I am a multi-passionate, feminist creative marketer who helps values driven business make money while making the world a better place. As an accomplished brand strategist, web designer and published author, I know a thing or twenty about helping businesses grow their online presence, wealth and impact in the world AND confidently take up space online.

This week I honestly wasn’t sure what I was going to write about because I’m feeling pretty content (the happy kind, not the social media kind).
Usually my writing stem from being anxious, angry, or passionate about something but this week I’m just feeling grateful and hopeful…which is weirdly hard to write from.
I’m booked up for the rest of the year (okay, it’s only like six weeks but it still feels cool to say). And I do only take on 2-3 clients per month so I can keep my evenings kid-friendly and my brain happy.
Honestly? I am able to do this work sustainably because I have a partner will a full-time job and benefits.
I didn’t wait to go all in until I was booked out…we made the decision to prioritize our kids well-being (with me as the default parent) while also giving me space to create my dream job.
That kind of privilege is real, and I never want to pretend otherwise. Too often we find ourselves comparing where we are with where others are at. We never really know someone else’s support system, financial setup, or behind-the-scenes reality. That’s why the only business model that truly works…is the one that works for YOUR life.
There were yearsssssss where I juggled a full-time job, a photography studio, and two tiny humans while getting my first book finished (and oh yeah…throw a pandemic in that mix). I was hustling HARD. Of course, I burned out.
Sometimes I wonder if burnout is a rite of passage in entrepreneurship. Like, is that collapse moment the wake-up call that shows you how you *actually* want to do business?
But, what would happen if we skipped that part?
What if we were told from the start to build slow, to rest more, to believe that momentum can come without self-sacrifice?
Would we even believe it?
That’s the thing no one tells you at the start of entrepreneurship: It’s not just about building a business. It’s about unlearning all the garbage you’ve absorbed about worth, success, and how fast you “should” be moving.
Most of us aren’t doing it “wrong.” We’re just working inside systems that were never designed with our nervous systems, bodies, or values in mind.
So if you’re feeling tired lately…or behind…or like you’re the only one still figuring it out…I promise, you’re not.
There’s no one right way to build your brand. But I do know that when you show up vulnerably, as yourself….
…your brand starts doing the heavy lifting for you.
Not because you hacked the “algorithm.”
But because you built something real…a brand that reflects your values, your story, and your capacity.
And when your brand is a reflection of YOU, the right clients start to find you instead of you trying to chase them.You stop using strategies that don’t fit. You start attracting people who actually get you…
And you build something that lasts because it was built on truth!
And that is pretty amazing…
Have you had your own “burnout wake-up call”? Or are you trying to skip that chapter (I hope you can!)? I’d love to know your thoughts!!
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Emily Lauren Dick at Unbuttoned Brands creates bold and colourful brands and Showit website template designs for valued driven entrepreneurs and service providers. Based in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. Serving clients worldwide.
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Everyone’s welcome here—especially Black, queer, trans, neurodiverse, disabled, and otherwise marginalized folks. If you believe in human rights, kindness, and business that makes the world better, you’re in the right place. 💖