This isn’t the usual New Year’s episode about planning, vision boards, and big 2026 goals. Instead, Karen looks at what happens when you actually need to do less, and how that can be the key to building a more robust perfume or creative business that doesn’t burn you out.

She talks honestly about overcommitting (including with AI‑fuelled planning), why she’s simplifying her offers and pressing pause on some things, and how she’s re‑shaping her work around the life she is actually living.

If you’re tired of the constant hustle but still want your business to thrive, this episode is perfect.

To continue to get access to new content from Karen in 2026, sign up for her newsletter by going here - https://www.karengilbert.co.uk.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

● Be honest about how much work you can handle.

● Your creative energy naturally rises and falls. Accept that, go with the flow, and stop beating yourself up about not getting absolutely everything done.

● Our culture says, “new year, new you,” but winter is a season of rest and introspection, so it’s okay if big goals don’t feel realistic right now. It´s OK to set new goals in other months too.

● Drop things that drain you without generating true benefits. Ask yourself, do I have to do this now, or is it just another shiny object or something that is fun and distracts you from doing the more boring things?

● Don´t try to run on empty; make time to refuel. Hobbies, time with family and friends, travel, learning new skills, exercise, and other things that light you up, all top up your creative energy.

BEST MOMENTS

“I am planning on actually doing less this year on purpose.”

“Creativity is not something that you can just squeeze out. You have to let it flow."

“Really tap into you and how you work best – that is going to keep you in this for the long-term.”

EPISODE LINKS:

Bulgaria Perfume Workshop: https://www.roseoverdose.com/perfume-plants-of-bulgaria

IAO Awards: https://thegoldenpears.com/home

In Person Classes: https://www.karengilbert.co.uk/studio-classes

Previous New Year episodes - https://podcasts.apple.com/mt/podcast/reflections-for-growth-learning-from-2024-to-build/id1693602939?i=1000682798977 and https://podcasts.apple.com/es/podcast/making-the-most-of-2024/id1693602939?i=1000640841400

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Studio Classes: https://www.karengilbert.co.uk/studio-classes

Materials Mastery: https://www.karengilbert.co.uk/materials-mastery

Getting Started Guide: https://www.karengilbert.co.uk/podcast-getting-started-guide

Artisan Perfumery Mastermind: https://www.karengilbert.co.uk/artisan-perfumery-mastermind

ABOUT THE HOST

Fragrance expert, author, teacher, and speaker; Karen Gilbert runs courses in the UK and online which demystify the secretive world of perfumery in a fun and interactive way.

Karen has inspired thousands of students to explore their olfactory sense and create their own personalised fragrances.

With extensive product development experience in both the commercial perfumery and the organic skincare industry, Karen is able to offer a unique insight into creating natural and mixed media fragrances for fine fragrance, room scents and skincare/bodycare products using commercial perfumery techniques.

Karen is also a certified meditation teacher and has a passion for helping people to create daily rituals that integrate scent with other modalities to shift state and increase your sense of wellbeing.

CONTACT DETAILS

Website - https://www.karengilbert.co.uk/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/karengilbert/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/KarenGilbert.co.uk

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@KarenGilbertPerfumeMaking

Email - karen@karengilbert.co.uk

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Done with Hustle? - Building a Stronger Perfume Business That Won’t Burn You Out in 2026