We were lucky to catch up with Kristina Dowler recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Kristina , so great to have you on the platform. There’s so much we want to ask you, but let’s start with the topic of self-care. Do you do anything for self-care and if so, do you think it’s had a meaningful impact on your effectiveness?
Self-care is such an interesting concept to me. It’s all about what makes us feel better – or at the very least, whatever makes us feel the most like ourselves so that we can handle whatever life throws at us. Since becoming a mom (my son is now 6), my self-care has morphed and changed over the years. I’ve had to learn to focus on what truly makes me the feel the best so that I can better show up for him, my husband, myself, work, etc.
These days, self-care focuses on what nourishes me the most. That looks like moving my body each day for at least 20 minutes, more if I have the time and energy. I focus on doing movement that I enjoy – walking and talking with someone on the phone or in person, walking on the treadmill while I work, pilates, and strength training. I avoid things I don’t like and don’t make me feel motivated. I also make time to read every day (fun books – not my textbooks or self-help books) because that’s FUN for me. When I have time, I also enjoy watercolor painting, gardening, and baking. Those tend to take more time but they allow me to be creative in other ways. Finally, I’ve started to play a video game I like (Dreamlight Valley) and I will do that once a week, if I can.
Self-care is more than just the fun stuff, though. It’s also about seeking therapy when the noise in my head is too much, drinking enough water, and eating what fuels me. I’m still working on that last one (still a pizza loving stress eater WAY too often), but I know those things also help me feel good and able to be focused.
In the last year, between work, motherhood and school, I’ve worked hard to build a schedule that really exercises the freedom I’ve searched for. I make time to read in the pickup line for my kiddo, and work half days when I can. I spend those afternoons (or early mornings) when the work is done outside, working out, or playing my game. I think it’s helped me focus more when I am in my office. I know that I can finish “X” amount of things before my brain is done and I get to go reset myself with my self-care activities. I’ve learned to see this as helpful not selfish – though it’s not perfect and I still feel guilty some days.
But, the point is: when I take care of myself, I’m more focused with work. I’m able to be more flexible with what I need and stick to my routines where I need to, too. When you give yourself freedom to explore and do what you need for yourself, the rest of life really doesn’t feel so hard.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I started my own photography business in college. When you go to a school known for its Conservatory program, let’s just say… there’s a lot of opportunities to get behind a camera. After I met + married my husband in 2015, I thought I should get a “real job” and leave the business behind. So, I did. For 6 months. I’m not joking!
6 months into my “day job” as a research assistant at a military facility studying Traumatic Brain Injuries, I felt like I was missing part of myself. So I re-opened the business and got started. As we began to search for our next step and home, I found more opportunities to assist small business owners behind the scenes. At that point, I was managing calendars and writing some blogs. Word got out and before I knew it, things got really busy. I realized then that I could make a living out of writing for other people.
Now I spend my days writing long-form content (blogs mostly) for my clients. We can write brand new content or transfer your YouTube or podcast content into a long-form piece, which is fun. I work with photographers, videographers, bakers, real estate agents, counselors, and financial aid experts (just to name a few). I help them market their business with optimized content that will allow their dreams to grow! We also write newsletters, email sequences, manage Pinterest accounts, and I take on a few clients every year to help manage their wedding workflows and create wedding timelines. I work with my sister-in-law and my mother every day, which is really special too!
We’re about to launch two new services that we’re excited about!
1) Bulk Quarterly Content Prep – We’ll provide you with up to 12 blogs (which will last you for a quarter!) within 1 month. Posts can be fully prepped (optimized copy, prepare images, meta descriptions and SEO prep) or we can provide you with just the copy for a smaller price point.
2) Content Brainstorming Call – This offer includes up to a 60 min phone call + Trello template to help you plan your blog content. If you know you need to blog but aren’t sure what to blog about, this call is for you! We’ll help you figure out your content pillars and brainstorm topics in each category so you never have to stare at a blinking cursor again.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I think that the most important skill has been learning to communicate with my clients. I have always been prompt, honest and polite. My work is the same – on time, correct the first time, and ready to publish. We become a part of their business that they didn’t know they were missing. Because of that, I’ve built a business on 95% client referrals. Showing up for the people that matter when building a business is important. It will come back to you ten fold.
Being curious is important. Especially early in my business, I tried EVERYTHING. I don’t offer a lot of those options anymore but I had to learn what I liked and was best at. That meant Google was my best friend. If I didn’t know how to do it, I sure as heck looked it up. I wanted to be helpful and this helped me build a lot of skills.
Learn what you can’t do. There are things I dislike and things I’m just not good at. I’ve learned to outsource or ask for help. There’s nothing wrong with not being able to do it all. Take graphic designer – I’m not a designer, ha. My SIL is amazing and that’s something she focuses on with our clients. I can totally fill out a template. But asking from scratch? Not my thing. And that’s 100% okay! Learn what you’re good at and focus on that skill. Create that niche for yourself and get someone else to help with the things you can’t do. No shame.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
I get overwhelmed as a business owner, mom, wife, friend, and human more than I care to admit. I don’t have a magic solution, but I’m learning how to better handle myself when I get to those points. Most importantly, I’ve learned to take a step back. Slow down, talk to someone if it helps (therapist, a friend, biz bestie, coach) and figure out how to tackle whatever is ahead of you. For me, that means I write a lot of lists. I’ve got to see what I need to do or what’s swirling around my head. Once I’ve done a brain dump, I can usually see that it’s much more manageable than I thought.
From there, I can prioritize what’s really the most important and create a plan for the rest. I live by lists. It might be silly, but it helps me see it all on paper – really just getting out of my brain is the most important part for me!! And, if I truly can’t do it all, then I ask for help or start saying “no”. I’m still not good at those things, but I’m working on it.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dottheisoutsourcing.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinadowler/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dottheisoutsourcing
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristina-dowler-17760b64/
- Other: Since I talked about reading as self-care, here’s my IG about that: https://www.instagram.com/kdowler_reads/
Image Credits
Dolly DeLong Photography
