Hello, you isolation sensation, you! 

Writing to you (from my makeshift solarium office currently sitting at 6° and sunny) as I watch my 6-year-old whittle sticks and entertain himself by pretending he’s a Jedi. 

My goal today isn’t to be another “voice of reason” in your inbox.

Don’t worry, I’m not about to go all tin hat, Alex Jones on you.

What I mean is, can we all just have permission to freak out just a little? 

Like yes, staying calm is ideal. Seeing this as an opportunity to go inward is beautiful. 

But also, you’re allowed to feel messy, overwhelmed, and uncertain. K? K.

Speaking of, by the time you read this, I’ll be on Day 8 of total self-isolation after returning home from the U.S. last week.

Coping strategies include: wine, This Is Us, really bad queso that’s nearly plastic but tastes like heaven, care packages from my sweet mom, and giving in to the urge to shop online.

We’re ALL in this together, and I would genuinely love to know how you’re doing. Please hit reply and let me know. If you’re struggling and I can help in any way, I’ll do my darndest to.

On that note… 

🎵 WHAT DO WE DO? 

Aside from eating queso and praying for first responders and hoping science pulls through and scrolling social media incessantly? 

BREATHE. Install Newsfeed Eradicator. Make lists (lists are so soothing 💓). 

When you’re ready, there are amazing resources everywhere. Jenna Kutcher has a free Small Biz Survival Guide. Kein Rogers created a Copywriting Thrive Kit to help business owners thrive in times of uncertainty. 

The @busytoddler IG account is overflowing with ideas for things to entertain kiddos. Othergoose is giving away 3 weeks of homeschooling resources. 

This compilation of resources to help calm your virus anxiety is so thoughtfully curated. If my son didn’t take it as a direct invitation to lick my face, I’d totally meditate.

Abby Woodcock set up a fund for freelancers and small online business owners whose finances are being directly impacted by everything that’s happening. If you’re in a place of abundance, you can donate here or ask for help if you need it.

🎵 ONE MARKETING MELODY TO PRESS PLAY ON

Well, this week I’ve got a real simple one for ya, friend. 

Don’t let anyone shame you into putting your business into quarantine, along with your sweet self. 

Times are intense. You don’t want to be seen as some money-grubbing opportunist, I get it. But if what you offer helps others, why would you stop? 

I love how Rachel Rodgers puts it…

Yes, we should be sensitive. Yes, we should pivot if need be. Yes, we should adjust our messaging. 

But NO, we do not need to stop running our businesses. 

I launched my workshop last week (which was soooo much fun btw, totally can’t wait to do it again!), and I got an email along the lines of “How DARE you!” 

I’m kind of a baby when it comes to those kinds of emails, but in this case, I thought to myself — how dare I NOT offer this? 

It’s more important than ever to have an email list — a community — full of humans who trust you. 

🎵 WHAT I’M READING  

I’ve been a real bookworm lately, so I have lots of recommendations to share. 

If you’re looking for some good old fashioned escapism, The Priory of the Orange Tree is EPIC. 1200 pages was not long enough. 

I also just finished Such A Fun Age (which was good), but I wish it had been a little more fleshed out in terms of drawing the reader into the protagonist’s inner life. 

This piece, For Some Of Us a Time of Fear Is Always from Laura Belgray is probably my favorite thing she’s ever written (and I love everything she writes). I am afraid of most of these things too. 

🎵 WHO I’M ROOTING FOR 

My Grow with Quizzes student Emily just launched her quiz, and it is such a wicked resource for anyone who wants to work remotely but doesn’t know where to start. 

Take her quiz ‘Discover Your Digital Dream Job’ right here >>> 

🎵 WHAT I’M ROCKING OUT TO 

I made a little home time playlist for you. Also diggin’ this Calm Down playlist, cause we could all use a little more calm right now. 

Hugs and hand sanitizer, 
Chanti xx 

P.S. Sorry I missed you last week, frantically getting a flight home took up a lotta mental space.