Ep. 27: Activating Multiple Income Streams in Your Business with Christine Chitnis

when you're older, it's like, well, you're not creative, you're more in the science brain, or you're not creative, you're in the, you know, business. Watching kids just like completely embody their creative self, that's really helped me reframe too.

Welcome to the Prosperous Woman Podcast. I'm Claire Sellers, a business mentor and coach who is absolutely obsessed with helping you create the business of your dreams and your most prosperous life. Tune in for inspiring conversations with extraordinary women that will propel you towards becoming the prosperous woman. Okay, everybody, welcome. I am beyond, beyond, beyond, beyond thrilled to have my incredible, incredible client, friend, sister, Christine Chitnis on the podcast. She is a bestselling author, travel writer, creative entrepreneur, mom, all-around superstar. Christine, welcome to the show.

My goodness, what an introduction. Thank you so much for having me.

Oh my gosh, I'm so happy that you're here. So Christine was a member of the Opulence Mastermind, which we're gonna talk about. But Christine, you are just like so cool and so impressive, and I couldn't even begin to explain all the incredible things in your bio. So just kind of give us a little intro on who you are, your accomplishments, your work. Give us the lowdown.

Well, that is too kind, and I promise you I'm not that cool. I am at the heart of everything like a soccer mom. So anyway, um, I am a bestselling author. I have 3 books: East Coasting, Patterns of Portugal, and Patterns of India. I'm also a travel writer, and I contribute frequently to publications like The New York Times, Travel and Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, and Vogue. I'm also a photographer. So a lot of my work, I'm not only writing, but I'm shooting. And then I'm also someone who leads group trips right now to Portugal, uh, an incredible kind of offshoot of my Patterns of Portugal book. I'm sure we'll get into that. And recently, most recently, I launched, uh, uh, the Creative Launchpad, which is my first group course, my first group offering. And so yeah, I think creative entrepreneur is a great way to kind of sum it up, but I also really view myself as a storyteller first and foremost.

Mm-hmm. I love that. And I get chills when I think about your books because they're just so beautiful. Did you mention the puzzles and the postcards?

Oh, I did not. No. So I also have a line of puzzles of all the, you know, my, of my own photography. I shoot a variety of puzzles. They're super fun. And I have launching very soon a collection of postcards that's all my original photography and something that's almost, I guess, like a retrospective of the past decade of my photography work kind of all coming together in this collection. And so a lot of exciting things in store this year.

Oh my gosh. And we'll link everything in the show notes. Her books are like the ultimate coffee table situation. They're so beautiful and I mean, you're basically like a gift, a walking gift shop. Like if anybody needs like a home, a housewarming gift, like just Google Christine and, or come to the link and you'll see all of the gifts. 'Cause there's really something for everyone. Now that we've got the postcards going on, it's like there's something for everyone. So I, I love, you know, it was so fun to work with you on your business 'cause you've got so much going on. Like you've got a lot of products, you've got a lot of talents. Like you are really a, an insane one-woman show. With a lot to offer.

Thank you. Well, and it's funny because in some ways that's maybe my superpower, and in some ways that's why I needed your help. I have a lot going on and so many balls kind of that I'm juggling at all times. I'm also a mom of 3, so I have 3 kids, and I was really burnt out. I was really burning out, and I was, um, definitely working all the time. I was struggling a lot with boundaries. I am You know, firstborn girl, overachiever, Type A, um, and was really kind of wondering how I could sustain it all and still find the joy needed to do that deep creative work that I love so much. I, I put so much into my books and my photography, my articles and my coaching, um, that I was left with kind of very little energy for myself. And so I really came to you in need of a kind of recalibration of how I was spending my time and energy. And I think that was probably the biggest gift you could have given me. I, I just, especially kind of now that we're in the new year, it's like I have a whole new energy, a new outlook, really strong boundaries going forward. And I just, I don't know, I feel really, really good, really positive and excited. Just really excited.

I, I love that. And the thing that I love about your business, and we're gonna get into like kind of the different aspects of it, but I don't know if this was clear before Opulence, but you know, it's so clear to us now that like everything in your business sells everything. Like your, your products, it's like people can buy a puzzle, they can go on one of your retreats, they can join your Creative Launchpad, they can buy a digital course. I mean, they can, you know, gift their mom a coffee table book, you know, I mean, like they can do everything in your world and, and everything sells and feeds and fuels everything. And I think that was the thing with the, the mastermind that kind of clicked for both of us, like in a very intentional way. And then it made it so clear to create your new program when we decided, okay, you're working too much. We wanna work less, make more, and help more people because so many women are looking at you and they're like, how is she doing it? Absolutely.

And I think that was a, that was something, like you said, when it clicked, it clicked. I, I went from feeling like I'm really scattered. I do all this stuff. I don't know how to talk about it all. I wasn't talking about a lot of it. I mean, I think some people were like, I had no idea you had private clients. I had no idea you had puzzles. Like there was just parts of my career I never talked about because it was, there was so much in a lovely way. There was a, an abundance, but it became hard to understand how to tell the story of all the different components of my career. And I think that's something you really helped me. And when you step back, you're right. They all in a way tell the same story and they all offer people a different entry point into my world. So you might not be ready to travel with me to Portugal. You might not quite be ready to join the Creative Launchpad, which is my course, but you might love my postcard collection and you get to know me through that. You follow me on Instagram, you buy my book, and then sooner or later, all of a sudden we're in Portugal. Yes., you know, sipping wine and looking out at a beautiful sunset together. So it's a really lovely journey, I think, through my work. And I think you helped me to see the through line and to see it as a strength instead of feeling kind of like it was, I was too scattered. And I think sometimes on social media we're really pressed, like you need to be one thing. You know, we see accounts that do one thing, like this is a cooking account and all I do is share recipes and they blow up because people know what they are and they're super defined and they're one thing. one thing. And I'm not, I'm really multifaceted. I might, on Monday, I might talk about being a mom and, you know, getting dinner ready for my kids and getting my son off to soccer practice and running here and there. And then on Tuesday, I'm talking about a new article I just wrote for Vogue. I feel like you gave me the permission to be all of those things and celebrate that and then find a way to talk about it in a way that was really cohesive. Um, and that shift was monumental for me.

Yeah, it, it's, and the, the other thing that we didn't even mention that you do that was actually, I think, a center point of your business when you came to me was one-on-one coaching. I mean, that goes under creative entrepreneurs, but we for— that feels like such a thing of the past. I mean, you had so many one-on-one clients, it was bananas. And like, plus you're doing all the things that we just told, talked about. So the books, the puzzles, the, you know, it's like the trips. So what were you one-on-one coaching about for?

So I had several different areas and I still do, and we can talk about how that's shifted and changed because of your, uh, wisdom and your help with boundaries, which is something I am getting better at. But, um, I offered coaching for people who wanted to write a lifestyle book. So, uh, the first step in writing a book is to write a proposal, and it's a pretty intense document. It takes a lot of knowledge, a lot of research, and I coach clients through that process and help them land a book deal. And I have been, you know, very successful. It's incredibly difficult to land a book deal. I think, you know, maybe 5% of proposals that are sent out in the world land a book deal. My clients have a 90% success rate. So I was helping people in the lifestyle sector. So that would be cookbooks, floral books, travel, those— Mm-hmm. Beautiful hardcover, you know, full of photos. Those kind of books are my specialty. And so I was coaching many, many, many one-on-one clients every year on that journey, which is a very intensive journey. Uh, the second thing that I do is I am a PR consultant for authors in that same lifestyle genre who are launching their books, and I help them come up with a kind of grassroots creative PR campaign to, help them successfully launch their book. And as you can imagine, that is also a very heavy lift. We're talking about traditional press, digital press, influencers, events, you know, how do you have a multi-pronged strategy to successfully launch your book out into the world? That was another, uh, area, still is an area that I'm coaching on consulting with clients on. And then the third was people who wanted to be a travel writer. How do you pitch? What's the path to publication? Um, how do you take, you know, how do you take a group trip? What's a press trip? All of that one-on-one coaching, helping people really, um, learn how to pitch successfully. So I was doing all of those things and—

I mean, I'm exhausted just hearing you say that. Like, literally I need to like go take a nap. I mean, and it, that is such high touch intent that, that's like, that is consult. It, it's not even consulting. It's like, there's so much doing involved in what you just said. And because I know you overdeliver, like, you're like me, if we're gonna do it, we're gonna do it 110%. So all the things you just said were being done 110%. I mean, there was no way that that was gonna turn out well for you to not turn out.

No, you know what, I, I was giving people, you know, people had my cell phone number, my clients were texting me, you know, all the time. And I think You know, it was like, oh my, you know, you're my friend. And it was like I had lost that boundary of like, no, you are a client. We have X number of hours or calls a week that we do. Like, I had really, really lost touch with, even though it was right there in the, maybe in the, you know, proposal that in the, in the contract that we signed, it went right out the window because I was so focused on overdelivering. And so Yeah. I mean, it was, it was clients, you know, texting me all the time. Um, it was clients missing calls and then wanting to reschedule and, you know, wanting me to go above and beyond all the time. And I was like, yes, yes, yes. I was on this hamster wheel of just exhaustion. And again, you know, mom of 3, so I'm working during my days. I, you know, my kids get home from school, I'm doing the whole afterschool, all of that. And then I'm working well into the night. Um, and it was completely unsustainable. And I could not see an exit ramp. I, I—

Yeah.

My client work, and we're gonna talk about this, but books and articles and all of the fun stuff, it doesn't always pay in the way that one-on-one clients do. And so the bulk of my income was made up of one-on-one clients, and yet I was so exhausted from serving them in the way that I was.

Yeah.

And I think you were the first one to come in and just say like, you are doing way too much. And what I was charging was not equal to the energy and effort that I was putting in. I was way undervaluing my services.

Yeah, this is, and this is probably the number one thing that the women coming into the Opulence Mastermind tell me is like, it's a hamster wheel, you know, because the money from the one-on-one, it's the highest ticket and yet it's the highest touch. And so you're on this hamster wheel of like, I can't quit the one-on-one, but I don't know how to move to this like one-to-many thing that you're talking about. Claire, like, how am I supposed to let go of, you know, the clients and the stability that the one-on-one is providing? I don't wanna lose, I don't wanna quote lose the client. So I'm just gonna keep going on that. And the thing that we did that I think was so powerful is one, the boundaries, you know, and then also raising your rates, you know, I mean, it was, and, and really getting clear on, okay, what is your offering? Because you were doing so much, and my belief is that. you know, our job as coaches is to teach the women to fish. And we're both type A, we're doers. Put us in a room and we'll be like, all right, everybody, you know, like, that's just how we are. We're organizers, we're doers. Like, get us in there, we'll handle it. But that's actually a disservice to most of our clients because then we're just doing it for them instead of teaching them how. So what was that shift like for you?

Well, it's so funny that you say that because I was doing so much and As an example, you know, I would coach someone through 6 months of their book proposal, and I was in there, I was editing, I was doing the writing, I was, you know, massaging it. I was, I was like so hands-on. And then they would get a book proposal and they would not know how to write on their own. So then they would be panicked. And I, I did kind of realize I'm actually not empowering them to believe that they can do this without my handholding. And it's a disservice to both of us. I'm burned out and they're not prepared for that next step. And so a lot of them, you know, I think had a complete panic attack. So then instead of coaching them through it and talking them through it, I'd be like, well, let me be your coach as you write this. And then I'm like right back in there editing the document. And that's not sustainable either. So really shifting my mindset, like you said, my goal, my, my job is not to be in there touching every word that you're writing and, and you know, No, my job is to teach you how to be an author, teach you how to write a proposal that's compelling, coach you, and then encourage you to take your journey and fly away without me. If I do my job well, my clients should not need me after those 6 months. They should be empowered and ready to take that next step on their own.

Totally. And you know, I, I just got chills cuz it's like, I, I want my clients to stay with me and like, I want them to learn how to launch and design products and, you know, do all the things that I teach them without me. You know, I don't want them— I don't want them to feel like, I can't do it without you because I don't know how, you know, I'm very hands-on. And I have a feeling with your one-on-ones, you're super hands-on still, but you're doing it from the energy of like, I'm teaching you versus I got it, no problem.

Yeah.

There's a big, big difference. And the energetic output of that stance is so much less than the actual, like, let me just do it for you.

And then I think the other thing you really helped me with is identifying my ideal client. And not every person is a fit for me. If you have never written a word and you are ready to write a book, I am not your coach. I need you to be at a certain point. Uh, I need you to be ready to work with me. And so I think you really helped me kind of define what that looks like. And so now when I have calls with potential clients, I can really say to them, you know, tell me about your journey. Where are you with your writing? What's your experience? What's your background? And I can tell a lot of times I'll be like, you know what, here's here's some work that I would really recommend, and let's keep this conversation going and come back and see me in 6 months or a year.

And that is, that's also, it's just the most powerful thing to not need the client. That was so powerful in my business. You know, I tell people, I don't think I'm the right fit, but talk to this person, you know, talk to one of my clients or talk to, you know, so-and-so because I want what's best for you. And so I think it's so powerful when we actually, can say from a place of, you know, non-scarcity, like, I'm not the right fit, or come back in 6 months. Whereas in the past, so many of us would have said, yes, I can, you know, I got it, I'm a perfect fit, like, just sign up. And that's not the energy. You end up burned out, resentful, all the things. And so we've totally flipped you out of that. And I think your one-on-one, like, how is it now? How's your one-on-one now? You don't have— how many one-on-ones do you have? Amazing.

2.

Yeah. Oh my God, I love it.

I love it. I'm so happy. I'm so happy. I, I have 12 women in the Creative Launchpad, and they are getting my, you know, energy and my, my time, and, and we are feeding off of each other because they bring such amazing energy to the group. They also each bring their own knowledge to the group, and I, I just love it. I'm like, yes, this is, this is where it's at. We are all lifting up each other. We're sharing a lot. I have so much to share. I have a funny, you know, story, and that's, and you know, when we talk about overdelivery, we had our first group call in January. The course started on January 6th. And so we had our call, and at the end of the call, one of the ladies on the, on the call said, this one call and your first worksheet assignment that you gave us could have been the whole course.

I have no doubt. I have no doubt. Yeah.

Back up a little bit. And I just, I love being able to just infuse the group with so much energy and so much passion and also maintain that boundary and, and not feel like I'm in every single document. I'm in every single, you know, no, no, I am here to empower and coach and share and be a resource and a guide. Uh, and it is amazing. I'm, I'm just really, really, really enjoying it.

I love that. And let's like back up a little bit because for the first, and I think it's important for people to hear that someone as multi-passionate, multifaceted, As you, for the first couple months of Opulence, you know, you came in with the intention of, you know, obviously wanting to work less, make more, and impact bigger. That's the whole shtick. But you weren't sure what your group program would be like. We weren't clear, we weren't sure. And then you led your trip and you were with all these women and you had this aha light bulb moment and you were like, oh my God, I'm gonna create like an incubator for women creating, and it just clicked. So talk about like how you conceived this idea, because it was like such a— you were in the dark for like 2 months with, I need to figure out what the group program is, but I don't know what it is. And then you let go of it and it just became clear.

Yeah. And I will be honest, like when I, when I first considered joining Opulence, I had, I, in my mind I'm thinking, I'm not really ready for this. I don't know what my group offering is. We're coming up on summer. My kids have summer off. It's one of my most challenging times as a working mom and you were like, okay, that's fine. You can wait 6 months and in 6 months you're, you're gonna be as burned out as you are right now. Or in 6 months you could be in a completely different place. So I'd really challenge you, when is a good time, right? There is no perfect good time. So I would say the time is now. And I was like a little taken aback at first. I'm like, how dare she? Um, she doesn't understand. She doesn't know what my summer's like. And, and yet it was completely what I needed to hear. And there was definitely an energy, like the first couple months of opulence where I was like, I'm behind. Everyone else knows what they're doing. I don't know what I'm launching. And I had all of these ideas of taking what I do with my one-on-one clients and making it into a course. So, okay, I'm gonna do a course on how to write a book proposal. Okay, I'm gonna do a course on travel writing. I'm gonna do— and none of them, like, my gut was just kept pushing and saying, like, that's not quite— that's really not actually what you wanna do. And I listened to that while also having the pressure and timeline of the, of the course, you know, Opulence. And then, like you said, I went to Portugal and we had this incredible group of women. And every single one had a creative pursuit that she was so passionate about. One, you know, photography, writing, another one wanted to launch group trips, and all of them the place where they were struggling was, how do I create the runway to launch this into the world? Maybe it was a book, maybe it was they wanted to be a travel writer, maybe they wanted to land a new client as a photographer. How do I create that runway to successfully launch my creative passion into the world? And it was just, I came, I remember coming back from the trip and our first call as a group in Opulence, and I was like, I think I know what I wanna do because I love talking to people about their creative passion and then helping them develop a roadmap to launch. And so I have launched so many things. I have launched group trips. I have launched, you know, books, so many books. I've launched other people's books. I've launched, you know, postcard collections and small businesses.

Mm-hmm.

I know what I know, all those voices that tell you you're not ready, you know, to launch. How dare you? Imposter syndrome. I know all of that and I know that a strategic roadmap can get you to your launch. And so it's about setting goals. It's about using tools and routines and habits and setting yourself up for that success. And I can do that with anyone. It doesn't matter what your creative passion is. I can help you get to that point where you're ready to share your work with the world. And that's it. I love that. That was it for me.

I love that. It was like, it was so clear and it was like the intersection of, you know, like what, what you love, what people need and what you're good at. You can't can't lose, you know? And then we designed it and launched it. And your launch was so interesting because we actually didn't really use the Party Method because your audience was so warm from all the stuff that you had been selling and offering, and you'd never done anything like this. And you were like, I think I can just talk about this and do it. And so what was that process like?

Yeah, I think, you know, you have to know your audience. I'm, I'm, I've been, you know, someone who's had an audience, whether it was a blog. I had a really, you know, blog readership for a long time, and then I trans— translated that over into Instagram. I have a good newsletter. I don't have massive numbers, but you know, I have, I definitely have a dedicated, um, audience and I really view Instagram as a community. I answer my DMs. I, you know, answer every comment. I recognize people back from when I was, you know, blogging or I've, I've done so many different book events and I've met people face to face and I just, I'm, you know, networking, community building is something I think I've become really good at in my career. And And so I felt like if I go to my community, I'm always getting asked in DMs, like, I have a book I wanna write, I wanna be a travel writer. How do you do this? How do you do that? How do you do that? And instead of feeling kind of exhausted by that and the line of questioning, which for many years I did kind of find it hard to, to like know how to respond to that, it was like, oh my gosh, now I have an answer for you. Um, and so this to me really felt like I was answering something that my community had been asking for.. And because of that, I really did feel like if I just went on my, you know, Instagram and made some content that explained it and through reels and stories, and I just said like, this is something I get asked all the time and now I've finally developed an answer. Here we go.

Yeah.

And then I opened up, yeah. And I opened up my calendar for 20-minute calls and that those booked out and I started having these amazing calls and, and we would just, people would tell me what their creative dream was and I would just be like, I can help you with that.

Yes.

And I think I had a, you know, probably 100% conversion rate from the calls to signing up for the course. I also knew I wanted to cap it and keep it small because I do want it to feel like an intimate group setting where everyone is getting some personal touch. And I'm just thrilled. I mean, I think it sold out in a couple days. Um, I— it attracted the most incredible group of women. Every single one of them has a unique thing that they're hoping to achieve, and yet there's real cohesion around how we talk about our creative practices, what we're looking to do, how we wanna live in this world, where we have our values aligned with our creativity and our, and our purpose. So I think you have to just know your community and know, you know, if they're ready for what you're offering, you might not need a really long launchpad. You might not need the Party Method, which is amazing for some people. But you just have to know if that's your audience. And for me, I, I really felt like if I went to them and just really offered what I had, uh, that they're, they would respond.

Yeah, it was, it was such an exciting launch for me to be a part of just because it just made so much sense and you believed in it so much. And I think you attracted the right type of women and you're also a content expert. And I think that's like important to mention. You know how to create content. You're a writer. So you knew how to tell the story of this offering in a way that people just got it. And I think that's so important. And I think that was something that we really leveraged in your launch process and sales process. So the beauty of the Creative Launchpad is that now you're able to help, what, 12 women in an hour or two a week? Talk about impact. Like 12 women are now going to have their creative project out in the world. There's no way you could have done that one-on-one.

Absolutely. And, and just to back up for a minute, because I, I remember I launched my Portugal trips and you, and, and those sold out in, you know, 48 hours sold out. And you asked me like why I thought they sold out. And I just remember answering, I'm like, cuz they're the best. It's the best trip ever. Like it is so much fun. You have to come. It's amazing. And you're like, okay, now you need to create a course where you feel the same way. Yeah. So when someone asks you about your course, you're not like, well, Uh, you know, I don't know. I don't know. Like, no, this course is amazing and you're gonna love it and you're gonna walk away with a huge, uh, toolkit to take your creative practice to the next level. Like, period. It's amazing.

Yeah.

And so getting to that point, and I think viewing it in that way, and I, I just remember you saying that to me, like, why do you think Portugal sold? I'm like, because it's the best trip ever. Like, okay, great, let's get there with your course. And so I wasn't there in terms of like, let's write a book proposal or let's do this. Like, I just, that wasn't where my energy was. Like, you have to do this.

Yes.

This is where my energy is. So to, yeah, to, to speak to that, there's 12 women. Uh, each one has a unique project that they are hoping to launch, and yet the tools that I'm sharing, uh, work for everyone. You know, the first week we focus on goal setting. You cannot achieve your creative goals if you don't understand what your goals are. And I'm not talking about a long-term goal. You might say, I wanna write a book. Well, let's back up. What does that mean? What's your— what are your short-term goals then? Okay, you have to grow your platform. You have to research the market. You have to come up with a compelling idea. So no matter what you wanna launch into the world, that final goal is not the only goal. So it's like, let's back up and create a runway to understand what that launch process is gonna look like and to understand our goals and our, and our objectives this week, next week, 3 months out, 6 months out, a year out. Because I think what I've seen in this profession as someone who's been in this now a long time is that you have to come at it both from a creative place and a business mind. So how are we setting ourselves up for sustained creative success. You don't wanna be a flash in a pan where you write one single article and never publish anything again, you know, and you wanna be someone who can sustain their creative career or their creative projects and grow into it and continue with it. And so in order to do that, you really have to start understanding what your goals are long-term and short-term, and then allow me to help you with the tools. that are gonna be necessary to achieve those. So we're doing social media audits. We're talking about how to successfully write a pitch letter. If you wanna write a pitch letter to agents or magazines, like we're getting nitty gritty, but we're also looking at it from a bird's eye view. And I would say my resource library that I share is worth its weight in gold and it's worth the price of the course alone.

I bet.

So you're gonna get sample book proposals that sold to top publishers. You're gonna get a packet of pitch letters that landed me in the New York Times and Vogue and Condé Nast. Like, you're gonna get a peek into all the inner workings of the tools that I have used successfully to make my goals a reality.

It's so valuable. And just the way that you talk about it, it— that's the sale.

Yeah.

That's what it is. When you're that lit up and you believe in it that much, that's sales, everyone.

Yeah. It's that simple.

You know, like you're witnessing it right now. Like, that's it. And it's so incredible to witness. And, you know, I think Christine, like one thing we didn't talk about in the beginning, but I do wanna circle back to is how did you get to where you are with travel writing, with your books? Like you said, 5% of proposals. Travel writing is an ex— almost impossible industry to become at your level at. Like, how did you do that?

Yeah. So I think people are now seeing the tip of a very, very big iceberg, right? So I've been doing this for 15, over 15 years. I did not come from a magazine background or publishing. I didn't have connections. I never worked in New York City or any of that. I, but I've been doing this for 15 years. I've only been doing this full-time for 4. So I had other jobs that supported my writing. And you know, my husband and I used to joke, it was like my, my expensive side habit, my writing. But I had to have other jobs that actually brought in money to support our family together. You know, my husband and I both are working parents. Being full-time in doing this was not a reality until 4 years ago, and even that was a massive leap, right? So part of that fear that you saw from me letting go of one-on-one clients is because I have not been doing this that long, and I am someone who needs to make a living doing it. Like, I am not someone who's doing this just, just for, you know, fun. For fun. This is my career and I do have a lot of demands that mean I have to make a certain income every year. So I'm very strategic about that. And I am, you know, very diversified now. I don't think even at my level it's possible to be a travel writer alone for editorial and make a living. You have to be diversified. Maybe you're doing content work for corporations, maybe you're doing branding work, maybe, you know, like me, I have royalties that I get from my books and my puzzles. I'm running group trips. I have a— Mm-hmm. Group course. I have one-on-one clients. I'm also freelance writing. It takes all of those things for me to be able to make the living that I need to make. So I think being really realistic about that, and I was not ready to go full-time until I had a lot of those components in place. So I think what I did is even through the years of having other jobs, having kids and all of that, I kept that small ember lit and I just kept a toe in the freelance writing world. So I was writing for very small local publications, and then I went a step up and started writing for regional publications. I checked out every single book in the library about how to pitch. I followed all the writers that I was obsessed with and saw how they told their stories and how they wrote their work. I took courses, you know, at our local college. I was like a sponge because I knew I needed to make this happen, and I knew I would eventually, but it just continued to be something where I kept that little spark alive. And, you know, I got married young. I got married at 24. I had my first kid at 27, my second at 28, my third at 34. And through it all, I watched my peers, you know, reach levels of success and have these exciting careers. And there was a really long time where I just thought, that's probably not gonna be me. But in the off chance that I can make it happen, I'm gonna keep this little ember lit. And so, you know, I worked as an admissions director at my kids' school. I worked as a grant writer. Like, I worked other jobs to support my writing habit. And I knew that if I just kept going and kept, you know, being strategic about how I spent my time— a lot of times it was like when my kids were napping on the weekends, I would write pitches. When I put my kids to bed, I'd work on my, you know, I'd work on my articles. So I would strap my babies to me and go out and photograph. Like, that's what it took to keep that little spark alive. And so I'm living my dream now, but this did not happen overnight. And it's been a very long runway to get to this point. So I tell people that, cause I think it's really easy to go on Instagram and just be like, oh my God, she's living the dream. Uh, first of all, most of my life is like being at home, driving my kids around in our minivan, taking 'em to practice. And, you know, sitting at my computer. And then a very small slice of my life is this taking wonderful trips and writing for Vogue and, you know, doing all these things. But, um, I am living my dream, but it took a really, really long time to get here. That's, that's the short answer.

And I just think that that's so important, inspiring, and vulnerable and honest for people to hear. It's the truth. You know, I think it's really easy to look at at, you know, your account on Instagram and be like, oh, she's so lucky. It's not luck. It's hard work. You know, it was, it was a lot of not always having this, what you have, you know, it, it took time. You know, we're talking over a decade to build what you, what you have today. And it's still, you're still building, you know, like you in Opulence, you went to kind of the next level to make it more manageable so that you can actually start scaling. So many girls come to me wanting to start travel businesses and be travel writers, and I'm so fortunate to have worked with, you know, several women in the travel industry, including you. And I speak very bluntly about it. You know, it, it, it looks glamorous and every woman who's made it in the travel industry, whether that's like trips or writing or, you know, whatever it might be, has a story to tell.

Mm-hmm.

And there is a lot of hard work that went into getting them to where they are. And I just think it's important because because we, you know, everything looks one way on Instagram, but it's not always as glamorous as it looks. So I'm just grateful that, you know, you gave us that context and background and also to share like, it is possible, you know, like for the girls that you're helping in your Launchpad, like they're gonna take what you're helping them create and that becomes, you know, a, a revenue stream in their lives if they choose to sell it or monetize it, you know, or it just becomes a passion project. And then maybe one day because they keep that ember going, that becomes their full thing. So it's not to say it's impossible, it's just to say be realistic, make sure you get expert support so you don't waste time, and don't put all your eggs in a brand new basket.

Yeah. And I'm not gonna be the coach that tells you to quit your job right now and go be a travel writer.

No.

I would never ever say that. And I will, I, you know, I talk at schools and I, I give, you know, lectures at different colleges and schools and different things like that. And I, I will be the first to say that. And I say, I'm not saying that to to puncture your dream. I am just saying that to be realistic. And journalism is a floundering industry right now. It is hurting. Rates have not risen in years. In fact, they're going down, right? I used to get paid— 10 years ago, I got paid more for an article than I do today. That's the reality. Again, not trying to be negative. That's just our reality. So how do we build a sustainable career knowing that?

Yeah.

We know that that's what we're facing. Now, how do we build a sustainable career around it?

Totally. I'll share a different experience, but also similar that I talk about this a lot, but I'm just gonna say it again here. Like I left my corporate job, you know, at my first startup, I always call it corporate, but it was a startup.

Mm-hmm.

Um, I left my first startup knowing that they were going to hire me as essentially a full-time consultant. I did not just jump ship and say my brand new business is gonna, you know, replace my six-figure salary. I went from full-time making, you know, 6 figures to 6-figure consultant, which was an incredible gift that I'm so grateful for, working much less than I was running half of, you know, running a, a department. And then when that contract ended, probably a year and a half into my business, my business was not stable. I was not making 6 figures yet. And so what did I do? I got another consulting job.

Yeah.

That paid me 6 figures cuz I like nice things. I have an expensive lifestyle. I just can't do with less. Sorry. So, but I lined up another consulting job that was 10 to 20 hours a week that was 6 figures. And I did not end that until actually that second startup closed. So it kind of forced me to go all in. But all that to say, like similar to you, I had at least 4 years of a full— I, I never needed my business to make money. And that's why I think it's done so well. And that's, you know, I talk about the concept of investor in your dream all the time, especially with the girls in the Dream Accelerator. Like, please don't go out and quit your job and rely on your brand new idea or business to feed you and pay the bills. Like, please don't do that.

Right, right.

And if you come to me, the number of girls that have come to me and I said, before we start building, go find a job because it's just irresponsible for all of us to put that much pressure on something. Unless of course your partner is providing and you don't need to work, or you have an inheritance, or I don't know, you've saved for a year or whatever. But 75% of the time, like, it's just more responsible to get some kind of job to cover your base expenses before you try to start building.

I think that's why I was so wedded to the one-on-one clients because similar to you, When I left my full-time work, I had these anchor clients. Yeah. And I was so attached to them and that security, and I was giving so much to them. And so, you know, again, just like overdelivering and no boundaries because it was coming from a place of fear. It was like, I need those anchor clients to make the money I need to make. And there was some truth to that, but there was also like, I was kind of I've been telling myself that for too long. And so there, there then comes that next phase. You know, there's these phases to being self-employed. Mm-hmm. The first one is ripping off the bandaid of full-time work, right? With benefits. Yeah. That's, you know, in a matching 401(k). 401(k). That's a tough bandaid.

That's an act. That's a, that's a tough one. It's tough, but you can do it.

It's tough. Yep. And then the second one is like, you might have those original anchor clients or consulting gigs that make up a big part of your income. And even as they start to make up less of your income, you have this emotional kind of fear-based attachment to them. And that's the next bandaid to rip off. And I think the problem with clients like that, that I discovered was that when one of them left or like closed, you know, a business like went under, I was devastated because so many of my eggs were in that basket. So now I feel finally this many, you know, however many years later, I'm finally diversified enough that, you know, if a one-on-one client has to leave or like, you know, I sell 11 spots in my course and not 12. I'm not panicking. And what's funny is when you stop panicking and you move in from fear to abundance, that's when it all unlocks and becomes so much easier.

Totally.

That's it.

That's it. I mean, we could, we could teach a whole course on what you just said. Like, you know, it's true. Those are the stages. And anyone who tells you to just go all in, jump ship, I mean, I, that's irresponsible and frankly run, you know, like they've, they've not been in in the real shoes of someone who's walked this path. So I think it's super important to, to talk about that. Um, and I know that we're, we're kind of winding down and it's important, you know, I think to recognize that Christine's story is, is unique and it's common. It's something I hear a lot, you know, with, with women who have made the journey into full-time entrepreneurship and, you know, one-on-one is the best pathway to start, in my opinion. And sometimes, you know, we find that we are just in this hamster wheel. And so the journey that we made in Opulence is really one of helping Christine get her time back and be able to have so much vitality and creative energy so that she can dedicate to serving more women. And that's really the whole point.

So—

So Christine, one last question I wanted to ask you before we close out. What would you say to a woman who's either thinks she's not creative or is hesitating to step into a creative project or idea?

I love this question so much because I think we are defining creativity in a way that is incredibly narrow. And so, you know, we think you need to be an artist, a writer, a photographer, and I completely disagree. I think you can be creative in whatever pursuit brings you joy. I think that taking a morning walk and noticing a beautiful sunset, you know, sunrise, or seeing beautiful flowers, like we are surrounded by moments of creativity and you have to decide what your own creative path is. So for some people it might look like that very definition, you know, I'm an artist, I'm a writer. And for others you might say, you know, it's com— it's something completely different. I run a small business and I wanna have monthly gatherings for women where we talk about the challenges of running a business and being a woman in business, you know, that's creative. You are creating a space to come together. You're creating an event. So I think getting away from this very narrow definition of creativity and instead looking at your life and saying, what do I actually want to create in my life? Maybe the thing you wanna create is more time. Maybe you wanna create routines that work better for you. Maybe you wanna create space for gatherings and people to come together. So I think expanding our definition of creativity will allow people to see themselves in this, in, in that creative space. And so I've noticed that in my course, like we have people who work in healthcare, right? We have people who work like all different sectors that you would not think creative. And yet but every single one of them has this small creative dream that they're nurturing. So, um, that is, I think that's, we talk about this a lot in our course, is like really opening yourself up to all the ways that life presents you opportunities to create.

I love that. And I just had another business idea for you.

No, Claire, you're supposed to help me do less.

An intro, like teaching, you know, an intro to feminine creativity, you know, like helping wom— because I mean, think about, you know, back in the day, you know, like by nature women are creative, you know, they make flower crowns and baskets. And I mean, go back, women are doing these cre— all these things that are maybe traditionally creative, but maybe not. And I think we, we are so busy doing that we lose sight of of the creativity of just being.

Well, and so many, you know, so many of us, a lot of, a lot, I work with a lot of moms too, and they're so creative in their lives as mothers.

Yes.

You know, they're creating a home. Oh my God. They're creating meals, they're creating space and time for their children. Okay, take that another step further. Like, what are you creating for yourself? Because you're already creating, you're already a creative. How are you then creating something that's for you, right? And that that satisfies that portion of your life. And so, you know, I, I, again, it's getting away from that really narrow definition of creativity and in instead starting to see like taking a walk outside is a creative endeavor.

And watching that reframe start expanding your horizons.

Yes. Yeah. And making a beautiful dinner for your kids, or not even a beautiful dinner, just making dinner.

Anything.

Yeah. That is creative. You are creating something where there was nothing. And so, So as soon as you start doing that, you really, you really do. It's, it is a reframe, you know, it's a, it's a habit and it's a really healthy habit to get into is to start seeing yourself as a creative person. And what's really interesting, last thing I'll say about it, when you have a kid, like I've, you know, the, my kids, they see themselves as creative because no one yet has told them that they're not. And so, you know, my, my son is creating plays on the soccer field, right? My other son is. is, you know, creating space for his friends to come together and have a book club. My daughter is like writing stories all the time at the table and she's like, I am a writer. And the reason they believe it is because no one has yet told them that they're not. That starts to happen when you're a teenager, when you're older, it's like, well, you're not creative, you're more in the science brain, or you're not creative, you're in the, you know, business. Watching kids just like completely embody their creative self. That is how— that's really helped me reframe too.

I mean, Christine, I'm sorry, but this is a whole other course. This is a— this— we could Party Method this into a challenge, like the 12-Day Creativity Challenge. I mean, we'll talk about this when we talk next. I mean, it's so true because it changes your life.

It really does. Yeah. Yeah. It opens you up to such beauty. It's a really different way to live. And I think right now we could all— we could all use that.

We could all use that 1,000%. And I mean, this just It just is like such a testament to like the work you're doing in the world. It's so needed, it's so important. It truly changes lives. And I'm just so grateful that, you know, you now are able to reach even more women through your program and, you know, have more time with your family. Shout out to Mira, your daughter. She would pop in our calls sometimes. We all love her. You're such an amazing mom. Christine would tune into our calls like making lunch while, you know, Mira's doing, I don't know, something at the table. I'm like, you really are like doing it. You're doing all the things, you know? So like, don't— I know I'm not a mom and that's, you know, I've got more time on my hands, but Christina's doing all that she's doing while raising these kids, super hands-on. I see it on the Zoom calls. Like, she's in it.

I'm making my muffins.

Yeah. Oh yeah, you're making muffins. I mean, if she can do it, you can do it.

And I will say like, it is, it's a lot of work, but it's such a joy too. I literally wake up grateful to be doing my work every single day because I've been in a place where, you know—

You weren't.

I had to work a job I wasn't passionate about. Like, I think getting this as I'm older in life, like, you know, I, as much as it's great to be on the like 20 Under 20 or 30 Under 30 list, getting this a little bit later in my life is, I, I'm so much more appreciative. I literally, I wake up every day grateful to do the work that I do every day. I'm like so excited to sit down and work and I'm so engaged and so passionate about my work. And at the same time, I'm totally okay closing the computer and being with my kids at the end of the day. So I think I, I feel this is like my season of like deep gratitude to be doing this work, and I can't wait to bring more women into this with me as I continue to teach.

Yes. I'm so, so, so excited and grateful. I always like to ask my guests before we close out two questions. One is, what is the next dream that you are bringing to life?

Oh, I'm very excited about this. We are launching a new destination for our group trips. And so—

Ooh!

Spring, I am, I will be sourcing and, and building that itinerary. And I'm so excited. It's a little bit of a secret right now, but it, it's coming. And so in 2026, we will be launching a new location outside of Portugal and still very much focused on that intimate group setting where we are like learning about heritage crafts, visiting studios, and fully immersing in that artisan lifestyle. And it's in Europe. And that's what I'm gonna say for now.

So I'm super excited. Oh my gosh. I was just, I was just gonna say, is it India? If so, I'm coming.

No, everyone wants us to go. I know. I'm like, we need to figure it out because I would only do India with my husband. And then I'm like, I don't know who would watch the kids.

Well, that sounds absolutely amazing. I know that's gonna sell out in a flash. So we'll make sure everyone has your, all your details for all the things that you're doing so that they they can tap in with you and follow along. Um, and the last question I like to ask everyone is, what does prosperity mean to you?

Oh, this one is, this is easy for me. Prosperity is owning my own time and calendar. And that really at the end of the day means that I can spend the time that I want and be present as a family member, as a mom, as a friend, as a daughter. That to me is the ultimate wealth.

Mm, I love that. I love that so much. Christine, you're an angel. You're a dream client. I, I think about, I mean, you're not in the mastermind anymore. I miss you so much, but I think about your business. I mean, I feel like all I do all day is just think about my clients' businesses and what we can do. I mean, and I've told you this and I'll tell you again, like you're, like you're just getting started. There is There's so much that is ahead for you, and I just can't wait to see what you create. And I'm just so grateful to be a part of your world and can't wait to share you with my community. So thank you for being on the show. You're just the best.

Thank you so much for having me, and I'll be back. I know I'll be back with you soon.

Thank you.

I have a lot more growing to do.

Thank you for tuning in to the Prosperous Woman Podcast. I am so grateful for your presence. Your presence and for being a part of this community. Feel free to DM me @itsclairesellers on Instagram. I would love to connect with you and hear what resonated with you in this episode. Forget to subscribe to the show, and if you enjoyed what you heard today, leave a 5-star review. Your feedback means the world to me and helps me reach more incredible women just like you. And because I I would love to spoil you. Just DM me a screenshot of your review on Instagram, and I'll send you my free Prosperity Activation Course as a thank you. It's my way of investing in you and your dreams.

Thank you.