Hey, hey, Goal Diggers! Happy Monday! 

This week on the podcast, we are talking about something that is so important, yet so often neglected in the entrepreneurial world: self-care. Between the to-do lists and the trips to the post office and the phone calls, we often put ourselves on the back burner. Wait, what?! Ourselves? Isn’t that who we started this business for in the first place?! Yet so many of don’t realize (until it’s too late) how we have been neglecting our sleep, nutrition, alone time, relationships in order to climb the ladder. This truly is such a vicious cycle that can be hard to 1) acknowledge and 2) work against, but with the insight of our guest, Kat Harris of The Refined Woman, as we talked “life, rest, business– ALL the things” and learned some tips and tricks to bring self-care back into your daily routine.

“The Things That Light You Up– Chase Them”

One idea that kept surfacing with Kat was the idea of letting yourself evolve. Kat was a collegiate athlete with no artistic outlet, then chased photography relentlessly off of a whim, and let that eventually lead her to her blog and to writing. The point here is: don’t peg yourself into a certain spot– don’t box yourself in. It’s a big, creative world out there and being stubborn about your role could limit you. Let yourself grow and dream!

The Lie: “I Matter Because of What I Do”:

No, no, friends. You matter because of who you are. Guys, owning a business can be all consuming. Even if you aren’t the CEO, head boss of a business, work can overtake us if we let it. Both Kat and I dug into our experiences battling anxiety, burnout, and addiction to work. Stress looks different on everyone, but there were some consistencies that we both faced and many of our fellow business owners do as well. Some simple ways to fight back against work consumption: sleep, meal planning, time with the Lord, working out– whatever it looks like for YOU, embrace it. Self-care is absolutely crucial on the road of a long-term business.

“What is the Legacy I Am Leaving?”

One thing that instantly connected Kat and I was our philosophy of treating others like your teammates– not your enemies. Together, we dug into our methods on 1) When to reach out to others 2) How to reach out (and channeling toddler me saying “Hello, I’m Jenna, J-E-N-N-A, can I be your friend?!”) 3) How to make the connection valuable for both and 4) The internet is a lonely place if you LET it be– reach out! Connect! Be inspired by others while inspiring others!

All in all, Kat is one of the most inspiring ladies in the business. Her authenticity, drive, and true friendship are as rare as they come, and I cannot wait to hear what you learn from this episode! Whether it is in terms of dream chasing, rest taking, or connection making, there are SO many brilliant little pieces of advice in this session, and I can’t wait to share them with you!

Kat Harris is a Brooklyn based speaker, photographer, and editor-in-chief of the online magazine The Refined Woman. She has been in the fashion industry for 8 years.  Some of her clients include:  Carolina Herrera, Tory Burch, Brunello Cucinelli, and The Giving Keys.  Her work has been featured in:  GQ, Who What Wear, Glamour UK, People, Dujour, and US Weekly.  Whether on set for an editorial shoot, writing an article, or hosting an event she views each as a vehicle for her message for people to know that they have purpose, value, and lives filled with stories worth telling.

You can find Kat online at: Facebook // Instagram // Blog