Welcome to Finding Simple & Calm, I’m so glad you’ve found your way to the forest retreat.

For the ones who don’t 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.

I’m 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. I’ve 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 doesn’t 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 ‘proper’ 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 there’s 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 didn’t 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?

I’ve got to work, I have bills to pay, but I can’t work how I once was because I need to be able to drop everything and care for my baby when he’s unwell. I couldn’t keep showing up 1:1. I needed flexibility. I needed a business that could bend without breaking.

What’s the solution? Is there one? If there was, I couldn’t find it. And then, deep into my spiraling depression I received a message. “What are you going to do about it?”.

That was a wake up call if ever I needed one. So that’s 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 you’ve 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 you’re here, I think that’s 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. It’s about creating a life and business that honours who you are, on your best days and your worst.

If you’re looking for a place that understands that you don’t 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 you’re not showing up daily, you’ve found it.

You’re safe here. You’re not behind. And you’re not alone.

The kettle is on. There’s a seat at the fire.

Let’s build a different kind of business, one that fits you, exactly as you are.

What you’ll find here:

Free subscribers - Personal stories, simple business tips, guest interview series, campfire chats without judgment. If you’re starting to explore slow business, but you’re not sure it’s 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 that’s 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 you’d like some extra support, tools and resources to go deeper, or pivot the way you’re currently doing business, and you’re 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 you’re motivated, all-in and ready to build a business that’s baggy enough to live in, you’re ready for The Inner Retreat.

This space isn’t for:

• Anyone who wants to “hustle hard” and make 7 figures in 2 weeks.

• Those creating a strict, rigid, always-on business they can’t take a day off from.

• Folks seeking a get-rich-quick scheme, or promises of a completely simple & calm life (it isn’t possible)

But you’re welcome here if you’re 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. There’s a seat for you by the fire.

I can’t wait to start this journey together. I’m so pleased you’re here.

Speak soon,