the community. I want to reduce finances as an access barrier. I want us to create something beautiful and it not need to be big.

These means that at some point in the not so distant future the studio will become members only - a way of sealing the incokme below that blooming threshold. We aren’t far off that reality. But also not there yet. OFC the commmunity spaces for those who cannot afford will remain free and available.

I see large shiny studios repeatedly have to  crowdfund and investment raise and know that’s not the game I want to play - not quite sure what the end goal is they are moving towards tbh but know on a deep bodily basis that isn’t something I’m striving for. 

Soft…. I want soft and varied. I want to share yoga teacher immersions, restful retreats, I want Now to be a hub for community and for it to support its people,  I want space so my creativity has chance to rise, I need space to process life being really tough at times (this week is reminding me of that), I want space to embrace my social life and fun with friends. 

To softness and space.  And all we can feel within that.