In this episode, we sit down with Melissa Litchfield, founder of Litchfield Media Co. She is a seasoned ads strategist with nearly seven years of experience helping entrepreneurs and online coaches grow their businesses through paid advertising. Melissa breaks down one of the most misunderstood tools in the online business world — Meta ads — and why they're more important than ever in today's unpredictable social media landscape. From the rented land of Instagram to building an audience you actually own, Melissa walks us through what it really takes to run ads that work and how to know when you're truly ready.

Melissa also talks about the full picture of a lead magnet funnel — from attracting cold traffic to nurturing new leads with an email sequence — and unpack the biggest mistakes business owners make along the way. Whether you've never touched Ads Manager or you've tried ads before and walked away frustrated, this conversation meets you where you are. Melissa shares how to lay the right technical foundation, how to avoid the most common setup errors, and why working with an expert (even just for an hour) can save you thousands of dollars and months of wasted effort.

What you'll walk away with:

1. Why ads are a tool that amplifies what's already working — not a magic fix — and how to know when your foundation is ready
2. The three most common lead magnet mistakes and how to calculate whether yours is actually converting
3. What a simple, effective landing page and email nurture sequence should include (and how many emails to start with)
4. How to choose the right ad objective so Meta is actually sending you real leads — not just clicks
5. Practical first steps for getting your Meta Business Portfolio set up correctly before you ever spend a dollar on ads

Links & Resources

Take Your Shot:

1. Business Resources: https://takeyourshotcollective.com/business-resources
2. Coaching: https://takeyourshotcollective.com/coaching

Melissa Litchfield – Litchfield Media:

1. Website: www.litchfieldmedia.org
2. Instagram: www.instagram.com/litchfieldmedia
3. Free Resource — Roadworthy in 48 Hours (Meta Business Portfolio Setup Guide): https://litchfieldmedia.org/roadworthy
4. Sign Up for the Test Drive Ad Sprint (Live Challenge – $97): https://takeyourshot--litchfieldmedia.thrivecart.com/test-drive-ad-sprint-live/