đđđđđ
Because traditional jobs werenât built for us.Â
And thatâs super shitty and unfair.
But, running a business that works WITH your brain and body (instead of against it) opens up some really exciting doorsâŚ
And even in the online entrepreneur space, there are all these âgurusâ promising proven methods and step-by-step roadmaps to fast-track your success.
And saying you *have* to do things xyz way in order to be successful.
So we buy their courses and sign up for their programs and throw our money at them⌠only for these cookie-cutter strategies to just not work for us.Â
Or maybe they do work, but they donât feel right and theyâre not something we could energetically sustain for long.
And we end up still hustling and grinding just to pay the bills (and to pay for those courses).Â
So we end up becoming a worse boss to ourselves than our old boss was at our job-job. đŠ
Because if youâre doing business in a way that doesnât work for you, it really feels no different than when you were working for someone else.
Still tortured. Still tired. Still unaccommodated. Still not making enough money.
I say it all the time â those âgurusâ are liars.
You can still be successful even if you donât do exactly what they say you âhave to doâ, or follow whatever âbest practicesâ there are.
You CAN toss out the rulebook and run your business in a way that works for you.
That way still has to make you money.
We can only thrive when we make money (see: capitalist soup above).
[And I donât just mean âenoughâ money â I said thrive, not survive. Only surviving means lots of stress and panic whenever the bills come around. That isnât very brain-friendly.]
Build the business of your dreams, thatâs easy and fun for you to run, and doesnât burn you out or fill you with guilt/dread/shame
Unmask and celebrate your beautiful, unique brain and the superpowers that come with it
Toss out the rulebook and build routines that bend with your brain – not break it
Offer products and services that are designed in a way that you actually LOVE delivering⌠even if that means itâs different than how youâre âsupposedâ to do it
Earn what you desire without the hustle. So you can finally have more of that elusive âfreedomâ those gurus are always talking about.
I'm a business coach for online entrepreneurs with brains that work a little differently.
Iâve got ADHD, autism, anxiety disorder, and mild chronic depression, as well as wildly fluctuating and unpredictable energy levels (#spoonielife). Aka Iâm ââneurodivergent AF.
Iâve joked for a long time that Iâm unemployable now that Iâve been self-employed for 8 yearsâŚ
But the truth is, traditional work environments were always a struggle for me.
The longest I ever held a job was 1 year – and that was only because I was so embarrassed that I hadnât worked anywhere longer than a few months that I forced myself to stay.
(I put in my two weeks' notice two weeks before my one-year workiversary there!)
The thing is, this world wasnât built for us. Neurodivergent people are un- and under-employed at insane rates.
For a lot of us, in order to even have a shot at thriving rather than just surviving, self-employment is the only option.
But working for yourself brings its own challenges.
For years, I would beat myself up for not being productive enough, for not getting the thing done on time and in the ârightâ way, for not being âfurther alongâ in my businessâŚ
Eventually, I decided that if what I was âsupposed to doâ wasnât working, there must be a different way to do things â a way that works for my brain and body.
Over the years, Iâve figured out (and continue to figure out!) how to do this whole entrepreneur thing in a way that actually works for me.
And I want to help you figure out your own version of that!
Now, thereâs no âneurodivergent business roadmapâ (as much as we might wish there was.)
The answer to what will work for your brain (and bottom line) is different for everyone. Itâs not something I can teach you in a course or curriculum.
But, by pulling some (metaphorical) levers, trying out different things, and sprinkling a little strategy in, itâs possible to build your business in a way that works uniquely for you and your brain, AND makes you the money you need to thrive.
(And I've got 8+ years of online entrepreneurship and a roster of ND clients to prove it.)
Making it all work for your brain, body, and wallet is the key to a brain-friendly business⌠and thatâs what my new group coaching program is all about!
And uncover what will work for you right now – so you can make the money you really want to make in the next year with more ease and less beating yourself up.
This is NOT just a course with coaching calls. Thereâs no curriculum, thereâs no trainings.
No neurotypical advice, no gaslight-y mindset bullshit, no âjust sit down and do it.â
To make it as clear as possible: Iâm never going to tell you âYou should do xyz thing to be successful.â
Instead, as your coach, Iâll ask you questions, listen, offer perspective shifts and strategic ideas, and work right alongside you to create your unique brain-friendly business.
So…
If youâre doing business in a way that works for your brain, but youâre not making enough money, this is for you!
If youâre making money, but the way youâre doing it is making your brain itch, this is for you!
If what youâre doing is working well enough but you canât figure out how to take it to the next level without burning yourself out or doing what the âgurusâ say, this is for you!
Live Group Coaching (2x monthly video calls with asynchronous participation options) to build the business that works for your unique brain – weâll put this puzzle together piece by piece
1:1 Voxer Office Hours (1x monthly) for more personalized support
Private Facebook Group for community and support from fellow neurodivergent entrepreneurs (including myself) who get it
Context Clips â a collection of pre-recorded short videos and a private podcast discussing core concepts and ideas related to the monthâs topic to further support you
The way I see it, there are 3 core pieces that we can tweak to make your biz work for your brain AND your bottom line:
Thereâs no one correct brain-friendly approach to any of these pieces.
The goal is to twiddle the dials to figure out YOUR brain-friendly approach to each of these pieces so you can make the money you really want to make this year.
THATâS what weâll work together to unlock in Brain-Friendly Business.
There are soooooo many different hot takes about what your business model âshouldâ be in the online business space.
âCourses are the ultimate passive incomeâ
âServices are the best way to goâ
âMemberships are the only true godâ
(Ok, maybe not quite that last one)
And getting even more granular, there are different takes and approaches about how to best structure your offer within your business model.
Hereâs my hot take: no one business model or offer structure is superior.
Itâs just a matter of figuring out what works for you and your circumstances right now (yes, you can change it in the future!) to help you support yourself financially.
So Month 1 is all about evaluating your current business set-up and how it might better work for you. Together weâll create a biz model/offer structure that:
đ§ Works with your brain/body (not against it)
đ
Suits your style
đ¤ Youâre excited to work in AND on each day
So many of us got into this because weâre good at and passionate about what we do. NOT because we wanted to become brilliant marketers.
(And even for those of us who ARE brilliant marketers for our clients, we are the poster children for the phrase âthe cobbler's kids have no shoes,â and struggle with our own marketing).
And everyone on the internet seems to have a hot take about whatever strategy/tactic/platform/trend you HAVE to use RIGHT NOW or else.
Which makes it all the more overwhelming when it comes to deciding where to spend your time and energy to market your business.
So in Month 2, weâll focus on puzzling together the content marketing ecosystem that strategically supports your business AND
𼳠Is actually FUN for you to create
đ Doesnât force you to dance on video (unless you want to!)
âĄď¸ Works with your natural energy and productivity flow
â Doesnât add a whole other full-time job to your to-do list
Let me tell you about the time I threw the book Atomic Habits across the roomâŚ
The internet is overflowing with productivity porn about working smarter and optimizing your life and getting up at 3am and blah blah blah.
But none of that shit works for us spicy-brained people.
I know thereâs that little voice in the back of your head that tells you youâre being lazy when youâre resting and watching TV in a dark room wrapped in a Snuggie in the middle of the day.
But Iâm here to tell you you ARENâT lazy. You just need to do things in a way that works for your brain, and you just havenât figured out what that is yet.
So this month is all about planning, productivity, and processes that:
đ Are KIND to your nervous system
đ§ Donât paralyze you with anxiety or restrict you from following the dopamine
𼹠Allow for rest and fatigue flares and âlife-be-lifeingâ times
đ Make. things. happen. for you
Together weâll experiment with brain-friendly approaches to getting shit done that break all the rules until we find what works for YOU.
One truth about neurospicy brains is that, sometimes, shit doesnât shift on schedule.
So Month 4 is all about continuing to work on whatever puzzle pieces from past months still need testing, practicing, and iterating in your business.
Itâs also possible that as weâre going through the program, weâll realize together that thereâs a fourth piece of the puzzle that we need to talk about!
Because this is truly a coaching group and not another âI have all the answersâ thing. Weâll be co-creating this space together and it will be whatever we need it to be.
đ ââď¸ Your business isnât an online personal brand of some sort. Nothing against other business styles, itâs just not what I know, so my coaching may not be helpful. But if youâre a online service provider, coach, course creator, membership creator, or anything like that – I got you!
đ ââď¸ Youâre looking for a proven, step-by-step roadmap. This is super not that. There isnât one brain-friendly approach that works for everyone, so weâll have to do some experimenting, testing, and tweaking until we find what works for you!
đ ââď¸ Youâre not really sure who you serve or what sets you apart. Yes, weâll revisit the foundations and the structure of your business. But this is designed for business owners whoâve been around the block a few times and know their audience. That way, we can make the most of our time together.
đ ââď¸ Youâre offended by swear words; talk of the white supremacist, capitalist patriarchy; or gender play/queerness. I swear like a sailor, talk about the harms of the white capitalist patriarchy openly, and am genderfluid and queer AF. So you probably wouldnât enjoy learning from me.
đđť The usual business advice tends to not work for you â because neurotypical advice doesnât work for your unique brain. And trying to apply it just leads to more overwhelm, burnout, and guilt. OR maybe it does work⌠temporarily, but itâs not sustainable for you.
đđť Youâve been in business for a bit, but somethingâs not quite working. Maybe youâre doing business in a way that works for your brain, but youâre not making enough money. Maybe youâre making decent money, but the way youâre doing it is making your brain itch. OR maybe things are working well enough, but you canât figure out how to take it to the next level without burning yourself out or doing what the âgurusâ say.
đđť You're open to experimenting and trying new things that other people haven't done. âFiguring out what works for youâ means we have to fuck around and find out. That means you've got to be willing to try things that aren't âprovenâ or that other people haven't necessarily done before. It's okay to have feelings about doing those things, as long as you're willing to work through those feelings (in a healthy way) and still try anyway.
đ ââď¸ Break up with the courses and the âexpertsâ telling you to âjust do itâ or âthis 1 method is the only proven way to do xyzâ
đ§ Create a business built around your unique brain⌠instead of trying to work your brain around traditional business advice
𤊠Design offers so perfectly aligned with your brain that they excite you instead of filling you with dread â so you can market and deliver them with ease and joy
â Get shit done in a way that works for you and feels good
đ° Bring in the cash your brilliant brain deserves so you can THRIVE
Before you get any further, letâs make sure weâre on the same page.
Black lives matter; all love is love and deserves to be celebrated and protected; trans women are women and trans men are men and all genders beyond the binary (including mine) are valid and beautiful; genocide is wrong, no matter how you spin it; and Trump is a dog turd in cosplay as a human being.
Those who disagree with any of the above, and those unwilling to engage in the personal work of unlearning internalized white supremacy and cis-hetero patriarchy, need not enroll. My work and energy aren't for you.
Still here?
Awesome! Keep scrolling!
Enrollment closes August 7th at 11:59pm ET!
So if you want in, just join before then, k?
I'm going to be totally honest with you: this is not the program for you.
This program is really more meant for business owners who've been around the block a few times, rather than those just starting out.
The types of things you need support with are totally different from the things I'll be supporting BFBers with in this program, so I don't think it will be as helpful for you.
This isn't to exclude you or be mean or anything. I just want to make sure that you're investing your money in needle-moving, high-impact ways, and I don't think Brain-Friendly Business is going to be that for you.
I'm going to be totally upfront: it's up to you.
I'll be fully transparent and tell you that I have no experience with e-commerce, so I'd be hesitant to advise on any strategic moves in that regard, but also there are loads of things about being an online business owner that are universal, regardless of business model, and I'd definitely be able to support and coach around those things.
So as long as you're not a brand new business (see above) and you're comfortable that there may be limitations to what I'm able to coach on, I'd love to have you!
I'm going to be totally upfront: this isn't the program for you.
Selling handmade items is really its own category of business completely different from running an online business, and I have absolutely zero experience with it, so I would be no help to you at all.
I'm still on the hunt for resources that would be helpful for artists and handmade sellers trying to sell online, so I don't have anywhere to point you for the moment, but I wish you the best of luck!
Yes! You are exactly who this program is for! đ¤
Calls will be on the first and third Mondays of each month at 1pm Eastern time.
If you canât make it live, you can pre-submit your questions or anything you want my thoughts on. All calls will be recorded and time-stamped for easy viewing.
Iâll also have 1x a month Voxer Office Hours so you can get some 1:1 support. These office hours will span 12 hours so you can get support no matter your time zone or schedule.
Being neurodivergent means that your brain doesnât work the way the rest of the worldâs does (or at least the way they expect it to).
That could be because you are autistic, or have ADHD, or autism, or OCD, or dyslexia, or countless other neural differences (we donât like the term âdisorderâ).
I also count conditions like anxiety disorder and chronic depression, because those have a big impact on how your brain works too!
Abso-friggin-lutely. I am very pro-self-diagnosis.
There are a lot of barriers to getting a diagnosis in a lot of countries, including years-long waiting lists and prohibitive costs.
Plus, a person could have safety reasons for not pursuing a diagnosis, like wanting to avoid discrimination from school admins or at work or even from family (just look at Britney Spears).
Not to mention that for a lot of neurotypes, the research (and therefore toooooo many doctors) just donât fully know about or understand them, and therefore donât accurately diagnose (i.e. âyou canât be autistic, youâve been making eye contact with meâ đ Thatâs not how it works, doc.) It took me over a year to get an official ADHD diagnosis because of this very reason.
If youâve done your research and have come to the informed and considered realization that you probably are neurodivergent even though you donât have a diagnosis, you can absolutely identify as neurodivergent in my book đ¤
You donât need a doctorâs permission slip for community.
Also abso-friggin-lutely. We like to be as inclusive as we can here!
Iâm not a fan of gatekeeping community based on a doctorâs permission slip.
The number of people whoâve gone undiagnosed their whole lives (especially those who werenât raised as cisgender white boys) is astronomical.
There are soooooo many of us (especially in the millennial generation) who got overlooked as kids, and now that neurodivergent TikTok is happening and more and more people are talking about their lived experiences online, more and more people are resonating with that content and then realizing that maybe thatâs them too.
And maybe itâs you.
And also maybe itâs not.
And either way is totally fine.
Youâre still absolutely welcome in this space, and if the stuff youâve seen on socials has resonated for you, this stuff might too, and I think thatâs pretty great đ¤
Great! Shoot me an email at claire@clairepaniccia.com, or click the purple speech bubble in the lower left corner of this page and chat with me there. I'm happy to answer any of your questions.
And if you're still not sure if Brain-Friendly Business is right for you, hit me up in the chat bubble (or shoot me an email, if that's comfier for you). I'd love to have a more in-depth, totally no-pressure conversation about it and we can figure out together if this is the right investment for you right now đ¤