What happens when your business turns into a source of panic attacks, overwork, and total burnout? Today I'm sharing the behind-the-scenes story of how my business completely fell apart during a mental health crisis and how just one year later, I rebuilt it into a business (and life!) that feels joyful, aligned, and sustainable.

You’ll hear:

• 🚫 Why I had to hit pause on my agency and let everything go

• 🎨 How play, creativity, and rest became the foundation of my healing

• 🌊 The exact vision casting exercise that helped me realize I’m already living my dream life

• 🧩 The six steps I used to rebuild my business in less than a year

• 💡 How to protect your creativity and mental health by setting intentional boundaries

• 💬 Why clarity in your message and sales (without the sleaze) are essential to sustainable growth

If you’ve ever felt stuck in the burnout cycle, overwhelmed by too many ideas, or frozen by decision fatigue, this episode will remind you that you are not alone—and that it’s absolutely possible to build a business that works with your brain and your life.

Resources Mentioned:

• Join the Dream Biz Lounge (free community): christijohnsoncreative.com/lounge

• Apply for 1:1 Slack Coaching: christijohnsoncreative.com/slack

• Connect with Tracy Stanger (capacity conscious coach): @tracy.stanger

• Explore Mindful Drawing Studio by Stacey Peters on YouTube

✨ Remember: Rest is productive. Joy is a strategy. Your dream life is possible.

Marketing doesn’t have to feel overwhelming, complicated, or draining. In this episode, I’m sharing how to make your marketing feel easy and fun by grounding it in your personality, energizers, and actual capacity. You’ll learn the three keys to joyful marketing: know your audience, know your message, and share your message—and how to put them into practice in a way that works for you.

I’ll walk you through how to:

• Use market research to understand your audience’s real questions, challenges, and dreams.

• Clarify your message with the Who/What/When/Where/Why/How framework (based on Tracy Stanger's Simple Human Selling).

• Share your message in ways that fit your capacity—whether in person, online, or through content creation.

• Repurpose content without guilt and remove the “shoulds” so you can create from a place of play.

✨ Need more support?

• Join My 1:1 Slack Coaching – get personalized support for your Vision, Operations, and Marketing with daily access to me inside Slack. Learn more and join here: christijohnsoncreative.com/slack

If marketing has felt like a weight on your shoulders, this episode will show you how to make it lighter, easier, and actually enjoyable.

You’ve heard it before: “Post three times a week.” “Show up every Tuesday at 9am.” “Consistency is everything.”

But here’s the truth — traditional consistency advice doesn’t work for everyone, and it’s not the only path to success. Especially for neurodivergent entrepreneurs, rigid schedules often lead to shame and burnout, not growth.

In this episode, I’m redefining what consistency really means in business. We’ll explore how to shift from chasing perfect schedules to creating sustainable rhythms, building trust with your audience, and honoring your true capacity.

✨ What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why “perfect consistency” is a myth that doesn’t define success

• How to think of consistency as trust, not just frequency

• Rhythmic and seasonal ways to show up without burning out

• How to define your own essential consistency based on capacity

• Why client experience matters more than posting schedules

• Practical tools and rituals that help neurodivergent brains stay supported

If you’ve ever felt guilty for not posting enough, this conversation will help you release the pressure and build a version of consistency that actually works for you.

👉 Ready to build a joyful, capacity-conscious business with my support? Learn more at christijohnsoncreative.com/lab

Mentioned in this episode:

Molly Balint

Laylee Emadi

Tracy Stanger

Operations don’t have to feel heavy, overwhelming, or boring. In fact, they can actually bring you more joy. In this episode of The Dream Biz Podcast, I’m breaking down how to simplify your systems, focus on what really matters, and create daily operations that support the kind of business (and life) you actually want.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• How to identify your true “sales event” so you know exactly what drives revenue

• The simple filter to decide which tasks are essential and which to eliminate

• Practical ways to streamline, automate, or outsource the things that drain you

• How to design operations that energize you and bring more joy into your work

👉Join The Dream Biz Lab: christijohnsoncreative.com/lab

Casting a Vision for Your Business (Without Limiting Beliefs Holding You Back)
Your vision is more than a pretty Pinterest board—it’s the roadmap that keeps you moving toward the business you actually want. In this episode, Christi walks you through how to dream boldly, remove limiting beliefs, and infuse your passions, values, and energy into your business vision. You’ll learn practical steps to get into a playful, creative mindset, identify what lights you up, and use your vision to make aligned decisions. Whether you’re just starting out or ready for a reset, this conversation will help you create a business that supports your wellbeing, honors your capacity, and fills up your bank account—all without the hustle.

Join the Dream Biz Lab to get your Dream Day exercise and walk through casting a vision with Christi and the members of the group!

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, stretched too thin, or questioning if you’re even cut out for this—this episode is for you.

In this solo episode, I’m sharing my personal story of hitting a full-blown mental health crisis in 2023, what it looked like to shut my business down for six months, and how I slowly rebuilt everything around ease, joy, and honoring my actual energy (not what hustle culture told me I should be able to handle).

You’ll also hear real quotes from 100+ business owners I’ve surveyed this year about how they’re really doing behind the scenes—because spoiler: burnout is way more common than we like to admit.

Inside, we’ll talk about:
✨ How to recognize the signs of burnout before they hit crisis level
✨ What your body might be trying to tell you (and how to listen)
✨ How to build your calendar around your actual capacity
✨ The boundaries that help me feel energized instead of depleted
✨ Why joy and rest are not rewards—they’re requirements

This episode is part story, part reflection, and part practical support to help you start building a business that works for you. Not one that drains you.

And if you’re ready for more support in doing this work, I’d love to have you inside The Dream Biz Lab—my cozy coaching community for creative and neurodivergent entrepreneurs who are done with the hustle and ready to grow sustainably, on their terms.

If You Keep Saying “I Just Need More Time…” — This Episode Is For You

Feeling overwhelmed and stretched thin? You’re not alone. In this solo episode of The Dream Biz Podcast, I’m sharing why time management is the #1 struggle I hear from business owners—and how to start reclaiming your time today.

I’m getting honest about my own journey through burnout, the hard lessons I learned from ignoring the signs, and what finally helped me rebuild a sustainable business that supports my wellbeing.

You’ll learn how to:

• Recognize the hidden time leaks keeping you stuck in client chaos

• Set and enforce boundaries with clients, yourself, and your calendar

• Create space for CEO-level work (even if you’re a team of one)

• Protect your energy without sacrificing income

• Take brave steps like raising your rates or hiring help—without the guilt

🎉 Plus, I’m inviting you to my free Burnout-Proof Your Business Workshop on August 4! You’ll walk away with a clear plan to get more done while actually doing less. Sign up here: christijohnsoncreative.com/burnout

🔗 Mentioned in this episode:
→ Burnout-Proof Your Business Workshop (Free!)
→ Website: christijohnsoncreative.com
→ Instagram: @christijohnsoncreative

Ever wish you could eavesdrop on a candid conversation among seasoned podcasters? I recently participated in a roundtable discussion at Mic Check Retreat with an incredible group of podcasters. We jumped into the real stories behind our shows—the triumphs, the hurdles, and the unexpected lessons that come with the territory.

In this honest, heartwarming, and somewhat entertaining conversation about what it actually looks like to be in the thick of podcasting, we share how podcasting is changing the way we show up in business and life.

Meet the Podcasters:

Bree Pair: instagram.com/thrivetogetherblog

Thrive Podcast for Content Creators: thrivetogether.blog/podcast

Bret and Brandie: instagram.com/bretandbrandie

Christi Johnson: instagram.com/christijohnsoncreative

The Dream Biz Podcast: christijohnsoncreative.com/podcast

Claire Kellems: instagram.com/clairekellems_

The Ultra Aligned Podcast: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ultra-aligned-podcast

Colie James: instagram.com/coliejames

Business-First Creatives coliejames.com/podcast

Nata Salvatori: instagram.com/accidentalceo.co

Accidental CEO: accidentalceo.co/podcast

Octavia Elease: instagram.com/octaviaelease

Success On Paper Podcast: octaviaelease.com/podcast

Quianna Marie: instagram.com/quiannamarie

Quianna Marie Weekly: quiannamarie.com/podcast

Mentioned In This Episode: 

The Podcast Growth Program: gaffincreative.com/growth

Get on the waitlist for Mic Check Retreat: gaffincreative.com/retreat

Accidental CEO Episode 51: accidentalceo.co/mini-moguls

MowPod: mowpod.com

Mic Check Society: gaffincreative.com/mcs

Instagram: instagram.com/hayleegaffin

What does it really take to build a creative business that’s both profitable and fulfilling?

In this episode, I’m joined by John Mansfield—wedding photographer, podcaster, and coach for creative entrepreneurs. We dive deep into the mindset shifts that truly move the needle in business—like building confidence, rewriting your money beliefs, embracing an abundance mindset, and learning how to actually take action on your goals (instead of just dreaming about them).

John shares how his values as a present parent shape his business, how to create confidence through clarity (especially around pricing!), and why community is essential for overcoming imposter syndrome. We also talk about what it looks like to take radical responsibility without falling into shame, and how to cultivate a positive mindset without leaning into toxic positivity.

This one is packed with encouragement, practical tips, and honest conversations about what it means to lead a sustainable, values-aligned creative business.

We cover:

• Confidence blocks and how to overcome them

• The power of clarity and systems for client trust

• How to talk yourself through self-doubt moments

• The difference between scarcity and abundance thinking

• Affirmations, mindset practices, and money reframes that actually work

• Why rejection doesn’t mean failure—and what to do instead

Whether you're early in your business journey or navigating a new chapter, this episode will leave you feeling grounded, inspired, and ready to take action.

🎧 Listen now and don’t forget to check out John’s free Cost of Doing Business calculator and follow him at @allheartphoto and @witt.pod!

A lot of small business owners think more marketing is the answer to their problems. The thing is (9 times out of 10), more marketing just means more stress. In this episode, Christi and Tayler Cusick Hollman from Enji chat about how to look at your marketing metrics to adjust your marketing plan so you can get more out of your marketing, even if you're doing less.

This episode is packed with gems like:

• How to know when a marketing channel isn’t worth your energy