Welcome to Finding Simple & Calm, Iâm so glad youâve found your way to the forest retreat.
For the ones who donât fit the mould, are caring while creating, the knackered parents and neurodivergent business owners with buzzing brains and those who struggle to get out of bed some days, are burned out and overwhelmed.
This forest retreat is for imperfect humans (spoiler alert, we all are) whose body, brain or life was never built for a 9-5. We do things differently here.



Iâm Sophie, a creative business mentor, writer, and neurodivergent mum of three, living in North Yorkshire, UK. I help quietly ambitious women build flexible, sustainable businesses that are baggy enough to live in. Iâve lived (am living) through the chaos and know how hard it is when your energy is limited, your time is unpredictable, and the usual business advice doesnât fit.
I grew up in a world that already had my life planned out for me. I went to school, then college, then university to do a âproperâ job. I did what I was told, but never really fit in and never felt passionate about any of it along the way. Everything felt loud and fast and boring, but the world told me to conform, to hustle, to keep up. Everyone else does.
And I really did try! I fought against everything and graduated as a registered nurse in the NHS. That was the life I had for a while, but I kept thinking that surely thereâs a way for me to work that brings me joy, flexibility and an income? I eventually left nursing and opened my own creative business selling wall art prints for those building simpler, calmer spaces in their homes. I was also working as a Virtual Assistant for creative business owners, and I LOVED it! Everything was perfect.
Fast forward to February 2023, my third baby was born. He came with lots of beautiful quirks and not so wonderful health issues. He turned my simple and calm creative life upside down.
I was desperate for my old life back, but my new life didnât seem to match up with living a simple and calm life, working with multiple 1:1 clients, and running my print business. And that left me feeling⌠lost. A loss of identity, a loss of purpose, a loss of self, a loss of good mental health. A loss of everything.
So I was left wondering what now?
Iâve got to work, I have bills to pay, but I canât work how I once was because I need to be able to drop everything and care for my baby when heâs unwell. I couldnât keep showing up 1:1. I needed flexibility. I needed a business that could bend without breaking.
Whatâs the solution? Is there one? If there was, I couldnât find it. And then, deep into my spiraling depression I received a message. âWhat are you going to do about it?â.
That was a wake up call if ever I needed one. So thatâs what I did. I did something about it.
And so, Finding Simple & Calm was born. A cosy forest retreat with space to breathe and just be. A gentle community for neurodivergent creative small business owners & mothers who want lived stories, strategies, tools & resources, and all the support to build a slow, sustainable business that's baggy enough to live in. You're welcome here.
Maybe youâve felt the same? I know there are lots of us out there looking for something gentler. A way to be creative, to build something meaningful, but without compromising on your life and burning out.
If youâre here, I think thatâs you.
There are no live calls, no rigid schedules, no pressure to be loud, fast or always on. Just thoughtful, lived experiences, resources, courses, guides, and gentle workshops, so you can build your own version of success, one step at a time. Itâs about creating a life and business that honours who you are, on your best days and your worst.
If youâre looking for a place that understands that you donât always have the energy for a launch, that you sometimes work in 20-minute bursts between meltdowns and bath time, that your business matters even if youâre not showing up daily, youâve found it.
Youâre safe here. Youâre not behind. And youâre not alone.
The kettle is on. Thereâs a seat at the fire.
Letâs build a different kind of business, one that fits you, exactly as you are.
What youâll find here:
Free subscribers - Personal stories, simple business tips, guest interview series, campfire chats without judgment. If youâre starting to explore slow business, but youâre not sure itâs possible for you, or you want to find a community of others who understand, the free tier is for you.
Paid Subscribers (standard membership) - Gentle, practical support for building a business thatâs flexible, sustainable, and shaped around your real life. In-depth business tips, tools and resources, and behind-the-scenes insights into how I run my own creative small business. A quarterly business reset and Ask Me Anything sessions. For creatives who are ready to dig a little deeper, with support that meets you where you are. If you already have a business, but youâd like some extra support, tools and resources to go deeper, or pivot the way youâre currently doing business, and youâre looking for something simpler, the standard paid tier is for you.
The Inner Retreat (the all-in founding membership) - Everything in the free and paid plans, plus a free Pinterest or Substack audit. Weekly co-working drop-in sessions and a private WhatsApp group for daily support. Access to my full library of slow business resources, including workshops, guides, and masterclasses. If youâre motivated, all-in and ready to build a business thatâs baggy enough to live in, youâre ready for The Inner Retreat.
âWorking with Sophie is a creative business owners dream.
Sheâs organised, creative, understands tech and social media and sheâs brim full of ideas!
Highly recommend Sophieâs work, classes and courses.â
- Claire Venus
This space isnât for:
Anyone who wants to âhustle hardâ and make 7 figures in 2 weeks.
Those creating a strict, rigid, always-on business they canât take a day off from.
Folks seeking a get-rich-quick scheme, or promises of a completely simple & calm life (it isnât possible)
But youâre welcome here if youâre a creative, a tired parent, a neurodivergent person, or you just want to slow down and do things that protect your mental health. Please join me on my journey to redefine success and build slow and sustainable businesses.
Come as you are. Stay as long as you like. Thereâs a seat for you by the fire.
I canât wait to start this journey together. Iâm so pleased youâre here.
Speak soon,
