Episode 097: Turning a Personal Creative Practice Into a Sustainable Online Business, with Artist & Educator: Grace
Turning a Personal Creative Practice Into a Sustainable Online Business
Starting an online business can feel impossible when life already feels full.
Work, family, caregiving, and mental load do not magically pause just because you have an idea you care about. For many coaches and service providers, this is the real tension behind how to grow your business in a sustainable way.
In this episode of the Business Bravery Podcast, Tiffany sits down with Grace, artist, creative educator, and founder of The Serendipitous Crafter. Grace shares how a deeply personal creative practice became a small but growing online business, without burning herself out or waiting for perfect conditions.
This conversation matters if you are building an online business while tired, stretched, or unsure you have the capacity to begin.
Framing an online business around real life, not ideal conditions
A lot of advice about online business assumes unlimited energy, time, and focus.
Grace’s story offers a different framing. Her creative business grew alongside full-time work, family responsibilities, and caregiving. There was no big launch moment or dramatic leap. Instead, the business evolved slowly, shaped by what was realistically available to her.
For coaches and service providers, this is an important reframe. Building a coaching business does not require overhauling your life. It requires designing growth that fits within it.
An online business that ignores real life rarely lasts. One that works with it often does.
Letting go of perfectionism in your coaching business
Perfectionism is one of the quiet reasons many businesses never start.
Grace shares how perfectionism nearly stopped her from sharing her creative work at all. The fear of getting it wrong, being seen, or not doing it well enough kept things stuck at the idea stage.
What helped was intentionally creating space for imperfection. One small but powerful example was starting a “trash journal,” a place where nothing had to look good or be shared.
For a service provider or coach, this might look like:
Starting content without branding it perfectly
Offering a service before the website feels finished
Practicing visibility without expecting mastery
Perfectionism often disguises itself as preparation. In reality, it delays momentum.
Practical ways to grow your business with small, consistent steps
One of the strongest takeaways from this episode is how small actions compound over time.
Grace did not try to build everything at once. She focused on manageable steps that fit her capacity in each season.
For coaches looking to grow an online business, this approach can be translated into a few simple practices:
Choose consistency over intensity. One small action repeated weekly builds more trust than sporadic bursts of effort.
Separate creativity from performance. Not everything you create needs to be monetized or shared.
Use community as support, not pressure. Being around others who are building can normalize slow growth.
Let your business grow from what already sustains you, not what drains you.
These steps may feel modest, but they are often what makes growth sustainable.
Why creative self-care matters for coaches and service providers
Creative self-care is often dismissed as optional or indulgent.
In this conversation, it becomes clear that creative practices can be foundational. For Grace, junk journaling began as a way to manage anxiety. Over time, it became a bridge to connection, confidence, and income.
For coaches and service providers, creative self-care can serve a similar role. It can restore energy, reduce burnout, and create clarity around what you want your business to become.
Not every creative practice needs to turn into a business. But many sustainable businesses begin as something that helps you feel more like yourself again.
Building an online business that grows at the pace of your life
This episode is a reminder that there is no single timeline for success.
If you are trying to find a business coach or guidance on how to grow your business, look for examples that honor real constraints. Growth does not need to be loud, fast, or constant to be meaningful.
Grace’s story shows what is possible when you allow your online business to grow slowly, imperfectly, and in partnership with your life as it actually is.
For coaches and service providers who have been waiting until they feel ready, this conversation offers permission to start where you are.
Connect with Grace:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theserendipitouscrafter?igsh=MWZkZHppbGs4ODhzdQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theserendipitouscrafter3532
Ko-fi shop: https://ko-fi.com/grace93437
Craft Connection signup: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd3MyWop3Ns6IKchLK7qHrRbXa79oqreehTh4UD9aQSZWYH_g/viewform?usp=header
Want More Coaching Business Insights?
If you loved this episode, check out these related conversations on building a brave, balanced coaching business:
Episode 92: From Brave Steps to 7 Figures: 4-Time Bestselling Author Grace Wang on Business Growth
Episode 85: Perfectionism, Profits, and Visibility in Your Online Coaching Business
Inspired to do something brave?
Share it with me and the Business Bravery community on Instagram @tiffanygstudios or use #businessbraverypodcast so we can cheer you on.
🎧 Listen to the full episode here: Business Bravery Podcast
Community Connections for Coaches & Service Providers
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Reserve your spot here:tiffanygstudios.com/connections
