Today we’re talking identity crises, stagnancy, originality, and why the online business world feels… weird right now.

But more importantly — how creators, freelancers, and service providers can actually thrive through it.

We’re breaking down:

• Why the creator economy isn’t dying — it’s evolving

• How AI “slop,” generic offers, and passive-income clones caused market fatigue

• Why niche creators and nano-influencers are still hitting 6-figure years

• What’s actually working in 2025 (and what’s absolutely not)

• How AI agents are changing the industry — and why this is the most exciting time to be building

• Why your originality is the only competitive advantage AI can’t touch

If you’ve been feeling the tension — like the digital space is stuck between two eras — you’re not crazy.

We are in a transformation period.

And moments of transformation belong to the people who understand how to create something irreplicable!

If you want the real-time breakdown of my agent builds, you’ll find them here first:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/advancewithada

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@advancewithada

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/advancewithada

In this episode, Ada sits down with Squarespace designer + developer Helen Olivia to talk about:

What happens when your website looks gorgeous… but your business is still suspiciously quiet.

Helen breaks down the real reason beautiful sites don’t always work, how to build a website that actually supports your goals (not your Pinterest board), and why templates are both massively underrated and wildly misunderstood.

Together, they get real about:

• Why some founders shouldn’t build a website yet
• When a template works and when it doesn't
• Why SEO absolutely is not dead (please stop saying that)
• The problem with designing for your fantasy CEO era
• The “do less, convert more” principles that make sites work
• How to think like a designer and a digital strategist

🎧 Whether you’re a freelancer, agency owner, coach, or a founder trying to figure out why your homepage feels cute but kinda dead, this episode is for you.

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/advancewithada

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/ada-wogu-

Website → https://www.advancewithada.com

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/itshelenolivia

Website → https://www.itshelenolivia.com/

In this podcast, Ada breaks down what happens when your business systems look good on paper but feel awful in practice — like the “Clean Girl” aesthetic but for entrepreneurs.

She dives into how to stop building systems for your fantasy self (the one who never gets tired) and start creating ones that actually fit the real you — the one juggling clients, coffee, and real freakin' life.

🎧 Whether you’re running a creative agency, coaching clients, or just trying to keep your aesthetic Notion dashboard from eating your soul, this one’s for you.

FOLLOW ADA:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/advancewithada

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ada-wogu-

Website: https://www.advancewithada.com

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Operations wizard and OBM Samantha Valentino Smith joins me to get real about building a business that actually runs — without stealing your evenings.

We dig into boundaries that add revenue, systems that buy back time, and what it really looks like to lead with both heart and logic as a homeschooling mom, military wife, and right-hand to high-profile CEOs.

You’ll learn

• Why “more clients” ≠ more freedom and how fewer, deeper retainers can be the quiet growth play.

• Three ops shifts that instantly lower stress: the Daily/Weekly/Monthly ladder, goal-backed planning, and a simple 90-minute weekly reset.

• Discovery call red flags (unrealistic timelines, vibe checks, budget mismatch) and how to qualify without people-pleasing.

• Handing off work without chaos: mapping what you really do vs. what you think you do.

• Discipline → freedom: why calendars, not vibes, create time wealth.

• AI without losing the relationship: where automation helps and where the human still wins.

Connect with the Guest

• Samantha Valentino Smith — Service 4 Your Business: service4yourbusiness.com/about

Connect with the Host (Ada)

• Website: advancewithada.com

• Instagram: instagram.com/advancewithada

What really keeps a business running? In this episode, we look beyond the branding and the viral moments, and take some time to understand the quiet systems that no one sees.

In this first episode of Freelancing Unfiltered, Ada sits down with operations expert and OBM Christa Bogumill, founder of Virtual Christa, who has spent more than 14 years helping entrepreneurs scale with systems.

Together, they unpack what it means to build a business that actually works — from setting boundaries and hiring the right VA to slowing down enough to maintain quality and sanity.

It’s a conversation about the importance of the heart behind systems: how structure creates freedom, why “being delusional” is sometimes the key to growth, and how to choose tools that make your business feel good to run.

Follow Christa: virtualchrista.com

Follow Ada: Advancewithada.com