Break Free from the Hustle:

Anti-hustle: Making it Work for YOU

Every busy mom I've ever worked with has the same primary concern: how the heck can I add this to my already full plate?

As a busy mom of three little girls all under the age of 5, I spent years trying to find the perfect work-life balance. You name it, I tried it:

• Flexible work hours
• Remote work
• Launching my own service-based business (twice!)

The harder I tried, the more I bought into the hustle culture: "just work harder until you reach your goals," I told myself.

But here's the thing: the goal for most people in the hustle culture is to get rich.

My goal? To prioritize my family and create a profitable, sustainable, and flexible business.

I wanted the freedom to go on my daughter's field trip without worrying about missing an important meeting.

It took hitting rock bottom and experiencing total burnout to realize that I was running out of energy... and time with my girls.

So, I put my girls in the car, drove from DC to Tampa, and dug deep into my heart. That business wasn't getting me closer to the life I wanted. 

I came back and told my husband and my business partner that I was done. 

Even though my business was providing a great income, it was draining the life out of me and stealing my joy, just like my traditional job did 5 years before.

I needed to start over. It took time. Time to recover from feeling like a failure. Then time to figure out how to build a business that allowed me to be authentically me, and gave me the flexible, exciting career I wanted... at my own pace while keeping my family as my top priority.

It was hard, but it was a game-changer.

That's why I'm on a mission to help other working moms who want to ditch the hustle and start enjoying both their work and their family life. Because you can have both, and I'm here to show you how.

Discover the Perfect Online Business Model for Busy Moms 

The biggest mistake I’ve made as a new entrepreneur was choosing the wrong business model… twice!

I chose to offer services, but I didn’t realize that without another stream of income in those businesses, my only option was to trade time for money. Meaning, I had to give my time in exchange for the money I was making. I could have created something once and sold over and over again using automations, as another income stream. Only offering services led me to feeling overwhelmed the first time. The second time it led to total, extreme burnout. I didn’t create a business. I created a demanding job for myself… twice.

It’s not that services aren’t lucrative. They are. But it didn’t work for the lifestyle I wanted - a life with the freedom and flexibility to be there for my kids.

If I had chosen a different business model, I would absolutely still be doing one or the other. I loved both and I was successful... except for the way I needed to be successful. I wish I knew then what I know now. That’s why it’s so important to me that I start by helping you choose the business model that works for you.

So, what type of business is best for you? I have a free quiz that can help you decide.

With so many options out there, let's explore various models and discover why a digital product business is a great choice for anyone looking for more flexibility.

• Digital Products: Creating and selling templates, e-books, online courses, printables, stock photos, software, or mobile apps, is the most flexible business model. It's also low-cost to start and run, and it's very profitable. It requires an initial investment of time and effort, now made even easier by both AI and automation. But once it's created, digital products can generate revenue without many ongoing maintenance or logistical challenges. Digital products are the best option that I know for those who want ultimate flexibility and freedom. 
• Service-Based Businesses: This business model involves offering services such as consulting, coaching, freelancing, or design. While it's profitable, it often demands a significant, on-going time investment. You have to actively serve your customers while you keep bringing in new customers. It may not be the best choice if flexibility or freedom is your goal. But if you have no time constraints, it is a great option. 
• Sales, E-commerce, or Physical Products: Selling physical products online can be lucrative, but it often requires inventory management, shipping, and potential logistical challenges both in receiving the products you need to sell and in getting them to your customers on time, which can be time-consuming and frustrating. The other downside is the ongoing cost of either purchasing or making the products you sell. If you're a natural sales person and you love creating or curating physical products, it's a great option though. 
• Affiliate Marketing: This involves promoting other people's products and earning a small commission. It’s flexible, but it may take time to build a following that’s significant enough to generate a steady income, which might not be ideal if you want to make money in the next few months. The best way to approach affiliate marketing is to make it one of several income streams as part of your own personal brand, so you're not always in "buy this" mode. You can incorporate things you love into your content to make it a more natural fit with your brand.  
• Content Creation: Blogging, podcasting, or creating YouTube videos can be an enjoyable way to share your passion. However, it often requires continuous content production, pitching to get sponsorships, and/or putting ads on your content. It will grow over time, but it may not lead to income in the near future. Content creation is part of each of the business models listed above, but if creating content is your income stream, it's a different level of commitment. Like affiliate marketing, earning directly from content you create is a good complementary income stream (a byproduct, if you will) to some of the other business models. 

What's so Special About Digital Product Businesses? 

As of 2021, the global e-learning market was valued at around $250 billion, with projections to surpass $370 billion by 2026, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 17.2%. Digital products account for 27% of all online retail sales worldwide, and this number is expected to grow in the coming years (Econsultancy, 2021). And 75% of businesses plan to increase their investments in digital product development within the next two years (Deloitte, 2021).

These trends indicate that the world is rapidly embracing digital solutions, with online courses, eBooks, templates, and digital subscriptions and memberships playing a significant role in shaping the future of learning, entertainment, and business operations. The potential is huge… and growing.

Online courses, eBooks, templates, and digital subscriptions and memberships have revolutionized the way we learn, access information, and interact with various platforms.

A digital product business can be a game-changer for a new entrepreneur, especially if you want a flexible lifestyle. AI and automation make it easier than ever to create a product once and sell it repeatedly. Unlike other business models, you won't be trading time for money in the long run. This means you can dedicate more time to your family while still generating a great income.

Here's why digital product businesses shine for flexibility-seekers like us:

• Scalability: Since your product is digital, it can be created once and sold multiple times without additional effort, making it easier to scale (grow) your business.
• Flexibility: With digital products, you’re creating on your own time and no one sets a deadline or schedule for you. You work from anywhere, set your own hours, and adapt your schedule to your family's needs.
• Minimal Overhead: No need to worry about invoicing, managing other people’s information, or waiting for others to give you what you need to do your job. No inventory, shipping, physical storage, or logistics. You decide how much to charge for each product and adjust with demand and the market. With so many different tools, you also get to choose how much you spend to run your business. The choice really comes down to: Are comfortable piecing it together yourself (that’s the free or low-cost option) or do you want an integrated, automated solution (which costs around $100-$150/mo)? I show you demos and explain exactly how to avoid taking on these costs until you’re ready to make money, so save those free software trials until later. The technology is so much easier than you’d expect.
• Automation & AI: Tools like automated triggers move your customers from one step of your customer journey to the next, without you having to do anything at all. Automated email marketing simplifes many aspects of your business, freeing up more time for your customers, family, and other priorities. AI makes content creation 10x faster.
  
  And guess what, these easy-to-use tools can actually make your business more personalized and more profitable. How? The personalization options are endless if you use good automation tools. I'll show you how to get to know yourself and your ideal customers so you can use AI in a way that’s authentic to you. So many people are using these tools to put out generic content and solutions that it feels spammy and impersonal - ignore that! That’s not what I show you how to do here. Instead, I show you how to get to know your ideal customer really well, and learn about what you want to do. Then you create your brand and customer journey… and then use these tools to help you implement your strategy and plan so much faster, never losing sight of your personality or the personalization your customers want. That’s the magic combination you need to create a successful business without spending dozens of hours a week to do it. Stick with me... that’s exactly what I show you how to do.

A digital product business is a great choice for busy moms. It provides the perfect balance between work and family life. It’s low-cost to run, allows for sustainable growth. That’s exactly why I use it and why I teach others how to use it to save time and create a flexible life and career too. 

But, I don’t believe in “my way or it’s wrong.” If you’re passionate about offering services or selling a product you love, then follow your heart and do that. Super busy moms have built thriving businesses by only freelancing, consulting, coaching, or selling physical products to create a more fulfilling and financially independent life. I’m happy to share my lessons learned with you and help you find someone that does what you want to do, whatever you decide. But just so there’s no confusion, my courses and business accelerator focus on starting with digital products and adding services later. So that’s what the rest of my content focuses on.

Framework for Starting an Online Business  

This adventure is your chance to create something uniquely yours and make a difference in the world. Here's my complete 3 part, step-by-step framework for starting your online business, specifically tailored to digital products.

1. Create Your Business Blueprint
2. Build Your Business Foundation
3. Design & Automate Your First Income Stream

Let's take a closer look...

Before you do anything else in your business, you need a strategy and a plan to implement it. The best way to do that is to create a plan or a blueprint to follow. Figure out what you want to do, who needs that, and how you can help. 

• Create Your Blueprint:
  
  In my Start an Online Business 5-Day Challenge, I walk you through creating your Business Blueprint, so you're ready to build your Business Foundation in only 5 days. This is what we do:

1. Create your niche
2. Choose your ideal customers, and
3. Get to know what's in their head and their heart so you can make decisions that impact your business growth. 

These are the first three steps you need to complete to create your business plan (and I don’t mean a piece of paper kind of plan… I mean a real plan of action - a blueprint or compass guiding you through your entrepreneurial journey), as you turn your ideas into a profitable business.

Once you've pinpointed a winning niche, and you’ve chosen and gotten to know your ideal customers, next it's time to build your business foundation. Read this part right to left, as you continue along the path...

I do the challenge first so you can see if you like my teaching style and the results of your efforts. Then, in From Plan to Profit, we build your Business Foundation and Design and Automate Your First Income Stream, a digital product. When you're finished, you have a growing audience and you've launched your online business. Here's exactly what we do in From Plan to Profit: 

• Create Your Brand: Make your brand unforgettable with impactful messaging that focuses on your ideal customer’s desires, as it relates to your niche. Your brand identity should resonate with your audience and make them feel understood. For your visuals, Canva can help you effortlessly design a brand that captures attention with a professional look and feel. Although it can be fun, don't start with your brand. Start by focusing on your ideal customers and getting to know them, so everything you create will resonate with them. 

• Design Your Customer Journey: Create a clear roadmap for your customers. Think about their desires, pain points, fears, and objections and how your product can solve their problems. Map out the entire experience your customers will have with your brand, from the moment they discover you to the point of purchase and beyond. Consider the touchpoints, communication channels, tools, and support systems that will guide them through their journey. Map out the stages of awareness, interest, decision, and action, and design your content, emails, and promotional strategies to align with each stage. This ensures a seamless, enjoyable, repeatable customer experience for them, and a reliable income for you.

• Get Visible & Establish Credibility: Even before your digital product business is up and running, get the word out about what you do and who you work with. Create an engaging and exciting content marketing strategy that propels your online business to new heights:

  • Decide which format you want to produce content: Do you like to write? Create videos? Or do you prefer audio?
  • How will people see your content? Search, social, collaborations, partnerships? You can choose one primary and repurpose your content.
  • How will you build relationships and keep in touch? Running a business on a platform that someone else controls isn't a good idea. Look how fast Twitter went down the tubes or the constant threat of banning TikTok. You have to go where your ideal audience is, but then quickly get them onto your email list or however you'd like to communicate. 
  • Teach, inspire, and/or entertain through your content. Teach your ideal customer how to solve their problem. Show the process, the behind-the-scenes, and ask what they need.

  By embracing these marketing strategies, you'll not only grow your digital product business but also create a loyal community of customers who can't wait to see what you come up with next. Dive into the thrilling world of marketing and let your passion and expertise shine, as you guide and inspire to build your audience.

Now that you have a solid foundation, it's time to build your first income stream. 

• Validate Your Digital Product Idea: Before investing time and resources into creating your product, test the waters and validate your idea with your ideal customers. You can validate your idea by conducting market research, creating a minimum viable product (MVP), or even pre-selling your product before it's fully developed. This step will help you refine your idea, make improvements, and increase the likelihood that your audience will buy.

• Create Your Digital Product: Once you've done your market research and validated your idea, it's time to decide what digital product to create. In From Plan to Profit, we discuss strategies as well as things like the pros and cons of a one-time income vs. recurring income. Whether it's an e-book, online course, templates, membership, or subscription, ensure that your product is high-quality, informative, and offers real value to your customers. Break the project into manageable tasks, and consider collaborating with professionals like graphic designers, writers, or videographers to bring your vision to life. Remember to incorporate your unique selling proposition (USP) to differentiate your product from competitors.

• Launch Your Website and Host Your Product: Set up a professional website that showcases your brand and hosts your digital product. Choose a reliable hosting provider, and invest in a user-friendly no-code website and digital product builder like Kajabi (the best and most feature-rich all-in-one tool for solopreneurs). If you'd rather connect everything yourself, check out ShowIt, Squarespace, or WordPress to create a visually appealing site. Make sure your website is easy to navigate, mobile-responsive, SEO-friendly, and optimized for conversions and user experience. A secure and seamless payment system like Stripe (which is already integrated into some all-in-one platforms) will offer a smooth checkout process for your customers.

• Automate Your Sales and Marketing: Leverage technology to automate repetitive tasks and streamline your sales and marketing processes. Utilize email marketing automation tools built into Kajabi, or if you choose another solution, you can use Mailchimp (free to get started) or ConvertKit to send targeted emails and nurture leads. Automate your social media posts. Set up automated sales funnels to guide prospects through your customer journey, and use other tools to manage customer inquiries and support. Automation saves time and ensures a consistent experience for your customers… which equals consistent income for you. Not everything can or should be automated, so focus on automating what needs to happen to get traffic to your website and get consistent sales, even (especially) when you're busy. 

• Optimize: Continuously monitor and analyze your business performance using tools like Google Analytics and social media analytics. Identify areas for improvement, and optimize your website, content, and marketing campaigns to improve your conversion rates and grow your business. Regularly ask for customer feedback and make data-driven decisions to refine your product offerings and enhance the overall customer experience. Use data and analytics to track your progress and make informed decisions. Test different approaches and tactics to see what works best for your business. Embrace a mindset of continuous learning and growth to stay ahead of the competition and ensure long-term success.

With these steps in place, you're well on your way to launching a spectacular digital product business. Remember, you're not just building a business, you're creating a legacy that enriches lives and inspires others. Embrace this exciting journey with open arms, and let your passion and expertise shine through every aspect of your brand.

Master the Art of Integrating Your Business & Your Life

Striking the perfect balance between work and family life can feel daunting. But with the right approach, you can excel in both areas. As part of my business accelerator, we dive deep into any setbacks you encounter along your journey, including fear, limiting beliefs, and self-doubt. If you struggle with any of those things (you're not alone - we all do) and you want some help, that's what I'm here for. When your mindset and strategy work together, that's when you can create the business you're dreaming of.

Here's how to integrate your business and life, so you can get started while making the most of every moment with your family. Whether you want to create a second income stream, pivot your career completely, or start something new, this can work for you. 

Let's assume "work" means your new business. I know you probably also have a traditional job, so you'll need to factor that in as well, but since I don't know the details, we'll say that "work" is your new business... 

• Establish Clear Priorities and Boundaries: Decide and commit to your #1 priority - if you’re anything like me, that’s your family time. Protect your priority by setting boundaries that allow you to quickly and easily make decisions. Carve out a space for your work life and family life, ensuring they integrate the way you'd like.
  
  Define specific work hours, communicate them to your loved ones and customers, and stick to them. Then everyone knows when you're "at work" and when you're "at home." And “at work” doesn’t mean 8 hours a day. This isn’t like a traditional job and you have no one to answer to. So, set realistic expectations and a timeline for when you want to launch your business, work at your own pace, in a way that's authentically you, and it'll feel a lot more doable. 
• Maximize Productivity with Tools: Harness the power of productivity tools like Notion and Google Drive, so when you have time to work on your business, everything is organized and you're ready to work. Notion is free and it's my favorite tool ever! Tip: Find templates you like when you start using Notion. These platforms help you get organized, work through your to-do list, and visualize your progress, ensuring nothing slips through the cracks.
• Ask for Help or Delegate: I want to live in a world where asking for help is a sign of strength and intelligence! Who told us not to ask for help, anyway? You can’t be supermom all the time - maybe once in a while for short periods of time - but no one can sustain that level of pressure for long. It quickly leads to resentment and overwhelm. It's okay to ask for help. Ask for help with the chores or with the kids so you can work on your business a few hours a week, or just delegate a few tasks at home to make time. Asking for help allows you to focus on high-priority tasks and enjoy quality time with your family.
• Revitalize with Breaks and Self-Care: Prioritizing self-care is crucial for both your personal and professional success. Schedule regular breaks and take time for activities that recharge you. There's a lot of talk about what it means to prioritize self-care. I'm not necessarily talking about spa days and weekends away, though if you can do that...do it! No shame in that. But, I'm talking about eating lunch sitting down, while listening to music. Take a break to close your eyes and relax, and then take another 15 minutes to read a chapter of a book. Take a longer shower than usual. If it's something you'd like to do and allows you to slow down a bit, do it without feeling guilty. These little things make a huge difference when we intentionally slow down, put down the devices, and allow ourselves to recharge a few times a day.

A healthy, happy mom is the cornerstone of a thriving family and business.

By mastering these techniques and making self-care a priority, you'll be able to juggle your digital product business and family life with ease. Remember, the key is to be intentional with your time, so you can enjoy a fulfilling and successful work-life balance.

Embarking on the journey of starting an online business may seem overwhelming, but you are more than capable. With determination, passion, consistency, and the right strategies, you'll transform your dreams into reality and achieve the work-life balance you've been craving. You've got this! 

As you explore the world of digital products, remember that you're not alone. Dive into the treasure trove of supporting blog posts below to discover even more insights, myths, mistakes, tips, and answers to your most pressing questions (like how much does it cost to start and run an online business) to help you thrive in your new venture.

When you're ready, reach out to me. I'm here to support and guide you as you navigate this new world of entrepreneurship: [email protected]

So go ahead, take a deep breath, and embrace this exciting new chapter in your life. You have the power to make your vision come to life and create a lasting impact in the lives of others. Together, we'll conquer goals, create a fulfilling balance between work and family, and show the world that moms can do it all!

Now, let's get started on this incredible journey!

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