With 3 full weeks of travel, July was certainly an atypical month.

Much was different, and yet, a calculated number of things stayed on course.

 

>> Catch up on June’s recap here. <<

 

July 2019

The first bit of the month was at home in Virginia Beach, followed by a week in Northern California – including San Francisco, Napa Valley, and Half Moon Bay. We then headed to Prague in the Czech Republic for a work trip for my husband. Finally, we spent the last week of the month and the first few days of August in Hatteras, North Carolina on a beach vacation with my family.

Phew. It was most certainly a whirlwind, but I’m pleasantly surprised with how I was able to bounce from timezone to timezone, experience different climates and cultures, and honestly, love every minute of it.

Okay, okay…fine. I did not loOoOve the 90+ degree temperatures and different interpretations of “air conditioning” in Prague. But, we fared just fine, and when you’re exploring all the beauty that is Old-World Europe, you can only complain but so much!

Thankfully, we had a day at home between each trip so I was able to do loads of laundry in batches, rather than come home to a mountain of it! We had the support of my sister-in-law, family members, neighbors, and daycare to take care of our pup and keep things in order back home. Crazy how much there is to think about just to jet set for a few weeks, isn’t it!?

I’m going to sharing some travel tips to my personal blog in the near future, so I’ll link to it from here when it’s live and keep you posted on that!

 

Working While on the Go

I ended up keeping my current laptop and bringing it with me on the trip, despite the incessant “Storage Almost Full!” notifications constantly shouting at me.

I’ve been so spoiled by the big Mac in my office that I rarely have to use it! A new MacBook is still on my list and I’ve got my eyes on the Pro with the 15” screen! ??

All that to say, I made the conscious and intentional decision ahead of time to work while traveling, or “on vacation”. I knew there would be tons of idle travel time, mornings my husband was in session, and other pockets of time that I could take advantage of, without at all feeling like I was sacrificing the ability to be present and enjoy our time in each place.

There’s also been incredible momentum this summer that I wasn’t about to slow – NOT from a place of fear – but from a genuine place of enthusiasm for the projects I had in motion.

I’m sure there will be trips that I leave the laptop at home, but this past month just wasn’t that time.

I also loved not having to come home to an out-of-control inbox. Since I’d managed it while away, communicated with clients, and made progress on projects, I was able to ease right back in upon our return.

Planning for work-free time off is something I’m still working on as a new full-time business owner. For now, I was just ecstatic to be able to pick up and go wherever, for however long we wanted!

 

Latest Content & Offerings

The Shop

The first-ever Copy Uncorked mini-course is still in the works and I actually outsourced a bit of the design aspects while traveling. It’s going to be launching a bit later than I originally wanted, but it’s just not the kind of thing I want to rush.

Plus, I had to be realistic about it on top of everything else on my plate. Burn out is not the goal!

But fear not – the Website Content Mini-Course is coming and I can’t wait to share it with you.

 

Blog Posts

On the CU Blog:

• The Monthly Recap: June 2019

 

Other blog posts I read and loved:

• Whitney Ryan on 3 Subject Line Rules
• Copy Hackers on Instagram Copy

 

Books

I also read Joyful by Ingrid Fettell Lee this month and loved it. It was recommended to me by a client and friend, Brooke of Craft & Curate, after we had an extensive conversation about aesthetics. If you’re a visual person, definitely pick it up!

Content Creation

• With being on the go so much, I chose to not share #CUat5 Instagram Story videos the past few weeks. Those will resume in August!
• As far as imagery, I loved my camera purchase and used it a ton on our trip – which you can see by all of the photos included in this post. I had so much fun learning it – not that I’ve even begun to scratch the surface. It was definitely a worthwhile purchase that I know I’ll continue to use.
• I also launched the CU Resources page, sharing my favorite tools, tips, and tricks for running this business and helping you grow yours.

 

Clients

This was one of my favorite months of clients – from the people themselves to their industry to the conversations that came out of each call.

Each project has felt so collaborative and inspiring; all working in tandem to create the best possible end result.

There weren’t any client launches to share this month per se, but there are quite a few on the horizon – shooting for August! (And they’re some of my favorites to date.)

Brand messaging development is always the longest phase of a website copywriting project, but once that’s solidified, things move right along through copy & design.

Additionally, a handful or so of great leads came in, and believe it or not, despite all of the traveling, last month’s gross income was HIGHER than June’s. Wild.

 

Learning Moments

On that note, having an abundance mindset has been transformational for me personally and for my business.

I’ll forever be amazed at how the thoughts in our head affect our reality.

Having an abundance mindset is living into the belief that resources are plentiful – time, money, opportunity, followers, friends, grace – you name it.

There’s more than enough to go around.

Abundance means that someone else’s light doesn’t dim yours.

We must lean into the stories God’s given us to share, and how he’s uniquely gifted us to share it, without looking to the right or to the left.

I haven’t found anything that says it better than this verse:

“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” [Isaiah 30:21 New International Version (NIV)]

For me, that means staying in your lane, keeping your eyes on your own paper (I wish I could remember where I heard that recently), and not mistaking inspiration for original insight.

Not to mention, I knew running a business would be hard work, but I may have underestimated the amount of decision making it requires.

Making decisions can be exhausting. But when we have clear values, a defined vision, positive habits, and identified boundaries, we can arrive at a decision with less effort and more ease.

Goals for August

That’s why my goals for August are discipline and integrity.

I want to continue strengthening the muscle of doing what I say I’m going to do when I say I’m going to do it – not just for my clients, but for myself.

Whether it’s about starting my morning with a walk and a devotional, rather than bee-lining for my desk, or working out before I head to the couch (wine in hand) in the evenings.

I know it’s behaviors like these that allow me to be my best and most creative self, while not merely surviving, but THRIVING. That is what I crave.

So what about you? What happened in your July and what are you focused on in August?

Around the CU Office: Things I’m Loving Lately

Here are a few things I’m loving lately – (they’re on my wishlist!):

• My DSLR camera
• All of the items in the Camp Climb shop
• The LV Neverfull in Damier Azur (yes, the one you see everywhere) ??‍♀️
• This cozy looking rugby, perfect for heading into fall

 

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That’s a wrap on July! ☀

Cheers!