We were lucky to catch up with Sarah Kowalske recently and have shared our conversation below.

Sarah, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with a fun one – what’s something you believe that most people in your industry (or in general) disagree with?

I don’t know about you, but I am constantly hearing messages about how I should be in nonstop pursuit of optimal productivity. Don’t get me wrong – I’m all for getting things done, and I love finding ways to do things as efficiently as I can. But I’ve realized that I keep thinking that getting those things done faster or better will mean that I’ll certainly have more time that I can enjoy … later.

I’m not the only one, right?! It’s that endless loop of:

“Once I get x done, then things will really start to slow down.”
“Once we get through y, then I can finally catch my breath.”
“After z is done, I’ll finally be able to get some rest.”

Or, you know, I could just slow down. Or breathe. Or maybe get some rest.

When I first started Koala Creative LLC last year, I definitely took the slow and steady approach. I needed to take a step back from all of the expectations I had accepted as my own and question them thoughtfully. After all, if I was going to build this business for myself, I needed to examine what truly works for me. And let me tell you, it took time. It also took a lot of deep breaths, journals, and impromptu solo dance parties.

I can sense now, in a deeper way, that my fulfillment doesn’t lie solely on the other side of my to-do list – even though I have to remind myself of this all the time.

If you’re like me, you might need a reminder every now and again, too. So here goes: You are more than the tasks you complete. You can trust what you need when you need it. You can take steps to move toward a life that truly belongs to you. Because your real life – the one that actually matters – is, in fact, happening right now.

Okay, back to the business for a second. Yes, my client base is still small, but I love the work I get to do and the people I get to serve. I’m definitely still figuring things out in these early stages. I’m so grateful to find myself in communities like Canvas Rebel, alongside so many inspiring small business owners and creatives who are passionate about their work and its meaning in the world.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My professional experience is definitely varied, but I can sum up my central goal by saying that I have always wanted to use my creativity to improve the quality of people’s lives. I graduated from UW-Stout with a BFA in Interior Design, and I went on to do things like design senior living environments and plan events with Habitat for Humanity.

These days, my heart is in copywriting and content. Specifically, I am especially pumped about writing digital courses. I have a few courses in the works right now (for Koala Creative LLC and for my clients) that will launch later this year, and I cannot wait for them to be released into the world!

I’ve also worked on special projects for clients like creating membership and referral programs, styling and staging model rooms, and writing a little poetry for company Christmas cards. One of the projects I especially loved was assembling shadowboxes to display vintage games and toys in an assisted living community. I was floored and delighted to hear one of the reactions to them! During an executive tour of the building, the company’s poised, high-powered CEO was so excited by what I had created that he joyfully dropped to his hands and knees to get a closer look at the games and toys he loved as a kid – the same ones he knew his residents would love.

My hope, no matter the medium, is to forge meaningful connections in creative ways.

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

I started my side hustle working for my dear friend, former college roommate, and absolutley inspirational business owner, Katie Driver. Katie started her business, The Uncommon Creative Studio, immediately after we graduated from UW-Stout. Five years ago, I started supporting Uncommon with copywriting and creating content, and I fell absolutely in love with it!

Along the way, we launched “The Uncommon Telegram” (a monthly e-newlsetter), built “Uncommoners Uprising” (a membership and referral program), and revitalized her “Be Encouraged” blog. More recently, we started the bi-weekly “Uncommon Pep Talk,” hosted on Instagram as a way to reflect on all we’ve learned, share our insights, and inspire her followers to keep being the incredible people we know and love.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

I joined Marie Forleo’s B-School last year. It gave me oodles of information when it comes to running an online business! It’s a program that covers marketing to your ideal customer base, building your website, and serving your customers in unexpected ways. It’s a beautiful balance of technical, actionable information and the empathetic encouragement you need to keep going when things inevitably get tough in your business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.koalacreativellc.com/