Welcome to our second client spotlight at Erin Cantwell Co. Each quarter, I feature one of my business coaching or outsourced COO clients to showcase the diverse niches and creative businesses out there.

Being a creative entrepreneur can feel isolating, but it doesn’t have to be that way! Witnessing the passion, challenges, and successes of your peers can inspire you to keep pursuing what lights you up.

This week, I’d like to introduce you to my business coaching client, Brittany Stockwell of Stay In Tune Creative.

When Brittany first reached out to me about my coaching offers I was in awe. 

Not only does this woman hold a Master of Arts in teaching but she has also worn a plethora of hats: classically trained violinist and violist, wedding musician, music teacher and coach, camp director, podcast host, certified yoga and mindfulness instructor for kids and adults, the list goes on and on…

Talk about a multi-passionate creative (right up my alley)!

Entrepreneurship was tailor-made for creatives like Brittany. 

But she was hitting some of the classic roadblocks that so many visionaries face. 

She struggled to…

• focus her boundless energy –  when you have countless ideas and dreams, deciding where to start is overwhelming.
  
  
• balance a multitude of ventures, ideas, and learning opportunities– it took a toll, leading to burnout.
  
  
• find support from her community leaving her feeling isolated and misunderstood.
  
  
• bring all of her ideas together cohesively which meant ideas she was really excited about got buried and never saw the light of day!
  

As a creative entrepreneur, I bet you can relate!

I’m excited to spotlight Brittany because her experiences are highly familiar. You’ll likely see parts of yourself and your own path in her story—her resilience, determination, and pursuit of dreams are genuinely inspiring.

Let’s dive into Brittany’s entrepreneurship journey and discover how our work together is shaping her creative vision for the future.

Where It All Started

Brittany has struggled with double-edged swords her entire life! On one hand, her creative interests have always brought her joy. But on the flip side, she’s constantly struggled to balance all of her passions. 

She was playing Mozart on the violin by age 13 and served as president of the art club throughout middle school (visual art has always been an obsession). She did show choir and participated in every school musical (even designing sets for the shows). On top of that, she was yearbook editor in high school and always sought out opportunities to work with kids and teach or mentor others. 

It’s been a lifelong process of figuring out how all of these ideas and interests could possibly work together! 

Brittany’s musical journey began as early as age 4 when she first started learning to play the violin. Music became her deepest love, and it was something she truly excelled at! In high school, she crushed auditions for districts, all states, and orchestra camp as both a violinist and violist! She often dreamed of one day being a string player on stage at the Grammy’s or playing in a movie orchestra for film score recordings!

The path was mapped out for her and Brittany continuously met the marks and surpassed everyone’s expectations– except for her own. 

Despite the honors, awards, and accomplishments, she convinced herself, time and again, that she wasn’t good enough.  

She looks back now and wonders, 

“What came first, the perfectionism or the impossibly rigorous standards drilled into my practice throughout my classical violin training?”

Whether you’re a visual artist, musician, or writer you’ve probably experienced something similar (big hand-raise from this high-achieving recovering perfectionist)! 

Often to make a name for yourself as an artist in the traditional sense, you are expected to strive for near-impossible feats all while maintaining a sense of rigidity, discipline, and intense effort. 

But artists were never meant to be stuffed in a box!

To this day, Brittany wonders if she would have thrived as a performance artist if only she had been able to set more realistic, forgiving expectations for herself. Over time, she realized that not only were these harmful perfectionist tendencies impacting her music, they had also spilled into her life!

Before she even got to college, Brittany felt burnout and restricted in her music. So, instead of following the performance art route, she decided to take a different path– or to be more specific, multiple paths!

You see–

Brittany enjoyed SO many things, it felt impossible to “pick one career and one focus in college.”  

She kept switching majors in undergrad as a result– switching her major from Music Business to middle school History Education (which led to her earning a minor in history). Ultimately she earned a degree in English (all while ALSO minoring in music). 

Leaning into her love of learning and working with kids, Brittany pivoted yet again and went on to earn her Master of Arts in teaching, but she couldn’t shake an inner knowing: her heart was telling her to pursue music again in some way shape, or form. 

She found herself teaching violin and viola lessons at a local studio (or driving to her students’ houses) and she even served as the founding creative director and social media manager of a wedding quartet!

And so the seeds of entrepreneurship were sowed!

She felt pulled in so many different directions because she had so many interests. Brittany wanted to find a way to knit these interests together.

She just didn’t know HOW…

Mindfulness and Music

As an adult, her battles with perfectionism and people-pleasing led her to explore the world of yoga and mindfulness. Through tools like meditation, Brittany learned how to cultivate a better relationship with herself and her passions (goodbye, tortured artist stereotypes!).

A lifelong learner, Brittany immersed herself in yoga. She even pursued her 95-hour kid’s yoga and mindfulness certification in 2020 to gain the tools necessary to bring mindfulness and holistic wellness into her music lessons (physical injuries are prevalent amongst musicians and she wanted to give her students the physical, mental, and emotional tools to practice & perform mindfully). 

Brittany then went on to earn her 200-hour yoga teacher certification in 2021 and began leading classes online and at a local studio. 

She couldn’t help but see the similarities between a consistent yoga practice and her violin practice (creatives have a knack for connecting the dots that others overlook). 

This sparked an idea– 

“What if I could bring mindfulness into my violin lessons? Maybe then my students would have a more positive relationship with their craft, feel more confident to push boundaries and make mistakes, and learn some healthy life lessons along the way.”

So, she set out to be the teacher she wished she had growing up! 

Mindfulness became the thread behind all of her professional and personal efforts. 

With a holistic approach and mindfulness leading the way, the floodgates opened and ideas started GUSHING out of her. 

In no time at all, Brittany had plans to:

• create a self-paced online violin and mindfulness course and workbooks for beginners 
  
  
• lead yoga classes at her local chiropractor’s office
  
  
• create a musical yoga and mindfulness curriculum for the students she taught at a local after-school program. 
  
  
• host a podcast for musicians and creatives all about healing their relationship with their art through holistic wellness.
  

All that to say:

Ideas were never her issue. 

Execution is where she got caught up time and again!

It wasn’t for lack of effort. In fact, I don’t know if I’ve ever met someone with such a strong worth ethic and deep commitment to her passions. 

The Obstacle 

The challenge was she was overworking herself, doing all the things at once, and putting so much pressure on herself to meet her own high expectations immediately! 

“I now realize how much my stress and overwhelm exhausted my energy resources holding me back in my career. Before working with Erin, even the thought of slowly building from behind the scenes wasn’t something I ever considered possible.”

Brittany entered a common cycle of inspiration, iteration, distraction, and frustration. 

She’d get an idea and “burn the midnight oil,” giving 110% of her energy to flesh out all her thoughts. But without an action plan, her enthusiasm and energy would eventually wane and she’d get caught up in the next idea or find the need to focus on more “practical” money-making tasks that would ultimately derail her efforts, leaving her feeling frustrated with herself. 

Phew!

And worse yet, she didn’t know HOW to break this cycle!

She tried every strategy, trick, and tip out there. She followed all the “shoulds” from business gurus and content marketing experts. But nothing stuck.

It makes sense. 

After all, there’s no playbook when you’re writing your own rules! It’s impossible to follow a step-by-step plan for something that’s never been created before!

Amidst the excitement of her diverse business endeavors, she faced self-doubt and those pesky insecurities whispering in her ear, “People won’t take you seriously” or “You don’t know what you’re doing.” 

She knew she needed to do something different.

Although Brittany had wanted to work with a business coach for years, she struggled to find someone who genuinely understood her people-pleasing and perfectionist tendencies. 

Over the years she has had some amazing mentors but has also been burned by far too many “old-school” teachers along the way who focused on negative reinforcement. 

Historically, this caused her to work for achievement-based reasons instead of lifestyle-based reasons. A decade-plus of negative experiences made a deep impression on her inner critic and continue to be the source of much of her self-doubt and insecurity. 

She knew she needed to collaborate with a coach who would validate her aspirations while also encouraging her to prioritize and maintain a healthy and balanced life for herself.

That’s where our story began. 

Our Coaching Process

When Brittany reached out to me, we instantly connected, and I was excited to support her as a multi-passionate creative.

She came to me equal parts enthusiastic and frazzled!

We’ve all been there, right? 

So, our initial goal was to help her streamline her efforts so she could finally channel her energy where it would be most impactful and unleash her full potential. 

Together, we dove headfirst into tackling those self-doubts and turning them into stepping stones toward success.

1. First, we took a step back to look at her big-picture dreams and ideas to see how they fit together and aligned with the lifestyle she desired. Brittany nailed down her core values, her vision for the future, and how she defines success. Work-life balance is a top priority for her (no hustle culture allowed!). Brittany considers this equilibrium her “biggest area of opportunity.” Her vision is to share anything and everything she learns about living a more fulfilling life. Ultimately, she hopes that her own experiences can help others as they learn to stay in tune with their best selves! This is the foundation that has inspired her to pivot her podcast to support not only musicians but a wider audience (we are all artists creating the vision of our lives every day). Defining success means measuring her impact while ensuring she’s financially and logistically prepared for the official podcast launch.
   
   
2. Next, we took the time to target potential obstacles and typical challenges, so we could proactively plan. One key aspect we identified is helping Brittany navigate her extremes. She sometimes vacillates between overthinking (often getting caught up in the pursuit of perfection before taking action), and other times, jumping in too quickly and putting ideas in motion half-baked. 
   
   
3. Then we focused on creating a clear, actionable plan that keeps her momentum going, so she can stay the course and get those incredible ideas over the finish line. It’s all about finding that balance between creativity and pragmatism – something that works just right for her. Rhythms and repeatable systems help her stay consistent, adding structure to support her creativity and allow it to flourish!
   
   
4. One of the most impactful systems we’ve created is a journaling tool. We designed it to help her capture, untangle, and prioritize her ideas. This helps her decide where her focus can be best directed NOW while also making sure she has a “parking lot of ideas” she will get to later. She can rest assured knowing nothing will be forgotten or overlooked. I like to remind her, “You can do anything, but not everything, and not all at once!”   
   
   
5. Last, we’ve been prioritizing Brittany’s financial goals and her “enough point.” When we’re desperate and only working for survival, it can kill our creativity. This often leads creatives to take on any gig they can find, even if it doesn’t align with their values or goals. But by setting up a solid financial foundation for her entrepreneurial journey, we’re giving Brittany the chance to achieve long-term success. This means she can pursue her passion projects intentionally, without rushing into them prematurely.

Currently, our focus is on building her essential foundation in the form of rhythms and systems that directly support her values and priorities in this season of life and work. By doing so, Brittany is laying the groundwork for a sustainable and authentic creative journey that aligns with her unique definition of success.

Brittany and I have been exploring tangible ways to bring in some cash flow while she plants the seeds that will eventually bring her long-term creative goals into reality. It’s all about giving her the freedom to pursue her podcast and other ventures with low pressure, a clear mind, and, most importantly, lots of passion and authenticity!

We’re taking it step by step, and I’m so optimistic about what’s to come. 

As her following grows and her podcast starts to take off, she’ll be in a prime position to embrace all the potential that comes with it while still tending to the other aspects of her business like teaching her online violin lessons and yoga classes. 

Until then, she’s being strategic as she builds her creative business at her own pace. It’s all about staying true to her vision and not rushing anything, while also building steady, strategic momentum in the right direction. She’s the first to admit that this work is far from complete. 

“This feels so in alignment, but at the same time, it’s a work in progress. I have ingrained in my DNA that if I’m not always busy and always working, I’m not doing enough.” 

But getting clear on and honoring her true capacity will continue to keep her from burning out while allowing her to gradually improve her relationship with her work and her creativity. Sustainability is the goal!

Slow and steady wins the race, my friend!

Current State of Business

Today, Brittany is feeling more excited about her ideas than ever. Not because everything is up and running just yet. But because she is healing her negative inner voice and critic. She now has a clear plan to help her build towards her goals with the structure she needs to do so sustainability and successfully without feeling like she has to push herself beyond her limits. 

As her business evolves, grows, and changes, she has the right-for-her tools and wisdom to help her prioritize what’s most important at the moment so she can skillfully pivot, focus, and execute her dreams. 

I hope that Brittany’s circuitous business journey reminds you that you don’t need to have a cookie-cutter business, you don’t need to have it all figured out, AND you can change your mind along the way. 

Sometimes all you need is your next best step, a strong support network, and faith that you can and will bring your creative vision to life as a trailblazing entrepreneur.

I’ll leave you with some wise words from Brittany herself about the power of following your passions and prioritizing your creativity,

“If we all learned how to express ourselves, if everyone had a creative outlet, if we were allowed to pursue our passions and not pocket them as adults, I can assure you there would be more world peace.”

Connect With Brittany

Want to learn more about bringing mindfulness into your business, your art, or your everyday life? 

Be sure to follow Brittany’s Instagram page to “stay in tune.” keep up with her, and be the first to know about the future relaunch of her podcast!

She’s all about helping you create the life you want to live!

And if you want to be the first to know when her podcast is LIVE be sure to subscribe here so you can “stay in tune!”

The Future of Your Business

Does Brittany’s story inspire you to untangle all of those creative ideas you have bouncing around in your head once and for all?

Click here to learn more about my coaching services or reach out to schedule a free Discovery Call and see if working together is a good fit!