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In this recap, I’m sharing my personal field notes about what it has been like to Run a Business as a New Mama.

(I’m 8 years into my entrepreneurial journey, and had my first baby 6 months ago).

I’m also reflecting on the state of Online Marketing and What’s Working Now (for me, and my clients).

In this blog post, we will cover...

1. Q1 & Q2 Recap

2. Energy Report

3. Sales Report

4. Website Traffic Report

I wasn't sure how my 'maternity leave' would unfold.

I didn’t perfectly plan it, and I decided to surrender to the experience without over-controlling the prep.

Now that I am 6 months in, I can share that maternity ‘leave’ has exceeded my expectations. I love this new version of me, who runs a business in less time & who is a present, passionate mama.

Despite fears that my bottom line and my lead generation would suffer, it didn't*. I've been working about 15 hours a week compared to 40 hours previously, and have no intention of going back to my ‘old ways’ anytime soon.

*There are a lot of caveats here (I sleep, baby sleeps, I have paid and free help, my business-partner supported me taking time away, husband is hands on outside of being away 50 hrs/wk, I built a strong foundation since 2016)

1. Energy Report (Q1 &Q2)

In addition to quantitative metrics, I track qualitative metrics, too! Let’s start there.

Every month, I ask myself (my clients do this, also)... ‘On a scale of 1-100: What level of energy did you bring to your business?’

In 2023 (working 40 hrs/wk) I reported…

In 2024 (as a Full Time Mama working 15 hrs/wk) I reported…

Can I just say, no matter what you’re up to on mat leave - being a Mom is a superpower.

I believe that I consistently reported 100 because I worked within my daily bandwidth PLUS I worked on the right things, not all the things (even if it was 5 mins in a day).

It’s not that my sleep improved with a newborn (LOL), but I did raise my energy but saying NO to more non-essentials, taking care of my health, and only spending time on work that brought joy or leverage to my business.

2. Sales Report (Q1 & Q2)

I sell 4 unique offers:

B2B Consulting (Large Business), 1:1 Marketing Coaching (Small to Med Business), Mastermind + Mastermind Events, and Digital Courses (which I didn’t do any launches for in 2024 as they stress me out - hence 0%).

Here is the breakdown of what % of my earnings come from each offer. This has evolved year over year, but 1:1 coaching always holds #1 spot and has highest demand.

As you can tell... The demand for 1:1 is extremely high vs. all other offers.

This is due to many factors (IMO).

People are tired of online courses that over promise and under deliver, they want a higher level of support & accountability, they feel like it’s the best path forward to not waste money or time, and they want to actually talk to someone!

Also, my passion towards 1:1 is extremely high and that comes through in my marketing so it’s likely that affects sales, too.

1:1 is an energy-giver for me, not draining. It’s also the lowest energy expenditure for me to market & generate leads for.

3. Website traffic report (Q1 & Q2)

I don’t get a LOT of website traffic, but the traffic I do get converts at a high % which is more important for me right now (I send everyone to an application). What’s interesting here is that...

• Over 50% of my website traffic is direct. This tells me that much of what I do to build brand awareness (longevity, podcast, networking) is working! Direct represents when someone types your URL directly into their web browser.

• Search Engines account for over 35% of my website traffic, and over 80% of my applications and paid clients. This is the highest ROI activity that I can focus on, as this is where I make the most revenue from right now.

In Summary (What these 3 simple reports tell me)

Energy Report

• Taking care of my health, and knowing what to work on (even if I only have 10 minutes) is the most important task in my business. Also, reducing distractions, making time for hobbies, and prioritizing me ;)

Sales Report

• 1:1 services are in high demand and because the funnel is nearly 100% passive, it’s the highest ROI offer that I sell

Website Traffic Report

• Organic search is powerful when you send to a good funnel (I teach this in my course, Everyday SEO)

• Marketing is multi-faceted and you don’t always know how someone found you - however, if you are always planting seeds (every day) and you’re patient - word spreads!

Stay tuned for the part 2 recap.

In my next recap, I will share details on what worked (& what didn’t) when it came to lead generation strategies and online marketing like:

• Podcasting (waste of time, or...?)

• Instagram Content Creation (do reels convert?)

• Blogging and the ACTUAL R.O.I

• Email Marketing (is it dead?)

• Other (in real life events)

And... here are what we learned as a business this year:

• Avoid making reactive decisions based on cash flow issues.

• It is okay to say no or even part ways with some clients.

• Prevent burnout by giving your body and mind time to recharge.

• Instead of trying to do everything yourself, learn to delegate tasks to others.