Early on in my entrepreneur life I accepted that if my income wasn't growing, or a client wasn’t happy, I had no one to blame but myself. I couldn’t blame my boss or co-workers. I was the only determining factor in how my success was achieved and measured.

As the years went by, I looked back at saw that I have 3 success measurements:

1. Happiness - is this work fulfilling and do I enjoy interacting with my niche clients?

2. Value of impact - is my work making a positive difference in people's lives?

3. Income - is this a viable business that can pay my bills?

From 2011-2018 the most challenging and FUN part of growing my financial consulting business was… can you guess?

MARKETING :)

It was challenging and risky because I didn’t have a proven system I could follow. I was trusting my gut when creating videos and writing blogs that I hoped and prayed would resonate with my ideal clients, 39 Forever Moms. Publishing my book “Money & The 39 Forever Mom” in 2016 moved the needle forward faster than any marketing I had ever done. So guess what I did in the years that followed?

I wrote 5 more books.

Do more of what works.

Writing a book made sense from a marketing perspective. I wanted to help moms feel more financially savvy. I also wanted to help prepare their kids for future financial responsibilities. Book #2 was "Find Your Voice On Social Media" and it shares my earliest marketing discoveries and wins with stories from 6 other Fempreneurs who participated in my marketing school.

The book writing process I naturally went through became my signature marketing system. Updates have been made over the years, but the CORE system I use to help women write books and market events, courses and services hasn't changed:

Tease - "Something awesome is coming soon!"
Gather email sign ups via a waitlist - "Sign up to get the early bird ticket price!"
Interact with everyone who signs up - send them a DM to find out what they’re interested in learning/why they signed up. BUILD THE RELATIONSHIP.
Ask for their opinion on social media. Example: post a What’s Your Favourite? image asking people to vote in the comments for their favourite event theme/book cover/podcast logo. Get them involved in creating it and they are more likely to listen/attend/buy!

When you eventually launch your offer, you already have a VERY interested niche email list in your Mailchimp account (or whichever CRM you use).

Everything I have shared with you above has worked for me, but...

I tried MANY things that didn’t work while discovering what DOES work. Whenever I felt doubt creeping in, I went back to my 3 success measurements: Happiness, Impact and Income. Although the income felt like it was lagging behind the other 2 sometimes, I trusted I was on the right path and kept my spending in check so that I could keep going. I eventually created a marketing school and FemAuthors - my 2 signature programs - to help women avoid common pitfalls. The programs are also 2 of my most viable income streams along with 1:1 marketing/business/author coaching and selling financial products and services.

If all you want is money, go get a job.

Throw in the towel and do the easy thing. Owning a business is hard, but it can give you flexibility location-wise and time-wise if you design it that way. Once you can run your business from anywhere, do you think you'll look back on the sacrifices you made to get there with zero regrets?

I am sure you’ll be glad you didn’t take the easy route.

In 2018 I got serious about having more fun while growing my business by surrounding myself with Fempreneurs. I often joke that I created a cult. I'm half-serious, though, because today literally 100% of my closest friends are Fempreneurs. Brain-washing is at the core of every cult, and ours is no different: The struggle is less of a struggle when you’re around others who have a similar to-do list and vision for their future.

What I mean is: brain washing is how we reframe what is a struggle and what is a normal, day-to-day list of tasks for a Fempreneur. Your brain will need a good washing if you hang out with only job people who tell you having a business is too hard, or if they don't encourage you.

I choose to hang around with Fempreneurs because they help me feel more normal and excited about the work we all have to do to keep our business dreams alive.

Get around women who open your eyes

After 20 women entrepreneurs asked me about the videos they were seeing online of me talking about my life and business, I took the hint. I created a sign up page for a 2 hour social media marketing workshop. I didn’t create the actual workshop because I had made that mistake before and finally learned not to spend 10 hours building something no one wants.

8 women signed up for my marketing workshop, so I had to build it.

I led a few more workshops in 2017 and 2018. Then at a mental health retreat called the Hoffman Process in 2018, I saw a vision for what I needed to do:

Build a community of Fempreneurs by...

Teaching them my marketing shortcuts

When I left the retreat I got straight to work. I launched a completely FREE 6 week marketing school (it is now 3 months). I had 8-12 women in each class. They all told me I was crazy for giving this gift for free and that I had to start charging for it, so I did eventually. But 30 of the first 100 women in my FREE marketing school hired me to be their marketing coach, or build them a website, or both.

At the Hoffman Process I got to know myself better. I discovered who I really am and what I really want. Back in 2018 while laying on a tiny jail-like cot at a retreat I saw exactly what I am experiencing now in December 2024. The Caribbean Sea is steps away. Palm trees and warm weather surround me while I type this email to you. New women are discovering our community and my marketing school - thanks to Facebook Ads! Women who joined my marketing school or attended an event 1-5 years ago are still my clients and/or friends today, and some are coming here to Playa del Carmen in January and February to sample the work from anywhere lifestyle!

Whatever you are struggling with in your business, I’ve been there. Thousands of women in the Calgary area and hundreds of thousands around the world are saying no to the easy route, just like you are, so they can build the life and business of their dreams. They value the impact they are called to have on this world and they are serious about making a difference through the work they do.

Not sure your dream life is worth the sacrifices?

I shopped at thrift stores. I said no to expensive vacations. Instead I chose road trips to visit family and camping. I had to use 2 different credit cards to pay my first business coach, which felt quite irresponsible at the time, but the ROI has been 100x year after year. Today I am so glad I made these decisions. Some call them sacrifices, but I choose to call them decisions.

When you know what you want,
you have to make certain decisions to get it.

Now let’s IDENTIFY WHAT IS ALREADY WORKING to attract clients so you can rinse & repeat. Grab your pen and notebook.

Question 1: What has worked to attract new ideal clients? Trace back 3 client success stories to how each one found you and why they hired you. Write each story in your notebook.

Question 2: Who has helped you feel less crazy and more normal on your entrepreneur journey? Write about 3 people you have interacted with in person (not authors or podcasters you have never met), the perspective/mindset shift they showed you, and how they came into your life.

For me, the answer to both of these questions boils down to my role as a Marketing School Facilitator.

If you are feeling lost when it comes to marketing and you're ready to stop hating social media, sign up for my marketing school today! There are only 6 spots in each class and the next one starts soon! Click here!

Fempreneur Marketing School is how I help women feel confident and on-track in their business with a mix of 1:1 and group training...