User submission

Just A Girl, Her Cat, And A Plan

Hi, my name is Emily and I’m the creator behind the PlanLikeABoss Creative Business Planner. I’ve been an artist my entire life, and a blonde. Oh and a cat mom-more on that later. On occasions when I’m faced with an analytical problem I prefer to respond with a simple “I don’t math” and go on about my day. So I wasn’t terribly surprised at the lackluster response from my friends and family when I announced that I was starting a business. It was a curious combination of overzealous “Go Get ‘Em Girl” sentiments and forced smiles coupled with furrowed brows and reminders of my daunting student loan debt. “Yeah, no shit” I thought, but I had been miserable at my 9-5 for a few years, and with the big 3-0 starring at me like a loaded gun I decided to change everything. It was kind of like a mid-life crisis without the divorce and overcompensating sports car. Anyways, so I quit my job and started selling planners on Etsy. in 2016, with the help of my favorite black cat Elphaba (yes from Wicked.) We created an assortment of handmade planners, journals and notebooks. Elphaba is my number 1 assistant and often makes an appearance on my Instagram page garnering more likes than all my other posts. Not all that surprising, since at the time, I wasn’t sure what the crap I was getting myself into. I mean, I knew that I loved a good planner, but does that mean anyone else does? And what about social media? I had a whopping 127 followers on my personal Instagram and none of them had any interest in buying a planner. They were all *I have a cell phone thanks* and I was all *screw you and your cell phone thanks* How the hell does a normal person get anyone to follow them on any social media platform anyways? Of course I did what any good millennial would do and I Googled it, and holy crud are there a lot of different suggestions. I tried all the miracles and the secrets and they didn’t much do anything. I got sold on a couple schemes. Load of crap. So I tried everything else, and surprisingly enough some stuff actually worked. What I figured out was that no matter what you’re trying to accomplish, you gotta put the work in. I still have a long ways to go, but in 2 years I went from being FLAT broke to being able to keep my head above water and kitty treats on the table. The creative business planner started out as a planner I made for myself to keep all my ducks in a row. I knew a bit about selling art from my college days and combining that with what I had learned the hard way about selling on Etsy, I made a planner that helped me manage all my social media stuff, my day-to-day stuff, and the money stuff. In 12 months I organically grew my Instagram account from zilch to over 5,000 followers who are genuinely engaged with my brand. I have a successful stand alone website and I still make totally custom planners on Etsy. The next step for me is to have a successful Kickstarter campaign that will afford me the opportunity to have really high quality planners made for a fraction of the cost. I know from my artsy days that I would much rather spend my hard earned money on supplies than on marketing, but a $35 marketing planner is well worth the small investment. This planner brought my social media game to the next level and I think it can do the same for a lot of other artists and crafters. Quitting my day job was hands down the most terrifying thing I have ever done, and I’ve jumped out of perfectly good airplanes. And even though my family and friends still are completely sure what I’m doing is a viable way to make a living, I know I’m on the right path. Check out my Kickstarter campaign and help me bring this planner to thousands of artists, crafters and makers who could change the world with their art! Also there are some ridiculously cute pictures of my cat, so that’s fun too.

More info: kickstarter.com