295 | Why Every Entrepreneur Needs a Hobby They Aren't Monetizing with Sam Kramer, Near Modern Disaster (Part 2)

Welcome to part two of my interview with Sam Kramer of Near Modern Disaster! If you have not yet listened to part one, make sure to check out episode 294 first! Sam gave us an update on her business and shared two of the four things that have been critical to her business growth.

Getting involved in trade shows
Growing thicker skin around the reality of doing business

In this episode, Sam and I are talking about:

how mental health is essential to being a smart and intentional business owner
why every entrepreneur needs a hobby that they aren't monetizing!

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Mental Health in Business Owners

The responsibilities that come with being a business owner can cause so much anxiety and take a toll on your mental health.

The pursuit of perfection can consume you as you’re constantly thinking about your business, what’s going wrong, and how you need to improve.

It’s important to realize that you need space away from your business in order to take care of yourself.

Sam Kramer began going to therapy over a year ago, which she found to be essential to running her business as she talks a lot about business in her sessions. As a business owner, your personal attitude and what you’re capable of handling is tied directly to how you’re structuring your job and managing your business.

Working through that in therapy has really helped Sam’s overall attitude and mental health.

Taking Time for Yourself & Hobbies

As creatives and product makers, we often don’t have hobbies, because we monetized the hobbies we originally had. When you enjoy your job, your personal time becomes consumed by improving that skill set.

What about hobbies that aren’t related to your job? You need space outside of your business that will fuel you in your business.

Personal hobbies can bring enjoyment to your life, providing you with the time away from business that you need to practice self-care.

While Sam explores new hobbies to find what she likes, she’s decided to not tell others what those hobbies are. This practice allows her to stay away from turning her new hobby into a job or even look to find worth in that hobby. It’s simply just for herself.

If you’re looking to add a new hobby, consider why you’re choosing it! Keep it for yourself and don’t turn it into work.

Advice to Early Entrepreneurs

If Sam had to share a piece of advice to herself or other business owners when she was just starting out, it would be to be more confident and just own it. She felt so scared for so long in her business, but she became a barrier to herself, where she got in her own way.

While caution is okay, fear can keep you from success.

Every single journey is different, but you can build your own path without having fear of failure.

Quick Links:

Here is a quick recap of links mentioned in this episode and last weeks episode:

085 | Three seasons of Business with Katie Hunt

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MEET SAM

Near Modern Disaster is fronted by Sam Kramer, who has been working under the name since the late 90s. NMD has gone through many incarnations over the years (it was a killer Geocities page back in the day,) but its current form as a line of “cards for people who don’t think they’re card people” was born around 2009. Over the last decade+, NMD has added many product offerings beyond greeting cards - the most popular being vinyl stickers and fridge magnets. Always humorous (and sometimes sweary), every product NMD offers is still written and illustrated by Sam - emblazoned with her own hand-drawn block lettering.

CONNECT WITH SAM

WEBSITE: nearmoderndisaster.com | INSTAGRAM: @moderndisaster

Connect with Katie Hunt

Katie Hunt is a business strategist, podcaster, mentor and mama to four. She helps product based businesses build profitable, sustainable companies through her conferences, courses and coaching programs.

Website: prooftoproduct.com | Instagram: @prooftoproduct