Happy 2025, friends! ๐ŸŽ‰

Or should I sayโ€ฆ welcome to December 2.0, where the decorations are gone, the inbox is overflowing, and the โ€œnew youโ€ is suspiciously identical to the old one. ๐Ÿ˜•

If youโ€™re anything like me, youโ€™re probably wondering: How did I end up here again? And who decided January was the month for ALL the things? Goal-setting. Budgeting. Planning. Oh, and looking effortlessly fabulous on socials while your brain screams โ€œI am NOT okay.โ€

Spoiler: none of us are okay. So, be sure to check out todayโ€™s essay below!

In this newsletter:

  • Essay: Janu-worry Survival Guide for Solo Operators

  • Candid Calendar: Free Course & Masterclass for Janu-worry

  • Blog Resources: New segment with free resources

Janu-worry Survival Guide for Solo Operators

As promised above, hereโ€™s my candid survival guide to help you get through the madness without losing your mind (or your Wi-Fi password).

1. Audit your workflows (a.k.a. find the bottleneckโ€ฆ Itโ€™s probably you)

You know that feeling when you sit down to work and suddenly remember youโ€™re also the CEO, admin assistant, and chief coffee maker? Yeah, me too. Thatโ€™s why Iโ€™m doing a workflow auditโ€”figuring out how long all the non-client stuff actually takes me and where I can delegate the heck out of it.

Pro tip: You donโ€™t have to be a hero. If someone else can do it better than you with half a brain and half the time, let them. Which brings me toโ€ฆ

2. Hire and delegate like a boss

This year, Iโ€™m on a mission to delegate like itโ€™s an Olympic sport. The dream? Handing off all those โ€œimportant but not me-importantโ€ tasks to talented consultants who are basically wizards in their fields.

Because letโ€™s face it: you donโ€™t need to personally organize your Canva folders or perfect that email automation. And you probably canโ€™t do it as well anyway!

3. Audit your tool costs (a.k.a. why do I have 7 subscriptions for similar tools?)

Scary fact: My tooling costs were almost 15% of my total revenue generated last year. Thatโ€™s why Iโ€™m asking the tough questions:

  • Am I using this?

  • Do I need this?

  • Can I split the cost with someone else?

Life hack: If youโ€™re on a team plan, share it with a colleague or friend who also needs it. Shoutout to Jomiro for teaching me this genius move.

4. Clean up your brand assets (because clunky templates suck to work with)

Thereโ€™s nothing worse than trying to work during a busy season and realising you hate your brand templates. (Cue the rage-quit spiral.)

So, Iโ€™ve been updating my designs, tweaking my blog, and making my newsletter look swanky. Itโ€™s like cleaning your room before company arrivesโ€”annoying in the moment, but future you will thank you.

5. Create a budget that doesnโ€™t make you cry

This year, Iโ€™m focusing on clarity. Instead of going on a 24/7 selling spree (thanks, ADHD), Iโ€™m figuring out what I actually need to sell each month to hit my budget. Itโ€™s all about working smarter, not panic-selling harder.

Pro tip: Take stock of your digital products, set realistic goals, and maybeโ€”just maybeโ€”give yourself permission to breathe.

You Donโ€™t Have to Do This Alone!

Real talk: The only reason I havenโ€™t completely lost it is because of the support Iโ€™ve found in the Candid Community. From pep talks to practical advice, itโ€™s where solopreneurs like us come to feel less alone in the chaos.

If youโ€™re thinking, โ€œI need that,โ€ nowโ€™s the time to join before our Founderโ€™s Pricing vanishes in February. Shameless plug? Yes. Worth it? Also yes.

Your Turn: Whatโ€™s in Your Survival Guide?

Whatโ€™s keeping you sane (ish) this January? Hit โ€œreplyโ€ and tell me your best tips, tricks, or hot takesโ€”Iโ€™d love to hear them!

Letโ€™s survive this month together. Or at least meme our way through it. ๐Ÿ’ช

Candid Calendar:

There are 2x VERY exciting things coming up in the Candid Community this month โ€” and since itโ€™s Janu-worry weโ€™ve made sure that you donโ€™t have to spend to get involved:

NEW COURSE: Becoming an AI-Powered Freelancer

If youโ€™re a team-of-one you can run a successful business all by yourself! But how do you make space to grow and innovate if youโ€™re always in the daily grind? ๐Ÿ˜•

Well Jomiro Eming is inviting the first cohort to learn just how for FREE! Well, in exchange for your feedback on course, which will help you:

โœ” Automate your daily grind with AI

โœ” Create systems that work FOR you

โœ” Free up time to focus on what you love

Be sure to sign up by Friday to get free access to the course before the first cohort closes!

FREE MASTERCLASS: Goal Getter - Plan with Purpose Using Notion

Check out her Instagram for more!

Rachel Starr will be helping us get all geared up for the year โ€” and all using Notion!

This is for you if youโ€™re keen to learn goal planning strategies designed to help you set clear, achievable goals and stay on track throughout the year.

When: 23rd January at 18h00 (GMT)

Free Blog Resources:

This is a new section for the newsletter, to make it a smidge easier to find our latest, free resources and expertise advice from our lovely Candid Consultants.

This weekโ€™s selection aims to help you kick-off 2025 with less overwhelm:

Good luck with all that โ€œCircling backโ€ from 2024! ๐Ÿ˜‰

Cands

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