How to Set Boundaries in Your Online Business

Don't Do What You Don't Want to Do in 2024

Michelle Jackson

Dec 05, 2023

Affiliate Disclosure

“In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog. Also, “As an Amazon Associate I may earn income from qualifying purchases that you interact.”

Announcements:

All Community Holiday Hang Out-This Friday, December 8, 2023 at 3:00 pm MTN/5:00 pm EST
- Zoom details will be shared a few hours before the event.
Mastermind spots still available-Please note that the Mastermind is capped at 15 participants.
- Creators Getting Paid Mastermind-Details in the linked to post
  - Payment Plans-will be available after the deal ends. Reach out to me at: thebrandbuildinglab@gmail.com for more details.
December Calendar
- End of Year Holiday Hang Out-Friday, December 8, 2023 at 3:00 pm MTN/5:00 pm EST via Zoom. Details will be shared earlier that day. Enjoy your favorite treats while we hangout before closing things down for the End of the Year. Holiday Ugly sweaters are encouraged.
January Calendar
- Free Workshop: Creating an Impactful (And Paid) Vision for Your Online Brand in 2024-Tuesday, January 16, 2024 at 6:00 pm MTN/8:00 pm EST
- Free Workshop-How to Design Award Winning Podcast Content in 2024-Thursday, January 18, 2024 at 6:00 pm MTN/8:00 pm EST
- IN-PERSON Workshop-How to Build and Grow a Newsletter that Pays (in 2024) I break down what works, what doesn’t and mistakes to avoid in 2024. Every person who runs an online brand who is serious about making money within their brand MUST have an email list or newsletter.
  - Leave the workshop understanding how to monetize your specific newsletter
    - Learn Michelle’s affiliate strategy
    - Get a chance to ask Michelle questions specific to your newsletter
    - Learn how to “sell” within your newsletter
    - How often to send out your newsletter and more
    - Cost: $97 (sale price until Friday, December 1, 2023)
    - When: Saturday, January 20, 2024 at 10:00 am MTN/12:00 pm EST
      - Zoom details will be shared the week of the workshop
      - Plan for at least 1.5-2 hours

2023 is Almost Over

It’s a few weeks before the end of 2023 and I’ve already begun the process of evaluating what did and didn’t work in my business. There are so many aspects of business to review such as:

Self-talk
Habits
Actions
Boundaries

Share Creators Getting Paid

Time to Set More Boundaries in Your Business

One of the behaviors that I observe over and over again both in my online business and others is discomfort with setting boundaries. Burning out more than once has taught me a number of hard lessons about how to build and sustain a digital business and I think this is the perfect time of year to share some thoughts. Hopefully, these tips will help free up your time, eliminate some stress and help you to reimagine what working for yourself can look like.

Creators Getting Paid Podcast Episode

Click on the link below to listen to the following podcast episode.

3 Things That I’m Not Doing in 2024-They May Surprise You

Tip #1-Do You Have a Strategy?

It’s ok if you’re winging it. But have you sat down and thought about and designed a strategy to move you towards whatever goals you are working towards? I’m going to share some examples below.

Want more podcast listens/downloads-Have you sat down and thought about what that looks like?
- Sending out a press release
- Publishing a podcast episode that backlinks to the podcast
- Sharing a YouTube video that references the podcast episode
- Doing a collaborative livestream that supplements the podcast episode

I allocate time each week, month and quarter that is focused on strategy. Once you develop the strategy then you can work on the next tip on my list.

Tip #2 Do You Have Systems?

SOPs or Standard Operating Procedures can be designed based on the strategies that you’ve created in step number one. Do you think that I’m rethinking how I do things each time I write a newsletter, website post, podcast episode, etc.? Hell no. I' have systems in place so that I don’t have to use my brain energy every time to figure out what in the heck I’m trying to do.

Why?

Because I have goals that I’m trying to reach.

Help people
Grow my list
Increase my predictable revenue
Help other mission driven entrepreneurs

Setting up my systems helps me stay focused, productive and out of my own way.

Tip #3 Do You Have Belief and Intention?

One of the most challenging parts of growing an online business is actually believing that you can do the things that you dream of. But, in order to foster belief you have to set up a practice to help you believe that you can achieve the goals that you’re working towards.

I’m going to share some examples of how that can work and admit that whenever I let this slip-it hurts my business.

Journaling about your goals on a daily or weekly basis.
Daily or weekly meditation.
Soaking in a hot tub and relaxing while focused on your goal
Going hiking/yoga/dancing/bike riding/knitting/sewing/coloring and reflecting on your goals.

Tip #4 Stay Focused

Now that you’re clear about your goals it’s important to be specific. Every action that you take should align with your goals. Staying focused means that you understand that every single action that you take is related to your ultimate goal.

Example:

GOAL: Increase your business income

You go on a podcast as a guest-Share a resource (make sure you get this approved by the host).
Each week you release a YouTube video-Are you including affiliate links in the video description, reference products or items that you sell or sponsor your video with a product that you’ve created.
You release a Podcast episode-And you sponsor your show with a product, good or service that you’ve created. I love this because podcast episodes are typically evergreen in nature. Bonus: Design podcast content with your goal in mind.

Examples of Boundaries in Michelle’s Business

I have so many freaking boundaries in my business. And I revisit what is and isn’t working both personally and professionally throughout the year. At the end of the year, I do an even deeper dive so that I don’t make the same mistakes twice.

Pick Your Brains-I don’t do them. Check out how you can say “No” to pick your brains without pissing people off. It’s possible and I love it!
Meeting before 10:00 am MTN/12:00 pm EST-Sorry East Coast people, I have no interest meeting you at 10:00 am EST which is 8:00 am MTN. Nope, not going to happen. When you think about it, 10:00 am EST is a perfect time for anyone on the East Coast. But, it’s the worst time for anyone who isn’t a morning person and happens to live west of Chicago. I always set my meetings after 10:00 am MTN. I can show up at my best then.
Always working more than 6 hours a day-Let’s be clear, there are days when I work on content and projects related to my business and I’m working for 10+ hours those days (when I’m batching content)in general I try to work around 6 hours a day of deep focused work.

Thoughtful Business Design

I’ve often asked people why are you designing a business that feels like how you used to work your job? You can control:

How you work-If you work better at night, then work at night.
Where you work-Do you work better from your home office…then do. Or, if you work better from a co-working space or other location-do it.
What you work on-You don’t have to do what everyone else is doing. Do what serves your community and you best.
Your prices-You can test out what people will pay for the different products and services that you’ve developed in your brand.
When you take breaks-You can, and should, take breaks from actively working in your business.
- Take the breaks!
- Staycation
- Business retreats
- Personal retreats
Professional development resources that you say “yes” to-I’m referring to conferences, workshops, sessions, books, courses, etc.

You’ll Be Happier

And what isn’t shared often enough is that it becomes easier over time to set boundaries. It’s like building a muscle.

I love the fact that I can confidently communicate the different boundaries that I’ve set both personally and professionally.

Creators Getting Paid