Welcome back to Small Business School! This is my first recording of 2025, and I am so thrilled to kick off the year with the incredible Carly Ottaway founder of Web of Words. Web of Words is an award-winning agency of 9 years obsessed with building brand legacies. Carly is not just a business powerhouse, she’s also a lighthouse of wisdom and inspiration, I am so excited for our conversation on the pressures of social media and business expectations in January, how to show up authentically and with gratitude amidst personal struggles, and adjusting your routines to fit your season of life!

In this episode we also discuss: 

• The pressure of January goal-setting vs. embracing your own pace and season.
• The transformative power of small daily habits for creativity and mental clarity.
• Balancing big dreams with actionable steps to show up as the person you need to be for your goals.
• Adjusting routines to fit your lifestyle, whether it’s nightly reflections or embracing authenticity in your journaling.
• Using social media as a tool to connect, not compare.
• Balancing growth strategies with staying authentic and building meaningful relationships.
• How knowing why you're on a platform is key to using it effectively.
• How to manage showing up in both your highs and lows while avoiding oversharing.
• Balancing vulnerability and professionalism when sharing challenges online and with clients.
• How to approach showing up in tough seasons authentically.
• Building trust by staying consistent and delivering despite personal struggles.
• How to discover and lean on your “authentic pillars” to guide your actions and decisions.

Tuning into your personal rhythm, building trust in small habits, and redefining success can help you create space for a thriving business and a joyful life in 2025. 

Let’s go into this year refreshed together!

Connect with Carly and keep an eye out for her upcoming Substack launch!
Instagram
Web of Words
Web of Words Instagram

Staci's Links:
Instagram. Website.

The School for Small Business Podcast is a proud member of the Female Alliance Media.

To learn more about Female Alliance Media and how they are elevating female voices or how they can support your show, visit femalealliancemedia.ca.

Head over to my website https://www.stacimillard.com/ to grab your FREE copy of my Profit Playbook and receive 30 innovative ways you can add more profit to your business AND the first step towards implementing these ideas in your business!