What Calm Business does

Calm Business (legally Kerstin Martin Studio LLC) is a privately held, founder-operated online education company founded in 2014 and based in Lynden, Washington. It designs and sells self-study courses, digital workbooks, and an analog business planner aimed at solopreneurs who want to build online businesses without hustle culture or manipulative marketing. The company was founded by Kerstin Martin, a late-bloomer entrepreneur and former Squarespace designer with 11+ years of experience, and operates as a one-woman business supported by a part-time virtual assistant and a contracted business manager.

The product portfolio is anchored by three core self-study courses — Calm Email Marketing, Calm Course Creator, and Calm Business Foundation (the last launched in January 2025) — sold through a Squarespace-hosted e-commerce site with optional access to a Skool-based support community. Adjacent digital products include the Calm Authority Planner ($27.50), Course Content Planner ($27.50), Planner Bundle ($45), and the 10-step Calm Business Review workbook (free PDF or $10.75 printed). The Eule Planner, an analog annual business planner manufactured in the USA and protected by a registered USPTO trademark, is the company's flagship physical product and has sold out in recent editions. The full business — website, email marketing, course delivery, commerce, and analytics — runs on Squarespace, with Termageddon, Usercentrics, QuickBooks, and Dext supporting compliance and finance.

Calm Business generates revenue primarily through one-time course and product sales, supplemented by paid Ask Me Anything consultations ($350 value, currently paused) and a free Calm Letters newsletter that delivers a 20% course discount and free lessons. The company has been bootstrapped and profitable, generating consistent six-figure revenue since 2019 without paid advertising, and grew an organic email list to 5,000+ subscribers by end of 2024. The founder filed a USPTO trademark for the 'Calm Business' brand name in classes 009 and 041 and registered 'Eule Planner.' As of March 2025, the founder is on a planned sabbatical through Fall 2026, with courses and the support community remaining active.

Name

Calm Business

Legal name

Kerstin Martin Studio LLC

Website

https://calmbusiness.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Calm Business is a founder-operated online education company that sells self-study courses, digital workbooks, and a physical business planner to solopreneurs seeking ethical, low-hustle approaches to running online businesses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Business Education for Solopreneurs

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marketing, Branding & Sales Skills (EDAMAHAG), Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days) (EDAMAHAB), Financial Literacy, Budgeting & Personal Finance (EDAMAHAE), Entrepreneurship & Small Business Workforce Programs (EDAAAOAM)

Keywords

• Online business courses
• Solopreneur education
• Email marketing training
• Course creation training
• Business planning tools

Headquarters

HQ city

Lynden

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Online Courses: Self-study courses including Calm Email Marketing, Calm Course Creator, and Calm Business Foundation. Sold as digital products directly through the website. One-time purchase model with lifetime access. Optional support group on Skool.
2. Digital Planners and Workbooks: PDF downloads including Calm Authority Planner ($27.50), Course Content Planner ($27.50), and Planner Bundle ($45). Sold directly through the website shop.
3. Printed Eule Planner: Physical analog planner sold directly through the website. The 2026 edition was sold out. Manufactured in the USA.
4. Calm Business Review: Annual business review workbook available as free PDF download or printed version ($10.75 USD, also available in AUD, CAD, EUR, GBP).
5. Ask Me Anything Sessions: One-on-one 60-minute video consultation sessions where Kerstin provides personalized advice on online courses, email marketing, business growth, and technical decisions. Sessions use Zoom.
6. Calm Letters Newsletter: Newsletter subscription offering behind-the-scenes musings, free lessons from courses, 20% discount on courses, and business updates. Includes free lessons from each course.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Calm Business sells self-study online courses (Calm Email Marketing, Calm Course Creator, Calm Business Foundation) that teach solopreneurs how to run calm, ethical online businesses without hustle culture. It complements courses with digital and physical planning tools — the Eule Planner, Calm Authority Planner, Course Content Planner, and the Calm Business Review workbook — plus 1:1 Ask Me Anything consulting and the Calm Letters newsletter.

Product overview

Calm Business is an online education company offering a suite of courses and resources for solopreneurs who want to run ethical, sustainable online businesses without hustle culture. The core product portfolio includes three main self-study courses: Calm Email Marketing (teaching newsletter-based marketing strategies), Calm Course Creator (course creation and launch methodology), and Calm Business Foundation (business operations and structure). The company also sells physical and digital planning products including the Eule Planner (an analog annual planner designed for entrepreneurs), Calm Authority Planner, Course Content Planner, and the Calm Business Review (an annual business review workbook available as PDF or printed edition). Additional offerings include Ask Me Anything consultations, free tools like the Course Revenue Calculator and Monthly Reminders email service, and the Calm Letters newsletter. The business model emphasizes ethical marketing, gentle growth strategies, and courses are available via self-study with optional support group access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Eule Planner®: An analog business planner designed specifically for entrepreneurs, featuring annual, monthly and weekly calendars, checklists, notes pages, and tracking charts. Launched in 2019.
• Calm Letters
• Calm Business Review
• Calm Authority Planner
• Course Content Planner

Products and services

• Calm Email Marketing An online course teaching solopreneurs how to build a trust-building newsletter, automated evergreen funnels, and launch emails that convert loyal subscribers into customers without high-pressure FOMO tactics.
• Calm Course Creator An online course that walks solopreneurs through refining their course idea, building course content, designing student transformations, and implementing a calm launch plan to grow revenue beyond client work.
• Calm Business Foundation An online course covering the structural foundations of running an online business, including legal, finance, systems, and time management essentials that turn a hobby into a stable business.
• Eule Planner An analog annual business planner designed specifically for entrepreneurs, featuring annual, monthly, and weekly calendars, checklists, notes pages, and tracking charts for blog posts, newsletters, social media stats, and income/expenses. Sold as a printed physical planner, manufactured in the USA.
• Calm Business Review A 10-step annual business review workbook for solopreneurs covering Annual, Values, Marketing, Tech, Money, Energy, Skills, Goals + Actions, a yearly word, and a Summary + Declaration, plus 12 monthly trackers. Available as a free PDF download and as a printed workbook (USD 10.75; also AUD, CAD, EUR, GBP).
• Calm Authority Planner A 19-page US Letter PDF workbook helping solopreneurs become recognized experts in their field, with 8 modules covering naming authority, honing skills, community engagement, content tips, and authority-building strategies.
• Course Content Planner A PDF planner that helps course creators organize and structure their course content throughout the course creation process.
• Ask Me Anything (AMA) Session A 60-minute one-on-one video consultation with Kerstin Martin for personalized help with online courses, memberships, email marketing, marketing strategy, business logistics, organization, and growth, delivered via Zoom with screen share.

Quantifiable outcome

• Steady six-figure annual course business revenue achieved without paid advertising
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SquarespacecoreTechnology or IntegrationPrimary technology platform for the entire business. Squarespace hosts the website, email marketing (Campaigns), online courses, digital commerce, and analytics. The founder is a recognized Squarespace expert and Circle member. Uses affiliate links to promote Squarespace.
• TermageddoncoreTechnology or IntegrationPrivacy policy generator service providing automated policy updates. The founder is an affiliate and promotes Termageddon to her audience. Policies are essential for the business's legal compliance.
• Tom MartinminorOthersPhotographer who took photos of Kerstin Martin featured on the website.
• Valerie DayminorOthersPhotographer who took photos of Kerstin Martin featured on the website. Also collaborated on 'Art as Resistance' webinar.
• Bayley CourtlandminorOthersPhotographer who took photos of the Eule Planner featured on the website.
• Jig CreativeminorOthersLogo designer who created the Calm Business logo. Led by Joanie.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Marie Forleo (B-School): Marie Forleo's B-School is a flagship online business education program targeting aspiring and established online entrepreneurs. It is directly comparable to Calm Business in audience (solopreneurs), format (self-paced video courses with workbooks), and positioning (building a meaningful online business), though with a much larger scale and more mainstream brand.
• Amy Porterfield: Amy Porterfield is a leading online course creation educator selling courses, podcast content, and digital products to entrepreneurs who want to build and launch their own online courses. She overlaps directly with Calm Course Creator in subject matter and target buyer, though with a more aggressive launch style.
• Natalie Franke: Natalie Franke is an educator and community builder for creative entrepreneurs, with courses, memberships, and content focused on building sustainable small businesses. Comparable to Calm Business in target market (creative solopreneurs) and educational offering, with a stronger emphasis on community events.
• Jenna Kutcher: Jenna Kutcher is an online business educator and course creator serving entrepreneurs and creatives, with courses on marketing, business building, and personal branding. She is comparable to Calm Business in audience and product format, with comparable course + podcast + community model.
• Melyssa Griffin: Melyssa Griffin is an online business educator selling courses on building and growing online businesses, with a focus on audience growth and product ecosystems. She targets a similar solopreneur demographic and offers a comparable mix of courses, digital products, and community.
• Paige Brunton: Paige Brunton is an online business educator for slow-growth, values-aligned entrepreneurs, selling courses and digital products. She is one of the closest philosophical peers to Calm Business — anti-hustle, gentle growth, values-driven — and operates in the same niche and price range.
• Holly Haynes: Holly Haynes (Club Nouveau) teaches female entrepreneurs how to scale service-based businesses without hustle, with courses, masterminds, and digital products. She is closely comparable to Calm Business in target audience (women solopreneurs), product type (courses + planners/tools), and anti-hustle, calm-growth philosophy.
• James Wedmore: James Wedmore is a long-running online business educator selling courses on mindset, marketing, and course creation to entrepreneurs. He competes directly with Calm Course Creator and Calm Email Marketing in the 'how to build and market an online course' niche, at a larger scale.

Broad incumbents

• Squarespace: Squarespace is the technology platform that powers Calm Business's website, email marketing, course delivery, and commerce. While not a direct competitor, it is an enabling incumbent partner; the founder is a recognized Squarespace expert and Circle member, and affiliate revenue from Squarespace is part of the business model.

Others

• Teachable: Teachable is an online course platform that competes with Squarespace Courses and is referenced in Calm Business's own Course Revenue Calculator. It is an adjacent ecosystem participant — not a direct competitor, but part of the platform landscape the founder helps her audience navigate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/kerstinmartin
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/calmcoursecreator

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Calm Business