Speaking at Holistic Her – Business, Balance and Beyond 2025

Holistic Her – 9th September 2025, Eco Park, Porthtowan

I hadn’t done any public speaking for a while, but this invitation really appealed to me…

I gave a talk at the Holistic Her event on 9th September, on the topic of “Beyond the Leap: Tools, Boundaries & Balance for Sustainable Self-Employment” – or “Running a Business Without Burning Out”.

This is how Alexandria Monk, who organised the event, summarised my talk:

Practical wisdom from today’s session on building a sustainable self-employed life:

Money & mindset
– Ask yourself: how much do you really need to live the lifestyle you want?
– Feast and famine is part of self-employment — find ways to cope with (and even enjoy) the ebb and flow.
– In places like Cornwall, self-employment can actually mean better pay and more flexibility than employed work.

Work on your own terms
– You’re not Dolly Parton, you don’t need to work 9-5
– Choose who you work with (and say no when it’s not a fit).
– Build your business around your life, not the other way round.
– Work when you’re most productive, where it works for you.
– When you do what you enjoy, you get better at it — and attract more of it.

Practical toolkit
– Invest in yourself: training, networking, recovery, and wellbeing.
– Use tools — apps, project trackers, comms channels — to make admin easier.
– Book tasks in your diary (anything over 30 mins) and leave breathing space between them.
– Have one unscheduled “CEO day” to run your business.
– Boss your clients around (you’re the expert!).
– Keep an eye on home/work admin.
– Look at what your competitors are doing, make friends with them

Mindset & energy
– Perspective changes everything.
– Manage your energy like you manage your time — schedule work around where your energy really is.
– Ride the waves of productivity instead of forcing it.
– Celebrate the freedoms: late starts, long lunches, early finishes.
– Mistakes will happen — clients will cope.
– Nourish your body: eat, drink and move well.

And above all: give yourself a break. You don’t always need an out-of-office — just manage expectations.

You can get tickets for the next event and find out more on the Holistic Her Event Webpage.

Many thanks to Alex for inviting me. See you next year I hope.

Sam