Hustle culture says: grind ‘til you make it.
Soft life marketing says: rest is the reward.

But what if neither is the full story?

In this episode, I open up about my own extremes — hustling myself into collapse, and then floating in a “soft” bubble that didn’t feel like real life. Both left me stuck. 

What actually worked? The messy middle: building a business that’s sustainable, human, and true to me.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Why hustle without direction is pointless.
• The trap of treating rest like something you have to “earn.”
• What softness actually looks like when it fits real life, not Instagram.
• Why neither extreme will give you the business you want.
• A simple reflection to help you define what hustle + ease mean for you.

Subscribe to Love Letters to Future You is my weekly(ish) note packed with stories, hot takes, and gentle strategy — so you can grow a business that actually feels like yours.? 

Hey hey, I’m Kathleen Stewart—your host and resident weirdo. Welcome back to The Digital Junk Drawer—the podcast for creative service providers who are building businesses that actually work for their brains.

This episode is for anyone who’s looked around at their life and thought, “I have everything I wanted… so why don’t I feel okay?” I’m taking you inside my own moment of reckoning—the night I realized I’d built all the external safety I thought I needed, but none of the internal safety I actually craved.

You’ll hear the three changes I made that shifted everything: building business rhythms that match my energy, setting unapologetic boundaries on my time, and learning to be okay with being misunderstood.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why hitting your income goals doesn’t guarantee you’ll feel secure
• How to build supportive business rhythms based on your actual energy
• The role boundaries play in both protecting your capacity and increasing your peace of mind
• Why being misunderstood can be a sign you’re finally showing up fully as yourself
• A tiny action you can take this week to protect your time, energy, or truth
  
   

Want to Build a Business That Protects You as Much as You Protect It?
✨ Inside Queens of Coin, I walk you through creating capacity-first pricing, boundaries that stick, and a business model that supports you—not just your clients. Learn more: themainstage.ca/services
 

Let’s Chat
What’s one thing you could change this week to protect your energy, time, or truth?
DM me on IG @themainstage.ca or find me in the chaos on Threads.
 

Loved This Episode?
Send it to a biz bestie. Leave a review. Share it on Threads. Let’s help more creative weirdos build unfuckwithable businesses.

There’s a kind of burnout that doesn’t come from doing too much—it comes from doing the wrong things for too long.

In this episode, I talk about the emotional toll of staying in offers, systems, and client relationships that no longer fit. This isn’t about mindset. It’s about misalignment—and the quiet cost it takes on your energy, your self-trust, and your business.

What I cover:

Subtle signs your offer is burning you out (even if it “makes sense” on paper)

The difference between hard work and emotional labor

How misalignment can show up as avoidance, resentment, or exhaustion

Why “just raise your rates” isn’t always the right move

A tiny but powerful audit you can do today to start recalibrating


Listen in if:

You’re emotionally tapped but still showing up out of obligation

You’ve outgrown an offer but haven’t figured out what’s next

You’re scared to change things because it used to work

You need someone to say, “Hey—it’s okay to shift”

Queens of Coin is my 48-hour pricing recalibration audit for when the numbers don’t reflect your capacity, clarity, or value anymore. It’s not just pricing—it’s positioning, energy, and breathing room.

Hey hey, I’m Kathleen Stewart—your host, your favorite capacity witch, and the voice behind The Digital Junk Drawer. This is the podcast for creative service providers building businesses that don’t burn them out.

In this episode, we’re digging deep into pricing—why your self-doubt might not be the problem, and why confidence culture is keeping you from the real fix.

I’m walking you through my own story of undercharging (hello, $20k transformation for pennies) and what finally clicked: your confidence can’t carry a broken business model. You need structure that supports your actual life—not just what you think you should be able to handle.

We’ll break down:

Clarity: What are you really selling, and does your pricing reflect the transformation?

Capacity: How much can you actually hold, and are your rates protecting that?

Communication: What is your pricing saying—and is it true?

I’ll also give you a mini audit to do right now, so you can gut-check your most popular offer and make sure it still fits.

Want to Price Like It Matters?

If your offers feel off and you’re ready for pricing that actually reflects your work, your energy, and your value—check out Queens of Coin. You’ll walk away with a pricing system that’s rooted in strategy, not shame.

Come say hi on Threads @TheMainStage.ca or DM me what your pricing is saying that you didn’t mean for it to say.

And hey—if this episode hit something true, send it to a biz bestie and leave a review. Let’s get this pricing clarity into more ears.

Hey there, I’m Kathleen Stewart, your host and resident weirdo! Welcome to The Digital Junk Drawer, where creative service-based businesses come for practical advice, unexpected strategy, and occasional unhinged wisdom.

Today’s episode? Absolutely chaotic—in the best way.

I sat down with my bestie and two daughters for a totally unplanned backyard Q&A, complete with long weekend drinks, unfiltered convos, and big-hearted reflections on why I started my business in the first place.

It’s messy. It’s funny. It’s a little spiritual. And somehow, it’s one of the most honest things I’ve recorded.

The real reason I started my business (spoiler: safety and self-respect)

Why accessibility still drives everything I create—and how it’s not the same as undercharging

How not having a “smart person job” after kids pushed me into entrepreneurship

The surprising places my spiritual journey has taken me (Reiki, Wicca, and one magical chocolate shop)

My worst job ever, and a public roast of a manager named Chris (yes, names were named)

Unfiltered convos about mascara, music, tattoos, and my favorite scent (Ryan’s pheromones 😅)

💡 How accessibility in business can be rooted in lived experience—not performative pricing
💡 Why helping others make money is about more than “success”—it’s about safety
💡 That being real, weird, and slightly witchy can coexist with being a smart, strategic business owner
💡 How unfiltered conversations can deepen connection with your audience (and your kids)

Here’s your one small action for today:

Think about why you really started your business. Strip away the fancy marketing, the shoulds, the strategy. Ask yourself:

What moment pushed me into entrepreneurship?

What kind of life did I want to build?

And what do I still want my business to protect me from?

Write it down. Then anchor back into that truth the next time you feel lost in the noise.

🔗 TheMainStage.ca/services – Ready to price your offers like the pro you are? Get the Capacity-First Pricing Method.
🔗 Follow Me on Threads – For chaotic, behind-the-scenes brilliance and big feelings, I’m @TheMainStage.ca

This episode is all about unpacking the emotional side of objections. Spoiler: it’s not about your price or how many modules your program has. It’s about whether someone feels safe becoming the version of themselves your offer asks them to be. Big identity shift energy.

We’re talking nervous system regulation, why “maybe later” usually means “I’m scared shitless,” and how to make your offer feel easier to walk toward—without fake urgency, guilt trips, or slashing your rates just to get the sale.

If you’ve ever spiraled after a great sales convo turned into a polite pass, or if you’ve been the one saying no to something you secretly want—this one’s got your name on it.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode
🧠 The 3 emotional drivers behind most sales objections
😬 Why even your dream clients might hesitate—and what’s really going on
💸 How to stop over-explaining or discounting just to get a yes
🪩 How to sell with emotional safety instead of pressure
👀 What “I need to think about it” is actually code for (and how to respond without losing your cool)

Links and Resources Mentioned
🌐 Buy my Audit at TheMainStage.ca/services
📱 Or yell into the void with me on Threads: @TheMainStage.ca

If this one hit home, send it to your biz bestie who keeps wondering why people aren’t buying that thing that could change everything. They’re not doing it wrong—they just need to speak to the version of their client that’s still becoming.

Hey there, I’m Kathleen Stewart, your host and resident weirdo! Welcome to The Digital Junk Drawer, where creative service-based businesses come for practical advice and honest strategy.

Today, we’re talking about burning it all down—intentionally. I’m walking you through how I made the decision to cancel Ink to Income (my group program), why the numbers looked good but the energy didn’t, and how my own audit helped me finally see what I’d been avoiding.

Here’s what I share:

The personal story behind canceling my program—even after a major launch plan

How market misfit and capacity misalignment were hiding in plain sight

Why I built a group offer I didn’t even like (and who I was trying to prove myself to)

What tarot cards, a psychic, and an IG scroll had to do with this entire decision

The exact moment I decided to walk away—and how I knew it was the right call

💡 How a pricing audit can expose energetic and strategic misalignment
💡 Why we build offers we don’t even like—and how to stop doing it
💡 The power of walking away from something that “makes sense” but doesn’t feel right
💡 What your market fit, pricing signals, and support model are really telling your audience
💡 Why building from a place of ego or expectation leads to resentment (fast)

Here’s your one small action for today:

Take five minutes to look at your offer suite and ask yourself:

Which of these offers feels heavy?

Which ones feel like mine—and which were built to match someone else’s idea of success?

Where am I ignoring the signals my business (or body) is giving me?

Then: get honest. Your next step might not be burning it all down—but it might be letting one piece go.

🔗 TheMainStage.ca/services – Want a pricing audit that actually makes sense? Get the Capacity-First Pricing Method.
🔗 Follow Me on Threads – Come find me for behind-the-scenes chaos and clarity: @TheMainStage.ca

This one’s for the entrepreneurs who’ve been burned by bro marketing, sick of spiritual scams, and done with "boss babe" energy.

Maggie (she/her) is the founder of BS-Free Business, co-host of the Duped podcast, and author of Staying Solo. She’s a 20-year business veteran who has seen the inside of $50k masterminds, watched the online coaching boom turn culty, and lived to tell the tale—with a spreadsheet in one hand and a middle finger in the other.

We talked about:
🧩 Why income claims are a scammy tactic
🧮 The danger of angel number pricing and fake math
🛑 Why ethical marketing means not coercing people into debt
📉 How online business is just MLMs, cults, and self-help in a trench coat
🤯 The myth of six-figure months and what people are actually making
🛠️ Why solid delivery and boring systems are the new flex
🧘 The power of staying small, staying paid, and sleeping well at night

✔️ Why “scaling” isn’t mandatory (or always ethical)
✔️ How to tell if you’re pricing with integrity—or just copying shady coaches
✔️ What a real solo business looks like (and why 80% of businesses are solo)
✔️ The difference between a culty brand and a community-driven one
✔️ Why referral-based businesses can work—and how to make them sustainable
✔️ How to build a business that actually pays you, feels good, and doesn’t implode

Ready to stop drinking the digital Kool-Aid and build something honest, sustainable, and actually yours?
👉 Hit play, then grab Maggie’s Reverse Salary Calculator at bsfreebusiness.com/kit
📖 And pick up her book Staying Solo at stayingsolobook.com

This episode is for anyone who’s been told to shrink themselves to be taken seriously.

Kim (they/them) is a queer, neurodivergent brand strategist and designer who helps creatives rip the mask off, own their weird, and build cult-following brands rooted in truth, identity, and a whole lotta “I can’t look away” energy.

If I wasn’t aggressively straight, I’d be writing fanfic about them. But I’ll settle for being a loyal member of their online cult. Kim has that rare gift of making you feel seen and bolder for showing up. This convo? It’s the brand therapy session you didn’t know you needed—but will be thinking about for days.

We talked about: 
🌀 Why branding should feel like becoming—not branding
🎭 What it’s like to grow up weird and turn that into your business superpower
🛑 The dangers of being “professional” online
🚪 Why you should build a brand people want to knock down the door to join
✨ And what it really means to build a “cult of you” (spoiler: it’s soft, ethical, & fabulous)

✔️ Why you should be “too much” (and do it on purpose)
✔️ How to turn your identity into brand strategy
✔️ Kim’s origin story from post-COVID burnout to building a business that’s booked TF out
✔️ How to build a cult following with care, consent, and character
✔️ The difference between a brand that performs and a brand that feels like home
✔️ What happens when you stop editing yourself and start showing the hell up
 

🎧 Hit play and then hit me in the DMs with your fav line—I have 27 already tattooed on my heart.

🧃 Follow Kim at @ oinopo.com
🧃 Drink their newsletter. Devour their offers. Just go fall in love: oinopo.kit.com/newsletter
🧃  https://oinopo.notion.site/Microbrandism-The-Cult-Clarity-Guide-19ff9ae2edc4801ca189e8b76aa0c479?pvs=4



 

Hey hey, I’m Kathleen Stewart—your host and resident weirdo. Welcome back to The Digital Junk Drawer—the podcast for creative service providers who are building businesses that actually work for their brains.

In this episode, we’re diving into what it really means to create systems that flex with your energy instead of forcing you into a “one-size-fits-none” framework. Spoiler alert: you’re not bad at business—you’ve just been trying to use systems that were never designed for you.

We’ll break down my own flexible process, why it works for neurodivergent creatives, and how you can adapt it to support your workflow and capacity.

Why rigid systems and step-by-step frameworks fail creative and neurodivergent entrepreneurs

The real reason you’ve abandoned every planner, template, and productivity hack (spoiler: it’s not a discipline issue)

How to create structure that flexes with your energy, brain, and workflow

Simple strategies to reduce overwhelm—like buffer days, batching, and mixing analog with digital tools

How to stop fighting your natural work rhythm and start designing processes you’ll actually use

✨ Inside Ink to Income, we design luxury-level client experiences for creatives who crave flexibility, not hustle. You’ll learn how to create workflows that serve your clients and support your energy. Join the movement: themainstage.ca/inktoincome

What’s one rule in your business that needs to bend (or break)?
DM me on IG @themainstage.ca or find me in the chaos on Threads.

Send it to a biz bestie. Leave a review. Share it on Threads. Let’s help more creative weirdos build unfuckwithable businesses.