Staying productive has got to be the most challenging aspect of running a creative business, hands down. Whether I was freelancing or simply trying to write a blog post like this one, actually starting and feeling motivated has always been a huge struggle for me. Getting the client, defining the task, these are the easy parts.

The hard part starts when you actually have to sit down and get some serious work done. Suddenly, doing the dishes sounds very appealing and your hunger kicks in right when you’re staring at that blank document. But I’m here to tell you that there’s hope, my friends! Here are a few tips for staying productive even when you feel completely unmotivated.

Turning your passion into your work can be an amazing feeling, when executed properly! While being your own boss can be thrilling, it can also be stressful, and can sometimes sour you on what you once loved. As a mentor to female business owners, nothing is tougher than talking with someone who was once passionate and is now disenchanted and floundering.

Before deciding to go full throttle and turn what you love into what you do, take a deep breath, and take the time to do it right to ensure your experience is as stress free as possible so that your business has the best shot at success!

Finding a suitable name for your new brand is tough! As if starting a business wasn't hard enough, you have to come up with a meaningful set of words that somehow speaks to you. You've probably been juggling a few words around in your head for weeks now, but are a bit afraid to actually man up and purchase your domain name.

We know the feeling! we spent a few solid days trying to come up with a name for our business back when we were just starting out.  Here are some steps you can take to nail down a sweet name that will serve you well for years to come.

Self-promotion is something difficult to master because for many it feels completely foreign. We don't want to come across as shameless or make people feel uncomfortable, and it just doesn't feel normal to go around tooting our own horns all over creation. With the growth of multi-level-marketing type businesses and their often icky-feeling tactics, it seems more business owners are shying away from self-promotion so they do not become THAT shameless self-promoter.

Truth is, self-promotion doesn't need to be icky!

Promoting yourself in an authentic way can feel natural and I'm here to give you a crash course in nailing it!

Having a blog can be really beneficial to your business. We started a blog a few months after launching our design studio because we wanted to share my business journey as creative entrepreneurs and also all of our knowledge in regards to branding, brand identity, and business.

One of the most valuable tools that has helped us grow our audience and increase our site traffic is Pinterest. If you are publishing content on a blog or online magazine I highly encourage you to add Pinterest to your marketing strategy.