Being Boss: Take Control of Your Work and Live Life on Your Own Terms

Summary of Being Boss

1. 1

   Crafting Your Creative Empire: The Boss Mindset

   

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   Picture this: You're sipping coffee in your home office, no boss breathing down your neck, working on projects you love, and making great money doing it. This isn't a fantasy-it's the reality that Kathleen Shannon and Emily Thompson have built and now teach others to create. Being boss isn't about getting rich quick or following rigid formulas. It's about designing a business and life that reflects who you truly are. In a world where 40% of workers will soon be self-employed, mastering this mindset isn't just nice-it's necessary. What does being boss really mean? It's "owning who you are, knowing what you want, and actually making it happen." It's taking full responsibility for your life and work, standing confidently in your truth, and creating impact that matters. The journey begins with identifying your core values-those non-negotiable principles that guide your decisions. These values act as your personal GPS system, helping you navigate choices and recognize when something feels off. When fraudy feelings creep in-that queasy sensation when someone asks what you do and you can't confidently claim your creative identity-remember that true confidence isn't about making others happy. It's about standing in your truth even when circumstances feel shaky. Like any muscle, confidence strengthens with practice as you learn to trust your strengths and work around weaknesses.

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   Boundaries: Your Creative Garden's Fence

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   Why do some creative entrepreneurs thrive while others spin their wheels? The difference often comes down to healthy boundaries. Think of your business as a garden and boundaries as the fence protecting it from energy-draining "pests." Effective boundaries put your core values to work, shaping how you spend time, energy, and money. Identify what energizes versus drains you, then create rules protecting what matters most. Physical boundaries are crucial, especially when working from home. Establish a defined workspace and create transition rituals - lighting a candle when starting work and extinguishing it when finished, closing your laptop at day's end, or turning off weekend notifications. These signal to your brain when to create and when to rest. Email demonstrates boundary-setting in practice. Constantly checking your inbox trains you to react to others' needs instead of focusing on your priorities. Limiting email checks to once daily increases productivity significantly. People will adjust their expectations accordingly.

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   Daily Practices That Build Success

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   Being boss isn't a one-time achievement - it's a daily practice. Your habits and routines form the invisible architecture supporting your success, and when automated, they help you work efficiently without constant deliberation. Your morning routine sets the tone for your day, providing structure while honoring your need for inspiration. Successful creatives typically include mindful moments, movement, nourishing food, and time for inspiration in their mornings. Your body, mind, and soul are your business's most vital assets. What many dismiss as "self-care" is essential maintenance. Nutritious meals, adequate sleep, and daily movement are necessities for optimal performance. Despite the creative world's glorification of sleep sacrifice, experts recommend eight hours nightly. Improve sleep by limiting screen time before bed, avoiding business reading at night, maintaining consistent wake times, and establishing a calming bedtime routine. Setting intentions brings conscious attention to how you want to approach your day or month. Whether focusing on "efficiency" during busy periods or adopting monthly themes like "discipline," these focused thoughts guide your actions and shape your reality.

4. Chapter 4

   The Business of Creativity: Making Money Doing What You Love

   Making money from your creative passion requires strategy. Start with a simple business plan outlining income goals, revenue streams, responsibilities, support needs, mission, and desired feelings. Successful creative entrepreneurs balance two mindsets: farmer and hunter. Farmers build long-term - developing your brand, honing craft, nurturing relationships, and sharing expertise. Hunters pursue immediate opportunities - making calls, sending emails, and communicating availability while approaching prospects with confidence rather than desperation. Your personal brand extends beyond visuals to communicate who you are before what you do. It sets expectations, makes promises, and demonstrates value to potential clients. Even if you resist "personal branding," your brand inevitably reflects your operational values. Content creation is essential "farming" for your business. Consistently sharing valuable content through blogs, newsletters, podcasts, or social media establishes expertise and attracts ideal clients. You'll discover your voice through practice, even when uncomfortable. Everyone finds their early work cringe-worthy, but improvement only comes through doing.

   Chapter 5

   Building Your Creative Support System

   No creative entrepreneur succeeds alone. As a leader, exemplify what you expect: punctuality, willingness to tackle any task, clear communication, fair compensation, regular check-ins, and genuine gratitude. Partnership isn't for everyone-many creatives thrive solo. Consider collaboration when creating something bigger than yourself. A good partnership allows you to focus on half the work while knowing the other half receives equal care, enabling you to grow something larger with more concentrated attention. Rather than complex legal agreements, consider Kathleen and Emily's "Be a Good Person" clause: "Each member promises to be a good person, meaning we'll discuss anything that feels off, apologize rather than sue if we mess up, celebrate each other's opportunities, and be genuinely happy for one another." Even without formal partners, find a "business bestie"-someone with matching work ethic who provides mutual support, someone to discuss money goals with, share intentions, exchange strategies, and confide in about both struggles and victories.

   Chapter 6

   Living Fully Beyond Your Business

   Being a workaholic isn't admirable, even when passionate about your work. The goal isn't just earning money doing what you love - it's creating a life worth living. Apply the same tenacity to your personal life as your creative endeavors. Your body physically regenerates every seven years - your skeleton every decade, skin every few weeks, and some cells daily. This renewal mirrors the opportunity to choose who you want to become. Consider who you want to be in the next seven years, what you want to learn and achieve, and how you'll handle challenges. Your transformation begins with today's choices. When planning time away, keep your business running by scheduling content in advance, setting auto-responders, completing projects beforehand, budgeting for income pauses, notifying clients, and possibly staffing up. Growing a business and a family aren't mutually exclusive. Both require adaptability, handling feelings of inadequacy, recognizing that multitasking doesn't work, and accepting that neither is always enjoyable despite what social media suggests.

   Chapter 7

   The Ongoing Journey of Being Boss

   Being boss means implementing the mindset, habits, boundaries and tactics you've learned. Confidence grows with practice as you collect evidence of success. The entrepreneurial path continually presents new challenges. What separates dreamers from doers? Simply doing the work. The gap between wanting and having is filled with consistent effort. Daily commitment to showing up, creating boundaries, establishing routines, and taking action transforms creative passion into sustainable success. Your creative business isn't just about making money - it's about making meaning. It's about creating work that matters to you and serves others, designing energizing days, and building a life where work and play complement each other. The path won't always be easy, but it will always be yours. Own your power, trust your voice, protect your energy, and do the work. That's being boss.

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