Hi Reader!

This has been a busy week; Ozzy and I left Wyoming and are halfway south to Arizona for the winter. I got the chance to shadow some experienced pickleball referees at a tournament (where Ozzy and I also were able to cheer some of our friends on who were playing). Both Ozzy and I had our routine medical appointments. And I’m getting everything organized to host the Copy + Paste Legal Week again.

It’s been a little hectic, to say the least.

When things are busy like this, I am so grateful for the systems and automations I have in place in my business. They let me work efficiently in little pockets of available time, like on Monday, when I created an LLC while eating lunch at a truck stop along I-15.

In fact, this week I had to think through a new system when prepping for Copy + Paste Legal Week. Because this time, I’ll be hosting the private community inside the artist’s Courtyard. So I had to investigate the best way to make Kit (my email service provider) and LearnDash (my membership software) talk to each other.

While it might not seem like it, systems and contracts actually do similar things for our businesses.

Both contracts and systems:

• allow us to spend more time on the tasks we like and less time on the administrative tasks
• require some upfront investment, but save us loads of time because we aren’t constantly re-inventing the wheel
• reduce stress and decision fatigue because once they are in place, we don’t have to second-guess what happens next, we just follow the process
• create boundaries that protect our energy by streamlining work and setting clear expectations about what is (and isn’t) included
• stop problems before they start, saving us from second-guessing and lying awake at night wishing we’d handled things differently

👉 Your action item: Write down the last three tasks you handled manually that you could streamline or automate.

And for bonus points, if you want to have email scripts you can copy and paste when clients ghost, pay late, request a refund, ask to change payment terms, or want you to do extra work for free, then join us starting on October 27th for the Copy + Paste Legal Week.

You’ll leave with tools to make client communication feel kinder and more professional (and maybe even have a little fun).

Here’s what Kirsten Girard had to say about joining us last time,

Join us here.

Did you complete this task? Come share your thoughts about how systems or contracts help your business on LinkedIn or Facebook.

That's all for this week Reader! When you signed up, my promise was to add ease to the legalese of running your creative business. I'd love to know your thoughts or challenges with this week's task. Reply to this email and let me know.

And a big thank you to the seven of you who responded since last time! You rock! 🙌

Chat soon,

P.S. If you’ve got a friend who keeps texting you “What do I even say to this client?”, ​send them here​. The Copy + Paste Legal Week is made for them, too.

Make your contract your secret weapon

Creative business owners face the same client headaches again and again: stalled projects, late payments, and blurred boundaries.

Which is why I re-launched my YouTube channel and started with a playlist designed to fix your most common contract problems together: clients ghosting, late payments, refund drama, and boundaries that fall apart mid-project.

Each video walks you through a practical fix and shares contract language you can use that’s simple, kind, and effective.

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Other things on my radar...

• Product-based business that’s gearing up for BFCM email promotions? Then you won’t want to miss this rundown from Aoelidia on best practices.
• We have more details about the Anthropic AI settlement and that writers whose work was used to train the Claude LMS will receive $3,000 each.
• While this NY decision on the distribution of a “secret” Wu-Tang Clan album creates more questions than answers, it might be an interesting avenue to legally protect one-of-a-kind artwork as a trade secret.

❤️ Easy to understand legal resources should be available to every creative, regardless of their financial situation. If one of my resources has helped you and you would like to say “thank you”, you can make a contribution here. ❤️