ep. 031 • Make Space to Honor Your Business (WORKSPACE CURATION)

Chelsea: I am asked on, basically, a weekly basis how I manage to be so productive, so organized, so efficient, whatever, while managing a household, homeschooling my three kids, running my henna boutique, and of course, supporting my students and mentees inside of Hennapreneur PRO. Well, there's not a single answer to this as my productivity has definitely increased over the years with a number of practices and behaviors that I've begun to implement. But, today, I do want to share one key piece to my productivity and it all relates to how I use space to honor my business. Want to learn more? Stay tuned!

Welcome to the Hennapreneur podcast – the exclusive podcast of its kind dedicated to giving you an honest look at the realities of making a living as a henna professional.

I'm your host, Chelsea Stevenson, a tea-loving, shoe-collecting mother of three in constant search for the most popping pair of earrings and the perfect shade of red lipstick.

I'm also a professional henna artist and business strategist who went from barely being able to piece together a fluid design to being the owner of the most celebrated henna boutique in my city.

I'm on a mission to help henna professionals, to harness their skills and grow vibrant, profitable businesses that they absolutely love.

If you want to make more money with your art, you are definitely in the right place. Let's get to it!

Hey hennapreneurs! So, you know, I am constantly, constantly asked by members of the Hennapreneur Community if I can share how it is that I managed to balance, juggle, whatever, all of the different hats that I wear instead of my own life and business.

And so, for those of you who are new to me, if you did not know, I am the homeschooling mom of three. And my kids, at the time of this recording, are 4, 6, and 11 years old. I've always been a homeschooler. So this isn't something that's–. Like, I'm not a Corona homeschooler. I have homeschooled my kids actually, uh, from the time my eldest was ready for preschool. And so, homeschooling, managing a household, and then, of course, having my henna boutique definitely requires some time and some commitment, right? Like, there's a lot in there. And then when you add in the extra piece of me supporting hennapreneurs all around the world, both inside of my program, Hennapreneur PRO, and of course, just inside of our larger community, time can get– I mean, it can get kind of busy. It can be pretty hectic.

But the truth is, there are so many ways that one can lean into or advocate for oneself when it comes to productivity. And today, I want to talk to you guys about one of the ways that I have been able to do that for myself, that has also allowed for me to have better practice to be able to achieve more, to tackle more, to handle more, with less stress as well.

So, this may seem a little bit extra, but I promise you, it is everything, okay? All right. So, stick with me.

For me, for me, one of the most important things that I have found in achieving better productivity and being more efficient is taking up space and creating and curating a space that honors my business.

So, I have three tips for you for how you can do that as well and I'm going to kind of work you through what has been my process over the years to do that for myself. And I'd love it if this would inspire something, perhaps, for you in how you can implement this for your own life and business as well.

So, the first piece here is that you have to claim a space that is yours, right? So, granted, I've never sent my kids to public school. I definitely remember what it was like to go to school, right? I remember, you know, my dad getting us ready when school season was coming. Like, we would do the whole clothes shopping and we would do the supply shopping and we would get everything ready. And you do the same, right?

When your child is ready to go to school you prepare them. You purchase them their backpack and all the tools and materials that they'll need, and that they'll use in order to be successful, et cetera. Right? Like, you prepare the things for them. And how are you any different, right? Like, just like you would create a homeschool corner, excuse me, like a homework–for us. It's a homeschool–but  perhaps if you're not a homeschooler, um, you know, that homework corner or that workspace for them so that when they would come home from school, you know, they would have  that corner of the house that was quiet and that was without distraction where they could sit down and do their homework or maybe right now with them doing virtual learning, like, perhaps you've created this space for them as the school year started, right?

Just like you would take those actions to prepare your child for school, for something that's, you know, important, you are the same. You're not different at all. You should claim a space that is yours, right? And keep in mind, this doesn't have to be a massive space, you guys. Like, I'm blessed and I am incredibly thankful that I have a home office space and, um, of course I've got the henna boutique as well, but it didn't start that way by any stretch.

When I first started working with henna, I used to see clients in my living room. And this space for my clients was a–and I'm, like, air quoting here–it was a henna chair. It was this black and white Damask print, like, super comfy accent chair that I purchased just for my clients to be able to sit there when they visited my living room for their henna service. And that was that. Like, that was my workspace for them. And my office at that time? I didn't have room. There was no separate space, right? It wasn't like I was living in some mansion. I had– I had a two bedroom apartment. I didn't have, you know, I didn't have the separate space, which was okay. My office back then was this small, foldable side table. And that worked for me, right?

So please understand, when I say 'claim a space that's yours', that's not saying that you have to take over a whole room in your house, or it requires for you to have a separate, you know, space with a door and all that. Like, that's not necessary. If that's not within your means right now, that is okay. But still, create space for yourself somewhere that you can claim to be yours, right? And maybe this looks totally different.

Like, perhaps, if you don't have the ability to have that separate door or partition or whatever, maybe it's just creating a space that has a defined parameter, right? Like a pretty bar cart where you can house all of your henna gear and your laptop. Or if you have a full office space, then claim that. Is there an extra space inside of your home? Maybe that's a closet.

Oh my gosh. I can tell you – ah! – my dream, my dream – and granted, I have a full home office – my dream is actually to have a closet office. I don't know if you guys have ever seen these; you can find them, like, just do a scroll on Pinterest, you will find these, but, um, where people convert a small, like, a coat closet or, um, a towel closet, or whatever, they convert that into an office so that it still has doors. So that there's still that separate space. All of their work materials and whatnot are all hidden into that container, right?  I would love this so much! And they can be so freaking cute, right?

So, like, it doesn't have to be this massive thing. Find a space. If you're working from home, find the space inside of your home. If you are, you know, working with clients outside of the home, excellent, find a space outside of the home, but like, but find a place for your work, okay? And wherever that space is, no matter how big or how small, claim that space and be proud of it and be protective over it. It is yours, okay?

So, once you've got this space, the second thing that you need to do is fill that space with things that inspire you or that motivate you and that make you feel good, okay?

For me, this looks like sleek furniture. I'm going to be really real.  I've spoken about this in the past. I am someone who, constantly, I cope with both depression and anxiety. And clutter, specifically, triggers anxious feelings and behaviors in me. And so, having a  clear space with clean, clear lines feels really good to me.

So when you visit my home office, or even when you visit me at the henna boutique, the lines are clean. I have a lot of white furniture. In my home office, my desk is also just like a clean white. There's nothing underneath. It's literally a long table and underneath there's one small, um, what's that called? Like a cabinet that has– that's also white and clean and very, like, it's just very... you can call a minimalist in style, but it just gives me this feeling of containment and it's, because it is so clean and it does have those crisp, clean lines, it makes me feel at peace.

It is the worst thing for me, ever, when I'm trying to get work done, whether that's me responding to client emails, or if that's me writing my social media captions, or that's me trying to ideate around how I'm going to grow my business to the next level. If there's clutter around me, I am not going to be efficient and it's horrible. It's horrible. This is something that I wish that I could get over, but it's just how I operate. And so, whatever that looks like for you, be conscious of also those things that can distract you or deter you from being as productive as possible, right? And instead, fill the space with things that put you at ease, that bring you peace, and that provide you with a space where you can approach your work with a clean mind, right?

So, for me, again, that's sleek furniture. Another thing that you might want to include is trinkets, right? Trinkets, affirmations, and other types of decor. So you can invest in a few pieces that feel really good for you, right?

For me, it's plants. I love having plants around me. I love the energy that they bring into a space. I love how they make me feel when they're in bloom. Next to my desk–.  One day, perhaps – if someone calls me on it –  perhaps, one day, um, I'll show you guys on one of our Facebook lives or something. Um, but on my work desk, I actually have a large tray that's just covered with orchids.

Um, I love, I love collecting orchids. Um, and so often I'll find them and they're like on their last leg and they're about to die and, like, the store has them marked down like 70% because they're just like 'Get this horrible orchid out of here!' Like, no one can replace it or, uh, revive it. And it brings me so much joy to bring home these little orchids. I'm like, "Oh! They're dying." And then I green thumb them, which is hilarious because if I'm being really real, I am not a green thumb. Uh, I'd like to think that I am. I enjoy gardening, but I'm not saying that it's a skill. Okay. So, um... but this is something that I really love. And so I bring home my orchids. On my desk, I have a tray full of different orchids that I've collected. And it makes me so happy every single time my orchids, bloom and rebloom. And they do. They rebloom. Like every six months I have new blooms on my orchid. It doesn't matter if it's winter or summer or whatever. And it brings me so much joy. It brings me so much joy.

Another thing for me, uh, aside from plants, I love to have quote cards. Um, so I will, if I find an affirmation or if I find a quote that inspires me, I have a dry erase board that sits behind me and I will write that affirmation on the dry erase board and it's something that I see, right? I see it while I'm working. If I turn around, I look at it. When I come into the office, I see it first. Like, it's helpful for me to have those things in places where I can see them, and I can receive them, and  I can internalize them.

And then, of course, I love graphic art. And I don't always have the opportunity to have as much art in my space as possible, as I'd like to have.

At my home office, I'm largely surrounded by windows. There's a one wall behind me that's... I've got plenty of art on, but aside from that, I'm actually– it's actually a sunroom, so I don't have art everywhere in the ways that I'd like to. But even at the boutique,  you know, I have art hanging and when I find art pieces that bring me joy, I collect them. Like, I want those space, those pieces in my space because they make me happy and they inspire me.

And speaking of affirmations, you guys, I think that this is so important. If you are looking for, you know, affirmations that you can include, make them pretty. Make them pretty. It's so easy. I mean, you can go on an app like Canva or something. And if there's a quote that you really like, and you want to see that in your space, make a pretty, you know, image, print it off, frame it. Like, this does not have to break the bank for you to create a space that you really enjoy.

And even if you don't have a full-blown office, right? Say you are working on the bar cart, right? You have a bar cart office. Excellent! So, create your affirmation. Print it out as a 5X7. Get a pretty frame. Put it inside so it's something that you see every single time you sit down at your tiny desk, right? It is okay.

You can find items at thrift stores and, like, refurbish them or spray paint them and elevate them. Like, this is a time where you can DIY if you don't have a ton of money on hand. Like, this is something you're approaching with a small budget. That's cool. Or hit up shops that have like, you know, mixed items that you might find something that you didn't expect.

I love this. It's finding those little, those little trinkets, those little, um, pieces of decor that speak to my personality or that make me happy and that just make me smile. I love to be surrounded by things like this when I'm working.

And so I want to encourage you also to consider what that might look like for you.

Another thing that I like to do, um, is in terms of, you know, affirmation. I like to affirm my aspirations by keeping things that also affirm my ability to reach those aspirations nearby, okay? For example, I keep quotes of people who I've helped. Like, let's say someone leaves a comment for me inside the Hennapreneur Community that's like "Chelsea, that really helped me," or, you know, "I had this really big win and thank you for saying whatever," you know, and " that was really helpful," or "It was really insightful for me." Um, things like that, I'll print them out or I'll write them down for myself and I'll remember them. I'll keep them nearby. I'll keep copies of client reviews. Um, if I give– receive a client review that really speaks to my heart, I might print that off, or I might jot it down on a post-it note and keep it on my desktop so it's something that I see. Or perhaps it's just kind things that I've received from people inside of my network –  things that people have said about me that made me feel good and that affirmed that I am in alignment and my actions are in alignment and all of my hard work is in alignment with exactly where I wish to go, right?

And so I find that so, so empowering using not only, you know,  we can call them 'more generic' affirmations that, you know, you might find on a Pinterest board, or you might find on an inspiring quote, you know, post somewhere, but also having those affirmations from people who you know, love, trust, respect. Those things that they've said about you that mean something to you, keep them with you. You know, keep them inside of your workspace. Have them nearby, because that affirms your own beliefs and it affirms your own positive thoughts and your mindset around your ability to reach these big audacious goals that you have, right? Your ability to secure the bag, as we say. So, there is that.

And then, another way that I like to affirm my aspirations and my ability to reach them is by literally keeping–. You guys, I feel like I'm telling you, like, this feels like a secret, but like, It's not anymore.

So, another thing that I do, like, it is no secret,  I want to make money in my business, right? I want my, the business to be successful. I've made it no, you know, no secret of the fact that I want to hit six figures with my henna business this year. And what's one of the things that I do to affirm that? I have a pretty glass, like a pretty cup, um, that I keep at my desk next to my computer. When I come and I sit down and I work at all, this pretty glass is sitting in front of me and it is full of cash. Every single time I receive a tip from a client, anytime I'm paid with a 20, a 50, or a hundred, it goes into that jar. And so, it's something that's very empowering for me when I come and I sit down. And it's very affirming, right?  It's not like, "Oh, I'm working so hard and I'm not getting paid off.   I'm not seeing the results immediately." No, no, no, no, no, no. Like, I don't want to play that game.

Um, for me, it's incredibly empowering to sit down to work, especially on those days where you're tired and you're like, "Man!" and then to look up from, you know, from my computer screen or to look up from my phone or to look up from my design book and see a glass of large bills that's literally just sitting there, um, for me, that speaks to wealth, abundance, my ability to generate wealth and abundance with the work that I'm doing. Um, and it's something that I started to do a while ago. And actually, when I look back, it's actually a practice that I've had even when I started small.

So, when I just started my henna business, I used to do this with five. With $5 bills. I was like, "You know what?" because $5, like, that's the denomination, five and 10 are the dominations that you're, like, less likely to receive. And so, when I would have, uh, fives or when I'd have tens, I would put them into a little jar, um, and it just felt really good knowing that, 'okay, like I can make money and this money and I don't need it, right? There's an abundance.' There's something about having the money there and not needing to touch it, not needing to spend it, not needing to reach for it that's incredibly empowering because it is a literal example, a tangible example of abundance. Um, and for me, that's, I mean, that's– I've loved that. I've loved that.

And let me tell you, when you do decide to get into the jar, or you do decide to peek into the cup and you start to count that up and you're like, "Oh my gosh, I didn't realize I was sitting on a thousand dollars every day." You know, like, it feels really good. It feels really good. And it affirms what, you know, it affirms all of the hard work that you're doing, right? It is literal fruit of your labor that's just sitting there.

And to me, um, having that, uh, is – mentally, right? – it's a trigger for me that I need to remember. First of all, I need to be grateful for what I have. Second of all, I need to be aware of the abundance that's around me. And third, it's that reminder that everything that I'm doing is paying off and it is paying off in ways that I cannot see. It's paying off also in ways that I will come to see and the ripple effect of all of that hard work is full of abundance. And that's just, like, a tangible reminder for me. So there's that.

Um, but the third piece here,  is that we need to understand that all of this, all of this, that I'm suggesting to you, it's all in support of your mindset work, okay? And I talked to you about this because it is so important, if you wish to be successful in your business, in life, in anything, it is so important that you have a mindset of abundance, of capacity of, um, willingness, of deserving. That you have this mindset that says, "Yes, I can." "Yes, I will be successful." "Yes. I can make this work." I cannot tell you how many times I have seen people who have received the tools necessary to be successful or have been offered the tools necessary to be successful and then turned away from them because they've had these mindset blocks that said, "For whatever reason, now's not the time," "For whatever reason, I can't do it," "For whatever reason, it's not possible for me." Um, and I just don't believe in that. Uh, and I say that, and I–. Please understand that this is not me negating anyone's, you know, personal situations. Like, we live in a real world and there are always instances where we experience challenges.

However, I am not of the mindset that we can not do the things. Like, don't talk to me about it's impossible because I don't believe that. Um, and the people who are the most successful are the people who are willing to reject that also, you know? Who are willing to say, "I'm not going to settle for 'this is impossible'. I'm not going to accept it. I'm going to be successful, period. I'm going to pull the trigger on this, period. I'm going to do what I need to do because success is my only option." Right? Um, and that's very much my thought on the process.

So, um, for me, I share these pieces with you because I, I really want for you to have practical ways that you can support your mindset work that will help you to have shifts away from a scarcity mindset, away from fear, away from this feeling of 'I'm not sure' – that insecurity, right? – and into abundance and capacity and ability and 'yes, I've got this,' right? That's where I want you to live.

And so, by creating a workspace,  by claiming that space, there are a couple of things that are happening. The first, by creating that workspace, you're subconsciously introducing a boundary. Um, and this, I really love because here, this is where you're saying to yourself, "This is the space where work happens." Right?

So when you step away, you're off. When you approach that workspace, you're on. And this is a very easy way for you to signal sustainable habits to yourself, which is so important because otherwise it's very easy for us, especially if you love your work–. Like, I love this work, right? So it's nothing for me to spend literally all night with henna. Like, I love this. I love it. And yet, that's not healthy, right? That's not sustainable. But when you create a workspace, when you create a parameter or a boundary around this physical space, what you're then creating for yourself is that signal that 'Okay, I'm working right now,' or 'No, I'm not working right now,' right?

And similarly, when you're creating that space and when you're curating that space, you're sending a message to yourself and to others that the work that you do there is important and that it's deserving of respect, okay? This is a great way for you to signal that you're in work mode and for others to be able to acknowledge it.

So, when mom is at her desk, you need to ask daddy for X, Y, or Z, right? When I'm at my desk, you don't need to interrupt me to ask me about dinner. Like, whatever that is, whatever that is for you in your house. Um, but this is a signal that you can create for others who are also in your space, but by curating the space, by being intentional about by being intentional about even the items that you place there, when you make it pretty, when you spend the time to really craft that space to your own liking, what that sends is that message to other people that this is, this is important work. This is important to my mom. This is important to my wife. This is important to my partner. This is important to me. And because of that, it's deserving of respect. It's deserving of me dusting off this bar cart. It's deserving of me, you know, finding the pretty plate for me to put my post-it notes in, or finding the pretty vase for me to put my pins inside, or for me to find that pretty jar for me to put my– put my cash bills in. Like, whatever that is, you're sending that message to yourself and to others that this is something that's important and it's deserving of respect.

And just like, you know, anything else that's of value, when we have something that's of value, we treat it cautiously, right? We're careful around it. We're not running back and forth in front of it. No, we're cautious around it. We're cautious of the corners. We want to make sure that it's, um, you know, well taken care of.

And so, when you create a small workspace for yourself, that allows for you to send that message to others that, you know, 'the work that I'm doing here, it is, it's deserving of that care as well.' and for something like henna, you know, something that's so... it's tangible for us with our clients, but perhaps that's intangible for our loved ones and for those who otherwise are, you know, sharing space with us, when you have a workspace where you can go when you're running your numbers or doing that social media, or whatever, it creates this reminder for them that 'You know what? This is something that's important for them. This is their business.' and so there's a signal there that's very important.

And then finally, by investing in establishing this workspace for yourself, what you're saying to yourself is, 'I honor my craft enough to give it a home. It's not tossed in a bag. It's not collected in boxes. It's not hidden away. It's not in a tote under the bed. It's part of who I am. It's part of the lifestyle that I wish to lead and I will make a tangible and intentional space for it in my life.'

That's what you're saying to yourself. That's the message that you're sending yourself.

I honor my craft enough to give it a home.

I honor my craft enough to allow it a tangible and intentional space in my life.

And that is a commitment, right? Which is so important for us to be committed. It's so important for us to be committed to our work, and to what we're hoping to accomplish. And so, this is a way that you can signal that to yourself on a daily basis, outwardly, right?

And so I strongly, strongly encourage you, if you don't already have a workspace, curate one for yourself. Now you may be saying, "Well, Chelsea, what does this have to do with productivity?"

It has everything to do with productivity. When you are at your workspace, you're focused, right? When you step away, you're off. When you, you know, approach your workspace, you're doing that and you're allowing the people around you that signal, that physical signal that, "Hey, I'm busy over here." And that means something. That's valuable. That saves you time.

And, for me, it really is that mental space. I am not productive if I feel myself being pulled in every which direction, but I'm so much more productive when I can sit down and I have my little to-do list for the day and I can open up my computer and say, "Okay, these are the things that I need to tackle. Then I need to, you know, have XYZ done, then go to the henna boutique,..." Whatever that is, right? The same for you.

And I encourage you to utilize that workspace in a way that, um, that allows for you also to be very well focused, right?

I have a rule now, like, I really try not to bring my computer to my bedroom at all. And sometimes I break the rules and I'm trying really hard not to do that. But for me, it's like, 'No, keep it there; keep it in the office.' It gives me, um, the opportunity when I sit down to work, I'm more productive. I'm focused. And when I'm away from that work, I get to be away from that work. Um, and I want that for you as well.

So, with that said,  I would love to see your workspace. If you have a workspace, if you have, maybe you're like me and you're just getting, you know, when you're just getting started, you have just something very simple where clients can come and visit you. Maybe you have a henna chair. If you have a henna chair, dude, I totally want to see photos of that. Um, if you have a small bar cart – right? – or maybe you have a small folding table, like what I had, um, or maybe you have a full office, or you have a boutique or you have a studio or you have whatever, I'd love to see your workspace.

So I'm going to invite you to join me over in the Hennapreneur Community on Facebook. Send me, send me a picture. Show me a picture of your workspace and tell me what you love the most about it, right? Tell me what you love the most about it because now I'm just curious, okay?

 Um, and of course, if you're following over on Insta, you can send it to my DM. Send me a photo. Let me, like, let me see. Let me see what your workspace looks like. Let me see what you're working with because you know what? It's so exciting and fun and empowering when we can see – as a community, right? – when you can see what other people are doing as well and how others have their things arranged. Um, and really, like, it makes things fun. It just makes things fun.

Okay. I am going to wrap up here. I do want to invite you to snap a photo of your workspace and share it with us in the Hennapreneur Community. And yeah, I'm wishing you guys all of the productivity. I hope that you found this helpful. Um, and I'll be back next week. I'll talk to you soon.

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