The Part-Time CEO

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Thinking about starting a podcast, but stuck on whether it's actually the right move for you? In this episode, I'm busting five of the biggest myths that stop women from launching their own show, and telling you what I'd actually say instead.

I cover:
 🎙️ Myth #1: You have to start a podcast (spoiler: you really don't, if it's not for you)
 🎥 Myth #2: You have to record it as video (audio-only is completely valid)
 🎧 Myth #3: You need fancy equipment and a dedicated podcast room (I record on Zoom with my Apple AirPods, in my dining room)
 📈 Myth #4: You need a big audience before you start (the podcast is what grows your audience, not the other way around)
 📋 Myth #5: You need to plan your whole show and record it all before you launch (three to five episodes is plenty)

Plus, a very special guest appearance from Poppy, who decided this was the perfect time to meet and greet with you.

If this episode has you thinking about starting your own podcast, I've got two free resources for you, "Is Podcasting Right for You, or Is It Your Next Big Distraction?" and my Podcast Launch Checklist, both linked below.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• The Client Attraction Method (free visual guide)
• Is Podcasting Right for You or Just Your Next Distraction? (free guide)
• Complete Podcast Checklist (free download)

Connect with Louise:
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn
YouTube

Got a question? Send me a message!

Seven years ago, podcasting was the next big thing, and every guru online was telling business owners the same thing: if you're not podcasting, you're falling behind. I didn't listen. I've never been someone who jumps on a trend just because I'm told to, so I sat this one out for years.

In this episode, I share the real story: why I resisted for so long, what actually changed my mind five years later, and the honest reality of what it takes to run a podcast alongside a business, and a life.

I talk about why podcasting shouldn't be your first marketing move (and what needs to be in place before it will actually work for you), the real time and effort behind producing an episode, how AI has changed parts of that process, and why, even with all the challenges, it's one of the most personal and bingeable ways to build trust with your audience.

I also share two client stories, one who chose to guest on other people's shows instead of launching her own, and one who went all in on weekly episodes and burnt out, and what she's doing differently now.

In this episode you'll discover:
~ Why I swore I'd never launch a podcast, and what changed my mind five years later
~ Why podcasting works best as a strategy layered on top of other marketing, not your starting point
~ The real time and effort behind producing an episode, and how AI has changed (but not eliminated) that workload
~ Why podcasting is personable, not AI-generated, and genuinely bingeable content
~ Two client stories on different ways to approach podcasting, and what they learned along the way

If you've been thinking about starting your own podcast and aren't sure whether it's the right move, I've got two free resources to help:

🎧 Is Podcasting Right for You or Just Your Next Distraction?
https://www.socialrenegades.co/free-guide-is-podcasting-right-for-you

📋 The Complete Podcast Checklist
https://www.socialrenegades.co/podcast-launch-checklist

If this episode resonated, share it with a friend, colleague, or fellow business owner who might need to hear it. 

Thanks for listening, see you in the next episode!

Got a question? Send me a message!

You're showing up. You're posting. You're doing all the things you've been told to do. So why does it still feel like your social media isn't actually working for your business?

In this episode, I share the story behind my own marketing journey, including investing close to $30,000 before landing my first paying client, and the two pieces of advice I was given that I refused to accept. From there, I break down the five things I look at in every social media audit, the same framework I use with my own clients, so you can start figuring out exactly what's working, what isn't, and why.

In this episode, I cover:

• My personal story of building a marketing business from scratch, without a marketing degree, and the $30K lesson that changed everything
• The real signs your marketing is (or isn't) working, beyond just posting consistently
• Why knowing exactly who you're talking to matters more than trying to reach everyone
• The five things I look at in every social media audit, and how you can start applying them to your own content today

If you've been putting in the time, money and effort and still don't know whether it's working, this episode is for you.

Ready to find out what's actually happening with your content? I offer a Social Media Audit, a full review of your accounts with practical next steps to move the needle.

Discover more: https://www.socialrenegades.co/social-media-audit
Book your audit call here: https://calendly.com/social-renegades/social-media-audit-call

Got a question? Send me a message!

Some conversations you don't plan. This is one of them.

Rachel Gronback is one of my best virtual friends — we've never actually met in real life, but she has been part of my business journey since the very beginning. Two years ago she was right there helping me try to get this podcast off the ground for the first time. And here she is again, one of the first guests on the show as I finally make it happen.

Rachel runs a digital advertising consultancy coming up on 10 years old, and for the last five years has been working with women in service based businesses who are done doing things the way everyone told them to. She has ADHD — what she calls a spicy brain — and so does her husband. Between them they are running two businesses, raising a family, and navigating life in a way that doesn't follow anyone else's blueprint.

But this episode goes deep into AI. Not in a "here are some prompts" kind of way. Rachel has spent the last three years going deep on AI, moved from ChatGPT to Claude, built her own AI personality called Theo — who lives on a standalone Mac Mini — and has been quietly leading the way for women who want to use AI in a way that actually works for how their brain works and how their life is built.
Her point — and it stopped me in my tracks — is that AI was built to talk like a man. And she is doing something about that.

This conversation went places I didn't expect. We talk about business, neurodivergence, doing things differently, valuing your thinking, and what it actually looks like to use AI not for content or social media, but for managing yourself, your household, and your life.

In this episode we cover:
- Why women in service businesses aren't valuing their thinking and giving it away for free
- The permission to change direction in business every 18 months to 2 years
- Why AI was built on a white male lens and what that means for women using it
- How Rachel moved from ChatGPT to Claude and built her own AI personality
- What relational AI actually means and why it matters
- How two ADHD adults use AI to run a household, two businesses and a family
Theo the AI gremlin, sourdough tracking, wardrobe analysis and object permanence
- What Rachel wishes more women gave themselves permission to do

Connect with Rachel Gronback:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelgronback
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachel.gronback.business
Website: https://www.rachelgronback.com
Beginner's Guide to Claude: coming soon

Free resource mentioned in this episode:
The Client Attraction Method — a simple visual framework for visibility, connection and growth.

Got a question? Send me a message!

This one is a little special to me.

Elicia Crook is one of my closest friends. We met almost ten years ago in a business program, I ended up living with her family for a few months, and somewhere in between the chaos of life and business a friendship formed that I wouldn't trade for anything.

Elicia spent 16 years building and running her own massage practice from the ground up, leading a team of 21 seeing over 100 clients a week. She is the co-author of Fully Booked Without Burnout, written alongside her husband and business partner James, and co-creator of Health Leader Mastery — a 12 month mentoring program for massage and bodywork professionals worldwide.

But this conversation goes well beyond business.

We talk about the dance — that constant navigation between business, family, life, and everything in between. We talk about burnout, over-functioning, self compassion, and what it actually looks like to build something sustainable while raising a family, running a business with your husband, and still showing up as a whole human being.

Elicia is one of those people who has lived everything she teaches. And I think you're going to love this one.

In this episode we cover:

• How Elicia built her massage practice from solo therapist to a team of 21
• The business program that changed everything — and what she does differently now
• What "flying by the seat of your over-functioning pants" actually looks like
• The $50,000 program that taught her to sit still — and why that was the hardest thing she'd ever done
• Raising teenagers while running a business with your husband
• The dance of business and family — and why work life balance is a farce
• Self compassion as a business strategy
• What Elicia wishes more business owners gave themselves permission to do

Connect with Elicia:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healthleaderco
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healthleaderco
Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/thlcpodcast/
Website: thehealthleaderco.com

Free resource mentioned in this episode: Download the Client Attraction Method — a simple visual framework for visibility, connection and growth.

Got a question? Send me a message!

Ten years in business. Hundreds of thousands of dollars invested. Multiple burnout roundabouts. Therapy sessions. Lessons learned the hard way.

And from all of that — the Client Attraction Method.

In this episode I'm doing a deep dive into my signature framework — not just what it is, but where it came from, why I built it the way I did, and how to actually use it in a way that works for your season of life.

This isn't theory. It's a lived experience. And it's built for the business owner who is tired of following someone else's step by step blueprint and wondering why it doesn't quite fit.

The Client Attraction Method isn't a checklist. It isn't linear. It's a way of operating — a way of building a business that fits your life, not the other way around.

In this episode I cover:

• Why I left corporate with no idea what I was doing and what happened next
• The light bulb moment that changed how I thought about building a business
• Why I built the method around relationships, content and connection — not paid ads
• The burnout roundabouts that kept bringing me back to the same questions
• Walking through each pillar of the Client Attraction Method — Clarity, Connection, Conversion, Consistency Your Way and Leverage
• Why this isn't a step by step system and why that's the whole point
• How to use the method as a diagnostic tool when something feels off in your business

Free resource mentioned in this episode:
Download the Client Attraction Method — a simple visual framework for visibility, connection and growth.
https://www.socialrenegades.co/the-client-attraction-method

Got a question? Send me a message!

Two years later than planned — but right on time.

In this first episode I'm pulling back the curtain on where I've been, what's changed, and why now finally feels like the right moment to bring this podcast to life.

This is not a polished relaunch. It's an honest conversation about the seasons that don't make it onto social media. The ones that sit quietly in the background while you're trying to keep showing up, stay consistent, and hold everything together.

For me, that season looked like burnout, mental health challenges, and the last three and a half years navigating my father's illness — a rare and progressive cancer he was given six months to live with. He survived three and a half years. And through all of it, I kept trying to build a business alongside everything else life was asking of me.

I also share why this podcast is different to anything I've done before, what you can expect from future episodes, and an introduction to the Client Attraction Method — my signature framework for building visibility, connection, and growth without burning out in the process.

If you've ever felt alone in a hard season, like you should be doing more but simply can't, this one is for you.

In this episode:

• Why the podcast is two years late and why that's actually okay
• The seasons of business and life we don't talk about enough
• My father's diagnosis and what the last few years have really looked like
• Burnout, mental health, and building a business through it all
• What The Part-Time CEO is about and where we're headed
• An introduction to the Client Attraction Method

Free resource mentioned in this episode: Download the Client Attraction Method — a simple visual framework for visibility, connection and growth. https://www.socialrenegades.co/the-client-attraction-method

Got a question? Send me a message!

Hey E-Commerce Business Owner...
Are you looking for an easy to follow, step by step way to scale your e-com business to 5k revenue months using the Facebook platform?

If you are I've got something exciting to share with you!

In today's episode I am going to be sharing with you all the juicy ins and outs of my signature, flagship 12 month program, the FB Revolution.

If you're looking to scale your business to 5k revenue months on Facebook without having to post more or spread your time even thinner by showing up on the latest social media platforms, then this episode is for you!

HERE'S WHAT I COVER:

+ Why I launched an e-course despite running a successful 1:1 coaching business

+ Why the FB Revolution was specifically designed for e-commerce business owners

+ How the FB Revolution helps e-commerce business owners scale to 5k revenue months using Facebook

+ What the FB Revolution program is all about, what's included and how you can be mentored by ME for 12 months

+ Plus, so much more!

If you're ready to kick spending hours of content creation to the curb, accelerate the growth of your business without investing in influencer marketing, heavily into paid ads, google or ads or any other 'ads' until you're taking a home a wage.

Swap weekend markets and events for a Facebook selling system so you can finally kiss goodbye to your 9-5 and go 'all in' with your business then the FB Revolution could be the perfect program you!

Enough talk from me, let's get started!

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Want to scale your e-commerce business to 5k months using Facebook? Here's a few ways I can help you:
1. Download My Free Step by Step Facebook Selling System Framework to Increase Your Store Traffic, Sales and Money in the Bank: Click Here to Download Now

2. Watch My Free Training; 'Steal My 5 Step Facebook Selling System and Scale Your E-Commerce Business to 5k Revenue Months:  Click Here to Gain Free Access Now

Join my brand new, 12 month Facebook Selling System Mastermind and take advantage of our special pre-launch bonuses

3. PM Lou on Facebook - let's chat! Louise Stephens - Business Coach

Full show notes for all episodes can be found at: Strategies to Monetise - The Podcast

Got a question? Send me a message!

Content marketing, paid ads, S.E.O are all amazing strategies to help you, as e-commerce business owner attract potential and paying customers.

But what about email marketing?

Is it a strategy for the dark ages or a powerful strategy hold it's own in the 21st century and beyond.

In today's episode I'm joined by Tracey Smith from Identify Marketing where we talk all things email marketing, sequences and why this form of marketing strategy will deliver you more bang for your buck and a high return on your investment.

HERE'S WHAT WE COVER:

+ Why email marketing is a CRUCIAL growth strategy to incorporate into your business

+ How to increase your 'open rates' with automations and segments

+ Active Campaign, Mail Chimp, Mailer Lite... How to choose the best email provider for you and your business needs

+ How to navigate your way through IoS changes and up coming email encryption challenges

+ Plus, so much more!

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Want to scale your e-commerce business to 5k months using Facebook? Here's a few ways I can help you:
1. Download My Free Step by Step Facebook Selling System Framework to Increase Your Store Traffic, Sales and Money in the Bank: Click Here to Download Now

2. Watch My Free Training; 'Steal My 5 Step Facebook Selling System and Scale Your E-Commerce Business to 5k Revenue Months:  Click Here to Gain Free Access Now

Join my brand new, 12 month Facebook Selling System Mastermind and take advantage of our special pre-launch bonuses

3. PM Lou on Facebook - let's chat! Louise Stephens - Business Coach

Full show notes for all episodes can be found at: Strategies to Monetise - The Podcast

Got a question? Send me a message!

On a scale of 1-10, where would you rate how exhausted you feel right now?

Ok, so maybe that's a trick question! If you said 1 or higher then it's time for you to STOP!
Since when did it become "normal" to feel so down and out all the time?

Sure some days we may feel like or have more energy than on other days but saying 'yes' to doing all the things or telling ourselves "it's ok to work non stop because we 'love' it" it's not sustainable long term lifestyle.

The good news is that if you don't know how to say no, stop or put your needs before everyone else's, then you're going to love today's episode.

You see I am a not only a recovering people pleaser and work-o-holic myself but I also have all the papers and medical records from being professional diagnosed with 'burnout in 2015. So when it comes to this topic, I am without a doubt an expert!

Being 6 years into my own recovery as well as watching and working with others to help them avoid making similar mistakes, my passion and commitment to burning the "24/7 hustle" mentality is at the core of what I do

In today's episode is, Business and Burnout: How To Break The Cycle you're going to find why as well as my own tips to helping you break the cycle and create a happier and more "successful" life - The balanced way!

HERE'S WHAT I COVER:
+ How I claimed to LOVE what I did so much that I literally worked 24 hours a day
+ How that same apparent love of working I had, drove me to feeling depressed and suicidal
+ Some of my journey to recovery and five tips on help you break your own burnout cycle and create a health, balanced and 'successful' life
+ Plus, so much more!

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Want to scale your e-commerce business to 5k months using Facebook? Here's a few ways I can help you:
1. Download My Free Step by Step Facebook Selling System Framework to Increase Your Store Traffic, Sales and Money in the Bank: Click Here to Download Now

2. Watch My Free Training; 'Steal My 5 Step Facebook Selling System and Scale Your E-Commerce Business to 5k Revenue Months:  Click Here to Gain Free Access Now

Join my brand new, 12 month Facebook Selling System Mastermind and take advantage of our special pre-launch bonuses

3. PM Lou on Facebook - let's chat! Louise Stephens - Business Coach

Full show notes for all episodes can be found at: Strategies to Monetise - The Podcast