My favourite mindset books.

In this blog, I will share my favourite mindset books. As an entrepreneur I have come to realise that mindset and looking after my mental health is probably one of the most important things for me to concentrate on.

Mental health is becoming easier to talk about and discuss, we still have a long way to go though! I think most business owners would agree with me that you become so self-aware as a business owner. You need to know your strengths and weaknesses. You need to toughen up quick, as rightly so you are not for everyone.

For me, the hardest part as been learning to switch off. It is easy with a carer. You leave work and for most people it is done and over with. I think as I was teaching before and would take so much work, problems home with me I unknowingly had set myself u as a person not easily able to shut off.

Self-love, self-care and mental health my sound a little hippy and people don’t fully understand the importance of it. I believe we should spend as much effort on our mental well being as we do our physical. It plays a part in every part of our lives and how we show up daily.

So here goes I am sharing my favourite mindset books. I have broken them into different areas. Hopefully, there is something for everyone! I would love to know your favourites, always searching for new mindset books!

I listen to most of mine on audible. There is always a motivational mindset book I am listening to. I start my morning with a shower and getting ready while also listening along. It always sets me up in a great mood for the day. I mainly notice on the days I am rushing and didn’t listen to it. Also wanted to tell you this as I can’t guarantee it will be as motivational in book form. I have heard that some are from ones I have gifted.

General mindset books

Girl wash your face. I have heard a few negatives things lately about Rachel Hollis. Something to do with her new book and getting a divorce. Personally, I feel this is a great motivational book. It is great for newer mindset readers. She is a great motivational speaker herself and very good at pumping you up. I love the audible version as it is her reading and it definitely is a great morning boost.

The path made clear. I love this one for inspiration. If you get motivated by others achievements and stories this is definitely one for you. I mean come on who doesn’t love Oprah!

Everything is Figureoutable: Again another starter motivational one. This book made me realise how I do already have this attitude and mindset. Say yes, then figure out how to get it done after. With most motivational books the stuff said is pretty common knowledge. I think the beauty of these books though is hearing it and reminding yourself daily.

Business mindset books

Crushing it: I just love Gary v, I love a straight talker! Gary has a great way of looking at business. Serve and do what you love sums up most of it. He is not for everyone as he is a believer in work hard and hustle. Which I know triggers some people. He is clear though; he is saying if you want to be a millionaire or have an amazing business, then you know what you have to show up daily and do the work! I totally agree with him. If you need a kick up the butt and you can take some home truths this is the book for you!

High performance habits: This book made me look at my daily habits, my attitude and how I run my business as a whole. Full of great tips and insights. Definitely worth a read for any business owners out there.

Miracle morning: This is a great one for now. This book is a life changer if you are just not the organised on the ball type! My scattery creative brain needs discipline! I am easily distracted and will spend all day designing weddings, ordering samples, all the good stuff! So for me this changed everything, having a good set routine in the morning, which does change from day to day, sets my day u right and I am ready to go. It has made me develop my timetable even more and I so productive now. even the not so fun stuff!

Money mindset

Get rich lucky bitch: Full disclosure, this book is a little woo woo! By this I mean, ask the universe vibe. There is a lot of practical information though and enjoyed it a lot more the second time around. It is good for really understanding your money story and blocks, mindset issues you have.

You are a badass at making money I love this book for a kick up the butt, stop making excuses motivation! It is great on audible and definitely a motivational morning book to get you going! If you need good talking to or love a motivational story or two this is the money book for you.

Complete Guide to Money: this is great for sorting out your finances. Getting to grips with debt or never getting into it. Also setting yourself up for the future. His other books and podcast are wealth of financial knowledge.

Favourite for health mindset

Not a diet book: I love James! Again, another straight talker like Gary V. This book is great for going back to basics with weight loss and fitness. Move more and eat less and as he famously says ‘calorie fucking deficit!. I needed this book to get me to stop over complicating things, trying to live my life like when I was at my fittest when I needed to start from the beginning again.

The sleep revolution: This is a good book to get you thinking about your sleep. I use to stay up late to be up early the next morning. Always a little tired but never really thought much about it. Sleep is so important for a healthy lifestyle.

The little book of hygge: This one I haven’t actually read but just bought as highly recommended. so, I thought I would drop it here also. I will be starting soon so will let you all know if it lives up to the hype of living a more relaxed, happy life.

I hope you found this blog useful. If you get one of these books and enjoy it then make you let me know. Also, share your favourites below in the comments.

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Boho wedding with an industrial twist styled shoot. The city centre venue was Lock 91 in Deansgate Manchester. It is a lovely little venue and the whole three floors including roof garden can be hired for the perfect quirky wedding venue. 

Boho wedding Styled shoot

The venue

The venue has so many quirky features. It has an old-style pub feel but with an industrial twist. A great choice if you want the industrial feel but ready to fully commit. With all three floors you have lots of choices to make the day personal and really put your stamp on the place. Because of the chilled vibe but industrial features it felt only right to be the venue for our boho industrial Manchester wedding styled shoot.

We took along our hexagon arch, how perfect does it look in this setting? When I am involved in a styled shoot I always like to try something new. I roped Lucy at Little white attic, she is one insanely talented macrame maker. I explained my version and oh boy did she come through! Honestly, I was blown away! Just from me explaining what I wanted and send some dimensions, I hadn’t even made the arch to send pics!!!!

The Cake

So, I think I may say this on every shoot blog but the thing I love most about shoots is sending over my design boards and letting the suppliers get creative and then seeing what they have created on the day. Another wow factor of the day was the cake from urban cake house. Lisa again more than smashed the brief, this cake was epic! I don’t like to use that word often as so over said but there is no other explanation for this beauty!

Check out the awesome video created on the day, I just love watching it! more inspiration for styling the perfect boho wedding!

We had an amazing team of suppliers, I am always so thankful for the effort and creativity they bring! This was featured over on Boho weddings go check out the feature now!

Go check them all out!

Facilitator: The Urban Wedding Company
Concept & Design: Zoey Louise design
Planner: Michelle Amy Weddings
Cake: Urban Cake House
Photographer: Emma Boyle Photography
Makeup: Makeup by Lauren Poole
Hair: Eve bower
Videographer: Jen Amelia Film
Stationery: Raspberry Toast
Wedding dresses: The Conscious Bride
Accessories: Fancy Boutique
Leather Jacket: Sammy Leas Retro
Pillows: Raggle taggle
Macrame: Little white attic
Venue: Lock 91 in Manchester
Flowers: Perfect bouquet full of flowers
Model – Charlotte

So this is a new thing! Not yearly goal setting, I have always believed in goal setting in my business! I probably always have in ways goal set every year. Especially at uni. What is new and honestly a little scary is this goal setting blog!

2021 is in some ways going to be the hardest year for me to set goals. As 2020 was so all over the place! It started so amazingly, more than on track and then March wow! It is something we couldn’t predict! When setting 5/10 year goals I always have in my head we can’t control factors that may come up so these are goals that are fluid. My yearly goals I am usually more set on, a little too strict I would say. 2020 has definitely taught I can’t be so strict!

I have my yearly goals set for 2021 and they are not as strict as normal. I do have a financial goal also and I might start doing monthly income reports for my blogs. Reading other income reports has become a little obsession lately! I love others achieving their goals and love being able to go back see how they built on it month after month right from the beginning! I think I would like that to have a look back on myself and hopefully, it will help others in the future like the ones I have read helped me!

2021 yearly goal setting!

Anyway back to planning 2021 and my yearly goals. So it feels a little like my first year in business all over again, I am not going to lie! With only designing 2 weddings at the beginning of last year I feel like I haven’t really done much. Also, I have changed so much in the way the business is going! What I want and the future I want!

So, for the new people, you may not know I have had a complete rebrand. New name and all! This took me sooooo long to get around to and I am glad! I know what I want now with this part of the business and this new blog is so widely different from the last. I want to make it my space of the internet and of course share weddings and event design tips and promote my design business. However, I want it to be more of a journal. Sharing what it is like to really run a wedding design business. Sharing behind the scenes and my lifestyle.

Also, share business advice, I am far from an expert but I have taken all the course, yes all! (learning addict) I love to learn and have learnt so much over the last 4 years I want to be able to help anyone who may be feeling a little lost or just starting out. I also plan on interviewing the experts and colleges in the wedding industry to hear their business journey and give their top tips.

I took Lisa Johnson’s passive course this year also as adding passive items into my business was something I was already considering. With COVID-19 it gave me the time to push it forward. I am going to do a full, honest review of the course at some point soon. I want to implement a few more of the teachings first. This course and my research into passive ideas really changed my mindset towards my business. Don’t get me wrong I love designing weddings and events! However, my long time goals are to travel the world! By yacht, but that’s a blog for another time!

When I looked at my business model and my plans for scaling, I realised that I wasn’t building a business to support this dream. Also, in 2019 my mum had a stroke and I just stopped working on my business for months! It had a huge impact and have been playing catch up ever since! Taking time away and still earning is my goal this year!

I am telling you all this as it all plays a part in my 2021 goals. I have changed so much of my business model it is why along with the dreaded ‘C’ I feel like the first proper year in business this year! Which means I have my drive, focus, passion and excitement back! The ones I felt 4 years ago! Okay, Zoey. Shut up we know your life story just tell us your goals! I hear you!

Business yearly goal setting

Goal 1 – Do less weddings

This was a goal I had for 2020 also! be careful what you wish for hay! It is something I struggled with as doing fewer weddings means charging more! And, not to sound arrogant! I know I am really good at what I do, I make sure I am! Learning constantly, about design, weddings and business. I know my system works for designing a wedding or event that is truly personal. I get to know my clients and couples and have learnt over the years what to pick up on and what questions to ask!

It is the fact that charging more puts me at a higher price point and less accessible to my clients I have now! I started my business wanting design to be available to all couples! Not having to have a cookie-cutter wedding because they can’t afford or don’t wish to hire a designer or stylist! They are left with the DIY option or a venue dresser! Venue dressers are great but you hire their stock, there is no designing involved and it is usually a package that hundreds more have already hired! I want to give the option for weddings of any budget to have a beautifully curated day that is as stylish as it is personal!

Starting The event design toolkit has helped this all fit into place so beautifully! I have my passion back and I get balance and to start building the life of my dreams! The wedding toolkit course will provide couples with all they need to design a wedding of their dreams. With no disasters and no tat or chair covers in site! I can raise my prices without guilt knowing that this way I can actually help more couples and budget will not be a barrier to beautiful design anymore!

So, 6 to 10 weddings a year is my aim! Slowly doing ony full design and limiting it to 4 to 6 a year! If you have been meaning to see if I am free for 2021 or 2022 get in touch!

Goal 2 – Launch course

Launch the wedding design toolkit course! I am thinking I need a better name though! I will have toolkit out already! Which is all the spreadsheets, checklists and information you could need to design a wedding, ready to print and go! So, the course definitely needs a different name! Names I am not good at though, so I will definitely need your help with this one! I am hoping September/November time. There is so much to do for it and mix with a crazy wedding season, I hope, I will have to see how it goes! I will at least get the beta course out in 2021 no excuses!

Goal 3 – Blog growth urban

If you don’t know I also run the urban wedding company. A blog for modern stylish couples looking to plan a city-centre wedding. The goal for this is blog growth! I run it alongside Chelle a wedding planner. She is one of the planners I use when you want to add coordination on to your design package. My why I outsourced planning blog explains this properly. We have definitely developed this business and moved things around over the years. I am a big believer in this and I am one of the few that doesn’t agree with the niche down right away parade! Again, I explain it more in my why niching isn’t always the way blog. Because we ran with the idea, analysed and grew and developed from this we now have this amazing blog that fills a huge gap in the market!

Anyway, you may notice I digress a lot! I just know a lot of you will be new readers and want to make sure you understand the path already taken. Honestly, I do this when I am talking though! I can’t keep up with what I am saying myself, god knows how others cope! So with our own businesses and lives, urban needs to work with us, support us without taking over.

With my new found love, passive income, our focus is really pushing the blog. So this year is all about great content we know our readers will love and find useful while planning a wedding. It is also about the numbers, we really want to grow our reach with the blog! Get those reader numbers up and we are going to monetize to with ads. We feel this is the best route for us still to be able to provide amazing content our readers need and it supports our own lifestyles separately.

Goal 4 – Expand Zoey Louise Design

Branch out Zoey Louise design. I want to work with brands and businesses more. As a small business owner myself, I really understand the value of good brand content. I love working on brand shoots. Shoots have always been a huge passion of mine, I feel I get the chance to be more creative, push boundaries more. With weddings and large events, there is always the restriction of guest experience and practicality. For me, the guest experience should be at the front of any event design, with this though it restricts the possibilities in ways you are not restricted on editorial shoots. The goal is to do more shoots and brand events.

Also, I know I can’t fully talk as it took me so long to rebrand and nail mine! But I was always so aware of the impact not rebranding was having on my business. However, even with the brand not how I wanted it I still branded all my content. The experience was always thought out and on brand. Branding is so much more than just a logo! So, I want to develop my digital shop and offer templates for wedding and creative businesses. Like with my other digital items they will be fully customisable to make your own and are the perfect starting point for new business or older ones needing a refresh.

Goal 5 – Digital products

Following on, goal 5 is to really streamline and get some order to my digital shop. This shop is over on Etsy at the moment and is the place to head for DIY stylish wedding and event digital items. It has everything you could need when planning a wedding or event. Well, that’s the plan. It definitely needs some work and my goal is to have this bringing in a steady semi-passive monthly income by the end of the year!

Goal 6 – YouTube

YouTube! This is the one that scares me the most I think! I need to get out my own way and start filming twice-weekly YouTube videos. This is partly as it is the easiest way to give advice and help couples wanting to design their own wedding. It will be a great source of advice for DIYers and anyone planning any event! An enhancement to the event design toolkit blog! Let’s be clear also, I am running a business so it has to be a benefit for my business also or it is just dead time. So for me it a great marketing tool and will hopefully bring me more readers and customers. On a personal note will help with my confidence and public speaking fears!!! Red tomato face anyone else??

2021 yearly goal setting

My six business goals! What do you think? Let me know in the comments or shoot me an email, a message on insta, however you want to connect I would love to! So, as much as I am a workaholic! Life isn’t all about work and business goals. So next I have my 3 lifestyle goals. Then if you are still not bored! I will break this all down into the first-quarter goals and then monthly goals. I will do a monthly recap and let you all know how I am getting on.

Life yearly goal setting

Health yearly goals

So I have really made an effort this last year to work on me and my mindset. I am going to share more on this throughout this year with my favourite mindset books and practises that help me. I want to carry on growing, learning my strengths as a person and how to live a mindful life, where I enjoy every day! This isn’t about fake happiness and positivity! Being present, having gratitude with the day and experiences that happen. I am back to eating healthy, no not a fad diet! I am a big believer in you are what you eat motto! My mood, energy and body feels better when I am thoughtful with what I eat.

Fitness goals

So, kinda ties in with above! But separate also as I want to get back into weight training. Really committing this year and getting back to the body I love! This comes back to mindset above and no I am not saying you have to be skinny to love yourself! I just know I love my body and have more self esteem when I am at my fittest and strongest! I think learning to love yourself you need to love your body and sure getting the right fuel it needs and strengthening it to be at its best is part of this.

Joy yearly goals

Family time! Making more time for Tayha and Ryan. Present time, no phones, no TV! Well, maybe a big screen now and then! I am a self-confessed workaholic! Always have been, I love being focused, blinkering everything else out until I get where or what I want! With business, though this is always growing, changing and I will never get to the finish line.

So, with that I need to learn to switch off and have time away and spend it with the ones I love. I am trying to commit to every Saturday off! That sounds crazy that one day completely off a week is such a hard goal to reach, maybe even the hardest of the year! But like with most hard things I am sure it will be the most rewarding! Weeks when I have weddings this will not be possible I know, but with limiting my weddings now it is also not a huge impact on how many spare weekends I have. I will try to have the Sunday off instead after clear down. Sundays are mainly planning and organising days so I definitely can squeeze that into an hour.

2021 yearly goal setting

Well, I have spilt my 2021 dreams to you all! I hope you enjoyed or found this yearly goal setting blog useful? This is the easy part, daydreaming, setting big goals! The hard part and the only way these will actually come true is to now get focused and put a plan into place! I work in quarters, I think most people do. I then break that down into monthly, weekly and daily tasks! Is my teacher training showing here? I always do feel like I am doing lesson planning a little!

So next we will look at quarter one and January! I will update this blog every month and every quarter so you can all keep me accountable and see how I am getting on. I would love for you all to join in also, share your goals with me. Even better, write your own blog and link it in the comments, I would love to read along with yours also!

Next up I break them into quarter goals/tasks now. What needs to be achieved first to then build on later on in the year. I do my quarter goals at the end of each one. Then add these each quarter to the bottom of the blog. I will also be doing monthly mood blogs. These will go over my monthly goals and again I will add a link here each month so you can catch up no matter what month it is! Each monthly mood also includes a free printable quote!

• January monthly mood!

Quarter 1 goals

• Weddings, for the first quarter I am really streamlining my client process. Making the experience feel even more personal and luxurious. Just like the weddings I design! Adding welcome packs, booking in monthly meeting or calls. Getting super organised and hoping no more cancellations or postponements. Linking back to goal 1 of fewer weddings but higher-end.
• Have the toolkit ready and do a mini launch. 2 weekly bogs to push brand awareness. Goal 2
• Keep working on SEO and Pinterest to keep at 10k monthly views or more. Get ready to apply for an ad company. Goal 3
• 2 weekly blogs, Pinterest and Instagram content. Building my brand in the direction I am heading. Goal 4. Repurpose my streamlining digital items for the Zoey Louise digital shop
• Have 4/5 wedding full digital packages. Have all spreadsheets and checklists up. Seasonal content -Valentine, easter!
• 2 weekly youtube videos. Repurpose blog content or vice versa! 1 DIY/inspo and 1 help or interview.
• Monthly family night and date night. 80% of the time healthy and focusing on mindset.

So that is it for now for my yearly goal setting! keep checking back to see how I am getting on and don’t forget to let me know your yearly goals or link your goal blogs in the comments!

I have the most epic Beauty and the beast wedding styled shoot for you.

This is not your typical Disney version. Moody, decadent, and oh-so-beautiful.

For me, styled shoots are a chance to get creative, push boundaries and show a little bit of my personality.

For the beauty and the beast shoot, I wanted to be able to show that you can have a theme for your wedding.

Without it being overpowering, tacky, full-on, or cheap looking.

Also, show that Disney doesn’t always have to be a pink pretty princess wedding!

Grab my wedding design template I use for real weddings!

A library venue in Manchester city center

It was more about the meaning of the fairy tale rather than the Disney version.

‘Tale As Old As Time’ so of course number one on my list was to find the Old perfect building that had to have a library!

Wow well, I think we hit the jackpot when it came to Chetham School of Music. The oldest building in Manchester and wow what a library it has.

I have mentioned this but I do love a unique building that is either full of character, and history or has some raw natural beauty and this one was just full of all of this.

A metal rose wedding favor

The next thing to include was the Rose, of course, yes we can have red roses in the flowers but come on a little obvious.

We did a bit of searching and digging and I came across the most beautiful metal Roses, these are stunning!

I think they would make the perfect alternative to bridesmaid bouquets and then make the perfect present for your bridesmaids.

Just imagine how beautiful they’re going to look walking down the aisle holding them! Go check them out!

A moody fairy tail wedding

I wanted to show the dark side of the fairy tale but also still hold the beauty behind the story.

I chose to do this with a lot of contrast which again is one of my favorite things. Yes, we had dark linens but I chose rich velvet fabric.

Dark moody flowers in abundance on the table add an opulent feel, amazing as always for Kate. Finished off with a soft chiffon runner and napkins.

Then stone crockery and cut crystal glasses. Kind of like a medieval feast in ways, you can just imagine them sitting around the table like this full of food in the old days…… no just me?

Thinking about having a red wedding color palette? head to the blog now!

Beauty and the best black wedding cake

Then for the cake area, designing a good cake area is so important to me.

I knew I wanted a dark black cake (Lisa did a great job on this!) and something different for the setup.

I have started to fall in love with the increasing number of food platters I saw popping up on Instagram. I knew it would make the perfect addition to the cake area!

Little green platter are a must at your next event!

This carried on the idea of the feast feel from the table styling.

Grab my wedding design template I use for real weddings!

Beauty and the beast wedding styling

Beauty and the Beast is about loving each other for who you are, deep soul love.

Designing people’s weddings is all about finding the inner personality of a couple.

Why do they love each other and then be able to tell that love story to all the guests?

Marni captured all the design and the story of the day. The way she catches light, mood, and moments in a picture is just incredible!

I also have to give a shout-out to the amazing dress and stationery. It was like the dress was made for the shoot, we couldn’t have asked for anything more perfect from Legend Bridal!

The stationery finished the design perfectly, again it fits o well and Frain and Grain more than smashed the brief.

Then the show stopper of the set up was the amazing chandelier, Peters Edison lights adorned with Spanish moss, so dreamy!

I would love to hear your thoughts below on this style, make sure you check out all the suppliers involved.

Grab my wedding design template I use for real weddings!

Hi and welcome to the new look blog for Zoey Louise design. I am a Manchester-based event designer and stylist for creative couples and brands. Helping style-conscious couples and brands tell their story through thoughtful design and styling. I am a Manchester based designer and stylist but cover worldwide.

My mission is to help couples and brands authentically tell their story through design.

Eeeek! I love my new branding! Brand goals or what!!!!! I would love to hear your thoughts so leave me a comment below!

As you will know if you follow me anywhere else. My former name was bespoke events and styling. I never liked the name, I rushed to pick it and but little thought into it except that I wanted the word bespoke. Because I was, and still am, passionate about weddings or any event being personal and showcasing your authentic style!

Picking this new name was sooo hard! I just couldn’t decide! I kept going back to my name though! So, there you have it! Zoey Louise design it is! I honestly love it! Not sure Louise did trying to work with a Z and L with script font!

Now, this has been a long time coming. I have never really liked my branding and it was always a do for now sort of thing. If I am grateful for one thing in lockdown it has been the creative space to really nail my branding.

It’s funny as for me design is about creatively showing your personality in whatever it is you are designing. Telling yours or a story. I tell this to the couples and brands I work with! Here I am with cringeworthy branding and really not living by my own beliefs.

I am a control freak and it took me a while to pick someone, trust someone to do my brand how I want. Louise from fleurir online has been amazing! She got me straight away, got my ideal clients and understood my waffles, which is a hard task in itself! So here is my brand board, so gorgeous!

So, with the new brand come a small change in path. I have come to realise my passion is in the design and style of the wedding. I actually find it really hard to drop items off and walk away, weird I know but I just want to make sure they are placing and using them right! So going forward no more hire items only deign and styling. We will be offering coordination. This will be from one of my planning assistants though! As I know my strengths and timelines, spread sheets and not it! Well, a little lie, I can make a killer spreadsheet and excel sheet! Glad my maths degree comes in handy now and then! I just do not get the joy out of doing them.

The next blog will break down all my packages and how they work. I hope they are more streamlined and have been put together to make the planning process for couples as easy as possible. Also, I have a new website for all my DIY couples. I get so many requests asking about how to’s I thought a new venture/page made sense. Go check The event design toolkit out.

This blog is going to be more lifestyle. Sharing design hints and tips from all aspects of life. More about me, what I am up to. Lot’s of behind the scenes when weddings are back up and running! Also, for my brands following me there will be some business talk! Business is a big part of my lifestyle so would be unnatural to not share more of me and my life without the business chat. If you are a modern couple or brand and looking for help bringing toghter your next event then give me a shout. I love to chat all things design and always happy to jump on a call!