The Kim Doyal Show

My friends and I recently revived something we used to do years ago.

But first, a little backstory about these friends…

These are my high school friends, and still, to this day, are near and dear to me. I’ve known one of them since kindergarten, another since 6th grade, and the rest are all from my freshman year in high school. So these are lifelong friends.

By this stage in life, we’ve been through a lot together.

Graduations, careers, marriages, children, loss, heartache, joy, moving… you name it.

There have been times when we’ve been super close and incredibly active in one another’s lives and times when life was so busy that it felt like a challenge to have dinner together.

This is just life.

I get that, but I always miss them when I haven’t seen them in a while.

So… the thing we recently revived was our “ornament exchange.”

My Mom used to do this when I was a child, so in my early 20s, I started an ornament exchange with my girlfriends. The original ornament exchange was handmade ornaments; we made one for each person.

This way, you’d leave with 6-10 ornaments, which was great when we were all starting our homes and didn’t have kids.

As life got busier, we changed things up and would bring one nice ornament (and we started buying the ornaments).

I don’t remember when we stopped doing this, but after finally getting together for dinner in October, we decided to revive it and make it happen.

Even though not everyone could make it, it was soul-filling for me.

However, I was struck by something.

We did the normal catching up that you do when you haven’t seen each other in a while (although this was less catching up since we saw each other a couple of months ago), and then, as the night progressed, the conversations got deeper.

I felt deep sadness for some of the things my friends shared.

Partly because of what they had to go through (or are going through) but also because they hadn’t shared what they were experiencing during the most challenging part.

And I know I’ve done the same thing.

This is what being busy can do to us.

And while I can’t speak for my friends, I’m sure there’s a piece of truth to this for them as well.

And that is that you don’t want to ‘bother’ people when you’re in the middle of something challenging, especially if you haven’t talked to or seen them in a while.

The crazy thing is that I know I could pick up the phone and call any of these women if I were in a crisis, and they’d all be there for me. No questions asked.

And the same is true on my end.

There is SO much power in sharing, being vulnerable, and telling our truths.

The only way to do this is to get beyond ourselves… and remove the ego.

I talked with another friend I hadn’t talked to in over a year. This is a woman I connected with years ago online. She’s on my email list, worked with me, and bought some of my courses.

Over the years, we became friends (this happens with many of my coaching clients).

She’s in Europe; I’m in the States… It never ceases to amaze me that I have people I consider dear friends worldwide.

Anyway, we’ve been friends for years, and she’s seen my transition from the WordPress Chick into my personal brand.

She said something when we were talking that I realized was kind of a superpower of mine. She also said she uses me as inspiration on her own journey, which I know is part of my purpose in this lifetime (to inspire).

She’s in a place where she’s pivoting her business and said that I was constantly pivoting (and bear with me here – I’ll explain more of my pivots in a second), and I never seemed to care.

This idea that we’re supposed to pick one thing and only do that forever is...

Kim [00:01:22]:

Welcome to another episode of The Kim Doyal Show. I always say I'm very excited about my interviews, and it's true because I only talk to people I know, admire, and respect, and this is actually our 2nd time talking. But The 1st conversation I had with my guest, Marco Schmidt, which I'll do an official introduction in a minute, it was like I felt like we could have talked for hours. I'm like, we need to do a podcast episode. So here we are. So, first of all, welcome my guest, Marco Schmidt.

Kim [00:02:05]:

Marco, thank you for being here today.

Marko [00:02:08]:

Oh my god. Kim, it's Such a pleasure to be here, and it's really true. I mean, every time we connect, I just feel like, oh, wow, sister. You know? We're doing crazy cool stuff together. Even though we're operating in different places, we're still, like, in the same universe.

Kim [00:02:22]:

Totally. Totally. And we connected just through Twitter and then saw each other in a Kavon co cohort.

Marko [00:02:30]:

Right. Yeah. Yeah. We both love Kavon Chung. He's He's such a super cool guy in terms of bringing community together. And so and then, yeah, we've, like, had, you know, tons of, like, back and forth on Twitter and stuff like that, and I just love what I do. And so yeah. Super happy to be here.

Marko [00:02:45]:

Thanks.

Kim [00:02:47]:

Thank you. So I love hearing the backstory. So for the audience's audiences, I've got plurals now. But for the audience, can you share your backstory and what brought you to where you are today? And then we'll get into your business and what you're doing today.

Marko [00:03:01]:

For sure. I'm happy to talk to all of your audiences.

Kim [00:03:07]:

You know what?

Marko [00:03:07]:

Hey. Look.

Kim [00:03:08]:

Swear to god. Yeah. I sometimes my my mouth cannot keep up with my brain, but go ahead.

Marko [00:03:14]:

And vice versa. Right? I mean, sometimes I find my mouth saying something that my brain is going, no. No. No. Anyways, my backstory, probably it Started in some ways with dropping out of high school to join the circus. And, you know, it's like one of those things. I was one of those accelerated kids I was, like, always in the smart classes and got to do, like, the crazy fun things, you know, like going to the factory and seeing how they printed newspapers or, You know, bringing odd guests in and stuff like that. And by the time I got to high school, I had really thought high school is gonna be super fun, like college, like, really exciting, and it was Boring.

Marko [00:03:51]:

It was super boring. I lasted for almost 2 whole years, and then I dropped out to start doing circus work and play in a rock and roll band. And, I actually moved out of my parents' house and, you know, it's like the great thing is is that I already had skills. I already knew how to, like, you know, hustle and sell things, and, I learned how to paint houses. I I did a bunch of things. So I was Financially self sufficient when I moved out, and it always gave me this sort of independent attitude that I don't have to work for the man. And I have to say, here it is, you know, all these years later. Part of what I do as a coach is, like, working with people who are super skilled at what they do, You know, who are experts and seasoned, but they're afraid to let go of the weekly paycheck or or their corporate affiliation.

Marko [00:04:37]:

They they know they're not getting paid what they're worth. They know they're being lighted. But they don't have that background that I have of, like, being able to...

The digital marketing and creator space is one where you can go from feeling excited and inspired to jaded and exhausted in only a few weeks.

I’m going to stay away from the advice we’ve all heard about productivity and routines because I agree with most of it… and that’s not what this is about.

Plus, I don’t subscribe to the idea that there’s “one” right way to do anything.

There’s only a “right way” for you.

In the 15.5 years I’ve had my online business, I’ve had periods of extreme focus and consistency and other periods when life has knocked me on my ass. In those moments, I simply did the best I could.

Albeit not without some self-judgment, which is something I’m always working on.

I now understand, at a deep level, that self-judgment will come up… that’s part of being human. My goal now is not to feed it. As my mentor often says, acknowledge it, bless it, and move on.

In other words, don’t feed it.

This can be tricky in the digital marketing and creator space.

Here’s what I mean:

I have zero use for regurgitated content from 20-something men who have done listicle posts about the creators, books, or gurus who have inspired them the most on their journey.

Why?

Because they consist of lists made up entirely of the same men.

Over and over and over again. 🥱

HANG ON… don’t leave or roll your eyes thinking this is going to be about bashing young men or the men they follow.

We all have experiences and perspectives that contribute to who we are and how we view the world. Who am I to judge what drives and inspires someone else?

These things don’t resonate because I’m not their target audience.

I know, duh.

At least not in the sense of demographics.

A few key points:

• I was widowed at 32 with a six and a two-year-old (I’m now 53). The last thing I’ve ever needed was anyone telling me to “work harder” – let alone men with no responsibilities to anyone but themselves or a wife at home who took care of everything else (Yes, I know. I’m a bit of a martyr here, but also… #facts.).
• At one point, I subscribed to Western culture’s mantra: “You are what you have and what you do.” As a proud GenXer, the war cry of the 80s (SUCCESS!) wasn’t missed on me. We’re always supposed to be striving. 🤮
• Life experience: I wish there were a better way to say this, but most women I know who are my age (and older), around 50, start caring a whole lot less about what other people think while at the same time having far more compassion and empathy for people in general.
• I’ve accepted that:
• Life is hard
• Life is unfair
• Life is messy
• Most people are genuinely doing the best they can
• It goes by a lot faster than you think
• Life is beautiful
• We’re all worthy of love & belonging (thanks, Brené Brown!)
• There’s always something to be grateful for
• Meditation is magic 😉

So much of my journey has been about trying to do what others were doing.

I don’t mean that I was trying to be someone else, but when I hired a coach, bought a course, or read a book, I would tend to feel like I had to do it exactly like it was being taught.

After all, that’s what worked for them, right?

For example:

Last year, I invested five figures in a coaching and training offer. It was a combination of courses, one monthly call with the instructor, and weekly calls with her coaches.

Fair enough. The content was great, and her coaches were well-trained and very knowledgeable.

One of the strategies they taught was to require an application for a free webinar.

This didn’t resonate with me, but I did it anyway because I had committed

It was everything I hoped for and some huge a-ha moments for me personally.

I'm going to share how it came about (Finally! This has been on my list of things I've wanted to do for as long as I can remember), taking imperfect action, the work involved, the event itself, and how I'm feeling a few weeks later.

Even if you don't want to host your own retreat, I'm hoping this will give you some insight and clarity into how your business should support your personality, strengths, and how you want to feel.

I had some huge epiphanies that, in all honesty, really surprised me.

Including, "Do I really want to do in-person events?" 😲

As I mentioned earlier, hosting a live event has been on my list of things to do for as long as I've been in business (almost 16 years!).

After a couple of months of living in Costa Rica, I knew that's where I wanted to host an event. At the time, I had mentioned this to someone I had connected with in my building (that didn't last; she was just too much for me), and suddenly I found myself planning an overwhelming event.

Fortunately, that friendship ended, and I stepped back and knew that what we had started planning was nothing like any event I'd want to host.

Fast forward to June 2023 (five months after moving back to California from Costa Rica), and I was planning a visit back for October with a friend. I connected with this online years ago, and we have stayed in touch on & off throughout the years.

I wanted to rent my friend's beachfront house that I had stayed at a few times, but the discounted price for me had gone up (rightfully so; the house is impressive, and she's actively renting it), and my friend said it wasn't in her budget.

I wasn't interested in pivoting plans and going somewhere else because my initial goal to return to Costa Rica was to visit friends, which feels like home to me. Plus, it became apparent through our conversations that we had different ideas about what we wanted.

That's when the idea hit me.

Why don't I see if I can host a retreat instead?

I called my friend and asked if she could give me a week (she gave me two); I reached out to a couple of people and got a yes immediately.

So... my first-ever live retreat in Costa Rica was born.

One of the 'yes's' came from a dear friend, Liz Weaver, who jumped in to co-host with me (best decision ever!).

What started as a vacation back to the place I called home for almost two years quickly became a Women's Business retreat, and it was to happen in 3.5 months. Not a lot of time in the bigger picture of retreat planning, but that brings me to my next point.

You've probably heard the statement, "Imperfect action beats no action," which is 100% true. It can also bring a little bit of chaos into the mix.

That said, sometimes I think this is the best way to make things happen.

Because you don't have time to overthink, you jump in, say yes, and make it work.

The house we were renting is an incredible beachfront property in Play Potrero,...

Kim [00:00:00]:

Hey there. It's Kim Doyal, and welcome to my show where digital marketing meets real stories, experiences, and strategies. You'll get a behind the scenes look at what's working and not working in my business as well as other experts who show up and share their stories. As much as I love talking about tangible marketing principles and tactics, we'll dig a little deeper with mindset and explore what's required to create a business you love on your terms that also supports your life. I wanna help you understand the why behind the how. Whether you're a seasoned marketer or just dipping your toes in, remember, marketing a journey, and the goal is to enjoy it. My desire is to guide you on your journey and remind you that no matter what life throws at you, you've got this. Hey.

Kim [00:00:44]:

What's going on, everybody? Welcome to another episode of The Kim Doyle Show. Really excited about the conversation with my guest today. Adore her, but also the topic of conversation. And, of course, we are going to talk about online marketing and her business. But, my guest, Lynn Jericho, is in a spiritual space, which is very near and dear to my heart. So first of all, Lynn, thank you so much for being here today.

Lynn [00:01:08]:

It's great. I'm really looking forward to it, Kim.

Kim [00:01:12]:

Thank you. So I love doing this. And so before we get into questions and business and and everything, I wanna hear your story. Like, what brought you To creating your business, which is imagineself.com. And we're gonna get into that. Of course, everybody, all the links will be in the show note. But, You know, let's you don't have to do the life story, but, you know, the trajectory that brought you here to what you're doing today.

Lynn [00:01:37]:

Alright. Well, I've where I'll begin is, looking for a school for my kids, And I discovered a school called Waldorf, which a lot of people know us around the world. It's the The hottest education program in China right now, which is interesting, but this is back in the eighties. And I found this wonderful school and loved what it did for my children, got very involved with what was behind it In terms of this picture of how the human being develops and I was off and running. It just made such sense to me. I got it so quickly, And I started sharing it with people. So in the early nineties, I started giving talks and workshops And advertising in the local newspaper, that sort of thing. And, And I was working and I was working on writing a book.

Lynn [00:02:38]:

And then, 2004, I was in front of, the big tree at Rockefeller Center in New York City, And it was so electric, and This is an electric

Kim [00:02:54]:

So you're talking about the Christmas tree?

Lynn [00:02:56]:

Yeah. The environment. Alright. Man I mean, Manhattan Christmas is just a wonderland, but it's all electric. There's nothing real, unless you have a couple of good credit cards. So, anyway, I went home and I I sent out an email to my list on Gmail, which was about 260 people. And I talked about the holy nights, which is a a path of going inward between December 25th and January 6 between Christmas evening and, epiphany. And so that was my first Digital gesture.

Lynn [00:03:41]:

I I just thought I was a spammer. I mean, I I was terrified. Preston, because I said I'm gonna send you a message every day with an inspiration for what you can think Or work with or contemplate or meditate. And instead, I started getting all these emails, please put me on your list. I want these messages. So the 250 people were sending it out to friends, and it really grew. And then 2 years later, I decided, to do a video on what is this inner Christmas all about. And I was working on a...

It seems I’ve been having a lot of these moments lately.

If you haven’t seen Jerry Maguire, it came out in 1996. Long story short, Jerry Maguire is a successful sports agent who has his own “Come-to-Jesus” moment, writes a manifesto, distributes it to the agency he works for, and all hell breaks loose in his life.

Ideally, these moments don’t cause everything in our lives to unfold.

But they’re pivotal moments.

Turning points, if you will.

The first moment I had that was really more of a “Come-to-Jesus” moment was when I decided to focus my business on serving women.

I’ve wanted to do this for a long time but haven’t really had the courage.

Until now.

Before I get into this recent epiphany (that’s a hell of a lot shorter than writing out “My Jerry Maguire, Come-to-Jesus Moment”), I know exactly what has contributed to arriving here.

Focus.

Without a doubt, the focus I’ve applied over the last four months has created space for me to get clearer on what I truly want.

What I want my life to look like, the work I want to do, and who I want to do it with.

Choosing to focus on serving women felt like a huge fork in the road for me. I have a lot of men on my list and in my audience, and I was incredibly nervous that I would be cutting my audience in half.

Here’s the kicker, though… even though men have purchased my products, most of my customers are women.

This is also why I’m investing in paid traffic.

I’ll always do organic content (which is where my Jerry Maguire moment came from), but being able to target exactly who I want to target?

That’s gold.

I love the phrase, “When the student is ready, the teacher appears.”

The beauty of this is that the teacher doesn’t necessarily have to appear as a person. It can be an article, a video, or a specific message you start to see repeatedly.

I subscribe to a lot of email lists, and YouTube channels and read a lot of articles in the digital marketing space, and it’s easy to pick up on trends.

Sometimes, I get an inkling of a shift happening, and other times, it takes a little longer.

The first inkling I had of a shift happening was from the YouTuber creator Jessica Stansberry. She has a YouTube channel called “Hey Jessica!” and decided to launch a second channel just under her name.

She’s been online for about 12 years (I think) and started out doing a ton of “how-to” videos. Months before she decided to launch her second channel, she did a video where she was telling viewers to STOP doing so much how-to or creating content based on keywords.

(This is where she hooked me; I hate creating content based on keywords or doing anything based on keyword research).

Then, she launched her new channel because she wanted a place to do different content. Lifestyle, vlogging, and sharing her journey. That channel has almost 2k subscribers in less than a few months (and yes, she has her previous channel and existing audience where she can promote the new channel, but it wouldn’t be growing if there wasn’t valuable content).

Then I saw this FB post from Adam Linkenauger.

It’s a long post, so I’ve copied and pasted it here, along with the image he included showing he knows a thing or two about YouTube:

Post:

“YouTube isn’t about keywords or SEO.

Forget that crap.

I could care less about the “search engine”, as ranking for keywords is small potatoes on the platform today.

The first step is JOINTLY pleasing your subscriber base AND the algorithm.

Understanding the traffic sources and the depth of strategy that comes with increasing clicks and keeping viewers watching longer.

Where viewers come from drastically can change your thumbnail strategy, your headline strategy, and the content strategy depending on whether...

Staying the Course in your business can be challenging on any given day, let alone when the world feels like a dumpster fire.

I won’t go sideways with this episode about all of the challenges people are facing in the world right now. We’re all aware that things are not what they used to be, and there’s a lot of uncertainty.

This is why it’s vital that we tune out the noise and find ways to ground ourselves.

I stopped watching the news about 15 years ago (when it felt like actual news, not entertainment or propaganda).

Even back then, though, it felt like the focus was on the negative.

I remember years ago, I would go straight to the gym after taking the kids to school, and if I were on the treadmill or elliptical, I’d pop on Good Morning America.

Harmless enough, right?

Most of that was lifestyle and entertainment, but there were news segments or teasers about the news, and even if I weren’t aware of it, some of that would still sink in.

Once I got my first iPad and realized I could actually read while working out, I stopped watching the news.

Fast forward to today, and the only bits of news I get are from social media (not intentionally, but maybe TikTok because they show you content based on what you watch).

I don’t go too far down that rabbit hole because before I know it, I start feeling either angry or depressed.

There was a time when I took a very neutral stance on what was happening politically because of this. All it did was make me miserable (and again, I promise this isn’t a political post; this is all for context).

My intention was, and still is, to be the best human being I can be, to be kind, do good work, and love with my whole heart. All while creating a life that fills my soul to the very depth of my being.

With all of the upheaval over the last few years, something in me has woken up.

And you can’t “unring a bell,” so to speak.

My sense of responsibility to the world I live in feels deeper.

I’m sure this is a combination of my age, my children are grown and on their own (so I have more bandwidth), and some of the loss I’ve experienced.

You hit a point in life where you realize, “If not now, when?”

We’re living through some amazing and challenging times right now.

The first and most important place to start is with ourselves.

So, I’ve been contemplating this question a lot.

Get the SPARK in Your Inbox every week!

Now, to be honest, I’m not actually using the phrase “when everything around me feels like a dumpster fire” when I’m thinking about the question of how to stay the course.

That was strictly for the sake of the title of this episode.

Words have power, and I try to choose them carefully.

The question of staying the course, though, is 100% accurate. I’m asking from a place of curiosity and a true desire to keep myself in alignment.

To answer this question, let’s approach it from two angles: the internal and external side of things.

In some ways, the internal side of this is easier because it’s something we actually control.

In other ways, it’s harder because it takes conscious decisions, effort, and massive boundaries to anchor in behaviors and beliefs that support staying the course.

And any time we 

This was a huge epiphany I had while listening to a podcast recently (I was listening to Jenny Blake’s “Free Time” podcast, which, by the way, is one of my favorites).

The podcast episode I was listening to was “Why I Migrated My Three Email Lists to Substack (BFF Bonus Replay),” episode 222 (highly recommend).

Many of you who have been with me for a long time (thank you) know that I love finding cool tools to check out and share.

You’ve also probably noticed that over the last year, I’ve also talked much about streamlining my business.

In fact, I’m tired of doing the tech.

All I want to do is create and serve my audience – whether that’s coaching, courses, a community, or creating and sharing valuable content.

In late 2022, I contemplated moving from WordPress and going all in with ClickFunnels 2.0. Well… that was a bust. ClickFunnels 2.0, after a year-long delay in their launch, didn’t have all the features I wanted to use, and it seemed silly to go to the trouble to move when I’d still need WordPress.

The primary reason for wanting to make that move was simplicity.

But it was also because I hate WooCommerce, which is what we used to launch Create It – The Content Planner.

ClickFunnels 2.0 had promised their version of Shopify (for lack of a better explanation), and I thought, ‘Great! That solves everything!’

So, stick with WordPress I did.

Get the SPARK in Your Inbox

This is where the phrase, “better the devil you know,” comes into play.

As much as I don’t like WooCommerce, I know how to use it and have developers who know how to use it.

I love WordPress for the primary feature it was created for, which is blogging.

The reason people end up looking for other platforms is that they don’t want to piece a bunch of different things together (or Frankenstein, as some people say).

As someone who can do a lot of this (although the less I do it, the less I remember how to, not to mention the less I want to do it) and has a developer who can do it, it all comes down to what I WANT to do.

And screwing around with tech isn’t something I want to do anymore.

Circling back to the episode of Free Time I listened to that gave me my “a-ha” moment.

Jenny Blake is a well-known author, has a large audience, and also has a very public dislike of social media. Her whole stance on social is that it isn’t good for her. And that’s the point, isn’t it?

I was intrigued to listen to this episode because I’ve been thinking of moving the newsletter for Create It (which is called “Creator’s Weekly” and is fabulous – I don’t write it, my daughter does) over to Substack.

Now, before you think I’ve lost my marbles, you might be wondering about my very public love of 

Otherwise, I’d probably lose my mind a bit.

My challenge is that I enjoy doing it, but it can also feel like a chore.

Before we get into that, let’s do a quick catch-up.

This is the first episode of September, and I can’t believe we’re down to only four months left in 2023. I’ve been back in California for eight months now, but it still feels a bit like I just got here.

This past weekend was Labor Day weekend in the States, and it actually felt like fall! Since I spent the last two fall seasons in Costa Rica, I’m going to soak up every bit of the “fall feels” that I can.

And that’s with a trip to Costa Rica for almost a month (and I’ve got another one planned for January… woohoo!).

It was a rainy, cool weekend; I enjoyed some pumpkin spice coffee and scents (candles & plugins, what can I say) and made sure to take some downtime to simply enjoy the moment.

That was a little fall teaser as the sun is back (which I also love), and it will progressively be getting warmer again, but it doesn’t look like we have any heat waves in the near future (working back up to the low 80s).

One thing I did for myself this weekend was spend a good chunk of time going through some training I’ve invested in.

It was Laurel Portié’s $7 FB Ad Strategy program (I literally cannot believe the value of this…), and then I picked up Joel Erway’s “Power Offer Workshop” (which is only $27)- which was recommended by Laurel in her program.

I probably spent five hours on Sunday going through the training and taking notes (I retain things much better when I write them down). I had a couple of major takeaways from the training I’ve gone through that inspired this episode.

First, Laurel Portié is a breath of fresh air.

The woman is incredibly smart; she’s extremely generous with her time and knowledge, and she’s made me think of advertising in a whole new light.

Not many ad people talk about driving traffic to content for validation (Amanda Bond does as well), so when she started referring to Power Content, I was super intrigued.

Subscribe to “the SPARK” for Weekly strategies & inspiration

Let’s look at Reframing Content Marketing first

I have always been a huge fan of content marketing.

It took me a while to find my groove (the podcast really shifted everything for me), but once I did, I fell in love with the process and mastery.

It’s changed a lot over the years and will continue to with AI, but I’m here for all of it.

In a conversation with my friend, Jason Resnick, last week, I told him how frustrated I get...

I was super hopeful when I shifted more to the ‘Creator Space’ – but I don’t think it’s much better.

I spent ten years in the WordPress space, and for the majority of that time, it was a male-dominated space as well (it seems to be getting better).

Before you think this will be an anti-man or ranty episode, let me assure you that it’s not.

Much like Mother Teresa’s quote about not attending a march against war but instead attending a rally for peace, that’s what I want to do here.

Let’s take a little stroll down memory lane first, shall we?

When I started my business in 2008, I was very aware that internet marketing was predominantly male.

I was also very new, so, to be fair, I didn’t really know where to look for the women when I was getting started.

Once I did, I started a Facebook Group called “The Women of Internet Marketing” and even made a movie called “Women in Business, 2.0” (the movie was in 2010 – and no, you can’t find it. It was a unique experience, to say the least).

So, this desire to support and highlight women isn’t something new for me.

I’ve always wanted to, but I think somewhere along the way, I got a little disheartened and sort of fell into the “if you can’t beat em, join em” mentality.

I was also super nervous about alienating some of my audience, which has always been pretty split 50/50 between women and men.

However, when I realized that the majority of my customers (i.e., people who actually BUY from me) are women, I let go of that.

There’s also something that happens to women when you turn 50…

And I know, I can’t speak for all women, but the women I know and from a LOT of things I’ve read, when women turn 50, they stop caring so much about what other people think.

We’ve raised our kids, are established in our careers (or starting new ones), and finally feel like “YES! Now it’s MY turn.”

I also think a big turning point for me was when Roe v. Wade was overturned. I never in a million years thought I’d see that in my lifetime. I’m not going to get political here, but let’s say it lit a fire in me.

And let me be crystal clear… this isn’t just for women over 50.

This is for any woman who feels a strong pull to create a business and life that works for HER. It might be using your voice (like I’m doing here), maybe it’s writing a book, creating an e-commerce store, becoming a course creator, ad manager, social media manager… You get the point.

This episode is specifically for the entrepreneurial woman who is in this for the long haul.

You Can’t Unring a Bell

Once you start noticing things, you can’t “unnotice” them.

Here’s a little exercise for you.

Next time you see a round-up post or listicle that highlights a list of people, count the number of men to women.

It’s usually about 20-30% tops… if they’re even included.

This is why I feel SO strongly that it is up to us… as women, to support and amplify each other.

I’m not saying that you shouldn’t read, recommend, follow, or support good men doing good work. What I am saying is to start “choosing awareness” and see if this resonates with you.

The flip side of that is true as well…

You don’t need to support a woman simply because she’s a woman.

Let’s move on.

The first thing I’m going to do here is target women.

Both organically (with episodes like this) and with paid traffic.

Let’s talk about organic marketing first.

I subscribe to a lot of different newsletters and email lists (don’t we all, eh?). I’ve started a Google sheet where I’m listing the women I subscribe to, what they do, and their website.

From there, I’ll be doing the following:

• Social media posts
• Creating content
• Highlighting...