Kerstin Martin is someone I have admired for a few years, as a female business owner over 50, and I’m thrilled to interview her about her process of running her creative business.

I remember coming across Kerstin’s website and feeling immediately at home. Here was a Squarespace web designer I could relate to. Kerstin Martin lives on the US west coast, but is from Germany (I’m Danish), and she’s over 50.

Finding a fellow entrepreneur you can relate to, and who inspires you to build your own business your way, is why I wanted to interview Kerstin.. And being obsessed with the process, I love learning how other creatives do what they do.

I have her courses SEO Plus and BizBox, both of which I recommend if you like a teaching style that is gentle and to the point.

I hope you’ll find this interview with Kerstin as inspiring as I do, and perhaps come away with new ideas for how to work in your own business.

What does an average working day look like for Kerstin Martin?

I have a loose weekly schedule that informs my working days: Mondays are for admin, Tuesdays, and Thursdays for calls and meetings, Wednesdays for content creation (blogging, course updates), and bookkeeping is done on Fridays.

I also have weekly admin + planning sessions with my VA/Studio Manager, she helps keep me on track!

Do you have any rituals, habits, or perhaps a morning routine to help you begin your day?

Because I am on the US West Coast my days tend to start early, which can be a bit challenging for this night owl! Weather and schedule permitting I love starting the day with a walk and listening to podcasts which helps me wake up, and get inspired for the workday ahead. I walk for about 40 mins and then I dive straight into work until about 11 a.m. which is when I have my breakfast. I do 16:8 intermittent fasting so this morning routine works really well for me

How do you structure your day?

With the help of my Eule Planner which I designed myself specifically for us online entrepreneurs! Every Sunday I sit down and look at the week ahead in my digital calendar. I transfer appointments to my planner, list any to-dos that did not get done the week before, and add new ones as well as important notes for the week. This creates just enough structure to guide me through my week and days.

It should be noted that I don’t stick to my schedule religiously. Depending on my energy levels I frequently change things around or dive into spontaneous projects because I suddenly have an idea, or take a day off because the weather is beautiful and I want to go bicycling along the sea.

I appreciate structure but I need flexibility within this structure, that’s one of the most important and most valued aspects of running my own business.

How often do you create plans for your business and how often do you review them? For example, do you make 5-year goals and plans, quarterly plans, etc.?

I review my business every December using a process I call the Calm Business Review. During this review, I take stock of my finances, marketing activities, tech setup, and energy drainers. By the end of it, I walk away with a list of guiding values as well as a word for the new year and a goal + action plan.

To me, a calm business is simple and well-organized. This review keeps me on track and has helped me build a lean and strong business over the years.

How do you deal with things not going according to plan (do they ever?)?

I take them in my stride. My approach to business and life is quite pragmatic and my plans are never that rigid to start with, I always leave a lot of room for flexibility and detours.

What do you do to stay creatively inspired?

As a self-taught designer who learns by doing, I stay inspired by tinkering with web design, learning new skills, and exchanging ideas in my creative community.

I also love journaling with Washi tape and stickers, there are no artistic expectations, this is just about joy, explorations, and analog play with color, texture, and words. Journaling never fails to boost my creative inspiration.

How do you look after yourself so you don't burn out? Mentally, emotionally, and physically?

Burnout is real for solopreneurs because we often underestimate all the hats we’ll be wearing as business owners.

As someone who struggles with obesity, I am not always good at looking after myself physically but I am slowly learning new non-food tools to help me cope with overwhelm and anxiety, like EFT tapping and EMDR.

Other things that I find very helpful in times of stress are walking or bicycling along the sea, journaling, and photography. I incorporate all of these into my daily life.

How do you deal with distractions when you work? (social media, emails, a dog that needs attention) Not just me?

Nope, not just you ;-)
Social media is probably my biggest distractor and purely by chance, I found an effective method for snapping out of any rabbit holes I might be going down:

I started setting my watch timer every 30 minutes to get up go to the kitchen and drink some water. I did this to keep myself moving and hydrated but as a side effect, it also interrupts any distracted browsing I am doing and brings my focus back to my work.

Do you get overwhelmed by all the different hats of a solopreneur? If yes, how do you deal with that? If not, what do you do to avoid feeling overwhelmed?

You are right, as solo entrepreneurs, we wear a lot of hats: CEO, CFO, maker, customer service, sales + marketing, legal expert, strategist, and visionary.

Yet most of us start out because of a creative passion that we want to turn into a business, not because we enjoy sales funnels, number crunching, or making executive decisions. This is why managing a solo business can get overwhelming, fast.

I’m a big believer in running a calm business and everything I do has to pass a simple test: “Does this feel calm?”

Of course, the answer isn’t always yes for things we have to do in our business but then I ask: “What can I do now to make this feel more calm in the future?”

Example: My bookkeeping used to be very stressful and time-consuming. I tried working with a bookkeeper but they never quite understood my online business so that didn’t work out. I finally decided to bite the bullet and signed up for Quickbooks Online.

The learning curve was steep and overwhelming, but once I got it my bookkeeping became a breeze and even joy! What used to take me hours now only takes me minutes. Plus I get up-to-date finance reports at the click of a button and I feel much more in control of my money.

Other things that help me feel calm in my business:

• Keeping my technology simple (like using Squarespace’s all-in-one platform)

• Using automation to reduce hands-on time

• Optimized workflows to ease day-to-day tasks

• Getting help from my awesome VA and studio manager

• Using my Eule Planner to stay organized

A calm business makes wearing all the hats much easier and even enjoyable

Can you share some of your boundaries, things you say no to, or have said no to in the past that has served you and your business well?

As an Enneagram 9 setting boundaries can be tricky because I dislike conflict with a passion! But thankfully I have learned over the years that boundaries are important for my sanity and also help me offer a better and more meaningful service.

I have said no to potential clients because I had a bad feeling about them, I have said no to work and $$$ when I knew I needed a break instead.

I have also said yes to things I shouldn’t have but that’s all part of the learning process as we build a business.

These days my boundaries are very much driven by the question I mentioned above: “Does this feel calm?”
If it doesn’t I am more inclined to say no.

Last question: Can you share some of your favorite tools that help you stay grounded and authentic in your own path?

My most effective tool is probably what I call my ‘business blinders.’

It is so easy to get distracted by every shiny thing that others tell us we need, so easy to get pulled into hustle culture and its siren calls to fame and fortune. Horses wear blinders to block out potential distractions and keep them focused and on track.

We can do the same in business. We can stop listening to the noise by unfollowing the people who make us feel bad, nervous, or inadequate, and then refocus on our own stuff.

When we cease spending our energy in everyone else’s space and start putting it back into our own business, that’s when the magic happens.

Whenever I feel the energy being pulled away from me I literally tell myself: “Blinders, Kerstin!”

I’m super grateful for how generously Kerstin lets us have a peek into how she runs her business. I learned so much with every interview.

I hope you’re as inspired as I am by this interview with Kerstin Martin. I, for one, am adopting her phrase for staying focused on my own path “blinders, Katja, blinders!”

There is no one way to be an entrepreneur, and the best way, is your way.

Thanks Kerstin!

Get to know Kerstin at the following links!

Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook