C.J. Hayden

You sit down to get a thing done for your business, and that's when it hits you - you don't really know how. What's next?

Five Quick Solutions to "I Don't Know How" Problems in Your Business - C.J. Hayden One of the most persistent barriers to the business success of self-employed professionals and creatives is the “I don’t know how” problem. Here’s how it often goes. An expert or a colleague advises you to take some specific action to grow your business: “Collect all your leads in a contac...

"I am not afraid of my truth anymore and I will not omit pieces of me to make you comfortable." ~ Alex Elle This is a mantra for me now that my is on track for publication in Feb 2027.

Join me for the next Get It Written Day! On Sept 18, use the power of writing in company to get your important stuff (blog, Substack, book, course, etc.) written.

Get It Written Day - C.J. Hayden Get It Written DayWhatever You Have to Write… …Let’s Write It Together!Day-Long Virtual Writing Retreats for Self-Employed Professionals and Creatives with C.J. Hayden Next Retreat: Friday, Sept 18, 2026 9:00 AM-4:00 PM either Pacific OR EasternTwo separate groups are available; one for each t...

It can feel much easier and less confronting to place an ad, pay for a lead gen service, or send out blind emails. But is that "easy way out" really so easy when you don't see results?

How Easy Can Marketing Be? - Get Clients Now! I often speak to groups of self-employed professionals and creatives about what works and what doesn't to get clients. We talk about the effectiveness of active, relationship-oriented strategies like networking online and in person, building referral partnerships, speaking to groups of potential cli...

One of Newton's laws of motion says: "A body in motion stays in motion." It turns out that also applies to .

A Writer in Action Stays in Action - C.J. Hayden I used to be a scientist once upon a time. A geologist, to be exact. As part of my training, I learned numerous scientific principles, like Newton’s laws of motion, for example. You may remember the one that says: “A body in motion stays in motion.” My science education has often provided insi...

Without a boss there's no one to make you do stuff you just don't want to do. What can you do about that?

Nine Ways to Take Action When You Just Don't Want To - C.J. Hayden Most self-employed professionals and creatives truly enjoy no longer having to answer to The Boss. But the lack of someone to report to can also be a problem. There’s no one to make you do stuff you just don’t want to do. If you procrastinate about posting to your blog or Substack, resist going ...

More beta reader feedback on my memoir: "The opening TOTALLY hooked me... Great pacing... In the middle of reading it, I was forced to put it down to take a trip to Minneapolis. I read it on the trains and plane all the way there, and on the plane and trains all the way back. Basically, couldn't wait to get back to it."

Make your sessions the one place and time in your life where you disconnect from the online world completely.

I Was Interrupted While Writing This - C.J. Hayden Modern always-connected life wasn’t designed for the professional or creative who needs to focus. It’s almost as if there is an internet-based conspiracy to interfere with your most important work. Kate I. Foley, an impossibly-young fiction author and poet, captures it perfectly: “You’re typ...

As a follower of my business page, you may know some of my professional background. But my early years were nothing like you might expect. From 1972 to 1976, I was a teenage runaway living as an outlaw under a series of false identities. I've written a memoir about that experience, and soon you'll be able to read the whole remarkable story.

I'm excited to announce that "Alias Rabbit: Memoir of a Girl on the Run" will be available in February 2027. Early readers have said: "riveting," "original," and "totally hooked me." I'm looking forward to sharing it with you, so please join my announcement list to receive all the details and a special offer for pre-orders. Link in the first comment below.

[Photo of me at age 16 in Vancouver, Canada, 1973]

Got something you're avoiding? Find someone to keep you company while you do it. You'll be amazed how much that helps to overcome resistance and procrastination.