You’ve heard of resting bitch face, right? Well, apparently, I have resting chill face. Everyone assumes that I’m calm, collected, and never stressed about anything. ‘Denise, you’re so relaxed!’ they say. ‘What’s your secret?’ Maybe it’s because I’m Australian: as a nation, we’re notoriously laid-back, and our unofficial motto is: ‘She’ll be right, mate.’ But the truth is, I wasn’t born with a happy-go-lucky personality: I’ve consciously learned how to cultivate that attitude. 

 

 

In my early days as an employee and a fledgling entrepreneur, I was riddled with insecurity. I worried about everything, but especially about making mistakes. I second-guessed every word I spoke or wrote.

 

I was terrified of opening my email inbox because I was sure I’d find bad news, like a complaint, a refund request, or hate mail. In snail mail, I just expected bills, parking fines, or speeding tickets. I was in analysis paralysis because I second-guessed myself at every turn, and the consequences of making the wrong decision seemed catastrophic.

 

The idea of being a Type A personality never quite resonated with me – although I’m hardworking and ambitious, I’ve never been about winning for the sake of winning. I’m not really competitive, even though I have high standards for myself; Type B seemed more my style. But I realised there’s a third category that’s even more my style: Type C – a chilled, ambitious-but-lazy, wants-to-change-the-world- but-also-thinks-there’s-an-easier-way person.

 

Everyone’s version of success is different, but most of the women I talk with these days have lost a certain amount of richness in their lives. They feel like they’re working harder than ever for diminishing returns, both in a financial sense and in satisfaction with their work. They are missing the joy.

 

Most of the heart-centered women I know don’t want to hustle anymore. We don’t want to ‘crush’ anything, especially not the competition. We want to collaborate with other women, not kill them! We want everyone to succeed. And we’d also love to have the time to create a garden, have a hobby, or get our hair and nails done occasionally. Is that too much to ask? No. 

 

Being a Chillpreneur isn’t about swinging around in a hammock all day long (I’ve been in a hammock twice in my life, and I fell out of it the first time) or living in Bali (though you can be a Chillpreneur there, too). It’s about finding a new way of doing business: one that works for your bank account and supports your wellbeing; one that works for you and the planet; and one that follows the path of least resistance.

 

I have seven suggestions for becoming a Chillpreneur. I sincerely wish I was perfect at all seven of these, but they’re aspirational even for me. Take what’s useful and leave what isn’t – this is about finding your path of least resistance. 

 

 

As a Chillpreneur, you embrace an abundant mindset and accept that there’s enough for everyone, including money, clients, and opportunities. You know you’re just as deserving as anyone else, and that your gain isn’t someone else’s loss. 

 

 

Being chill doesn’t mean you have to be zen all the time or nun-like in your approach to life. As a Chillpreneur, you’re perfectly imperfect just the way you are. You’re going to have days when you’re decidedly unchill about everything, but you practice self-compassion and self- forgiveness for your all-too-human mistakes. 

 

 

As a Chillpreneur, you see the silver lining in everything. Failed launch? ‘We can learn so much from this for next time!’ Tech screw-up in the middle of a webinar? ‘Sweet, this is a juicy chapter for my next book!’ Everything is useful, and nothing is wasted. In fact, failures are great fodder for podcasts, blog posts, and future Oprah interviews. 

 

 

As a Chillpreneur, you know that a client’s ‘no’ doesn’t mean you’re terrible at your business. Setbacks just mean you need to try again. You genuinely and passionately care about your work, but you still hold it lightly, including your reaction to sales numbers, client results, and feedback from others. Your emotional equilibrium is steady, regardless of what’s happening on the outside. You practice self-acceptance rather than being buffeted by others’ changing opinions. 

 

 

Chillpreneurs know there are many paths to success. Why spend years debating which way to go when you can just get started on your journey? You’re not rigid or stubborn in your thinking and you learn from your mistakes. As a Chillpreneur, you know that imperfect action is better than inaction. You trust that you’ll make the best decision for now and tweak as you go.

 

 

As a Chillpreneur, you don’t over-complicate things for the sake of complexity. You don’t reinvent the wheel to create more work so you can justify your success to others. You try to find the most comfortable path, even when it feels lazy or too obvious – to yourself or others. You know that ease and flow are different for everyone, so you honor your strengths and weaknesses and don’t copy someone else’s version of success. 

 

 

Chillpreneurs strive for mutual success. As a Chillpreneur, you don’t think that making money is evil because you know it enables you to do tremendous good in the world. You build philanthropy, self-care, and sustainable practices into your business for the sake of your clients, your team, yourself, and the planet. You’re in business to make a lot of money and help a lot of people. You know you’re one of the good guys.