f you’ve been feeling stuck, scattered, or disconnected from your business lately — this episode is for you.
I'm sharing one of my favorite tools for burnout recovery and nervous system regulation: the Joy Menu. Inspired by my own healing journey, this playful and practical exercise helps you reconnect with creativity, calm, and joy in just a few minutes a day — no major reset or business overhaul required.
You’ll learn how to create your own Joy Menu, filled with simple, energizing activities that help you move through stress, regulate your emotions, and reignite your spark — especially if you’re a neurodivergent or creative entrepreneur craving variety and ease.
🎧 Tune in, grab a pen, and get ready to rediscover what actually makes you feel alive in your business.
💛 Want the visuals, examples, and step-by-step guide from my Joy Menu workshop?
👉 Download it free at cjc.myflodesk.com/joy
Creative coach Kamina James joins me to show you how to make business easier—without the hustle. We talk building one stable income stream, selling daily in 30 minutes, setting real boundaries (no nights/weekends), and designing a portfolio career that actually supports your life. Kamina shares mindset shifts for perfectionists, starting a business in your hardest season, and why only buyers’ opinions matter.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
How to simplify to one clear offer and get paid
A gentle daily sales routine that works
Boundaries that prevent burnout (especially for ND brains)
Using “fun and easy” as your strategy (zone of genius)
Why a portfolio career is a financial strength
Connect with Kamina: @kaminajames
Join Create & Get Paid
If this resonated, follow the show and share to your Stories—tag @christijohnsoncreative and @kaminajames so we can cheer you on. 💛
Want help figuring out how to make business easier for you? Work with Me!
Photographer, coach, and world traveler Mycah Bain joins me to talk about building a business around time wealth—so you can step away, live fully, and still grow sustainably.
We dive into how she leads a multi–six-figure studio with a team of 10, takes 2–3 month winter sabbaticals every year, and uses systems, SOPs, and AI to create more freedom (not more hustle).
In this episode, you’ll hear:
What time wealth looks like in real life—and how to plan a true sabbatical
The exact roles on Mycah’s team and how she creates a consistent client experience
Boundaries, abundance, and saying “not now” without losing momentum
Using SOPs, automation, and AI to scale sustainably
Practicing time abundance and learning to be “done” for the day
Navigating grief while running a values-driven business
Connect with Mycah:
IG: @mycahbainphoto
Money Mindset Freebie: mycahbain.com/money
Want to learn how to create time freedom in your business? Let's work together!
What if every “detour” in your business was actually preparing you for what’s next? In this episode, I’m joined by Lauren Cunningham—host of So Can I and founder of a social media agency—who shares how she’s built a business rooted in curiosity, alignment, and consistency (not hustle).
We talk about the power of trusting your gut, the reality of slow and steady podcast growth, and how to make strategic pivots without feeling flaky. Lauren also shares her simple framework for reverse-engineering your goals, staying consistent without burning out, and choosing content strategies that actually fit your energy.
If you’ve ever wondered how to evolve your business, find joy in your work again, or give yourself permission to grow in new directions, this episode will inspire you to do it—without fear.
You’ll learn:
How to pivot your business without starting over
Why consistency matters more than virality
How to identify what you actually want vs. what you think you “should” do
Simple ways to reverse-engineer your goals and create sustainable habits
What it looks like to build a business that truly fits your personality and capacity
What if your business didn’t feel like a never-ending list of “shoulds”? In this inspiring Dream Biz® Journeys episode, I sit down with Praise Santos McKenna of Come Plum—brand studio leader, podcast host, and coach for women entrepreneurs—to talk about building a business with slow abundance.
Praise shares her mission to inspire and resource 10,000 women, the ripple effects of confidence, and how she’s redefining success in her new season of life and motherhood. We dig into money mindset, seasons of inspiration, and what it means to get “paid to exist.”
If you’ve ever wrestled with hustle culture, burnout, or the fear that slowing down will set you back, this conversation will give you permission to breathe, realign, and trust that slow abundance in business can actually take you further.
✨ Listen in for a refreshing take on business growth that feels good, sustainable, and deeply human.
Get to Know Praise: ComePlum's Website and Instagram
Are you building a business that supports your life—or one that consumes it? In this episode, I sit down with systems strategist Melissa Rich of Virtually Done Systems to talk about what it really takes to create a flexible business for creative entrepreneurs.
Melissa shares her journey from 17 years as a wedding photographer to building a systems and automations business designed for freedom, family, and flexibility. You’ll hear how grief reshaped her perspective, why she transitioned from long projects to VIP Weeks, and the mindset shifts that helped her release perfectionism and imposter syndrome.
If you’ve ever dreamed of working from anywhere, taking random Mondays off with family, or building a business that bends around your life instead of the other way around, this conversation will encourage you to make it possible.
Listen in to learn:
How Melissa built systems that give her freedom to travel and be present with family
Why she believes done is better than perfect (and how she lives it out)
The challenges she faced in starting over and what she’d do differently
Practical mindset tools she uses to stay grounded and kind to herself
This is a conversation about courage, boundaries, and designing a business that works for you—not the hustle.
Connect with Melissa: Website - Virtually Done Systems - Instagram @virtuallydonesystems
Want support building a flexible business as a creative entrepreneur? Work with me! I help creative and neurodivergent business owners build flexible, life-giving businesses that work with their brains, their energy, & their REAL life. I offer a Membership Program, 1:1 Coaching, and a Free Toolkit!
Photographer and educator Molly McCauley joins me to kick off the Dream Biz® Journey series with a candid conversation about late-in-life ADHD diagnosis, building a career that fits your brain, and the identity work behind an aligned brand.
Molly shares how self-acceptance, outsourcing, and coaching helped her move from “treading water” to doubling prices and pursuing big goals—on her terms.
Late ADHD diagnosis & why so many neurodivergent creatives thrive as entrepreneurs
Designing a business around variety, adrenaline, and non-traditional work settings
From “idea person” to action: outsourcing implementation and getting support
The brand alignment years (2016–2020): evolving visuals, voice, and positioning
Ditching cookie-cutter posing for true artistry (and the confidence that follows)
Pricing, positioning, and the moment Molly doubled her rates
Big dreams: scaling Make Pretty, becoming a top educator, and building a values-aligned team
Real talk on roadblocks: confidence, funding, systems, visibility—and choosing your channels
Why you may already be living a version of your dream (and how to notice)
Learn more About Molly & Make Pretty (workshops, overhauls, membership)
Get more coaching & resources for creative, neurodivergent entrepreneurs from Christi at christijohnsoncreative.com and @christijohnsoncreative
If this episode resonated, follow the show, leave a rating/review, and share it with a creative friend who needs the reminder that they’re not behind—they’re building a business that works with their brain.
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:
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:
You'll feel a lot of relief and learn tactical ways you can make better decisions about your marketing.
Learn More about Enji:
Try Enji free for 14 days at enji.co
Instagram: @enji_co
Connect with Christi
Website: christijohnsoncreative.com
Instagram: @christijohnsoncreative
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 :
Connect with Sabrina:
Connect with Christi:
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:
Connect with Christi:
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:
Hannah's Website 👉 madewithboldness.com
Sign up for Hannah's Newsletter 👉 madewithboldness.com/newsletter (Includes freebies for authors and creatives)
Hannah’s Instagram 👉 @madewithboldness
Christi’s Instagram 👉 instagram.com/christijohnsoncreative
Learn more about The Dream Biz Lab or work with Christi 👉 christijohnsoncreative.com/lab
