Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sarah Hartley. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Sarah thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

My journey to full-time living from my creative work has been a long time in the making. Nearly ten years ago I had the idea to start my own magazine filled with stories from women that we don’t often hear about – miscarriage and infertility, mental health, body image, etc. At the time, I was a new mom and I was working full-time but I started the magazine on the side. Over the next four years I worked this nearly full-time side hobby alongside my other work responsibilities and the magazine grew, shipping all around the world and telling thousands of stories.

Then I had my second child and my husband and I realized that because daycare for two was enormously expensive, it would take nearly all of my income from my full-time job. So we decided that with the money I was earning from the magazine, I’d leave my job and focus solely on my business, while being at home with my kids. Within a year, between the magazine and other freelance projects I took on, I was able to replace my full-time corporate income.

There were many years in the past decade that I’ve barely been scraping by, certain that I’d need to go back to a corporate job, especially once I closed down my magazine to take on new projects. But once both of my kids were in full-time public school, my business was able to explode in a way it hadn’t before because suddenly I had 6 hours a day, 5 days a week to devote to what I was building. And while there are times I wish it had happened sooner so that I wouldn’t have been concerned about money, I also know that I wouldn’t have had the time or attention to devote at this level when my kids were still at home with me.

Sarah, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

In 2015, I started a digital and print magazine called Holl & Lane (which eventually transitioned to being called The Kindred Voice.) The idea for this magazine came when I was pregnant with my first child. I hated the entire pregnancy experience but didn’t feel like I was allowed to say that out loud. Instead, I wrote about it. Shockingly I started receiving messages from women telling me how glad they were that I spoke up, that they had had the same experience but didn’t think they were allowed to admit that. It got my wheels spinning about what other topics women didn’t think they could talk about, and the magazine was born.

At the time, not many outlets were talking about topics like miscarriage and infertility, mental health, body image, divorce, self worth, etc. So we provided a safe place for women to be their authentic selves, and to allow women to say “me, too.” The magazine eventually produced 21 issues, shipped all around the world, and told thousands of stories. The connections that were made from the magazine will remain my proudest achievement. I still can’t believe I was allowed to tell the stories I was, that women trusted me with their deepest thoughts.

After about seven years of the magazine, I knew it was time to step back from it. It was enormously expensive to run a print magazine for a small business – shipping costs alone ate into most of the profit. And I was ready for something new, I felt like I had told all I needed to. And because within the magazine community I had held group programs on the various topics we shared in the magazine, I decided to take my chance as a self worth and confidence coach. I got certified and began taking on clients but it never felt like exactly the right fit for me.

Slowly I phased out this part of my business as I figured out what was next. It was at that point that a past freelance client came back to me asking me to refresh her website. Throughout the magazine days I had taken on small design projects – website design, graphic design, etc. I immediately agreed and we also talked about her launching a podcast. A very side project of mine was co-hosting a bookish podcast with a friend, and I produced our podcast for us so I felt confident I could work on hers as well.

Suddenly I went from being a coach to working on website design, podcast production, and graphic design. That client introduced me to another client (who I now write, design, and produce for), who then introduced me to another client, and so on.

Now I call myself a creatively promiscuous entrepreneur because there isn’t just one thing I do for my clients – it’s basically any creative thing they need! I work with massively successful, powerhouse women on things like their Substacks, their podcasts, and graphic design needs. I haven’t been this fulfilled since the days of the magazine. Getting to work with clients like activists, doctors, authors, singers, workplace directors, and more has been so exciting since each clients business looks different.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

As someone who bases a lot of their self worth on their professional accomplishments, I’ve had to really reckon with that voice in my head. In the days of the magazine, I had to tell myself that just because I wasn’t making the money to support my family that I dreamed of, it didn’t mean I was a failure.

When I shut down my magazine and then realized coaching wasn’t for me, I had to remind myself that who I am as a person isn’t based on what I do professionally. That feeling lost also doesn’t make me a failure.

So much of what I’ve believed in the past has been that if I wasn’t “successful” (no matter what the bar for that was) in my business, that meant I was worthless. It’s taken a long time to unlearn that and separate who I am from what I do.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

The best source of new clients for me is current clients! My entire business has grown from word of mouth. The freelance client (we’ll call her NH) that I credit with getting this new business kicked off has recommended me to a handful of other people and has also taken me along to new business opportunities that she has to see where I might also fit.

The first referral she introduced me to (we’ll call her SW) has a massive network of people who she has never hesitated to introduce me to. Whenever there’s an opportunity that comes up that she thinks I’m right for, she puts my name into the ring.

From these two alone I’ve met all of my other clients and have been provided with new opportunities – ones I never would’ve expected or dreamed of.

Being someone your clients can count on, doing your best work for them, it is immensely important. I always want to go above and beyond for my clients, and because I do, they go above and beyond for me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sarahhartleyco.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahhartleyco/
• Other: Substack: https://humanfeelings.substack.com/

Image Credits

Cristin Goss