Inspiration

Every week on Friday, I share a list of the most interesting and inspiring content I’ve read lately here on my blog. You can expect thoughts on productivity, happiness, balance, spirituality, politics, and more. Subscribe here to get updates. See archives here.

I appreciated this reminder to check my privilege and not assume that what I think is best is actually best for everyone. There is nuance to almost every situation!

I already linked to this in my shownotes for my episode with Kate, but I actually did my own activity audit this week and found the process really helpful. You can also do it with Trello if you prefer a digital format!

Interesting new feature coming to Instagram – removing followers!

I have been working on a super-secret project for With/out Pretend and while I can’t tell you what it is, I can tell you that you’ll want to be in the loop when it launches. I cried on the streetcar about it this week! So meaningful! So good!

Friendly reminder if you (like me!) forgot that you can get free audiobooks through your library. And in great news, Overdrive now has an app just for ebooks and audiobooks called Libby, which works much better than Overdrive. An easy way to get more reading in when life is stressful.

Seth’s blog got a makeover! Cute. And I liked this post a lot: “Quitting merely because you’re behind is a trap, a form of hiding that feels safe, but isn’t.”

My friend Kim & I went to a workshop on Queer & Trans Inclusivity for Entrepreneurs at Make Lemonade, a local coworking space here in Toronto. It was great, and whether or not you’re in Toronto I’d encourage you to look for a class that could help you brush up on the right language to use and how to be authentically inclusive in your business.

In case you missed it, this week on the podcast I shared a story that reminded me that my core desired feelings are often much easier to come by than I might think, and share some resources that help me remember to prioritize joy.

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Another whirlwind of a week! I had lots of work to do because I go away to New York on vacation on Tuesday! I like to go at least once a year to visit my kindred spirit Katie, who I wish I saw more often. In the spirit of vacation vibes, I’ll be taking a summer break from the blog and podcast for the next couple of weeks, but will be back soon with more inspiration and more thoughtful conversations with my friends & colleagues, because I can never stay away from my blog for long! I hope you have a wonderful few weeks of summer and soak up the sun in every single minute. Feel free to follow along on Instagram @stephpellett where I may share the occasional update over the next few weeks! Sending you lots of love, xo.

Every week on Friday, I share a list of the most interesting and inspiring content I’ve read lately here on my blog. You can expect thoughts on productivity, happiness, balance, spirituality, politics, and more. Subscribe here to get updates. See archives here.

I’m a bit late to the game on both of these, but over the past week I watched both Hard Knock Wife by Ali Wong and Nanette by Hannah Gadsby and both were excellent.

The mantra for summer.

I really liked this piece, which was a thought-provoking read about living within your means and how doing so is not something that modern North American humans are very good at.

A very helpful and friendly marketing plan that helps you be thoughtful about each stage of the customer journey and figure out how to move people through your “funnel”. I really need to fill this out for a client project I’m working on.

Yaaaaas Lizzo! Love this song, love this video.

After a very inspiring Tuesdays Together session, I put together a resources page on my website for anyone curious about the tools I use to run my business!

I was very moved by a storytelling event this week put on by one of my clients called Unruly Bodies.  It reminded me of how far I have to go in being more inclusive, especially when it comes to ableism.

This week on the podcast, I interviewed my friend Kate Smalley about making for the sake of making and how to stay focused on your own goals.

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Another week gone by in a blink! It was a busy one but with tons of good stuff packed in: my entrepreneurs meetup, a few client sessions, working on building exciting new projects, supporting a big event from afar, and planning for the future. I also finished a book and worked on tracking my time, Laura Vanderkam style, which was super fun. This weekend I am hoping to get more reading done and think strategically about the next couple weeks, which are going to be super busy – I leave for New York on the 24th! I hope you have a wonderful weekend too. xo.

Every week on Friday, I share a list of the most interesting and inspiring content I’ve read lately here on my blog. You can expect thoughts on productivity, happiness, balance, spirituality, politics, and more. Subscribe here to get updates. See archives here.

I can’t express how much I loved this piece from Jason Fried on outlasting: “Rather than thinking about how much you need to make to cover your costs, think about how little you need to help you survive as long as you want.”

Fun fun travel tips from the cool people at Bon Appetit. These include some of my staples like going to the grocery store, leaving unplanned days, using Google maps, and building the day around croissants. I will also definitely be borrowing the idea of stocking the fridge at home ahead of time.

I also really loved this advice on planning trips from Girls Night In, which is more philosophical but still super helpful, especially the tips about thinking of countries regionally and identifying legitimate FOMO.

A website app that does sticky notes and wireframes, yes please!! Yes! Please!

I re-listened to Laura Vanderkam’s TED talk this week, as well as a podcast interviewing her about her new book Off the Clock. I really love her philosophies about time and always find her approach fascinating (and helpful).

This past weekend at the cottage I read one of my favourite books of the year so far, Next Year, For Sure, and have since been recommending it to everyone. It’s so poignant and lovely and good.

This is not really a link, but it’s inspiring me so I’ll mention it – last week I met with the small but mighty mastermind group I’ve formed with a few friends and holy moly, even our first meeting was so helpful and productive. It’s just so nice to have a group of people to bounce ideas off of to grow your business.

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Last weekend we were up at the cottage for the Canada Day long weekend and it was so wonderful. Lots of swimming, lots of reading, lots of puppy cuddles, lots of sunshine. This weekend I’m excited to bring that same spirit to the city! I’m helping out at my favourite dinner of the month, going to a housewarming party at my sister’s place, and seeing a beautiful storytelling event put on by one of my clients. I hope you have a wonderful weekend too! xo.

Every week on Friday, I share a list of the most interesting and inspiring content I’ve read lately here on my blog. You can expect thoughts on productivity, happiness, balance, spirituality, politics, and more. Subscribe here to get updates. See archives here.

Thoughtful questions for event organizers. This is geared towards speakers but I think these are great for deciding whether to participate in any kind of event.

Taking some time this week to plug Artery, one of my favourite things. Last Thursday I went to a secret rooftop summer solstice dance performance with farm-to-table food prepared by some of the best chefs in Toronto. Like, what? Go find out more about this amazing platform bringing more culture & community into cities.

This week my friend Erin took me (and the whole With/out Pretend team!) to an incredibly moving farewell gala for the Watah Theatre, a local theatre company that specializes in producing political theatre from a radical queer Black feminist lens. I can’t really even explain the magic of what we experienced, but I felt beyond lucky to have been there.

Well Ice Cream Books is pretty cute and pretty cool.

The next time you’re trying to name something, look at all the resources here! Basically every naming tool you could ever need.

Did you know you can now mute Instagram posts as well as stories? I keep wanting to just unfollow certain people but am not brave enough to do so yet! Mute it is.

This week on the podcast I’m talking about upper limit problems and what I’m doing to work through mine!

PS. Next Tuesday in celebration of Canada Day, I’m taking a mid-season podcast break! I’ll be back with a new episode on July 10th.

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Life has been good this week! Busy, but good. I am writing this while sitting outside on a patio in the shade, listening to the birds and looking up at blue skies. This is the kind of weather that makes me happiest! I’m hoping it lasts because this weekend I’m going up to a cottage and plan to actually relax. No work, no emails, no stress. Just books, swimming, and smiles. I hope you have a wonderful weekend too! xo.