THE SHIFT: Business intel for those who don’t sit behind a desk.

We’ve all been there. You start making pottery on the weekends or cutting hair in your garage after your 9-to-5, and suddenly... you have a business. Also, you haven't slept since 2023, and your living room is now 40% cardboard shipping boxes.

We’re right there with you. Scaling a brand is exciting, but it’s also a great way to accidentally turn your favorite hobby into a chore that keeps you up until 3 AM. We’ve been talking to some other makers in our circle, and we’ve noticed a few "survival moves" that help keep the fire lit without burning the whole house down.

1. The "Productive Procrastination" Filter

We used to think that "busy" meant "profitable." (Spoiler: It doesn't.)

• The Realization: We spent three hours yesterday picking a font for a flyer nobody will read, instead of actually calling that wholesale lead. We call this "Productive Procrastination"—doing easy stuff to avoid the hard stuff.

• The Fix: We’re trying the "Rule of One." One big, scary task per day that actually moves the needle. If we do that, the font-picking can wait until we’re watching Netflix.

2. Guard the Weekends (Even if You’re Working Them)

If you’re a bartender or barber, "weekends" are a myth. But for those of us with a side-hustle, the blurred line between "rest" and "work" is where burnout lives.

• The Find: We found that if we don't schedule a "Hard Stop," the business just expands to fill every waking second.

• The Move: Even if it’s just four hours on a Sunday morning where the phone is in a drawer and the studio door is locked, you need a "No-Fly Zone." It turns out, your brain actually works better when you aren't treating it like a rented mule. (Who would’ve thought?)

3. The "Boring" Systems that Actually Save Lives

We love making gear. We do not love spreadsheets or inventory tracking.

• The Hack: We found a few free (or nearly free) tools that handle the "brain-numbing" stuff. Whether it’s an automated booking app for your chair or a simple shipping aggregator, every minute you spend not doing data entry is a minute you can spend creating.

• Our Motto: If we have to do a task more than three times, we look for a way to automate it. It feels like cheating, but in a good way.

The Big Idea: Growing a business is a marathon, but most of us start out sprinting like we’re being chased by a bear. We’re learning that the goal isn't just to "get big"—it’s to build something that doesn't make us want to hide under the covers on Monday morning.

Are you guys finding any weird ways to reclaim your time? Hit us up and let us know. We’re currently looking for any excuse to stop staring at our own spreadsheets.