It doesn’t matter how clear your strategy is or how well you schedule your calendar, if you don’t pair your productivity with self-care, you’ll constantly feel like you’re spinning your wheels and self-sacrificing for a business dream that drains you rather than feeds you.

In this episode, Christi chats with Self-Leadership Coach Sabrina Avellán about productivity tools to combat overwhelm and how to use self-care as a leadership skill rather than a band aid.

In this episode you will learn how to :

• Redefine self-care
• Prioritize self-care for the health of your business (not just their own)
• Re-examine how you approach your to-do list.

Connect with Sabrina:

• Website
• Instagram
• Join The Overwhelm Detox

Connect with Christi:

• Website
• Instagram
• Join the Dream Biz Lab

Sabrina Avellán is a sought-after Self-Leadership Coach, speaker, and founder of the Self-TECC™ method—a framework that helps women stop burning out and start leading lives they actually want. Known for her warm, no-fluff approach, she supports high-performing women in building sustainable success—by aligning their energy, values, and goals. Sabrina specializes in helping clients overcome overwhelm, reclaim their time, and implement personalized systems that boost productivity without burnout. Her work blends strategic action with deep self-trust, creating real momentum in both business and life. Whether she’s coaching one-on-one, leading retreats, or speaking on stage, she brings humor, heart, and hard-won wisdom to every room she’s in.

In today's episode, Christi chats with Zuzana Miraka, a Business Consultant and Creative about How to Simplify Your Business and Avoid Overwhelm. They talk about how to prevent overwhelm as a creative, multi-passionate female entrepreneur. Zuzana focuses on the importance of simplification, patience, and consistency, especially when you have lots of ideas and gifts. It’s about finding a sustainable way to honor your creativity without burning out and making your business sustainable.

This episode will not only inspire and motivate you but also equip you with practical tools to manage and structure your business as creative, multi-passionate female entrepreneurs, so you can move forward with more clarity, focus, and ease.

Connect with Zuzana:

• Instagram: @zuzana.miraka
• Download the Daily Clarity Planner
• Try Lumina for free for 7 days here

Connect with Christi:

• Instagram: @christijohnsoncreative
• Download the Burnout Proof Business Planner & Boundaries Toolkit
• Try The Dream Biz Lab for only $10 with code TOOLKIT10

What if your everyday iced coffee habit or a random Costco encounter could actually help you grow your business? In this episode of The Dream Biz Podcast, I’m joined by marketing strategist and website designer Hannah Davis of Made with Boldness to talk about one of the most powerful (and often overlooked) marketing tools: storytelling.

We dive into:

• What storytelling really is (hint: it’s not just big dramatic moments)

• How to find stories in your everyday life—even when you think you don’t have one

• A simple structure you can use to turn a story into a compelling email or post

• How to make sure your story speaks directly to your ideal client (and not the wrong audience, like a vegan getting a beef jerky pitch 👀)

• Why storytelling builds trust and makes you unforgettable

Whether you’re new to email marketing or want to make your content more human, this episode is packed with relatable tips, real examples, and permission to keep it simple. You’ll walk away ready to experiment with storytelling in a way that actually feels fun.

🎧 Listen now and learn how to turn your personality and daily life into a magnetic marketing tool.

Here are the links mentioned in the episode:

What if your business could feel calm, aligned, and abundant—not frantic and forced?

In this episode of The Dream Biz Podcast, I’m joined by feminine business coach Jennifer Whitaker, who shares how to scale your business using nature’s business plan—a cyclical, feminine, and intuitive approach rooted in the rhythms of the seasons. Jennifer opens up about her burnout journey, the moment she realized her successful career wasn’t sustainable, and how that led her to develop a framework inspired by the Celtic Wheel of the Year.

We explore:

• Why traditional hustle culture doesn’t work for most women

• How aligning your business with natural rhythms can increase your income while reducing burnout

• How to create sustainable success by honoring the seasons of rest, growth, and renewal

• Practical steps to start listening to your body and building your business differently

✨ Whether you’re deep in a growth season or craving a winter-like pause, this conversation will help you give yourself permission to do business your way.

Mentioned in the episode:

• Follow Jennifer on Instagram: @iamjenwhitaker

• Jennifer’s podcast: Rooted Women Rise

• Your Most Abundant Year mastermind

Let’s connect:
📲 Follow Christi on Instagram: instagram.com/christijohnsoncreative
💻 Ready to co-create a business that works with your energy? Join The Dream Biz® Lab: christijohnsoncreative.com/lab

Grief doesn’t pause for your business, and business doesn’t always make space for your grief.

In this deeply vulnerable episode, I’m joined by attorney, former wedding planner, and author Leah Weinberg for a powerful conversation about navigating grief while running a business. Leah shares the behind-the-scenes story of her father’s terminal illness, the emotional toll of caregiving while still serving clients, and what it was like to show up professionally while privately carrying so much.

We talk about:

• The pressure to stay silent about personal struggles as a service provider

• How Leah transitioned from wedding planning back into law during her father’s decline

• The reality of processing grief after a loss, even when you thought you were prepared

• Unconventional healing modalities, finding the right therapist, and creating space to be human

• Legal and contract considerations for business owners navigating personal emergencies

Whether you’re in the midst of grief, supporting someone who is, or simply want to build a more human-centered business, this episode offers validation, perspective, and support.

Connect with Leah:

Weinberg Legal Website

@weinberglegal

@theleahweinberg

Want to boost your website traffic without relying on social media? In this jam-packed episode of The Dream Biz Podcast, SEO strategist and coach Victoria Rayburn breaks down the three types of blog content that actually move the needle for your business. Whether you're a photographer, coach, VA, or service-based business owner, you'll walk away with actionable SEO strategies to help your ideal clients find you online.

We’re talking:
• Why SEO still matters in 2025
• The power of educational blog posts
• How to blog your work (even if you’re not a visual business)
• What location-specific content is and how to use it
• How to choose the right keywords
• How long it really takes to see results from SEO

If you've been wondering whether blogging is still worth it — or how to make your posts actually rank — this episode is for you!

🎧 Tune in, take notes, and grab Victoria’s free SEO resources at victoriarayburn.com

Follow Christi at @christijohnsoncreative and christijohnsoncreative.com

More links from Victoria:

The Priority Pursuit Podcast

Business Guide to Using Keywords

Instagram

Feeling like there’s never enough time in your business? You’re not alone.

In this episode, I’m joined by photographer and educator Jamie Fisher to talk about the biggest time sucks creative entrepreneurs face and how to fix them.

From constant inbox overwhelm to getting stuck in planning mode and never taking action, we cover it all.

Jamie shares her signature quiz, What’s Your Time Suck?, and breaks down three common types:
✨ The Overwhelmed DIY-er
🔥 The Frantic Firefighter
🌙 The Strategic Dreamer

We explore how to recognize which one you are, what’s actually stealing your time, and how to reclaim your energy and momentum so you can grow sustainably.

🎯 If you're ready to stop spinning your wheels and start working smarter, this one’s for you.

🔗 Take Jamie’s quiz: jamiefishercollective.com/time-suck
📱 Connect with Jamie on Instagram: @jamiefishercollective
💬 Share your thoughts with me on IG: @christijohnsoncreative

In this episode of The Dream Biz Podcast, I’m joined by editorial and wedding photographer Anna Solo for a candid conversation about what it really takes to delegate well. We talk about hustle culture, burnout, and the bold decision Anna made to hire a full-time team member before she felt “ready.” You’ll hear what worked, what didn’t, and why the path to more freedom often starts with letting go. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed or unsure if you can afford to delegate, this episode is for you.

In this episode of The Dream Biz Podcast, I’m joined by photographer and videographer Craig Peterman for a real-talk conversation about building a sustainable business without falling into the trap of marketing burnout. We dive into how Craig grew his business by doing things differently—combining photography and videography, saying no to hustle culture, and focusing on meaningful client experiences. You’ll learn how to market organically, price your services confidently, stand out in a saturated industry, and attract dream clients without exhausting yourself in the process. If you're a creative entrepreneur looking for marketing strategies that actually feel good, this episode is for you.

Connect with Craig:

🌐 petermanphotovideo.com
📱 @petermanphotoandvideo

Connect with Christi:

🌐 christijohnsoncreative.com

📱 @christijohnoncreative

💡 Using AI in Your Small Business with Kate Hejde

Feeling overwhelmed by content creation, client work, and marketing? In this episode, I chat with brand strategist and AI advocate Kate Hejde of Dear Kate Brand Strategy about how creative entrepreneurs can use AI to think bigger, work smarter, and free up their time.

We go beyond Instagram captions and explore how to use tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and more to organize your ideas, build launch plans, and expand your impact—without losing your voice. Whether you're just getting started or want to deepen your AI skills, this episode will show you how to turn AI into your most powerful (and affordable) virtual teammate.

🎁 Grab Kate’s Freebies:👉 Marketing Trail Mix Method: dearkatebrandstrategy.com/trailmix👉 AI Weekly Prompts: dearkatebrandstrategy.com/aiweekly

🌐 Learn more about Kate at: dearkatebrandstrategy.com

Follow me on Instagram at @christijohnsoncreative

🎧 Tune in and learn how to go from stuck to started—with the help of AI.