Dishing Up Digital with Ellen Mackenzie

By Ellen MackenzieBusiness Entrepreneurship

Dishing Up Digital with Ellen Mackenzie episodes

March 30, 2025How to stay consistent when you're busy AF
Guys! I'm so sorry for the lack of podcast last week, but things have been hectic! If you're not aware of what's been going on, well, I've been a busy girl launching my second studio space for MacKenzie Studios. It's been crazy, but I am super proud of everything and would love you to go and have a look at it on Instagram. On top of launching the new studio space, I've still been trucking along with my Dishing up Digital students, Social Media clients and getting my own marketing out into the world. How have I done this you ask? Well, listen to today's episode to hear about what systems I have in place and tips & tricks I use to help me out in these busy times.
Remember:
it's ok to have a break from your own social media
don't over-apologise for having a break
you can't go wrong with having a consistent morning routine in place
discipline is probably more important than motivation
YOU have the power to take action in your own business.
If you have the time, please could you rate and review this podcast or subscribe to it. It really helps us to continue making this free content for you and we just generally appreciate that you would do this for us!
Have a great week guys!
Ellen xx
This episode is sponsored by Trello. Sign up for Trello HERE - it's free to get started!
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Want to get more Ellen or Work with her and her team?
Check out the Dishing Up Digital Agency website for more information and to contact us: https://www.dishingupdigital.com/
Join the Dishing up Digital School: https://www.dishingupdigital.com/courses
Ellen's Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/ellenmackenziee/
Ellen on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ellenmackenzieee?lang=en
Buy Ellen's Book: https://www.ellenmackenzie.com/book
21 min
March 16, 2025Is UGC Content Dead in 2025?
If you're thinking about becoming a UGC creator in 2025, this episode might ruin your day. But I could help you avoid a very big mistake.
We're going to unpack the rise of the UGC industry as well as what I predict could be it's downfall in 2025.
I'm also going to share what you can do to build a more sustainable business as a creator and prepare for the changes coming.
What I love about UGC:
content for social media MUST be different to your other advertising content
it's been a game changer for a lot of brands and icnreased sales massively
ANNNND they haven't had to spend 10s of thousands of dollars on full production teams
shown brands the value of content creation
Why I think this is a bad decision to build a UGC business in 2025:
Yes, it's proven, yes there's a demand
However #2: this is so set up to burn you out mentally and also creatively.
#3 As a service business I feel it's fundamentally broken: there's only so many brands you can work with
#4 Consumers are catching on and it's loosing the authenticity
When you start to lose consumer interest, you start to loose conversions. When you loose that, brands stop hiring you
If you have the time, please could you rate and review this podcast or subscribe to it. It really helps us to continue making this free content for you and we just generally appreciate that you would do this for us!
Have a great week guys!
Ellen xx
This episode is sponsored by Trello. Sign up for Trello HERE - it's free to get started!
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Mentioned in today's episode:
You can watch my Free Webinar here: https://www.ellenmackenzie.com/freewebinar
Want to get more Ellen or Work with her and her team?
Check out the Dishing Up Digital Agency website for more information and to contact us: https://www.dishingupdigital.com/
Join the Dishing up Digital School: https://www.dishingupdigital.com/courses
Ellen's Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/ellenmackenziee/
Ellen on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ellenmackenzieee?lang=en
Buy Ellen's Book: https://www.ellenmackenzie.com/book
16 min
March 09, 2025The EXACT Steps to Starting and Scaling Sustainably as a Social Media Manager
This episode is one of my most valuable yet and is actually a replay from my last webinar at the end of February.
In this free training, you'll learn the 3 key steps to successfully set up your freelance business as a social media manager.
How to find high-ticket clients: freedom does NOT mean working for $200 a month
Systems and workflows: Get a BTS look at how I manage multiple clients while working less hours
Outsourcing and hiring your mini dream team: this is my secret weapon to providing high-value service as a SMM without burning myself out
If you'd rather watch the full webinar and see me in video, you can watch that here: https://www.ellenmackenzie.com/freewebinar
Or, (for the first time ever), I'm sharing my Canva slides with you so you can refer to them as you listen or after you'd finished listening. Get those HERE
This episode is sponsored by Trello. Sign up for Trello HERE - it's free to get started!
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Mentioned in this episode:
My episode with Jade McNeil
My episode with Stenya LeClair
My episode with Abbey Graves
https://www.honeybook.com/ & https://www.dubsado.com/
Want to get more Ellen or Work with her and her team?
Check out the Dishing Up Digital Agency website for more information and to contact us: https://www.dishingupdigital.com/
Join the Dishing up Digital School: https://www.dishingupdigital.com/courses
Ellen's Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/ellenmackenziee/
Ellen on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ellenmackenzieee?lang=en
Buy Ellen's Book: https://www.ellenmackenzie.com/book
1 hr 7 min
March 02, 2025Quitting your Job? Listen to this First
In this episode, I share my personal journey of quitting my corporate job to pursue entrepreneurship, detailing the emotional challenges and practical steps involved. I provide you with five essential tips for those considering leaving their 9-to-5 jobs, emphasising the importance of preparation, financial stability, and strategic planning.
My 5 Essential Tips:
Don't just quite straight away - build your side hustle, validate your idea, starting building your client list
Build a financial runway
Get up close and personal with your numbers - make projections
Lay the foundations - education/upskilling, building your website, register your business name
Create a roadmap - action plan, goals, new offers etc
Today's episode was sponsored by Trello. Sign up for Trello here - it's free to get started!
If you have the time, please could you rate and review this podcast or subscribe to it. It really helps us to continue making this free content for you and we just generally appreciate that you would do this for us!
Have a great week guys!
Ellen xx
~~~
Mentioned in today's episode:
My Business Journey episode: https://pod.link/1576083467/episode/f44764a9626f42968d521b0466bb8377
Buy my Instagram Marketing e-book here
Want to get more Ellen or Work with her and her team?
Check out the Dishing Up Digital Agency website for more information and to contact us: https://www.dishingupdigital.com/
Join the Dishing up Digital School: https://www.dishingupdigital.com/courses
Ellen's Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/ellenmackenziee/
Ellen on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ellenmackenzieee?lang=en
Buy Ellen's Book: https://www.ellenmackenzie.com/book
33 min
February 23, 2025The Power of Taking Action: How this Social Media Manager Started her Business! Interview with Abbey Graves
In this episode my two worlds collide as we chat Social Media Management and Podcast Production with the wonderful Abbey Graves. From radio DJ to Government Social Media Manager to taking her own side hustle full time we discuss her journey and how she was able to apply what she learnt from the Dishing up Digital School to her podcast production company.
Some Key Takeaways:
The turning point in going full time with Social Media Management and Podcast Production
How the Dishing up Digital School helped
How to manage the lower income months
Managing client deliverables
Giving up control in some areas by hiring a contractor - Ellen gives Abbey homework!
Find out more about Abbey on her website: https://abbeygravesproductions.com/
If you have the time, please could you rate and review this podcast or subscribe to it. It really helps us to continue making this free content for you and we just generally appreciate that you would do this for us!
Have a great week guys!
Ellen xx
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Mentioned in today's episode:
My episode on hourly rates: https://pod.link/1576083467/episode/a0fe9022dbaa5009400403424e436ea8
Want to get more Ellen or Work with her and her team?
Check out the Dishing Up Digital Agency website for more information and to contact us: https://www.dishingupdigital.com/
Join the Dishing up Digital School: https://www.dishingupdigital.com/courses
Ellen's Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/ellenmackenziee/
Ellen on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ellenmackenzieee?lang=en
Buy Ellen's Book: https://www.ellenmackenzie.com/book
40 min
February 16, 2025This is What a $2000 Social Media Management Package Includes
My pricing episodes always bring out some interesting comments and responses. Yes I’m going to be revealing every deliverable the details as part of this package, but I first need to reiterate that pricing is personal and everyone is different. There are so many different factors to consider from your level of experience, to where you’re based in the world. Other than a chat about pricing strategy, I’m mainly delving into the deliverables in this package today. I’m covering:
Number of posts and the posting schedule
Captions and Hashtags
Engagement Strategies and community management
Analytics & reporting
Content Creation vs Management
If you have the time, please could you rate and review this podcast or subscribe to it. It really helps us to continue making this free content for you and we just generally appreciate that you would do this for us!
Have a great week guys!
Ellen xx
~~~
Want to get more Ellen or Work with her and her team?
Check out the Dishing Up Digital Agency website for more information and to contact us: https://www.dishingupdigital.com/
Join the Dishing up Digital School: https://www.dishingupdigital.com/courses
Ellen's Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/ellenmackenziee/
Ellen on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ellenmackenzieee?lang=en
Buy Ellen's Book: https://www.ellenmackenzie.com/book
18 min
February 09, 2025Hourly Rates vs Monthly Packages: Social Media Manager Pricing Models
Pricing is such a big conversation around social media Management. I always get DMs on this topic and whenever I do a podcast around pricing it quickly becomes one of the most downloaded. I even have 4 videos on pricing in the Dishing up Digital school alone!
Topics I cover in this episode:
When hourly rates are useful
The downside of hourly rates
How packages benefit your clients
How to make your packages work best for you and your clients
What to do when you're first starting out and trying to get your first client
If you have the time, please could you rate and review this podcast or subscribe to it. It really helps us to continue making this free content for you and we just generally appreciate that you would do this for us!
Have a great week guys!
Ellen xx
~~~
Want to get more Ellen or Work with her and her team?
Check out the Dishing Up Digital Agency website for more information and to contact us: https://www.dishingupdigital.com/
Join the Dishing up Digital School: https://www.dishingupdigital.com/courses
Ellen's Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/ellenmackenziee/
Ellen on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ellenmackenzieee?lang=en
Buy Ellen's Book: https://www.ellenmackenzie.com/book
13 min
February 02, 2025Why it's Time to Move to YouTube
How are all my fellow Social Media Managers and Business Owners? What a crazy start to the year this has been. I mean, I don't usually rush to post an update when TikTok gets banned in the US, or there's ANOTHER algorithm change on instagram, or when TikTok gets reinstated, but it's hard to ignore what's been happening over the month of January in our industry alone! Usually I can just roll with the punches and take them in my stride, but this was even a lot for me guys.
Listen as I briefly un pack Social Media, but also do my best to convince you that YouTube is where you need to be. If you haven't already, also check out my YouTube video from last year on 2025 Social Media Trends & Predictions: what you need to know.
Some takeaways from this episode:
The rise of YouTube and longform content
YouTube's creator support and monetisation (something we actually get in NZ!)
The future of content creation
If any of my listeners found me via YouTube, I would love to know! Do you think I should make follow up episodes this year on YouTube?
If you have the time, please could you rate and review this podcast or subscribe to it. It really helps us to continue making this free content for you and we just generally appreciate that you would do this for us!
Have a great week guys!
Ellen xx
~~~

Want to get more Ellen or Work with her and her team?
Check out the Dishing Up Digital Agency website for more information and to contact us: https://www.dishingupdigital.com/
Join the Dishing up Digital School: https://www.dishingupdigital.com/courses
Ellen's Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/ellenmackenziee/
Ellen on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ellenmackenzieee?lang=en
Buy Ellen's Book: https://www.ellenmackenzie.com/book
20 min
January 26, 2025$10k from one $39 Digital Product: Case Study Analysis
Spicy Ellen makes a bit of a return in this episode as I discuss the realities of launching and selling digital products. Online "Gurus" love to tell you that all you need to is to create and sell this one digital product and you'll be set financially! Well, lets debunk that myth and have a bit of a reality check.
Some takeaways from this episode:
Many online coaches oversimplify the process of selling digital products
A discussion around Audience Privilege
Viral moments can boost sales but are not reliable long-term.
Higher ticket offers can lead to more sustainable income.
Building an audience is essential for selling digital products.
The importance of strategic planning for product launches.
If you have the time, please could you rate and review this podcast or subscribe to it. It really helps us to continue making this free content for you and we just generally appreciate that you would do this for us!
Have a great week guys!
Ellen xx
~~~
Mentioned in today's episode:
Viral TikTok that helped increase sales of my digital product: https://www.tiktok.com/@ellenmackenzieee/video/7196839608276077826?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7389835566663173648
My episode on how much each revenue stream made me in 2024: How Much Money I Made in 2024
Want to get more Ellen or Work with her and her team?
Check out the Dishing Up Digital Agency website for more information and to contact us: https://www.dishingupdigital.com/
Join the Dishing up Digital School: https://www.dishingupdigital.com/courses
Ellen's Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/ellenmackenziee/
Ellen on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ellenmackenzieee?lang=en
Buy Ellen's Book: https://www.ellenmackenzie.com/book
23 min
January 19, 2025Should I Lower my Prices to Book More Clients as a Social Media Manager?
Sign up to my FREE webinar on how to be a Social Media Manager. Price, package & pitch your way to booking out your services with an easy "yes" from clients!
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This episode came about after 2 of my students asked me if they should create a lower priced package for potential clients. The short answer? No! The long answer, listen and find out!
Some takeaways from the episode:
Lowering prices often stems from insecurity rather than market demand.
It's essential to evaluate the true reasons behind pricing decisions.
Offering lower-priced packages can dilute the value of services.
Focus on long-term goals rather than short-term fixes.
Stay true to your value and expertise in pricing.
If you have the time, please could you rate and review this podcast or subscribe to it. It really helps us to continue making this free content for you and we just generally appreciate that you would do this for us!
Have a great week guys!
Ellen xx
~~~
Mentioned on today's podcast:
My episode on how much each revenue stream made me in 2024: How Much Money I Made in 2024
Want to get more Ellen or Work with her and her team?
Check out the Dishing Up Digital Agency website for more information and to contact us: https://www.dishingupdigital.com/
Join the Dishing up Digital School: https://www.dishingupdigital.com/courses
Ellen's Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/ellenmackenziee/
Ellen on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ellenmackenzieee?lang=en
Buy Ellen's Book: https://www.ellenmackenzie.com/book
17 min