When I started Tinker & Type, I thought it would be a small place to collect my thoughts so they didn’t keep rattling around in my head. A quiet corner where I could make sense of how I work, and maybe help a few other creative people feel less scattered too. The problem I was trying to solve was my own overwhelm first, and then I realized how many other creative business owners were carrying the same thing. So many ideas, so much responsibility, and not a lot of systems that actually fit real life. Especially if you’re juggling kids, shops, side projects, and a brain that refuses to be linear. I did have a bigger vision even then. I’ve always believed in having a plan. What I didn’t have yet was the understanding that the plan didn’t need to be built all at once. Back then, success looked like small proof points. A few people inside Tinker & Type feeling calmer after a post, or saying “okay, I can actually do this.” That felt like enough to keep going. What surprised me was how deeply that approach resonated. People weren’t avoiding big goals. They were just exhausted from trying to execute everything simultaneously. They wanted direction and breathing room. A long view paired with smaller steps that didn’t require burning everything down to make progress. If I could tell past me one thing, it would be this: it’s okay to hold a bigger plan while only working on one small piece at a time. Vision doesn’t require urgency. Momentum comes from letting the work unfold in a way that fits your actual life.

I run a Skool community called Tinker & Type for creative business owners who like having a bigger plan but don’t want to execute their entire future in one sitting. It’s for people with a lot of ideas, real life responsibilities, and a brain that works in bursts, not perfect schedules. We focus on small systems, testing things out loud, and building momentum without pretending we all have unlimited time or focus. One thing we come back to a lot inside the group is this: you can hold a long-term vision and still work in tiny, realistic steps. The plan can be big. The work just has to fit your actual life. If you’re building a Skool group, a creative business, or something in between and want a calmer place to think and experiment, that’s the lane Tinker & Type lives in. If it fits you, you can find it here. Happy to answer questions.

The “Must be nice being your own boss” crowd cracks me up. I’m over here juggling deadlines, kids, half-finished ideas, and whatever fresh nonsense rolls in from the universe. But sure, yes, so luxurious over here. If you know that moment, the tiny eye twitch, the internal scream, come join me in Tinker & Type. It’s where real small-biz humans hang out and talk about business the way it actually is messy, smart, scrappy. Main Street energy all day. Pull up a chair if you want in. Join Tinker & Type today.

Part of building authentic relationships and connections is commenting and engaging with others as humans instead of just posting and ghosting. I’ve noticed so many of you have similarities or commonalities or the same special interest. Today, I’d like to encourage you to comment on at least 3 posts - starting with the pinned introductions post. 1. Find someone in the Introductions post you have something in common with and reach out. 2. Skim the main feed and find 2 posts you find interesting. Ask the person a question. 3. Write your own post sharing about something that is happening in your own community.  It can be a course in the classroom, a live meet up in the calendar, a challenge, etc.  Invite others to ask questions or join you. 4. Come back later today and see if there is something interesting going on in a group that you may want to know more about.

COMMENT BELOW to participate - Do NOT create a new post today. Because this is one of the most popular threads in the Classifieds, I didn’t want to leave it out of the challenge! I’d like to invite you to share a link in the comments below to a group that you think others would find valuable. Instead of linking to every group you like, pick one and describe what you’ve gained from the group and why others would find it valuable. Then, send a message to that person and let them know that you mentioned them here! **If you are behind in any of the challenge days, now is a good time to catch up!