Welcome to Female Owned!

I’m on a mission to change how we think, feel and talk about work, small business and freelancing.

I want to help you discover how to run a business rooted in your own trust and confidence. I’m here to remind you that it is possible to create a business away from the norm of hustle, productivity culture, overwork and someone else’s stories. I want to show you ways of working that support your humanness, that fit around your life, your family, your needs and desires.

Free subscribers receive

• 2x/month posts with strategies, resources, interviews and tips on creating a slow, gentle and profitable business without the hustle;

• a community of small business owners who also crave a different way of doing business: comments on free all posts so you can connect with other small business owners.

Paid subscribers receive

• 2x/month posts with strategies, resources, interviews and tips on creating a slow, gentle and profitable business without the hustle;

• a community of small business owners who also crave a different way of doing business that you meet in the comments section of the posts, especially the paid ones;

• a quarterly mini-guide to help you go more in-depth: practical and mindset strategies around money; trusting yourself as a business owner and more;

• monthly Q&A-style posts where you can ask questions and comment on what it’s like to run a small business away from the norm of productivity and hustle culture;

• behind-the-scenes posts where I share how I run my business without social media, how I set prices, how I market in a way that feels good and more;

• occasional more personal posts on topics ranging from mental health to trusting my body and more;

• bonuses such as practical worksheets and templates around marketing, pitching to podcasts, making a money plan and more;

• knowing that you support something that you value ❤️.

Female Owned is the newsletter that shows you that there are different ways of doing business.

What people are saying about Female Owned

“Your materials are brilliant and very meaningful. You have helped me to take some important steps to this week, and there’ll be more to come. I can already feel the difference and I can’t wait to start putting your advice into action!” — Natalie Warner, knitwear designer, teacher and writer

“Your newsletter is one of the few newsletters I immediately open and read” — Alice Hibbert, jewellery designer

“I just received your latest email and it was a lovely read” — Sarah Phelps, letterpress and stationary designer

“I love your emails, thanks for sharing such thoughtful topics.” — Jo McCarthy, mentor for creative online shop owners

“Loved this, you have such a calming presence even via email.” — Jen Wright, slow business mentor

“I have read and subscribed to many business coaches newsletters and Astrid's stands out as useful, unique, and wonderfully relevant in a time when women especially are encouraged to just do more, hustle harder, and burn ourselves out. Astrid has a different approach, one that embraces ease and intuition and I love that.” —

About me

I’m a recovering productivity ninja. I’ve stripped my life of the productivity hacks, the need to be busy and the habit of overwork. I now live my life in technicolour, with space for my needs and desires that aren’t work.

Though not a rebel by nurture, I now enjoy stepping away from and questioning the norm.

I have 17 years of experience mentoring people from all walks of life and have been running my own business for four years.

I have a PhD in English literature and am a published author and speaker. Although I’ve left my academic career, I continue to love writing.

I work with small business owners on the things that have made the most difference in my own life: discovering their own rhythms, marketing without social media, setting boundaries that feel good, and basically creating their own business blueprint.

Superpowers

• Looking at a situation, habit or problem and seeing how it can be done differently.

• Creating clarity out of tangled thoughts and emotions.

• Holding space for clients, helping them to discover what they need and what fits them.

• Holding clients gently accountable if they need it, and helping them make plans that feel good.

• Creating courses, workshops, guides and materials that are purposeful and powerful.

Also

I never go anywhere without a book.

I have a stash of at least ten different kinds of tea (and am something of a tea snob). My favourite is strong, milky earl grey in the morning.

I’m an introvert who fell in love with working with people.

I own and take care of 120+ houseplants.

I grew up on the coast and am always longing for the sea.

Yoga and Pilates have made me fall in love with moving my body.

I love dark chocolate (92% is my sweet spot).

I start every day with 30 minutes of novel reading, and don’t work before 10am.

Some favourite posts

My 2023 financial and business goals: a behind-the-scenes look

What would it mean to root into trust in your business?

How I deal with feelings of time scarcity

The nuts and bolts of setting financial goals in your business

One year later: reflections on sixteen months without social media

Why I left social media to build community around my business

Creating your own business blueprint (free quarterly mini-guide)

What if marketing your business felt good?

On trusting yourself as a business owner (and human)

How I make big decisions in my business

More resources

✨ Find out more about me and my work mentoring small business owners on my website. I’m always happy to chat about whether we can work together (no strings attached)—send me a message through my website, or an email at astrid [at] astridbracke [dot] com.

🎉 My mini-course Substack for small business owners, freelancers and artists is a gentle, non-overwhelming approach to making Substack work for you—both as marketing and an additional stream of income.

💌 All of my favourite resources—my own and other people’s—for running a slow, gentle and profitable business.

🫶🏻 I’m all about growth through community and love collaborating! If you’re up for collaborating in any form, or want to ask me to give a workshop in your community or membership (yes please!), do get in touch!