We were lucky to catch up with Sim Gandhi recently and have shared our conversation below.

Sim, looking forward to hearing all of your stories 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?

It was not like this from day one at all. My business has evolved a lot. I was working a 9-5 in Communications, doing web/graphic design, event planning, social media, all the things while I started coaching on the side. But neither fully gave me what I wanted. Coaching gave me the depth and psychology I love (I have a Psych degree) but I missed the creativity. Design gave me creativity, but it was within a very professional, limited scope. So, it just felt empty for me.

I was burning both ends of the candle, wanting to pursue coaching full-time but needing that stability. I would work 8 hours, then come home and work on my business until 10pm. That went on for 6 months. Not to mention, I had maybe gotten like 2 clients, so it was not at all an overnight success.

The turning point for me was actually a really tough time. I’d been applying for other roles and landed a position with an 8-figure entrepreneur who blends nervous system work with business strategy. I put in my 2-week notice, and that same week, the offer was pulled because of ‘low volume’. Come to find out, they’d hired 13 new team members. I was devastated. I felt strongly aligned, and the rug was pulled out from under me. I had no job, no insurance and as a diabetic, that was super stressful. After the shock, it just felt like a sign. I didn’t want to work for other companies that didn’t allow creative freedom, so I went all-in on my business. I felt unstoppable, and within my first month going full-time, I’d tripled my 9-5 monthly income.

Could I have sped up the process knowing what I know now? Part of me wishes that I had discovered this path earlier. I didn’t even realize I liked designing on Canva until my junior year of college, and by then it was too late to pursue a whole degree in design. But, I don’t think I would change the timeline. I needed to experience everything the way I did. I’m very much a trial-and-error person. You can give me all the advice, and I can do all the research, but until I experience it, I won’t know. So, I needed to experience the burnout, the psychology without the design (and vice versa), and the freedom of getting to finally be myself in my business. And, I’m only 24. I have to remind myself of that all the time, that I don’t have to rush. I trust everything unfolded and will continue to unfold exactly as it should.

Sim, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Yes! Hi, I’m Sim, a brand and web designer from Sun Prairie, WI, who specializes in personal and founder-led brands. I shared a bit of how I came into this industry in the last question, but I’ve worked from nonprofits to agency settings on brands like Nature Made Vitamins, so design that feels purpose-led has always been important to me. What lights me up is speaking to someone and turning the essence of who they are into a brand that actually feels alive, which is why Heart & Mind Business Coaching lives at the intersection of psychology, design, and authenticity.

Many of my clients are doing well but feel stuck at “just fine” because there’s a disconnect between how they show up in person and what people see online. Through branding, content strategy, and web design, I help close that gap so the first impression people get from your social media, website, or logo actually reflects the high quality of your work.

Above all, I want my work to feel like the permission slip so many business women need to just be. To stop hustling to the point of burnout, stop forcing themselves into ways of working or industry-standard aesthetics they think they’re supposed to fit, and trust that who they are is already enough. Our personalities and perspectives aren’t things to tone down, they’re exactly what attract the right clients in the first place.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One of the biggest lessons I had to unlearn was the idea that there’s only way to be successful as a business owner. I thought I had to network nonstop, sound ultra-professional, hustle like I had the same level of energy everyday, and focus on analytics to be credible.

What shifted everything was Human Design. It’s a tool I use now in my branding process and it’s basically an energetic blueprint. If anyone’s interested in learning more about that, I have free charts available on my website! But, I realized that my energy is dependent on my own rhythm. When it’s forced, that’s when burnout happens. And it’s true for many women, because our energy isn’t linear. Our creativity, social capacity, energy, and confidence ebb and flow throughout the month, and when our business feels like one more place we have to fake high energy or a polished persona, it’s exhausting.

Human Design helped me see that there isn’t one “right” way to build a business, and that who you are isn’t something to contort to fit what the industry says. Just because you’re in the beauty industry doesn’t mean your brand has to be luxurious, or just because you’re a coach doesn’t mean your brand needs to be professional or grounded. Who YOU are is what sets you apart in the market. That realization is the foundation of my work today. To empower the women who maybe felt like too much, too loud, too opinionated, or just like they have to be someone else to be successful. Because that’s how you actually build a business that’s sustainable.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I think my reputation has grown because people feel genuinely seen in the work. I’m not forcing a one-size-fits-all style on everyone. I take the time to understand who they are, how they show up, and what their brand makes people feel.

A lot of my work comes through word-of-mouth and social media, and that’s because when someone finally has a brand that feels like them, they talk about it. They share it. They feel confident sending people to their website. And my social media accurately reflects my personality and mission. People don’t need to follow me for years before considering buying. They see the way I show up and my design style, and everything matches. It creates trust right away.

I think ultimately it was that trust and really feeling like someone finally gets the thing they’ve been afraid to admit and validates that it doesn’t have to be that way is what has helped solidify my reputation as someone who doesn’t just design to look good, but someone who translates personality into aligned aesthetics.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.heartnmindcoaching.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heartnmindcoaching
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heartnmindcoaching
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/heartnmindcoaching