Hi there! I’m Katy Allen, and this is my story…

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been passionate about planning. Planning my days, planning my weeks, planning events, and planning my future! As a result, I’ve had a long-term love affair with paper agendas and notebooks. Walking into a store that carries paper goods is like walking into heaven for me. I love the feel of a fresh notebook or planner, and I feel so inspired by the possibilities one holds! I used to buy a planner every year and did my best to keep up with it, but it never seemed to work out.

My husband is a touring musician, and I sell children’s books online while managing a team of over 2,000 sales consultants. We also have a nine year old, a six year old, and a three year old. Needless to say, our lives can get pretty hectic! I would write things in my paper agenda and get frustrated that my husband couldn’t see what I had going on. Similarly, he would put things in his phone calendar, and I would have to check that as well as my paper planner to avoid scheduling conflicts. This just wasn’t practical, so I eventually went 100% digital for my planning and scheduling needs. Google calendar became like a close friend to me, and my feelings for paper agendas faded… at least for a while.

I still felt a little bummed that I couldn’t make a paper planner work for my life. I would walk into a boutique and see the cute new cover designs for the year or scroll through Instagram and feel a sense of longing for the gorgeous paper agendas that seemed to promise a more fun and inspiring experience. I searched online for a digital calendar that offered a little more style or fun than Google, but I couldn’t find anything. At my daughter’s baby shower, my best friend Heather mentioned that she wished there was a digital version of the popular paper agendas everyone loves to buy. She was speaking my language! Her vocalization of what I had been thinking was the motivation I needed to get started. This product wasn’t out there, so I was going to create it!

Fast forward several years, and this dream has come to life! It’s been a long process and a LOT of work. When I started, I didn’t know a thing about creating a digital product or service. I had to meet with a lot of people, ask a lot of questions and work a lot of long nights, but I wouldn’t change a single minute. Creating Artful Agenda has been the most exciting and rewarding professional experience of my life. It’s my passion project, and nothing makes me happier than watching it help other people live fuller and more inspired lives. I hope you love using it as much as I have loved creating it.

Thank you for reading my story. I cannot wait to hear how Artful Agenda helps you write yours.

Live artfully,

Katy