Trust the Process and Let It Flow
The waitlist went live last week. After years of rethinking, rebuilding, and quietly questioning whether he was the right person to build it at all — Daniel Schaab's creative collective finally exists outside of his own head.
He tells us this almost in passing, the way you mention something you're still getting used to. Then he moves on, because that's how Daniel talks. Not backward, not forward. Just right here, right now.
Who is Daniel, and what's the version of life you've designed for yourself in Bali?
To be honest, I still don't fully know yet. It's a question that often surfaces in my subconscious, and I've been sitting with it for years. Maybe the not-knowing is part of the journey. What I do know is that I love connecting people, sharing creativity, and working on things that genuinely fill me with joy. The last few years have been a real rally of ups and downs — rearranging my idea of what a creative collective could be, rethinking almost every step along the way. There were moments I questioned everything. But each time, something pulled me back. Nowadays, it feels more like going with the flow and being grateful for the opportunities that allow me to do all of this.
Going with the flow. It sounds easy until you realize how much work it takes to actually get there — to stop fighting the current and just move with it. For Daniel, that shift didn't happen overnight. It happened in the gaps between the plans that didn't work out.
What's getting you out of bed right now?
Building the collective. Right now, I wake up every day thinking about how to strengthen our brand, create new materials for the community, and connect with freelancers and clients who align with our vision. Finding the right people, watching all these different creative energies come together — that's what drives me. It's one of those moments where something that lived only in your head for so long suddenly becomes real. People are signing up, responding, engaging. It's a strange and wonderful feeling.
How do you decide what actually makes the cut for your day — especially when everything feels urgent?
I'm someone who plans a lot. Digital notes, paper lists, whiteboards, calendar blocks — I use it all. But things don't always happen exactly as planned. And for a long time, that gap between plan and reality would frustrate me. I'd end the day feeling behind, even when I'd actually done meaningful work. What I'm really learning to do is listen to my creative instincts. What feels right today? What am I naturally drawn to? Most of the time, it feels almost automatic — I start working on something without overthinking it and then realize: yes, this was the right place to begin.
Today, he tells us, he finished a client project in the morning, went to the gym, came back, and asked himself what would feel good to start the afternoon with. The answer was this interview. There's something quietly satisfying about that.
"There was a lot of motion, but not always a lot of direction."
When the structure finally arrived — in the form of The Goal Planner — what changed wasn't just productivity. It was the relationship between intention and action.
Before you found the Goal Planner, what felt off about the way you were planning your days before?
No real habit, and no single place where I could collect my thoughts or tasks. It was random paper notes scattered everywhere. Ideas would come and go without being captured properly. Tasks would slip through the cracks — not because I forgot them, but because they were buried under layers of other notes, other urgencies, other days.
What part of the planner do you keep coming back to?
The reflection pages. I loved checking in with myself and asking whether I was still on track. And the SMART goal section — revisiting what I was actually working toward, reminding myself why I'd started certain things in the first place. It made planning feel more purposeful, not just productive.
What's one thing you notice differently about your days now?
Honesty, with myself, about my tasks. I didn't reach every goal I set during my time with the planner, but I reached many of them. The biggest realization came from the 'T' in SMART goals — time-based. Some of my goals were realistic and achievable, but the timelines weren't always grounded. Some things simply needed more space. I'm much more conscious now about what's truly in scope and what isn't.
We expected him to talk about growth targets. Client acquisition. Scaling the collective. Instead, he said this:
This might sound a little out of the box, but one of my biggest goals right now is to trust more, and to release my grip on the things that come and go. I've been focusing on moving forward day by day, following my vision, and trusting that the external results will follow. More than anything, I want to be more present in the now, rather than always living a few steps ahead. I've noticed that when I'm too focused on the destination, I miss what's actually happening — the small wins, the unexpected connections, the moments that end up mattering most.
How has your definition of success changed — between who you were ten years ago and who you are now?
For a long time, I was chasing validation and appreciation — from friends, family, business partners, from the world in general. I remember periods where I was doing well on paper but felt hollow inside, because the benchmarks I was hitting were never really mine to begin with. Now, at 28, building a collective with 20+ freelancers, collaborating with people I genuinely admire, and still learning every day — success feels completely different. The goalposts were always moving anyway. I'd reach something and immediately look for the next level, the next version of 'enough.' At some point I had to ask: if I keep living in the next chapter, when do I actually get to live? For me today, success is waking up grateful to be here. It's feeling free, stepping outside the narrow lanes so many people confine themselves to, and knowing my own mind a little better each day.
It's a question worth sitting with. Not just for him — for anyone building something and wondering when it will finally feel like enough.
About The Author
Chrysti Luckynelly is the Co-founder and Creative Director of The Self Hug, driven by a deep passion for community and the belief that the simplest daily tools can create the most meaningful change. These community interviews are a natural extension of that mission, a chance to listen closely and bring real stories to the surface. Rooted in the same practices she helps design, she approaches each conversation the way she approaches creativity: with curiosity, intention, and a genuine investment in the people behind the journey.
