Daniela Kaiser’s Post

You know that exhilarating feeling when you embark on a new venture? That’s exactly how I’ve felt since March, when I decided to leave my job. I quit in March, formed my LLC at the end of May, and threw myself into my business with 120% dedication. For the past few months, I’ve been on cloud nine—networking tirelessly, joining various groups, applying for grants and accelerator programs, refining my business offerings, learning sales techniques, and diving into numerous other business endeavors. It’s been an incredible journey, and I’ve felt on top of the world. But last Saturday, everything changed. On the morning of August 10th, 2024, at 10:30 AM, I received devastating news that shook me to my core. It wasn’t just emotionally overwhelming—it affected me physically as well. By Sunday, my mind was in such disarray that I couldn’t function. I fell sick, with multiple symptoms. Adding to the blow, I received rejection notices for three grants I had applied for. While I’m well aware that you don’t win every grant you apply for, it was still a hard pill to swallow, especially in light of the news I had just received. As a result, I took most of last week off, only attending a few crucial meetings I couldn’t cancel. Taking that time off and my inability to work left me feeling like a failure. For the first time since becoming a full-time entrepreneur, I doubted myself and struggled to find motivation. This brings me to today’s topic: The importance of mental stability in business. At the start of this year, my business coach told me, “Your business is you. If you’re not mentally and emotionally sound, your business won’t be either.” This past week has reinforced that truth. As an entrepreneur, your business is a reflection of you until you reach the point where it can function independently. Because of the news I received, I had to pause most of my plans for the coming week, cancel a significant portion of my networking efforts, and delay client work that wasn’t immediately due. The importance of mental health cannot be overstated, and that’s why I share both my successes and challenges in my newsletters. If you would like to join a community of readers who follow my entrepreneurial journey, click the link below and subscribe.

Here are the 10 lessons I've learned during my entrepreneurial journey... 1. Nobody is coming to save you. 🚫🦸♂️ 2. Every failure comes with a lesson. Seek it out and you won't make the same mistake again. 📉➡️📚 3. A strong network of founders makes a huge difference to both mental health and progress. 🤝💡 4. You can't please everyone. Life gets better when you care less about the small stuff. 😌🧘♂️ 5. Building a personal brand on social media will grow your network and open many doors. 📱🚪 6. Sleep is the number one tool. Hustle culture can ruin your mental and physical health. Nail your sleep-wake times and you'll cruise through the day. 😴🛌 7. Resilience in this world comes from exposing yourself to challenges. 💪🔥 8. Don't listen to advice from people who haven't done it. The best way to learn is from those who have. 👂🧠 9. Comparison is the thief of joy (my absolute top quote). If you're always looking at the competition, you'll miss the important stuff. 🚫🔍✨ 10. Look after the team, and the team will look after the business. Stop trying to do it all yourself. 👥🏢 You really never stop learning as an entrepreneur, and it makes for the most awesome and toxic adventure 😂

Want to give you (and your 🥰 loved ones) a great headstart in 2025? Frank confession: I’m a natural giver, and have been taken advantage of (like many of us) in the past…. 👉Several years ago all this came to a head and I reached rock bottom. 🚀I embarked on a journey of personal growth to change the paradigm. 💔So many people who have had bad experiences shut down their hearts.They withdraw from the world, or even repeat the behaviour that was shown to them: abandoning their values to be one of the bad guys too. ❌That will never be me. 💜💖💕I enjoy every relationship and moment of connection. Some lessons I learned through those hard times were: 🎧Listen to your intuition. If you’re in distress, there’s a reason for it. There will often be someone who’s looking to gain at your expense behind that. ⛔️Never agree to unfair terms that put you at risk. In business this includes: undercharging, allowing scope creep, getting paid exclusively in arrears. 🪢Give everyone the rope with which to hang themselves. In other words: give value first - until others get comfortable and drop the facade. Don’t rush into premature commitment, because people’s true colours always come out over time - and then you can “prune the dead wood”. We are “spiritual beings having a human experience” and all our lessons make us wise! Do you have any tips for protecting yourself or your loved ones from harm? And if so, what are they? #personalgrowth #entrepreneurlife #thesmartconnector

I'm back! I've just had 2 weeks off for a family holiday and didn't check email (or LinkedIn) once*. The world didn't end and I still have a business 👍 Don't believe the whole hustle and grind 24/7 entrepreneur hype. You don't need to work yourself into burnout and never switch off. In fact, and counterintuitively, taking PROPER time off (i.e. Not checking emails etc) and fully switching off and relaxing actually makes you much more productive when you're back working and gives you some real clarity. So now I'm back to work, refreshed and raring to go 🔥 P.S. Today is a catching up day, so if you've emailed or messaged me over the last 2 weeks, expect a response shortly... * Full disclosure: For the first week we didn't even have wifi so that made staying offline much easier 😂

Entrepreneurs are idea machines, but what happens when your mind is overflowing 24/7? Here’s how I survive the chaos… As an entrepreneur, my biggest struggle isn’t coming up with ideas—it’s handling the non-stop flow of them, day and night. Over time, I developed 5 simple steps to manage this creative overload: 1. Delegate Instantly – When an idea strikes, I assign it right away. No delays. 2. Brain dump everything – I use a physical diary and voice notes on my phone to capture thoughts immediately. Writing things down frees up mental space (and trust me, your brain will thank you!). 3. Execute fast – I initiate execution the very next day or sometimes even on the same day. Momentum matters. 4. Filter my inputs – I stopped watching random informatory videos after the 1st week of every month. Instead, I focus only on niche-specific, top-performing content (one source inbound, one outbound). 5. Weekends are sacred – Saturdays are for productivity boosts, and Sundays are for complete rest. Still, there are moments when the overflow becomes unmanageable. When that happens, I escape for a 2-day trip with my most wonderful friends. Those breaks reset me and bring back clarity. But here’s the twist: December is my most challenging month for creativity. How do you manage your ideas and mental clutter? I’d love to hear how you tackle this constant flow of thoughts. Let’s help each other grow!

- I'm 41 and don't have kids. Because it hasn’t felt like the right choice for me and my wife. - I'm an entrepreneur. Because I get to do exactly what I want, when I want and how I want it. - I work on myself. Because personal growth has been the answer to whatever challenge I face. - Integrity is key for me in relationships Because I can't trust people whose actions and words don't match up. These are just a few examples of how I align my actions with: - Who I am - My goals - My needs - What I value - What gives me purpose And the more I honor myself with my choices and actions, the more happy, empowered, and fulfilled I become :) And this can all be summed up in a simple equation: YOU = THE SUM OF YOUR ACTIONS. So if you're feeling an inner emptiness... In one way or another, your actions are not in line with the deepest parts of who you are. Which means you're leaving big chunks of your happiness and potential on the table. And I'm pretty sure that's not how you intended things to be. The question is: What are you going to do about it? PS. Ready to overcome your professional midlife crisis and find your next mission? The Mission Accelerator program waitlist is open for its next cohort. 📌 More info in the comments. ⌅ I'm Patrik Birkhane. Follow me if you want more thought-provoking posts in your feed.

I was bullied as a kid. When I was little, I: - Had a chip on my shoulder - Was always getting picked on - Was so ready to prove everyone wrong I didn’t know it at the time, but this influenced my desire to start a business. I was starting a business out of hate, spite, and anger. My younger self only wanted to prove everyone wrong. He wanted to tell his bullies they could never stop him from being something incredible. “I can do this. No one can tell me I was wrong.” Once I started taking on the role of a founder (and former 9-5-er)… I realized how wrong I was. All this stored-up anger, bitterness, and hatred: - Pushed me down an unsustainable path - Lead me to burnout multiple times - Put fear ahead of my passion I was letting my fear of proving myself control me. Today, I’m chasing a path of positivity, health, and happiness. This path is allowing me to: - Build a personal care company that’s HELPING people - Pursue meaningful goals that matter to me - Make more time for family and friends If I still let the negative emotions drive me as a founder… I would not only be miserable, but I’d be a terrible entrepreneur! A gentle reminder that you don’t need to be perfect. Just make sure you’re staying positive. You’ll be happier. (I promise) P.S. When was the last time you let negative feelings control you?

Sundays: The Entrepreneur’s Version of ‘I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead As an entrepreneur, I’ve come to a shocking revelation: while most people are sipping lattes and binge-watching Netflix on Sundays, we’re diving headfirst into spreadsheets, brainstorming ideas, shooting creating content for social media for new and pretending that “work-life balance” is a myth. For the 9-to-5ers, it’s the weekend! Time to recharge and relax. But for us? Sunday is when the magic happens.🧘♀️🧘♂️ You know you’re an entrepreneur when: You consider “weekend” to be a foreign concept, like quantum physics.🤪 Your idea of a “Sunday Funday” involves strategizing your next big move.🙂↔️ You’ve had more conversations with your computer than with actual humans this week.😓 So while you’re out enjoying brunch, I’ll be at my desk perfecting my elevator pitch and questioning all my life choices. 🙄Here’s to all the fellow entrepreneurs grinding away this Sunday—you’re not alone!🫡

Don’t struggle alone. As I embarked on my entrepreneurial journey, I formed the habit of sharing only the good things with my loved ones. Closed a deal, made some money, formed an amazing new connection, learned a new skill. But my struggles, mistakes, and failures I mostly kept to myself. I felt like I had to shield my family from worrying. Now I realize I was actually shielding myself from their disappointment. But as I grew, especially when things got really tough, I learned the importance of opening up and sharing my struggles with them. The biggest reason this helped was that not only were they not disappointed in my mistakes, they were supportive of my growth. They had my back, and that’s all I needed to push through and keep going. This has become one of my most powerful #ToolsForHardDays. Sharing your burden with someone you love can lighten the load and provide new insights. Seeking support from loved ones is a sign of strength, not weakness. Don’t hesitate to reach out to someone you trust when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Sometimes, a simple conversation can provide the support and clarity you need. Who do you turn to for support in tough times? #ToolsForHardDays #OvercomingDoubt #Resilience #MentalStrength #EntrepreneurLife #MindsetMatters #StayInspired #PersonalGrowth #EmotionalWellbeing #RiseAndGrind #DailyInspiration #FindingStrength #ReflectAndGrow #SuccessJourney #SupportSystem #TalkItOut #EmotionalSupport

When was the last time you took a weekend off? Sure, the Hormozi’s of the world say: “Hustle”. And hustle is essential at the start. But as an Entrepreneur you’re born to create. When you put yourself in: 🔸8 hour meetings 🔸Non stop responsibilities 🔸Skipping meals and sleep 🔸Not allowing for family time 🔸Putting out fires not preventing them You can only sustain this for some time. Until it starts to creep up on you. You deserve that holiday and that time off. But this only comes with: 1. Diagnosing the problems 2. Iterating and optimizing your systems 3. Having repeatable actions to conquer Otherwise you’re in headless chicken mode. And your family needs that partner, father, mother that you are. Think to yourself: What can I systemize in my business this week to set myself free? And if you’re an Entrepreneur and you need some help, I’ve got 2 spots available for October. DM me “SMOOTH” and I’ll reach out to see if we’re a good fit to work together.