Melissa Kwan

7 ways I intentionally design my life around maximizing fun, enjoyment, and happiness: 🤩 1. No VC funding. Not needing to raise the next round = no need to upkeep a certain growth rate = no overspending on people and marketing to manufacture revenue = being able to grow the company at my own pace while calling all the shots. 2. Lifestyle > Revenue No networking events, no conferences, no booths. This is why we don’t offer enterprise plans. I have a zero call policy; no sales calls, no support calls, no exceptions. All communication is through email or chat. 3. Make my own schedule. I don’t wake up with an alarm. I work when I want at intervals and run errands in between. I don’t work on weekends and take it easy on Mondays and Fridays. I take time off whenever I want, including every birthday. 4. No energy vampires. I don’t spend any time engaging with people who take energy away from me in my professional and personal life. I try my best to surround myself with people who want to make my life better, and genuinely root for my success and happiness. 5. Invest in meaningful relationships. As I got older, I’ve learned how rare good people and special friendships are. I put in an active effort to stay in touch with people I care about and let them know how awesome they are. Happiness is only real when shared. 6. Say YES without hesitation. Doing fun stuff is my first priority rather than the thing I consider only when “everything else is out of the way.” When there’s an opportunity to spend time with friends at an event in a cool place, I jump on it. 7. Plan around it. If I’ve committed to going to something, it goes in my calendar no matter how far in advance it is. That way, I can plan life and work around it, I always show up, and continue to get invited to more experiences. I started designing my life 6 years ago with the goal of traveling more while working remotely. It was incredible how much of my life I had control over the moment I decided to take control of it by being mindful of what I said yes and no to. Controlling how I spent my time made room for new experiences, friendships, and connections I wouldn't otherwise have had. I felt happy and content in life and work for the first time only when both were integrated as a single entity. To quote my favorite book, “What is the world’s greatest lie?” the little boy asks. The old man replies, “It’s this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what’s happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That’s the world’s greatest lie.” — The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo 👇🎙️ Below are 3 pods I’ve been on where I talk about how putting my happiness first has impacted (and continues to impact) how I make business decisions. ___ I'm Melissa Kwan, 3x bootstrapper sharing stories & lessons weekly. Follow me + hit 🔔 to stay tuned.