This Way to The Forest Retreat.
Welcome to Finding Simple & Calm. I’m so pleased you’re here.
Imagine arriving at a forest retreat. A beautiful space made for people just like you. It’s calm, you can pause, breathe and reconnect.
This Substack is your forest retreat.
Whether you’re here for a quick rest or a long stay, you’re always welcome.
Inside this retreat, there are three special places. The Campfire, The Teepee, and The Cabins. Each space is designed to support a different part of your life and business, with plenty of room for you to wander at your own pace.
Take the path in front of you to…
The Campfire
A warm, welcoming space for honest conversation and gentle connection.
It’s where we gather. Creative business owners, deep feelers, quiet dreamers, neurodivergent minds, tired parents, and anyone craving slower, more intentional living. Here, you're invited to share your life, your business, your creativity, or simply listen and feel held. There’s no pressure.
Around the campfire, nestled into comfy chairs with heavy blankets and favourite drinks, we talk about burnout, overwhelm, mental health, parenting, and the behind-the-scenes, often messy, beautiful reality of building a creative life. These are raw and personal stories, shared without judgement.
We check in, reflect, offer support and feedback, set monthly intentions, and hold space for both the struggles and the wins.
You can show up exactly as you are, say as much or as little as you like. Whether you want to share or you’re happy quietly soaking it all in, you belong here. These are your people. This is your place.
Once you’ve finished at The Campfire, you take a short walk to…
The Cabins
Your cosy hideaway in the woods, surrounded by wildflowers. Inside, it’s peaceful. A quiet, gentle space where you can retreat from the noise and reconnect with yourself.
If you’re introverted, neurodivergent, or craving a moment to slow down, this is your personal sanctuary to process your day, file things away and gather your spoons for tomorrow.
You settle in, put on your headphones, and listen to short, comforting thoughts on motherhood, neurodivergence, mental health, creative business, and slow living. You sit still and ponder the words, taking out your journal to reflect, recalibrate, and give yourself permission to be human, to rest, to heal, to simply be. You belong here. Exactly as you are.
Step outside of your cabin and into the wildflowers. It’s a space for creativity, play and joy without pressure. You might be journaling under a tree, sketching, writing, painting, and exploring your creativity alone. Other times, you’ll join others and get creative together.
There’s no pressure to share, join in or perform, just freedom to enjoy what feels good.
When you’re ready, leave The Cabins and head to…
The Teepee
An intentional space for learning, strategy, and gentle growth, built for creative business owners who dream of a slower, more sustainable way of running a business.
Inside, you'll find a growing library of free and paid resources: practical tools, digital downloads, templates, planners, workbooks, and mini-courses designed to help you create a business that works for you. You’ll find start-here guides, deep-dive tutorials, and in-depth business tips that meet you where you are.
You can show up for every masterclass, quarterly reset, and coworking session, or just dip into the workshops and business tips that feel useful and relevant to you right now. There’s no pressure, no falling behind. Take what you need and leave the rest.
This space is neurodivergent-friendly, energy-aware, and rooted in the belief that your business should work with your life, not against it. It’s where we do deep work, ask questions, plan with clarity, and find systems that suit your needs.
You can’t stay here forever
Sometimes life calls us back, and we have to leave the retreat. To work, parent, or simply tidy up and cook dinner. But you can always come back.
Come back in the morning with your coffee. Visit late at night when the house is quiet. Stay for a weekend and explore everything slowly and fully.
If you’ve read that and thought, “yeah, that sounds good, but how does that translate to my messy reality, my ever-increasing mental load and all while teetering on the edge of burnout?”, I promise you that it’s achievable. You can have a flexible AND sustainable business that works for you. I know because I’ve done just that.
But here’s the truth:
Society doesn’t like change, especially if that change goes against the norm. That’s why it’s important for us to change the narrative, not just for ourselves, but for the women who come after us, for our daughters and granddaughters. To change the landscape and let them know that they can work on their own terms, around their energy and life.
We’re going to tread a new path together in the forest.
But wait, let me tell you a bit about me first…
I’m Sophie, a 30-something creative business mentor, writer, and neurodivergent mum of three living in North Yorkshire, UK. I’m passionate about helping quietly ambitious women build flexible, sustainable businesses that are baggy enough to live in.
I help women because I know what it’s like not being able to work a typical 9-5 job. I know the stress of letting people down because my days are unpredictable. I know what it’s like having to care for a child with complex needs and health issues, all while the bills still need paying.
I get it, I’m living it, but I’ve found a way to do things differently, to let things be easier, and I want to share it with you. Finding Simple & Calm is built around families, mental health, disabilities, responsibilities, and that’s why I won’t ever promise a formula or a quick hack to fix things, because sometimes life is hard because it is hard. I have limited time and energy, and my life and business are still chaotic, but overall, I’ve learned to let go, take the shortcuts, find the path of least resistance, and I’m going to share what works and what doesn’t as I go.
What you’ll find here:
Free subscribers - Personal stories, simple business tips, guest interview series, campfire chats without judgment.
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 my own creative small business operations, 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
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. And access to my full library of slow business resources, including workshops, guides, and masterclasses.
Which membership is right for you?
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.
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.
But if you’re motivated, all-in and ready to build a business that’s baggy enough to live in, with daily support from me, a Pinterest or Substack audit, a full library of courses, masterclasses and workshops, AND weekly coworking sessions, 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.
Speak soon,
Hello Sophie, what a beautiful map you have in this post. Did you draw it yourself? And if yes, which software did you use? Thanks!!!
Ivan
Aww, this is just beautiful