Campfire Chronicles, Vol. 1 - Pressure Proofing & Self-Trust

"Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present."
— Marcus Aurelius

Hey friend,

This one’s coming to you from the other side of the fire—where the air still smells a little like smoke and life’s recent storm left a few trees down.

A couple of weeks ago, my son was in a serious car wreck. He’s healing (we are so grateful), but that experience pressed pause on everything. I stepped fully away from work for two solid weeks—no laptop, no Slack, no late-night edits. Just mom-mode, full stop.

And in the stillness that followed the chaos, that quote from Marcus Aurelius hit me square in the chest.

“You will meet the future with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present.”

It reminded me that I don’t have to borrow tomorrow’s battles today. I don’t need to try and solve next week’s emergencies with this week’s exhausted self. 

My future self will be just as wise. 

Just as fierce. 

Just as ready (Probably even more so.)

That truth? That’s self-trust.

And it’s also the foundation of something I’ve been getting asked about a lot lately:

How do I pressure-proof my marketing so my business doesn’t fall apart when life does?

Here’s what I’ve learned—both in life and business:

3 Ways to Pressure-Proof Your Marketing

1. Build evergreen content now.
   Create things that keep working even when you’re not. I’m talking blogs that answer FAQs, nurture emails that introduce your values, and social posts that can be scheduled weeks in advance. Future You will thank Present You when life derails the plan.
   
   

2. Document your systems.
   If you’re the only one who knows how to log into your email platform, schedule a post, or publish a blog, you’re walking a high wire with no net. Create a shared doc, Loom walkthrough, or checklist. Make sure your business can breathe if you need a moment to.
   
   

3. Know your lead flow.
   What happens when someone wants to work with you? Does the process rely on you responding within 24 hours or does it point them to a well-built landing page, scheduler, or lead magnet that runs without you? Systems are the future-proofing scaffolding of a sustainable brand.
   
   

“But Cari… what if I’m a solopreneur?”

Ah, my fellow lone wolves and DIY queens and kings—I see you.
You are the system. The content creator. The admin. The tech support. The visionary.
So what does pressure-proofing even look like when you’re the whole damn team?

Here’s how to prep for pressure when it’s just you:

1. Document it for Future You.
   You may not be hiring soon, but trust me, Future You will still forget how you set up that automation or where you hid the dang logo files. Use Loom to record walkthroughs of your processes. Keep a Google Doc with checklists or cheat sheets. Think of it like a survival guide for your brain when it’s overloaded.
   
   

2. Automate the obvious.
   If it can be scheduled, do it.

• Schedule out a month of social content in one sitting.

• Set up automated email sequences to greet new leads.

• Use tools like Reclaim.ai, Calendly, or Notion to keep the wheels turning.
  Automation doesn’t mean impersonal—it means prepared.
  
  

3. Have a lifeline list.
   Who could pinch-hit for you if shit really hit the fan?

• A VA friend you can Venmo for help?

• A fellow business buddy you can swap backup duties with?

• A content writer or tech pro who can step in with 24-hour notice?
  You don’t have to hire someone today, but a short list of “in case of emergency, break glass” contacts can be the difference between a blip and a breakdown.
  
  

Remember: pressure-proofing isn’t about being invincible. It’s about building grace into your systems, so you can step away without burning the whole thing down.

Need a Lifeline Right Now?

If your homepage is a hot mess, your message feels muddy, or you’re just not sure what the heck your site is even doing for you, the Homepage SOS is your pressure-proof starting point.

We’ll dig in together to:

• Audit what’s working (and what’s not)

• Clarify your message

• Rework your homepage so it actually converts, without you hovering over it 24/7

Click here to book your Homepage SOS and let’s make your site a stress-reducer, not a stress-inducer.

Here’s the truth:
Worrying about the future just makes you live through it twice.
(Shoutout to Alex, my business partner, for that little gem of wisdom.)
Or, as Mark Twain allegedly put it:

“I’ve suffered a great many catastrophes in my life. Most of them never happened.”

So what if we stopped playing out disasters in our heads—and instead put tiny structures in place to hold us up when life gets heavy?

That’s what we’re building here, friend. Not just brands. But resilient brands.
Not just content. But campaigns that can breathe when you need to.

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: Change Creative Co. is Live!

Speaking of resilience, Alex has officially launched her own brand: Change Creative Co.

It’s designed specifically to help nonprofits and purpose-driven orgs have beautiful, functional websites that match the good work they do in the world. If you know a nonprofit that’s struggling with an outdated site or a clunky web presence, send them her way.

It’s bold. It’s beautiful. It’s built for mission-driven magic.

That’s it for now, Campfire Fam.
If you’re sitting in a season of uncertainty—whether it’s personal, professional, or existential—I want you to know this:

You don’t have to have it all figured out.
You just have to build what you can today, and trust Future You to handle the rest.

With you around the fire,
Cari