

The Perfectionism Project
Sam Laura Brown
Perfectionism makes even the smartest business owners get in their own way, which is why the Perfectionism Project is a podcast full of perfectionism advice for entrepreneurs.
Your host is Sam Laura Brown, perfectionism coach and founder of Perfectionists Getting Sh*t Done. With her conversational podcast episodes and relatable stories, Sam will motivate you to get out of your own way and help you feel less alone as you navigate the ups and downs of business.
Filled with practical advice, this podcast is for entrepreneurs of any kind who are ready to skyrocket their productivity levels and stop holding themselves back. Subscribe today to discover how to overcome perfectionism, escape the all-or-nothing mindset and stop procrastinating so you can become more productive and build a successful business.
For even more perfectionism advice to help you with your business, follow Sam on Instagram @perfectionismproject or sign up for Perfectionists Getting Sh*t Done at samlaurabrown.com/pgsd.
Your host is Sam Laura Brown, perfectionism coach and founder of Perfectionists Getting Sh*t Done. With her conversational podcast episodes and relatable stories, Sam will motivate you to get out of your own way and help you feel less alone as you navigate the ups and downs of business.
Filled with practical advice, this podcast is for entrepreneurs of any kind who are ready to skyrocket their productivity levels and stop holding themselves back. Subscribe today to discover how to overcome perfectionism, escape the all-or-nothing mindset and stop procrastinating so you can become more productive and build a successful business.
For even more perfectionism advice to help you with your business, follow Sam on Instagram @perfectionismproject or sign up for Perfectionists Getting Sh*t Done at samlaurabrown.com/pgsd.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 27, 2023 • 57min
Ep 414: 5 Signs You're Scared of Success
Fearing success is actually way more common than you’d think. And that’s kinda crazy, right? Even though we’re consciously working towards it, we unconsciously stop ourselves from getting it. It’s no wonder we can feel so stuck. Fear of success means that you are scared that you’ll actually be able to accomplish the things you’ve been thinking about… and that feels so uncertain and unfamiliar that you hold yourself back. At every level of your business, you can experience this fear of success. I’m at the level of success I’m at now and I’m still experiencing this. I have to get myself to a new self-image where I’m able to create more success and feel safe in that success. In this podcast episode, I share why we experience fear of success and my personal struggles with it. I also talk about 5 of the signs that you’re scared of success and what to do about it. Fear of success might actually be the thing that’s stopping you from taking those next steps in your business. Listen to this episode now. Find the full episode transcript and show notes at samlaurabrown.com/episode414. In This Episode You’ll Learn: My personal struggles with the fear of success 5 of the signs that you’re scared of success The most practical thing you can do about the fear of success Featured In The Episode: Join the waitlist for Perfectionists Getting Shit Done (PGSD) - samlaurabrown.com/pgsd Take the perfectionism quiz: samlaurabrown.com/quiz Sign up for daily Perfectionist Power-Ups - samlaurabrown.com/power Follow me on Instagram @perfectionismproject Episode 50 – How To Make Your Goals Feel Normal Episode 56 – How To Handle Uncertainty Tim Ferriss’ Fear-Setting Exercise Announcement: PGSD will open for enrollment on 10 September 2023 (for one week only) My 12-month group coaching program Perfectionists Getting Shit Done (aka PGSD) will teach you how to plan properly as a perfectionist and get out of your own way. The doors to PGSD will open on 10 September 2023 for one week only. To find out more about the program and be the first to know when the doors open, join the waitlist today: samlaurabrown.com/pgsd.

Aug 20, 2023 • 51min
Ep 413: How I Get Myself Back On Track When I’m Overwhelmed [Real Time Personal Update]
The podcast explores the speaker's process of getting back on track when feeling overwhelmed and overworked. They discuss their struggle with perfectionism and the pressure to do things 'right'. The speaker emphasizes the importance of not feeling ashamed or making oneself wrong when getting in their own way. They reflect on their decision to re-record episodes, the challenges of delegating tasks in their business, and the struggle of trusting oneself. They also discuss different approaches to creating new podcast content and the benefits of listening back to episodes.

Aug 13, 2023 • 1h 16min
Ep 412: A Productive Week In My Life: Something Embarrassing I Self-Coached On + How I Improved My Morning Routine
If you’re anything like me, you love finding out how successful people *actually* run their businesses. What their office setup is like, how they structure their day, what they spend their time doing (and which tasks they don’t let themselves do), how they manage their personal life and the things that didn’t quite go to plan. That’s why this week’s podcast episode on The Perfectionism Project is a chatty episode to take you behind the scenes of a productive week in my life. If you’ve ever wondered what a 3-day work week looks like when you’re running a $600k per year business - or wanted to hear about the practical things I do to ‘balance’ my business with being a mum of 3 little ones under 3 - this episode is for you. I also share a few of the things I self-coached on, including something so embarrassing it makes me cringe and want to hide in a hole (that might sound dramatic but it’s sadly 100% true)... Plus I share something super simple I did to improve my morning routine (this works especially well on the days I’m sleep deprived). Click play to tune in today! Find the full episode transcript and show notes at samlaurabrown.com/episode412. In This Episode You’ll Learn: How I structure my days so I can do deep work (even with constant interruptions) My biggest recommendation to create a more productive desk setup The practical things that help me plan out my week even though it’s so uncertain What I coached myself on including something I’d rather not share… How I run my $600k business working 3 days a week and being a mum to 3 little ones Featured In The Episode: Episode 407: 3 Unexpected Reasons Why My Latest Launch Completely Failed (PGSD Launch Debrief) Episode 408: My Growth Goal Quarterly Review For Quarter 2 2023 ($80,914 Revenue) Episode 81: How To Make The Most Of Self-Help Books The Art of Possibility by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander The Break by Marian Keyes Principles by Ray Dalio The Courage To Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga Seven Days in June by Tia Williams Raising Girls Who Like Themselves by Kasey Edwards DIY Family Film’s Course Michelle’s Weeks - coaching to help mums with their mental load - @michelle.c.weeks Aditi - Human Design coaching - @mycoachaditi Miss Freddy’s instagram - photo organising advice - @miss.freddy My favourite Montessori YouTube channel - Hapa Family Nick DiGiovanni’s Youtube Video - Learn To Cook In Less Than 1 Hour Join the waitlist for Perfectionists Getting Shit Done (PGSD) - samlaurabrown.com/pgsd Take the perfectionism quiz: samlaurabrown.com/quiz Sign up for daily Perfectionist Power-Ups - samlaurabrown.com/power Follow me on Instagram @perfectionismproject Announcement: PGSD will open for enrollment on 10 September 2023 (for one week only) My 12-month group coaching program Perfectionists Getting Shit Done (aka PGSD) will teach you how to plan properly as a perfectionist and get out of your own way. The doors to PGSD will open on 10 September 2023 for one week only. To find out more about the program and be the first to know when the doors open, join the waitlist today: samlaurabrown.com/pgsd.

Aug 6, 2023 • 43min
Ep 411: How To Create An Aligned Marketing Strategy So You Can Actually Show Up Consistently
Your marketing strategy has a BIG impact on your ability to get shit done! And if you’re feeling resistence and out of alignment with your marketing strategy it’s going to be even harder to get shit done. In the marketing world people are always talking about the power of consistency but there is often a piece in the middle that’s missing… So in today’s podcast episode I’m going to help you create an aligned marketing strategy so that you can actually show up consistently. I may not call myself a marketing expert but I am somebody who helps you with productivity and getting shit done! Perfectionism leads us to want to do things the "right" way… This belief stems from the idea that by doing things the “correct” way, they will work instantly and effortlessly. If you run a business you need to be marketing and selling and I want you to feel good about your marketing strategy! Tune into this episode now. Find the full episode transcript and show notes at samlaurabrown.com/episode411. In This Episode You’ll Learn: How perfectionism affects your marketing strategy and what to do about it Examples of successful entrepreneurs reevaluating their businesses to find alignment Personal experiences with focusing on the wrong tasks and strategies Understanding the difference between good and not-so-good resistance Tips on staying true to your plan and avoiding distractions The power of Power Planning from PGSD Featured In The Episode: Episode 407: 3 Unexpected Reasons Why My Latest Launch Completely Failed (PGSD Launch Debrief) Vanessa Lau instagram - @vanessalau.co Vanessa Lau’s YouTube video: 5 Lessons I Learned in 2022… Vanessa Lau’s blog post on why she went on sabbatical Aditi’s instagram - @mycoachaditi Join the waitlist for Perfectionists Getting Shit Done (PGSD) - samlaurabrown.com/pgsd Take the perfectionism quiz: samlaurabrown.com/quiz Sign up for daily Perfectionist Power-Ups - samlaurabrown.com/power Follow me on Instagram @perfectionismproject Announcement: PGSD will open for enrollment on 10 September 2023 (for one week only) My 12-month group coaching program Perfectionists Getting Shit Done (aka PGSD) will teach you how to plan properly as a perfectionist and get out of your own way. The doors to PGSD will open on 10 September 2023 for one week only. To find out more about the program and be the first to know when the doors open, join the waitlist today: samlaurabrown.com/pgsd.

Jul 30, 2023 • 1h 4min
Ep 410: 6 Reasons You're Not Productive
Maybe you find yourself spending too much time on tasks that might be important, but they aren’t that important in terms of the amount of time that they are taking you. Or maybe you’ve been prioritising the easy tasks over the stuff that you know really needs to get done. If you’re frustrated that tasks are taking way longer than they need to and you want to be more productive, you want to be organised, and yet you're struggling to get there - then this episode will help you! Don’t foret to mark your calendar! Perfectionists Getting Shit Done - my group coaching program for perfectionis entrepreneuers (PGSD) opens on 10 September 2023. And to celebrate PGSD opening I’m hosting a 5-Part Planning Podcast Series starting 1 September 2023. Starting on the first of September, there's going to be an episode every other day. So make sure that you’ve subscribe to this podcast! Also join the PGSD waitlist to be notified first! Find the full episode transcript and show notes at samlaurabrown.com/episode410. In This Episode You’ll Learn: The 6 reasons you aren’t productive How to consistently do the things that need to be done to build your business Why you push things off and what to do about it Why to-do lists and time blocking doesn’t work for perfectionists What you can start doing today to be more productive The productivity tool that we forget is important Featured In The Episode: Episode 308: A Step-By-Step Walkthrough of Power Planning Join the waitlist for Perfectionists Getting Shit Done (PGSD) - samlaurabrown.com/pgsd Take the perfectionism quiz: samlaurabrown.com/quiz Sign up for daily Perfectionist Power-Ups - samlaurabrown.com/power Follow me on Instagram @perfectionismproject Announcement: PGSD will open for enrollment on 10 September 2023 (for one week only) My 12-month group coaching program Perfectionists Getting Shit Done (aka PGSD) will teach you how to plan properly as a perfectionist and get out of your own way. The doors to PGSD will open on 10 September 2023 at 6am New York Time for one week only. To find out more about the program and be the first to know when the doors open, join the waitlist today: samlaurabrown.com/pgsd.

Jul 23, 2023 • 49min
Ep 409: The Practical Steps To Get Out Of A Business Slump And How To Power Plan With A Full-Time Job
We all have blindspots that we would never think to bring up to our 1:1 coach. But when we listen to others being coached, we can uncover hidden areas of our perfectionism and productivity that might have otherwise gone unnoticed, until it’s too late. In this episode you’ll hear Sam coach two PGSDer’s. First Sam coaches Shoipei who’s was in a dip at the time of this coaching call. We all go through dips and slumps in our business, it’s apart of the journey. It can be so easy to say “get comfortable with being uncomfortable” but when you’re actually in the dip it’s much harder to see it from an intellectual perspective. The dips can serve as one of the best teachers to help us let go of the self-judgment and shame that we carry within ourselves. You’ll be able to consider how you can structure your week as Sam coaches Samara. A lot of us are in a situation that is good and we are wanting to elevate to a new level. This actually takes a lot of courage to leave a good situation to create a great one. It’s easy to justify going from a horrible situation to a good one because no one wants to be in a horrible situation. The growth goal allows us to have a catalyst for change without needing to put ourselves in a desperate situation where it feels like we have our back against the wall in order to achieve. Tune in now to also hear Sam explain how to set your Growth Goal at the best level for you. If you enjoyed this episode then join the waitlist for Perfectionists Getting Shit Done (PGSD) - samlaurabrown.com/pgsd Find the full episode transcript and show notes at samlaurabrown.com/episode409 Note: Thank you Shoipei and Samara for giving me permission to share this call on the podcast. We appreciate you! In This Episode You’ll Learn: How to set your Growth Goal at the best level for you The practical steps to get you out of a business slump How to get through business dips How to uncover the false associations your brain makes so that your not making your business harder for yourself Why your words and actions might not be landing with your audience How to stop resenting your full-time job How to Power Plan when you have a full-time job What to do when you feel like you have no time to do what you need to do Featured In The Episode: Join the waitlist for Perfectionists Getting Shit Done (PGSD) - samlaurabrown.com/pgsd Take the perfectionism quiz: samlaurabrown.com/quiz Sign up for daily Perfectionist Power-Ups - samlaurabrown.com/power Follow me on Instagram @perfectionismproject

Jul 16, 2023 • 57min
Ep 408: My Growth Goal Quarterly Review For Quarter 2 2023 ($80,914 Revenue)
It's uncommon to hear detailed information about the breakdown of expenses in businesses. I hope by me openly sharing the numbers and providing insight into my business on a quarterly basis, it helps you to be growth minded and to not have your perfectionism handbrake on. And it’s especially uncommon to hear a detailed breakdown when the quarter didn’t go to plan. We made $80,914 in revenue but after expenses we actually had a significant loss in Q2, 2023. It’s so easy to interpret things that happen in our business in a way that makes us feel inadequate or incompetent. We can be in a habit of dismissing what is working and complicate things so that we can feel busy and deserving. I’m excited for you to listen to this episode because you’ll hear how I interpreted Q2’s financial loss without attaching any negative meaning to it and making it mean anything about myself and my abilities. I've made significant progress with my perfectionism so I'm wanting to share these insights with you incase you've been feeling behind, thinking you should have everything figured out by now and always be succeeding. Our brains can convince us that the best way to create success is to put pressure on ourselves. Personally, I used to believe that if I didn't put pressure on myself, I would be settling for less than what I’m capable of achieving. However, the pain I experienced during my last launch of Q2 made me realise the detrimental effects of putting pressure on myself. In hindsight I can see that I was spending too much time doing things that essentially was busy work and sacrificed valuable time with my family. This has caused me to look at whats going on and notice where my mind was at so that I can make the changes in order to feel how I want to in my day to day life and create the kind of business I want. In hindsight, how much pressure have you been putting on yourself? By listening to this episode, you'll gain valuable insights into reframing your mindset and approaching challenging situations with resilience and self-compassion. It's an opportunity to shift your perspective and embrace a growth mindset, regardless of external circumstances. I hope by hearing me sharing the numbers, how I’m interpreting them, why it’s not a problem that we had a loss this quarter and why it doesn’t mean anything about me it can help release any weight you might have had on your shoulders. Find the full episode transcript and show notes at samlaurabrown.com/episode408. In This Episode You’ll Learn: How I interpret and handle financial losses in my business How putting pressure on myself had a ripple effect on the decisions I made and the end outcome financially of our Q2 results. How my self-image shapes my commitment to my growth goal, even when things don’t go to plan How to choose what energy you want to work from What to do when you feel like you should be further along The new approach I'm taking to build my business without unnecessary pressure Featured In The Episode: Join the waitlist for Perfectionists Getting Shit Done (PGSD) - samlaurabrown.com/pgsd Take the perfectionism quiz: samlaurabrown.com/quiz Sign up for daily Perfectionist Power-Ups - samlaurabrown.com/power Follow me on Instagram @perfectionismproject Episode 407: 3 Unexpected Reasons Why My Latest Launch Completely Failed (PGSD Launch Debrief) Episode 393: My Growth Goal Quarterly Review For Q1 2023 Episode 379: My Growth Goal Quarterly Review For Q4 2022

Jul 9, 2023 • 1h 34min
Ep 407: 3 Unexpected Reasons My Latest Launch Completely Failed (PGSD Launch Debrief)
The entrepreneurship space can be so glamorised, we hear alot about people doubling their business year after year and that can leave us feeling behind if we aren’t experiencing that trajectory of growth. I enjoy being very open and sharing what most people aren’t willing to share and this episode is no different. I take you behind the scenes of our most recent launch sharing the 3 unexpected reasons why this launch completely failed and all of the launch numbers. Regardless of the type of business you have, this episode is relevant for you because at some point, no matter what guidance you're receiving, if you're putting yourself out there and trying new things, you will face failure. It's important to know how to approach failure and be emotionally regulated in those moments so that you don't make the failure mean something about you and then repeat the same mistakes because you were too ashamed to actually take a look objectively at what went on, in a really compassionate way. Failure doesn't make you a failure. It doesn't mean you don't know how to run a business. Look at all the big startups – they often don't break even for years. Even though we intellectually understand this, if your launches feel like a rollercoaster, you might be attaching your self-worth to the outcomes. I love hearing podcasts like this because it's the real stuff and everyone goes through it so I hope you enjoy listening to the episode! Find the full episode transcript and show notes at samlaurabrown.com/episode407. In This Episode You’ll Learn: The 3 unexpected reasons why the most recent launch of PGSD failed Behind-the-scenes of our launch numbers What to do when you experience failure The clues my calendar gave me that I only realised after the launch How I’ll make sure that we never repeat the same mistakes again Featured In The Episode: Join the waitlist for Perfectionists Getting Shit Done (PGSD) - samlaurabrown.com/pgsd Take the perfectionism quiz: samlaurabrown.com/quiz Sign up for daily Perfectionist Power-Ups - samlaurabrown.com/power Follow me on Instagram @perfectionismproject Episode 379: My Growth Goal Quarterly Review For Q4 2022 Episode 316: Behind The Scenes Of A $250k Launch (Part 1: Pre-Launch Period) Episode 317: Behind The Scenes Of A $250k Launch (Part 2: Launch Period)

Jul 2, 2023 • 37min
Ep 406: 7 Signs Your Follow Through Problem Is Actually A Planning Problem (best of the podcast)
I recently sent out a Perfectionist Power-Up that resonated with a lot of my email subscribers. It said: “Maybe your follow through problem is actually a planning problem”. So I wanted to record an episode to help you figure out whether this is what’s going on for you. There are a lot of things we can do to help us follow through with our plans consistently. I share many of them on this podcast! But first it’s incredibly important to look at the plans you’re trying to follow through on. Are they making your perfectionist mindset work for you or against you? Are your plans setting you up for success or are they setting you up for failure? I dive into this and more in the episode. Find the full episode transcript and show notes at samlaurabrown.com/episode406. In This Episode You’ll Learn: The hidden reason perfectionists struggle to follow through with their plans Why motivation and willpower aren’t the answers to your follow through problem The most important thing you need to know about struggling to follow through The simple changes to make to your planning process that will set you up for success Featured In The Episode: Join the waitlist for Perfectionists Getting Shit Done (PGSD) - samlaurabrown.com/pgsd Take the perfectionism quiz: samlaurabrown.com/quiz Sign up for daily Perfectionist Power-Ups - samlaurabrown.com/power Follow me on Instagram @perfectionismproject

Jun 25, 2023 • 41min
Ep 405: How To Cure Your Addiction To Feeling Behind (best of the podcast)
While perfectionists want everything in their lives to be perfectly organised, the irony is that they actually stop themselves from creating this reality - without even realising it! And one of the reasons they do this is because of their secret addiction to feeling behind. Most perfectionists would swear that they don’t want to feel behind, so it can be confronting to realise that you might be manufacturing behindness (if that’s a word!) in your life. In this episode I’m talking about why we do this, 2 signs that you’re secretly addicted to chaos and what to do about it. In This Episode You’ll Learn: Why perfectionists can become addicted to feeling behind The sneaky ways perfectionists make themselves feel more behind The real reason you never feel completely organised How feeling behind is secretly serving you Two ways that the addiction to feeling behind manifests for perfectionists How to stop being addicted to feeling behind Featured In The Episode: Join the waitlist for Perfectionists Getting Shit Done (PGSD) - samlaurabrown.com/pgsd Sign up for daily Perfectionist Power-Ups - samlaurabrown.com/power Follow me on Instagram @perfectionismproject