Hey Rebels, it’s a full moon and I’m hormonal. Saddle up!!
I just left a frustrated rant in a whatsapp group and when I was asked what triggered me, I recorded my thoughts on video and then decided to turn it into a blogpost. Today wasn't supposed to be a recording day. But rules can be broken. I just needed to let my thoughts out and this always works for me. It might not become an episode, it's definitely a blogpost now. Ha! Therapy and content all rolled into one!!
I'm fed up. Fed up with the same old advice flooding the small business scene on one end. And the ever changing strategies on the other. The supposed business gurus telling you how to run your business, how to hustle on Instagram, how to be your "authentic self." Ugh, spare me!
Authenticity as a business tool has lost all it’s charm because of it, but in the end, this is ironically exactly the antidote to the guru talk.
I've been stepped into the herd for a while and let myself be taken away by it, but I'm done and need to say some things out loud. I could and would never promise you overnight success or six-figure earnings. I break out in hives just thinking about it... That approach would never work for me. Because how can you ever make a promise like that?
My mission? Empowering fellow creatives, especially in the niche of textile crafts and slow fashion. Why? Because I've been where you are and I KNOW I can help. I learned the hard way that hustling and following the herd doesn’t work. Now, I'm here to find a way to help you with honesty, integrity and without tooting my own horn about how I'm so pure and angelic. Because I'm not.
It’s weird, I hope I do not come across as these small businesss gurus selling online courses and memberships. But it's a fact that I’m in the same playing field. The difference is that I’m wearing Vans bought on Vinted getting muddy in the field instead of Ballenciagas that stay clean seated on the bench.
So how will I ever sell my services from this position?
Filter out the one-size-fits-all approaches. You need to do the work yourself, figuring out what you need and what works for you. Small steps over time will impact your business. I'm all about mindset shifts and empowering you to carve your own path. And this doesn’t get you to a six figure income within the year. I can promise you that much.
Entrepreneurship is bloody hard work
It's easy to get sucked into the flashy personas and booming voices of so-called experts. But their playbook might not be yours. You need to find your voice, your vision.
Now thát I can help you with!
At the core of it all? It's about staying true to yourself in a sea of clones. Shielding yourself from the rabbit holes and golden promises. Your time, your energy, your values—they matter. Building a business that aligns with who you are and what you need, not some cookie-cutter formula.
Yeah, it feels like an uphill battle sometimes. For you as much as for me as well. But honestly, that is what it’s like to run a business. It’s fucking hard. I feel like I stepped into the wrong race sometimes, but I'm still in it. Because I believe in the power of being yourself and making real connections.
I believe you can run a succesful business, but you define what succes means by looking at your situation realistically in the moment. Then once you get to a certain point, you build on top of it. And so on.
So here's the deal: Forget the Instagram hustle, the follower count obsession. What you need are genuine connections, real conversations. And some deep diving into your values and needs. That's where the magic happens.
That's why I'm all about building community. It's not just about the lessons I teach about branding, marketing and selling, it's about the connections you make with like-minded souls. Together, we're stronger. A raising tide and all that.
Transparency, honesty, a good laugh—that's my recipe for success. Your business should enrich your life, not drain it.
So here's to smashing the mold, to defying expectations, to being unapologetically you. Let's rock this rebellion together. Not just in our effort to flip the bird to fast fashion, but also in learning how we reach our goals. Our way!
Yeah, it might rub some people the wrong way. But you know what? Those aren't my people. I'm here to work with my people, those that feel something when they read this. Realistic, hard working people that dream of making a difference while having a marvellous time working with passion for their craft.
Instagram hearts are the pinnacle of small talk to me and I absolutely hate small talk.
I'm all about real conversations, real connections. Give me meaningful dialogue any day. Drop into my DM and start a conversation. Ask a question via email. Leave a voice message with an idea.
No more conformity circus! Easy to say, but it can be hard to know what’s your next move if you don’t know who to believe or follow. Hint: if someone makes you a promise that’s hard to believe, than maybe not that person. (although someone once told me she could cure my allergies and she basically did.... but that's a story for another time, today I'm just clearing my mind, ranting and turning it into content...)
Keep fighting the good fight, my friends. Stay true to your vision, your voice. Together, we'll shake things up and change industry standarts, selling our products and services with passion and in good health so that makers can opt out of buying fast fashion and use their skills to change the world.
We've got the bones to build a better world, so we need to take care of ourselves, get that calcium in. Also known as connection and conversation.
And where does all this happen Saskia? you ask...
Exactly; in community!!
So if you wanna join other business owners that are laying the stepping stones as the go...