What does ambition really look like when life gets full?

This week, I'm sitting down with Puja Malhotra—founder and creative director of Roop Creative Agency, for one of the most honest conversations I've had on the show. Puja is a brand strategist and website designer (yes, she does exactly what I do), and instead of keeping our cards close, we put everything on the table.

We're talking about redefining what success looks like after motherhood, building a business around your life instead of the other way around, and how Puja's Indo-Canadian identity has shaped the way she shows up as a creative and a leader.

And because Puja and I are in the same lane? We're also getting real about community over competition, why it matters, what it's looked like for us as two designers who could easily see each other as threats, and why we believe there's enough out there for everyone.

In this episode we talk about:

If you're a creative entrepreneur, photographer, wedding pro, or small business owner trying to build something real without burning out — this one's for you.

Website: roopcreativeagency.com

Instagram (Business): @ROOPCreativeAgency

Instagram (Personal): @ThePujaMalhotra

Threads: @ThePujaMalhotra

Website: themonarchdesign.co

Instagram: @monarchdesignco

Showit Website Templates: themonarchdesign.co/showit-template-shop

This Mother Means Business (community mentioned by Ashley + Puja): thismothermeansbusiness.com

Have you ever shown up everywhere online and still felt invisible?

In this episode of The Self-Made Life Podcast, I’m sharing Lesson 6 in my 7 Lessons in 7 Years of Business series — and this one changed everything for me.

For years, I thought more visibility was the answer.

But what I discovered the hard way is this:

In this episode, I’m sharing:

Why more content isn’t always the solution

How misaligned messaging attracts the wrong inquiries

The shift that helped me move from performing online to communicating clearly

Why referrals and relationships are still powerful growth drivers

A simple question to ask before you post this week

If your marketing feels heavy, exhausting, or disconnected from the business you actually want — this episode is for you.

Work with me at Monarch Design Co.

Explore the Showit Website Template Shop

Connect with Ashley:

In this episode of The Self-Made Life Podcast, Ashley Wyatt (Monarch Design Co.) sits down with Laura Sinclair—strategic business mentor, podcast host, and founder of This Mother Means Business—to talk about what it actually looks like to build a profitable business alongside motherhood.

Laura shares her story of owning a brick-and-mortar gym, how the pandemic forced a major pivot, and why “success” had to be rebuilt around capacity, support, and self-trust. We also get into the invisible mental load so many moms carry, the guilt around childcare support, and why collaboration and relationships are about to matter even more going into 2026.

In this episode, we cover:

The “boss or bust” reality of trying to be everywhere at once

Why hiring support can be the turning point (and why it doesn’t make you a “bad mom”)

Self-trust: how to filter business advice and make it work for your real life

Capacity conversations at home (and why “I can’t” is a complete sentence)

The mental load, partnership, and the “it has to be me” story

Laura’s take on what will drive growth in 2026: relationships + collaboration

Links & resources

Monarch Design Co.: https://themonarchdesign.co

Showit Template Shop: https://themonarchdesign.co/showit-template-shop

Connect with Laura Sinclair

Website: https://thismothermeansbusiness.com

Instagram: @itslaurasinclair

Instagram: @thismothermeansbusiness

Threads: @itslauracinclair

Podcast: This Mother Means Business (search it in your podcast app)

If you loved this conversation, take a screenshot while you’re listening and tag @monarchdesignco + @itslauracinclair so we can say hi.

Freedom in business doesn’t come from working less — it comes from deciding once.

In Lesson 5 of my 7 Lessons in 7 Years series, I’m breaking down how systems completely changed the way I run my business — not because I was scaling, but because I was exhausted.

For a long time, every client was custom, every email was written from scratch, and every process lived in my head. The result? Constant decision fatigue, mental overload, and feeling busy without actually moving the needle forward.

In this episode, we talk about:

Why decision fatigue quietly kills momentum

How structure can actually make you more creative

The shift from reinventing the wheel to deciding once

How VIP-style offers brought clarity to my time and delivery

Using CRMs like HoneyBook and Dubsado to support your client experience

Why SOPs, canned emails, and automation aren’t impersonal — they’re supportive

How AI tools like Fyxer AI can reduce mental load and inbox overwhelm

Building boundaries into your systems so they work even when you’re offline

If your business feels chaotic, it’s not because you’re doing it wrong—it’s because nothing is holding it together.

This episode is an invitation to stop carrying everything in your head and start building systems that support your real life, your energy, and your next season.

🎙 Tune in, then pick one thing this week to decide once — and let it work harder for you.

Episode Links

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

Bookkeeping for small business owners doesn’t have to feel overwhelming, embarrassing, or confusing.

In this episode of The Self Made Life Podcast, Ashley sits down with Anora Weste, financial consultant, mom of two, and founder of WMS Bookkeeping, to talk about how entrepreneurs can understand their business numbers, build real financial clarity, and stop avoiding their books.

Anora shares what small business owners should actually be looking at each month, the difference between profit and cash flow, and why financial confidence is built in stages — not overnight. This conversation is especially helpful if you’ve ever felt behind, unsure, or stressed when it comes to bookkeeping and money management.

You’ll learn:

Why bookkeeping for small business owners often feels harder than it needs to be

What numbers actually matter each month (and which ones don’t)

The difference between profit and cash flow — explained simply

Financial priorities at different stages of business growth

How support (at home and in business) impacts your bottom line

Where to start if you’ve been avoiding your books altogether

If you’re ready to stop guessing, stop stressing, and start feeling confident with your finances, this episode is for you.

Links & Resources

WMS Bookkeeping

Anora’s DIY Bookkeeping Spreadsheet

Follow Anora on Instagram: @anorawest | @wmsbookkeeping

What happens when the business you built no longer fits the life you’re living?

In Lesson 4 of my 7 Lessons in 7 Years series, I’m sharing the moment I realized my business was competing with my life and why motherhood forced me to rethink what success actually looks like.

For a long time, my business looked successful on paper. I said yes to opportunities, filled my calendar, and proved I could handle more. But when life changed, everything shifted. My capacity looked different. My priorities changed. And the structure I’d built no longer supported my real days.

In this episode, we talk about:

Why pushing harder isn’t always the answer

How motherhood reshaped my definition of success

What it really means to build a supportive business

Why ambition doesn’t disappear—it gets clearer

How to restructure your work to fit your current season

If you’re feeling stretched thinner than expected, juggling work and life, or wondering why what used to work doesn’t anymore—nothing has gone wrong. You’re simply being invited to build differently.

This episode is a reminder that success isn’t about how much you can juggle—it’s about how supported you feel while doing the work.

Episode Links

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

Showing up confidently online doesn’t start with perfect photos — it starts with clarity, connection, and permission to be seen.

In this episode of The Self-Made Life Podcast, Ashley sits down with Susy Robson, a brand photographer and marketing strategist who helps entrepreneurs feel confident in front of the camera and connected to their audience.

With over 15 years in marketing, Susy shares why brand photography is about so much more than “pretty pictures” — and how intentional photos can support your website, content, visibility, and growth.

In this episode, we cover:

If you’ve been nervous to show your face, book a shoot, or put yourself out there — this conversation will meet you right where you are.

✨ Resources & Links

This episode is a candid 2025 business reflection—the kind that happens after a year that stretched you in ways you didn’t see coming.

I’m sharing what last year really looked like behind the scenes: navigating motherhood with two under two, rebuilding my business during postpartum, being the sole income provider for my family, and realizing that the structure that once worked no longer fit the life I’m living now.

As we step into 2026, I’m no longer chasing more. I’m choosing better.

In this solo episode, I talk about:

What 2025 taught me about resilience, capacity, and sustainability

Why being booked doesn’t always mean being profitable

How support at home and in business changed everything

The shift toward a micro agency model and stepping into a creative director role

What’s staying, what’s changing, and how I’m building differently in 2026

If you’re in a transition season—where what used to work doesn’t fit anymore—this episode is for you.

Listen in, reflect alongside me, and take what you need as you head into your next chapter.

Episode Links

Website: https://themonarchdesign.co

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

Ever feel like you’re running a business, raising kids, and still somehow expected to keep up with social media?

In this episode of The Self-Made Life Podcast, Ashley sits down with Kat Tepylo Murphy, founder of Social Kat Media, to talk about what content creation actually looks like in real life — not the curated version we were sold years ago.

Kat is a mom of two and a social media strategist who helps small business owners sell more and scroll less. Together, we talk honestly about motherhood, postpartum mental health, self-funded mat leave, and how to create marketing boundaries that protect both your energy and your time.

Inside this conversation, we cover:

Why screen time often skyrockets postpartum (and how to reset it)

Simple screen-time boundaries that actually work — even if you work in social media

Why likes and views don’t equal sales (and what matters instead)

Easy content ideas that don’t require constant filming or editing

How batching content can make social media feel lighter and more manageable

What it looks like to build consistency without burnout

If social media feels heavy, overwhelming, or like another unpaid job, this episode will feel like a deep exhale.

Instagram: https://www.socialkatmedia.com

Podcast: Social Goals

Learn more about Kat’s membership for small business owners who want support, strategy, and accountability without hiring a full social media manager.

Website: https://themonarchdesign.co

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

Are you stuck between the girl boss hustle and the soft life era, wondering how you’re supposed to show up online while also raising tiny humans and running a real business?

In this episode, Ashley sits down with social media strategist and host of The Consistency Corner, Ruthie Sterrett, for part two of their conversation on content, consistency, and marketing in the messy middle of motherhood and entrepreneurship.

They talk about late school drop-offs, babies who need emergency baths before recordings, and the pressure to “should” all over your marketing… and then shift into a grounded plan for building a social media strategy that actually supports your business goals without burning you out.

You’ll hear about:

Why social media alone is not a strategy (and what to focus on instead)

How to define the job of your social platforms so you can ignore the noise

Ruthie’s 5 C’s framework for consistent marketing in busy seasons

Top, middle, and bottom of funnel content (and where Instagram fits)

How to measure success beyond likes and viral moments

What to outsource when you’re tired of doing it all yourself

This conversation is especially for founders who serve moms, creative entrepreneurs, and anyone tired of trying to keep up with every trend while juggling real life.

🎧 Start with part one over on The Consistency Corner, then pop back here for part two.

Our Website:

www.themonarchdesign.co

The Monarch Experience

VIP Days

Freebie - 50 Instagram Prompts & 12 Canva Templates

Instagram:

@monarchdesignco

@selfmadelifepodcast