Business Growth & Marketing Strategies for Women Entrepreneurs Working 9-5: Clocked OUT

👉 Ready to build consistent $10K months without sacrificing more hours after your 9-to-5? Save your seat in my FREE HERE

What happens when you get laid off before you're ready to quit your nine-to-five? And what if finally having the freedom to work on your business means you're working MORE than you ever did in corporate? 

On this episode of Clocked Out, I'm sitting down with my girl Andrea Huertas Meza, founder of Merveille Creative Studios and the creative genius behind the Clocked Out website and sales funnel pages. Almost two years ago, Andrea went from corporate web designer to full-time entrepreneur after an unexpected layoff — and she's sharing the founder stories, lessons, and reality checks she wishes she'd known before making the leap.

We're talking about what it actually looks like to go from collecting a steady paycheck to being responsible for generating every dollar yourself, why having more time doesn't automatically mean having more freedom, and the business lessons you sometimes have to learn the hard way.

If you're dreaming about leaving corporate, building a business on the side, or figuring out your next move after being laid off with no job lined up, this conversation is for you.

In this episode, we're getting into:

• What it's really like to go from corporate to entrepreneur when a layoff forces your hand before you're financially or mentally ready.
• Why quitting your corporate job doesn't automatically give you time freedom — and how Andrea ended up working 10–12-hour days.
• The difference between making $10K in revenue and actually being profitable (because revenue is cute, but what are you keeping, babe?).
• The pricing and business model lessons Andrea learned while growing her web design studio.
• Why community, networking, and surrounding yourself with the right people can make or break your entrepreneurial journey.
• How to approach failure as an opportunity to improve instead of a reason to quit.
• The reality of time management, setting boundaries, and learning when to clock out when YOU are the boss.
• Why you don't have to rush out of your nine-to-five to start building something of your own.

Ready to build a business that pays you while you're still on payroll?

Join my FREE live masterclass for women building businesses alongside their nine-to-five. We're breaking down the five things your business needs to create consistent $10K months without adding more hours to your already packed schedule.

👉 Save your seat at masterclass.clockedout.media.

Connect with Andrea:

🌐 Check out her Website
📲 Instagram: @merveillecs

Ready to build the business that replaces your 9-to-5?

 Join us inside the Clocked Out Collective at start.clockedout.media.

Free 5-Minute Training

Every woman I know who successfully built a business while working a 9-to-5 followed the same four steps — and almost all of them tried to skip step one.

So I created a free 5-minute training specifically for the woman who is still clocking into work every day while trying to build something bigger on the side.

➡️ Watch the free training here

👀 Join the Clocked Out Collective 

ClockedOUT is a business and productivity podcast for the high-achieving female entrepreneur building a side hustle while working a 9-to-5. Each week we deliver business building tips, work-life balance and self-care strategies, and real talk on hustle culture so you can grow your business, hit new revenue milestones, and beat burnout while still on payroll.

Follow us on Instagram: @clockedout.media

👀 Turn Your Offer Into a 24/7 Sales System in 90 Days. Join my FREE Sales While You Work Masterclass. 

 Your funnel isn't your sales system, babe. 👀 You can have all the landing pages, email sequences, and automations in the world and still make $0.

In this episode of Clocked Out, I'm breaking down why your sales funnel might not be converting and how to build a sales system that actually works while you're at your 9-to-5. 

We're talking about the role of messaging, traffic, follow-up, and automation in your sales funnel, why you need a strategy before you start automating everything, and how to make the most of your limited time as a 9-to-5 founder.

In this episode, we're covering:

• The difference between a funnel and a sales system (and why it matters!)
• Why your beautiful funnel might not be making you any money
• How to use automation to save time without automating a broken sales process
• The sales system essentials every 9-to-5 founder needs
• Why the quality of your traffic matters more than the number of clicks
• How to identify where potential clients are dropping off and what to fix first
• Why follow-up is essential for turning interested leads into paying clients
• How to simplify your sales process instead of spending every weekend rebuilding it
• How to build a business that can make sales while you're at your full-time job

Ready to build the business that replaces your 9-to-5?

 Join us inside the Clocked Out Collective at start.clockedout.media.

Free 5-Minute Training

Every woman I know who successfully built a business while working a 9-to-5 followed the same four steps — and almost all of them tried to skip step one.

So I created a free 5-minute training specifically for the woman who is still clocking into work every day while trying to build something bigger on the side.

➡️ Watch the free training here

👀 Join the Clocked Out Collective 

ClockedOUT is a business and productivity podcast for the high-achieving female entrepreneur building a side hustle while working a 9-to-5. Each week we deliver business building tips, work-life balance and self-care strategies, and real talk on hustle culture so you can grow your business, hit new revenue milestones, and beat burnout while still on payroll.

Follow us on Instagram: @clockedout.media

👀 Turn Your Offer Into a 24/7 Sales System in 90 Days. Join my FREE Sales While You Work Masterclass. 

You don’t need to quit your corporate job tomorrow to build a business that makes money. You need a business that can actually work around your 9–5.

Today I am breaking  down the 5 pieces of a Workday Revenue Engine that can help you build a business, manage your limited time, and create sales even when you’re at work.

You’ll learn:

• How to build a business model that fits your capacity
• Why your messaging needs to sell even when you’re offline
• How to create a simple sales machine that doesn’t depend on you
• How to bring in consistent traffic without being online 24/7
• What to optimize so you can grow without constantly starting over

If you’re building a side hustle, working toward income replacement, or wondering how to eventually quit your corporate job, this episode is for you.

🎧 Ready to build a business that works while you work? Let’s get Clocked Out.

Ready to build the business that replaces your 9-to-5?

 Join us inside the Clocked Out Collective at start.clockedout.media.

Free 5-Minute Training

Every woman I know who successfully built a business while working a 9-to-5 followed the same four steps — and almost all of them tried to skip step one.

So I created a free 5-minute training specifically for the woman who is still clocking into work every day while trying to build something bigger on the side.

➡️ Watch the free training here

👀 Join the Clocked Out Collective 

ClockedOUT is a business and productivity podcast for the high-achieving female entrepreneur building a side hustle while working a 9-to-5. Each week we deliver business building tips, work-life balance and self-care strategies, and real talk on hustle culture so you can grow your business, hit new revenue milestones, and beat burnout while still on payroll.

Follow us on Instagram: @clockedout.media

👀 Turn Your Offer Into a 24/7 Sales System in 90 Days. Join my FREE Sales While You Work Masterclass. 

 Building a business while working a 9-to-5 is a completely different mental game.

Today, we're talking about the mindset shifts every 9-to-5 founder needs to make when going from corporate to entrepreneur — without quitting your corporate job before your business is ready.

We're breaking down:

• Time management when you have limited hours
• Why being busy doesn't mean you're growing
• How to stop waiting for permission to make business decisions
• Why your business can't depend on your availability
• How to build systems that work while you're at your 9-to-5
• What it actually takes to work toward income replacement

Your employee skills aren't the problem. You already know how to work hard. The real shift is learning how to decide what work actually matters.

🎧 Ready to make sales while you're still on the clock?

Join the free Sales While You Work Masterclass to learn how to build a 24/7 sales system around your 9-to-5.

And if you're ready to build a business that doesn't depend on your free time, join the Clocked Out Collective.

Ready to build the business that replaces your 9-to-5?

 Join us inside the Clocked Out Collective at start.clockedout.media.

Free 5-Minute Training

Every woman I know who successfully built a business while working a 9-to-5 followed the same four steps — and almost all of them tried to skip step one.

So I created a free 5-minute training specifically for the woman who is still clocking into work every day while trying to build something bigger on the side.

➡️ Watch the free training here

👀 Join the Clocked Out Collective 

ClockedOUT is a business and productivity podcast for the high-achieving female entrepreneur building a side hustle while working a 9-to-5. Each week we deliver business building tips, work-life balance and self-care strategies, and real talk on hustle culture so you can grow your business, hit new revenue milestones, and beat burnout while still on payroll.

Follow us on Instagram: @clockedout.media

👀 How to Turn Your Offer Into a 24/7 Sales System in 90 Days. Join my FREE Sales While You Work Masterclass. 

This will show you how to build a sales system that keeps working behind the scenes while you work your 9 to 5.

You do NOT need more hours in the day. You need to understand your capacity.

If you're a 9 to 5 entrepreneur trying to build your business after work, constantly feeling like there aren't enough hours in the day, babe... we need to talk about your energy, not just your calendar.

Because here's the thing: capacity = time + energy. And if you technically have the time to work on your business but have absolutely no mental or emotional energy left after your 9 to 5, then you don't actually have the capacity.

In this episode, we're talking all things burnout, time management, and what it actually looks like to build a business while working a 9 to 5 without running yourself into the ground.

I’m breaking down how I manage multiple jobs, businesses, relationships, a social life, and still find time to live my life — because I am NOT interested in building a business that requires me to be miserable 24/7.

We’re getting into:

• Why burnout isn't just a time management problem
• The difference between a time audit and an energy audit
• How to figure out your personal “CEO hours”
• Why you shouldn't force yourself to work on your business at a time when your brain is absolutely not cooperating
• How I separate my creative energy from my administrative/operational energy
• Why your business only needs 3–5 things consistently moving it forward
• The “stabilize, simplify, systemize, sustain” framework
• Why constantly operating at 100% is NOT a sustainable business strategy
• How to recognize your personal burnout trigger before you completely crash
• Why relationships can be one of the biggest indicators that you've taken on too much
• How to build a business while you're still working your 9 to 5
• And why you don't necessarily need to quit your corporate job tomorrow to start building the life and business you actually want

Want to go deeper?

Join me for my masterclass where we take this conversation beyond the podcast and actually get into how to create a sustainable rhythm for your business while you're still working your 9 to 5.

If you're a 9 to 5 entrepreneur who wants to build something of your own without completely burning yourself out in the process, come hang with me in the masterclass.

Save your seat and let's get you out of survival mode, babe.

Ready to build the business that replaces your 9-to-5?

 Join us inside the Clocked Out Collective at start.clockedout.media.

Free 5-Minute Training

Every woman I know who successfully built a business while working a 9-to-5 followed the same four steps — and almost all of them tried to skip step one.

So I created a free 5-minute training specifically for the woman who is still clocking into work every day while trying to build something bigger on the side.

➡️ Watch the free training here

👀 Join the Clocked Out Collective 

ClockedOUT is a business and productivity podcast for the high-achieving female entrepreneur building a side hustle while working a 9-to-5. Each week we deliver business building tips, work-life balance and self-care strategies, and real talk on hustle culture so you can grow your business, hit new revenue milestones, and beat burnout while still on payroll.

Follow us on Instagram: @clockedout.media

What if the work ethic you’ve always been praised for is actually the thing pushing you toward burnout?

In this episode  I sits down with Carolyn Troyan, President & CEO of Leadership 360, to talk about burnout, workaholism, and why high achievers can struggle to actually switch off.

They dive into:

• Why being a high achiever can turn into workaholism
• The 3 different ways burnout can show up
• Why time management alone won’t fix burnout
• How to separate your identity from your job
• Small habits that can help you create more balance
• What to consider before leaving your 9 to 5
• How 9 to 5 founders can build a business without recreating the same burnout cycle

If you’re ambitious, building a business, and tired of feeling like you have to choose between success and having a life, this one is for you.

Connect with Carolyn:
Check out Leadership 360

Follow her on LinkedIn

Ready to build the business that replaces your 9-to-5?

 Join us inside the Clocked Out Collective at start.clockedout.media.

Free 5-Minute Training

Every woman I know who successfully built a business while working a 9-to-5 followed the same four steps — and almost all of them tried to skip step one.

So I created a free 5-minute training specifically for the woman who is still clocking into work every day while trying to build something bigger on the side.

➡️ Watch the free training here

👀 Join the Clocked Out Collective 

ClockedOUT is a business and productivity podcast for the high-achieving female entrepreneur building a side hustle while working a 9-to-5. Each week we deliver business building tips, work-life balance and self-care strategies, and real talk on hustle culture so you can grow your business, hit new revenue milestones, and beat burnout while still on payroll.

Follow us on Instagram: @clockedout.media

Building a business is one thing. Building a team is a completely different skill.

If you’re a new entrepreneur, 9–5 founder, or building a side hustle that you eventually want to turn into your full-time business, you might be wondering: When should I hire? How do I know who to hire? What happens when someone isn’t working out? And how do I actually become a good leader?

That’s exactly what I’m talking about in this episode. 

Today I am on my podcast producer's Marie from Your Girl Media's podcast, Your Girl. 

We’re getting into the realities of hiring a team, firing a team, and becoming a better leader as your business grows.

I share my “hire fast, fire faster” philosophy, why I rely heavily on intuition when hiring, how I use 30/60/90-day goals and KPIs to evaluate team members, and why communication and clear expectations are so important.

We also get into the uncomfortable side of leadership: what happens when your team keeps giving you the same feedback, why you sometimes have to look in the mirror as the founder, and how to recognize when the problem might actually be your communication, strategy, or lack of training.

If you’re building your business alongside a 9–5, growing a side hustle, or working toward the day you can quit your corporate job, this episode will give you a lot to think about before you start building your team.

In this episode, I’m sharing:

• When it’s time to hire your first team member
• Why you should hire people who are smarter than you in their area of expertise
• Ericka’s “hire fast, fire faster” approach
• How to use 30/60/90-day goals and KPIs when hiring
• Why intuition and discernment matter when hiring
• The three things Ericka looks for in a potential hire: personality, qualifications, and work ethic
• How to figure out what motivates your team members
• Why referrals and your network can be one of the best ways to find great people
• How to conduct better interviews
• How to professionally fire someone when they aren’t meeting expectations
• Why difficult conversations should happen on a call rather than over email or text
• How clear contracts and expectations can protect everyone
• Why you shouldn’t think of your team as “family”
• What it really means to be a good leader
• Why great leaders need to listen to understand
• How to use feedback from your team to become a better founder
• What it means when multiple team members give you the same feedback
• The importance of training and setting your team up for success
• How leadership changes as your company grows
• Balancing closeness with your team while maintaining your role as CEO
• Why communication and realistic expectations are at the center of hiring, firing, and leadership

Connect with Marie:

🎧Listen to her podcast on how to scale your business: Your Girl 

👉Follow her on instagram: @yourgirlmedia

Ready to build the business that replaces your 9-to-5?

 Join us inside the Clocked Out Collective at start.clockedout.media.

Free 5-Minute Training

Every woman I know who successfully built a business while working a 9-to-5 followed the same four steps — and almost all of them tried to skip step one.

So I created a free 5-minute training specifically for the woman who is still clocking into work every day while trying to build something bigger on the side.

➡️ Watch the free training here

👀 Join the Clocked Out Collective 

ClockedOUT is a business and productivity podcast for the high-achieving female entrepreneur building a side hustle while working a 9-to-5. Each week we deliver business building tips, work-life balance and self-care strategies, and real talk on hustle culture so you can grow your business, hit new revenue milestones, and beat burnout while still on payroll.

Follow us on Instagram: @clockedout.media

Ready to build the business and go from corporate to entrepreneur?
👉 Join the Clocked Out Collective 

What if the business you’re building on the side of your 9–5 could actually put your personal assets at risk?

Because having an LLC, a website, and an Instagram handle does NOT automatically mean your business is legally protected.

In this episode, I’m sitting down with attorney Alexis Campisi of Life and Lemons Legal to have a conversation that every entrepreneur needs to hear: the legal side of building an online business.

If you’re a 9–5 founder, service provider, or entrepreneur building a business on the side, there are some things you need to have in place BEFORE you start scaling.

We’re talking LLCs, business bank accounts, contracts, privacy policies, website compliance, business expenses, brand protection, and so much more.

And if you’re currently running your business off vibes, DMs, and a ChatGPT-generated contract… girl. We need to talk. 😂

Alexis breaks down what you actually need to have in place to protect yourself and your business — and why investing in legal protection now can save you from a MUCH more expensive problem later.

In this episode, we’re talking about:

• Why forming an LLC is one of the first things you should consider when starting a business
• Why you need to separate your personal and business finances
• Why having a business bank account matters
• How to properly document money you put into your business
• Why keeping receipts and documenting business expenses is so important
• What your website legally needs if you collect names, emails, or other customer information
• Privacy policies, terms of use, cookies, and website compliance
• Why your online business may be subject to laws outside of the state you live in
• GDPR and international website compliance
• Why payment processors like Stripe and PayPal care about your website compliance
• Why “vibes and DMs” are NOT enough when it comes to working with clients
• What needs to be included in a solid business contract
• Payment terms, deliverables, revisions, deadlines, and scope of work
• Why vague contract language can come back to bite you
• Liability caps, indemnification, and damages
• Why an attorney-drafted contract can be worth the investment
• Why protecting your brand is about more than just buying a domain and forming an LLC
• The legal mistakes small business owners and online entrepreneurs need to stop making

My biggest takeaway from this conversation?

Cheap is expensive.

You can spend the money to legally protect your business now, or you can potentially spend WAY more later dealing with a lawsuit, dispute, compliance issue, or a contract that doesn’t actually protect you.

As entrepreneurs, we’re so focused on making money, signing clients, creating content, and growing the business that we sometimes forget about the boring stuff behind the scenes.

But the boring stuff matters.

If you’re serious about turning your side hustle into a real business, this is a conversation you need to have sooner rather than later.

Connect with Alexis:

Follow her on Instagram: @lifeandlemonslegal

Her website

Disclaimer: This episode is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Every business and situation is different, so please consult a qualified attorney and/or tax professional for advice specific to your circumstances.

Ready to build the business that replaces your 9-to-5?

 Join us inside the Clocked Out Collective at start.clockedout.media.

Free 5-Minute Training

Every woman I know who successfully built a business while working a 9-to-5 followed the same four steps — and almost all of them tried to skip step one.

So I created a free 5-minute training specifically for the woman who is still clocking into work every day while trying to build something bigger on the side.

➡️ Watch the free training here

👀 Join the Clocked Out Collective 

ClockedOUT is a business and productivity podcast for the high-achieving female entrepreneur building a side hustle while working a 9-to-5. Each week we deliver business building tips, work-life balance and self-care strategies, and real talk on hustle culture so you can grow your business, hit new revenue milestones, and beat burnout while still on payroll.

Follow us on Instagram: @clockedout.media

Ready to build the business and go from corporate to entrepreneur?
👉 Join the Clocked Out Collective 

What if you’re not broke… your money just already has a job? 👀

If you’re a 9-5 founder building a business while still clocking into your day job, you’ve probably had that moment where the group chat starts planning brunch, a girls’ trip, a birthday dinner, or a wedding and you’re like…

“Girl… I love you. But absolutely not.” 

And then comes the guilt.

In this episode of Clocked Out, we’re talking about why your friendships can start to feel more expensive when you’re building a business on the side — and why saying no doesn’t mean you’re broke, cheap, or that you don’t care about your friends.

Because here’s the thing:

Every dollar has a job.

When you’re self-funding your business, that extra $300 sitting in your account might not actually be “extra.” It might already be assigned to inventory, your website, your team, marketing, savings, or whatever else you’re building behind the scenes.

And nobody else gets to decide whether that job is important enough for you to change it.

In this episode, I’m breaking down how I’ve had to rethink my own spending while building Silkenn and Clocked Out, why I stopped asking myself “Can I afford this?” and started asking “What is this dollar already doing?”, and how to say no without turning your financial decisions into a full-blown group chat presentation.

Because babe, you do not need to send your friends a spreadsheet of your finances just because you said no to brunch. 😂

In this episode, we’re talking about:

• Why your money feels tighter when you're building a side hustle or business on top of your 9-to-5
• The difference between redirected money and missing money
• Why discretionary income stops feeling so discretionary when you’re self-funding a business
• The “Every dollar has a job” mindset
• How to decide whether you can actually afford an invitation
• Why building a business can change your social life — even when your friendships haven’t changed
• The difference between a financial “no” and a time “no”
• How time management and money management are surprisingly similar for the 9-to-5 founder
• Why you don’t need to over-explain your financial decisions
• How to protect your relationships while still protecting your business
• What to say when you need to turn down an expensive invitation
• Why this season of saying no won’t last forever
• How building strategically now can help you eventually quit your corporate job and create the freedom-filled life you actually want

Ready to build the business that replaces your 9-to-5?

 Join us inside the Clocked Out Collective at start.clockedout.media.

Free 5-Minute Training

Every woman I know who successfully built a business while working a 9-to-5 followed the same four steps — and almost all of them tried to skip step one.

So I created a free 5-minute training specifically for the woman who is still clocking into work every day while trying to build something bigger on the side.

➡️ Watch the free training here

👀 Join the Clocked Out Collective 

ClockedOUT is a business and productivity podcast for the high-achieving female entrepreneur building a side hustle while working a 9-to-5. Each week we deliver business building tips, work-life balance and self-care strategies, and real talk on hustle culture so you can grow your business, hit new revenue milestones, and beat burnout while still on payroll.

Follow us on Instagram: @clockedout.media

Ready to build the business and go from corporate to entrepreneur?
👉 Join the Clocked Out Collective

You can have every hour on your calendar blocked off and still burn out, because time was never the full equation.

In this episode, I’m joined by my longtime friend and podcast producer, Marie Walker from Your Girl Media and host of the podcast Your Girl , for a conversation about capacity, burnout, time management, productivity, and what it actually takes to build a business while working a 9-to-5.

We’re breaking down why having more time doesn’t automatically mean you have more capacity—and why your energy might be the missing variable in your work-life balance.

If you’re a female entrepreneur trying to build your business after work, constantly feeling behind, or wondering why your carefully planned CEO hours aren't actually working, this episode is for you.

In this episode, we’re talking about:

• Why capacity = time + energy and how this changes the way you think about burnout
• Why a traditional time audit isn't enough—and why you need to audit your energy, too
• How to figure out when your actual CEO hours are based on your energy, not someone else's productivity schedule
• The difference between creative energy and operational energy
• How to create low-resistance rhythms and systems that actually work for YOUR life
• Why your systems don't need to look pretty to be effective
• How to stop confusing being busy with actually being productive
• Why constantly operating at 100% is not a sustainable way to build a business
• The four-step capacity ladder: stabilize, simplify, systemize, sustain
• How to identify the commitments you've outgrown and finally give yourself permission to say no
• The 3–5 things that actually move your business forward every week
• How to recognize your personal burnout triggers before you completely crash and burn
• Why protecting your relationships can be one of the biggest indicators that you've reached your limit
• And why creating a sustainable rhythm will always outperform constantly trying to do more

The biggest takeaway?

Your business does NOT need every ounce of your energy.

You don't need to be working every available hour. You don't need a 15-step morning routine, a million productivity apps, or a perfectly optimized calendar.

You need to understand your capacity.

Because when you know where your time and energy actually go, you can build a business that fits into your life instead of creating another full-time job for yourself.

And babe, we're not doing that.

Connect with Marie, my producer:

🎙Want more? Listen to her business podcast helping scale entrepreneurs to their next level: Listen to Your Girl podcast 

👉 Follow her and DM her on Instagram: @yourgirlmedia 

👉 Check out her website

Ready to build the business that replaces your 9-to-5?

 Join us inside the Clocked Out Collective at start.clockedout.media.

Free 5-Minute Training

Every woman I know who successfully built a business while working a 9-to-5 followed the same four steps — and almost all of them tried to skip step one.

So I created a free 5-minute training specifically for the woman who is still clocking into work every day while trying to build something bigger on the side.

➡️ Watch the free training here

👀 Join the Clocked Out Collective 

ClockedOUT is a business and productivity podcast for the high-achieving female entrepreneur building a side hustle while working a 9-to-5. Each week we deliver business building tips, work-life balance and self-care strategies, and real talk on hustle culture so you can grow your business, hit new revenue milestones, and beat burnout while still on payroll.

Follow us on Instagram: @clockedout.media