Entrepreneur Spotlight・Dani Christie
“The biggest reward that still lights me up every single day is the f-r-e-e-d-o-m that comes with entrepreneurship.”
Earlier this year I received a lovely email from Dani, thanking me for my courses and sharing how much they helped her during Covid. I immediately knew that I wanted to know more as I love sharing the resilience and creativity of fellow entrepreneurs during these challenging times. Dani’s story is a wonderful reminder that we are never stuck and that learning new skills and taking a flexible approach can not only help us ride the wave but also bring is back to our roots in amazing ways. Thank you, Dani!
Dani is a Sydney based part time yogi, part time brand designer, and full time art and plant lover. Her passion is beautiful, communicative design with purpose.
Dani loves working with entrepreneurs and bringing small businesses to life.
When she's not poring over Pinterest with a latte in hand, you can find her contorting herself into a pretzel on her yoga mat.
She likens her design process to taking your brand to a yoga class, leaving all zen, connected + restored.
1) Tell us about your business
The Monsoon Project is an Intentional and Innovative Branding and Web Design Studio. We specialise in custom branding and design for small businesses and entrepreneurs.
We believe first impressions are lasting. Good branding + design that truly reflect your business will naturally attract ideal clients + help them connect with you before you’ve even opened your mouth.
So if you're after confidence in your brand + visuals - we got you!
2) Has Covid changed the way you run your business?
The Monsoon Project is a Covid baby! Born out of sheer determination and choosing to see the opportunity to thrive in the midst of things somewhat falling apart (or together depending on which way you like to look at it.)
Pre Covid saw me running my very own (one woman) yoga studio in Sydney's leafy suburbs, Nunu Yoga. Yes, I was a full time business yogi. Teaching classes, doing the administrative work, the cleaning ... everything!
Nunu Yoga was certainly seen as a hub for like minded people to gather and connect. The kind of place where you could sit and enjoy complimentary herbal teas in the big, leafy reception space pre + post yoga. My dream was to truly connect mind, body and souls.
When the pandemic hit and I was forced to close the doors of my studio indefinitely, I felt such loss and sadness. My bricks and mortar business ripped out from under me with no warning.
My entire business was geared to connect with people, and allow them to feel aligned and at ease. Alas like most yoga studios we took classes online, and while it worked temporarily - some things are just best in person.
In the midst of lockdown I vowed I would never be in a position where someone could close the doors on my business without my consent.
My life prior to yoga was graphic design in advertising and for big agencies, but truth be told, big city life was never my thing. I like autonomy, I crave creative freedom and learning new skills lights me up. Guess i'm a true entrepreneur at heart after all.
During lockdown the idea of designing full time again bubbled away. The truth is, I never lost my creative flair and I had been secretly designing for friends + acquaintances in the background but now it was time to take it to real life.
I began upskilling and soon after The Monsoon Project was born.
The yoga studio is reopen again, albeit much simpler and a smaller timetable. The Monsoon Project takes pride of place now!
3) How did Kerstin’s courses help you with your upskilling process?
I had looked at many small course providers and I am just so happy I came across Kerstin’s Designer Bundle! It was such a worthwhile investment for myself and my business and I couldn’t have pivoted the way I did, and so quickly, without what I learned in Kerstin’s courses. They helped me in a multitude of ways: I now feel at ease in Squarespace 7.1 and use it with confidence. The Bizbox course was just fantastically presented, and in such a systematic and structured way that was easy to digest. Kerstin’s style of teaching feels so genuine and I love how organised the content is, the information is always presented in a non daunting way and the delivery, so friendly and warm.
4) What are the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship?
All entrepreneurs I think will agree that time management is a daily struggle.
We set our own schedules and this can be both a blessing and a curse. Each morning I do a brain dump of things that need to be done. I mean everything, even the small mundane tasks!
I then prioritise the list into essential and non essential, and the goal is to do at least 3 essentials and 4 non essentials per day. I do my best to control interruptions and am known to stick to blocking off time for solid work hours.
The biggest reward that still lights me up every single day is the f-r-e-e-d-o-m that comes with entrepreneurship. Freedom to do, choose and be as I want. The autonomy + self governing is liberating and I truly believe this is where my creative juice flows best.
5) What does your self-care look like these days?
Self care is so important and making time to fill my own cup is as important as ever during these uncertain times.
Most days it's movement to shake off excess energy and get my head and thoughts settled. A gentle morning walk, a trip to the gym; some light stretching.
Other days it's curling up with my favourite book or podcast. Most nights you'll find me curled up on the lounge with an adult coloring book and herbal tea.
6) Do you have any tips for other entrepreneurs during these uncertain times?
Communicate. Find a good support network whether it be online or real life and talk to one another. Even just speaking about what you're going through, and your feelings out loud to another person can help.
There's something so nice about feeling understood and heard. You don't always need answers but often "I've had a terrible day/ week/ month/ client etc ...." can lead to the beginning of a conversation that helps you to process the stress, rather than bottling it up.
We are stronger together and enduring it all alone only makes things more complicated and more lonely.
And make sure that you don't forget to talk about the good with the bad! We're human. We experience a whole range of emotion and expressing ourselves is a beautiful thing. But only focussing on the negative and highlighting only the bad is detrimental and draining. Take the time to share the successes and wins when they come. This can help to imprint your brain with positivity hopefully making it easier to snap out of those "Woe is me, everything bad happens to me!” days.
Sometimes sharing is scary and often feels vulnerable at the beginning, but with practice it gets easier and it is so worthwhile. Life is best shared!
