Are you an entrepreneur who feels frustrated and overwhelmed because you’re doing all.the.things and not getting anywhere with all that effort?
What if you could make twice as much money with half the work?
That’s the premise of Denise Duffield Thomas’ book, Chillpreneur.
You may think it’s similar to Tim Ferris’ book, The 4-Hour Workweek, but you’d be wrong. While they both talk about working smarter instead of harder – that’s where the similarities end.
Tim’s book is all about the travel/working lifestyle. The strategy is to travel to a country with a lower cost of living. Then outsource work to people in lower-income countries because they charge less than those in the US. So while you continue to earn in USD you’re saving massively on living costs and inexpensive outsourcing. With the ultimate result being that you don’t have to work as much.
Denise’s book is all about working on yourself to create the lifestyle you want. And figuring out how to make things simpler so you have more freedom and ease.
So what is Chillpreneur about?
The book is divided into 4 sections, Mindset, Business Models, Money and Marketing.
The Mindset section deals with the mindset aspect of starting a business. You’ll never feel ready enough, or good enough, or worried that you’ll fail and that this is perfectly normal and that you should accept that this stuff is going to come up and then give yourself permission to muddle through things imperfectly anyway.
She also talks about common money blocks people experience in their businesses and how to overcome these blocks. The main takeaway in this chapter is that when it comes to having a successful business, Mindset is the most important aspect. And also the most difficult bit to get right. Get this right and then everything else follows.
The Business Models section is all about designing a business that works with who you are and what you want your life to be. There are exercises that help you create a business model that works with your strengths and allows you to do more of what you love. And less of what you don’t love. And how – as counterintuitive as it sounds – you actually have to work less to earn more.
The Money section helps you deal with common business money issues like pricing, undercharging, working for free and those persistent ‘brain-pickers’. Along with how to attract the right clients for your business. There’s an entire chapter dealing with awkward money conversations – with scripts that you can use for your own awkward money conversations. The main takeaway from this section is that charging appropriately for your products or services is an act of self-care – and we all should be taking care of ourselves in order for our businesses to succeed.
The last section is the Marketing section and it’s all about how to sell your products/services without feeling icky about it. She explains that marketing doesn’t have to be this hugely complicated thing with multiple funnels. In fact, Denise’s entire marketing strategy consists of two parts, sharing what you know and making offers. It’s that simple. You just need to show up, be seen and be heard and then make an offer. So as long as you get your message out to more people in whatever way feels good to you – then the money will follow.
What do I love about Chillpreneur?
I love that its a no-BS, practical guide to creating a successful business. The antithesis to the hustle and grind culture, Chillpreneur, shows that you can build a business doing what you love while taking care of yourself and your family. Denise’s tone is warm and encouraging and her stories throughout the book are both hilarious and completely relatable. Do yourself a favour and read it!