July - seven months in, and you wonder where the hell the year went already!

A weird mix of exhaustion, reflection, and sudden ambition.
You remember you were going to “take it easier this year.”
You laugh.

You were so young then.

So full of dreams.

You’re now gone midway through the year, surrounded by 112 unfinished admin tasks, 7 half-started projects, 4 side quests, and a worrying number of new costumes under construction. You also need to complete your accounts for submission. Oh, and don't forget to pay your July tax bill!

Also, the heatwave continues. You’ve had enough of everyone telling you how hot it is at the show, in classes, at the club, in general. I mean - probably the one thing I can't control right now is the heat, I'm sorry! I KNOW IT'S HOT! (It's summer!)

✨ DELUSIONS OF THE MONTH:
  • “I’ll take a little time off in July.” (You teach 42 classes, and run 4 parties and workshops.)
  • “This private booking will be chill and low-key.” (There are three fire acts, and the client now wants a performer to bring a python.)
  • “I’ll definitely sort my receipts before the next tax quarter.” (You open Excel once. Then shut it.)
  • “I’m not adding any more castings right now.” (You add four.)

✨ YOU MAY EXPERIENCE:

 • Sudden mid-year business strategy hyperfocus
• A late-night Photoshop stint for some “quick” graphic updates
• Complaints from your (now lacking) immune system
• Dreams about re-packing the show stock cupboard in the right order
• An intense conversation with yourself about “why you do this” ( ... yet again)

✨ POWER SURVIVAL TOOLS:

 • 4 electric fans - three for air circulation, one simply for dramatic effect
• A separate notebook for mid-year re-planning (you also buy another ... just in case)
• Your default show face: part sparkle, part dead-eyed stare ( = incoming burnout)
• A desktop calendar that now only accepts vague, colour-coded entries

✨ BOSS LADY WISDOM:

You’re not just a business owner. You’re the entire HR department, marketing team, finance manager, tech support, content creator, hotel and flight booker, music editor, equipment hirer, emotional support human, and caffeine & Haribo Tangfastics dealer, with a side hustle in interpretive dance, lewd swearing, dramatic sighing, and silent screaming into spreadsheets.

Whatever business chaos you're surviving this month - just know you're probably doing better than you think, and you're absolutely not alone in the glitter-smeared trenches.

Boss Lady - Lara Gothique

Founder, Curator, Choreographer, Swamp-Witch, and Slightly Feral Producer of The Velvet Burlesque™

© Lara Gothique - Velvet Burlesque™
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