May 26, 2025 • 30 mins
From ditching the “perfect” reel trends to setting solid boundaries around my time (and sanity), I’m giving you a behind-the-scenes peek at the real shifts I made in my business to escape the content chaos and finally create in a way that feels aligned.
If you’re constantly second-guessing yourself, stuck in comparison loops, or just tired of feeling like you’re not doing enough—this is your permission slip to quit what’s not serving you.
For all these episode notes, click here!
✨ Things I cover inside the episode:
- Why I stopped chasing "perfect" B-roll reels (and what I do instead)
- How hiring a community manager helped me reclaim my time (and joy)
- The boundaries I’ve set around my DMs, comments, and off-hours
- Why copying someone else's content strategy won’t actually work for you
- A major mindset shift around consistency, breaks, and visibility
- My honest feelings about Instagram—and what platforms I’m eyeing next
- The real reason your content might feel heavy (hint: it’s not a strategy problem)
Have an idea for what I should call this podcast community? Drop it in the comments or DM me @thecreativebodega!
Resources & Links Mentioned in this episode:
🎧 Listen to The Dirt on Flowers podcast
🎧 Listen to Ash McDonald’s podcast
Connect with me:
🫶🏼 Follow me on Instagram for daily insights
🫶🏼 Join my 321 Create Newsletter for weekly content tips
🫶🏼 Check out The Content Coven Membership
Be sure to hit "Subscribe" or "Follow" so you never miss an episode!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
A lot of us, I think, makecontent a lot harder than it
(00:02):
needs to be, and we're puttingvery unnecessary pressure on
ourselves to achieve somethingthat's not even achievable,
right?
Perfection.
Who, who's to decide?
What is the perfect contentschedule?
Who's to decide what the perfectlooking feed is?
Who's to decide?
How many times is the idealamount to post?
Like who's in charge of thesethings?
(00:24):
I.
I, I don't know, you tell me.
Welcome to the Creative Bodega,a podcast about content
marketing, Instagram growth, andpersonal branding for female
service-based solopreneurs whowanna grow their business
without letting it take overtheir lives.
I'm your host, EM Commerce, andeach week I'll share actionable
tips, expert advice, andunfiltered truths to help you
(00:48):
create engaging content, connectauthentically with your
audience, and turn followersinto loyal customers.
All without the burnout.
If you're ready to simplify yourcontent creation, navigate the
ever changing trends and build abusiness that works for you
while staying sane in this crazyseason of life, then you're in
the right place.
(01:10):
What up m here from the CreativeBodega.
So excited to chat with youtoday about the 10 things.
I quit to make content creationfeel.
Fun and easy Again, I wanna saythat I listened to another
podcast, well, I, that's kind ofa lie.
I was on a podcast as a guest.
It's called The Dirt on Flowers,and it's run by these two
(01:31):
amazing women and I love themand they call their listeners
Dirt Bags, which like.
I think it's hilarious.
Like I crack up every time Ithink about it and I would
really like to be able to callmy listeners something.
I think there's something reallycool about that and it feels
like very insidery to be calledsomething and I'm not one to be
(01:54):
like my content queens, likedirt bags is hilarious.
Again, they're all flowergrowers, so it's like super
appropriate.
So if you have an idea for me.
I don't know why I just thoughtof this before getting started,
but if you think of somethingthat we can call this community
of listeners, that would be sofun.
Definitely could be a play onmaybe the content coven.
(02:15):
My membership could be mycontent witches.
I.
But that's kind of cheese too.
I don't know.
Anyways, I digress.
I'm sharing 10 things I quitdoing so that I could create
content more easily, morejoyfully, and in a way that
actually supports my businessand doesn't drain me.
So I wanna be like veryrelatable today.
(02:37):
Very real talky, very judgmentfree.
And I'm hoping this episode'sgonna feel really empowering.
Because if there's anything I'venoticed with all the female
entrepreneurs I work with, it'slike we all feel like we have to
follow all these rules.
If we don't do this, we won't besuccessful.
If we don't follow this advice,we're never gonna make it like.
(02:58):
Here's the thing, every singlecreator has their own unique
experiences that led them to thepoint where they are, and you're
never gonna be able to followtheir footsteps.
Exactly.
Sure you can take bits andpieces, but if you don't really
own it and make it somethingthat feels.
Good and fun and light for you.
It's gonna be a slog.
(03:19):
And I don't know, I feel like inthe end you're sort of like a
little doomed if you, if youfollow that rat race.
So everything I say, I telleverybody, take with a grain of
salt.
Take what feels good, forgetwhat doesn't.
And you know.
Stop following or listening topeople who don't make you feel
good enough or like you're notdoing enough.
(03:39):
We're already so hard onourselves.
We don't need anyone elsetelling us that we're not doing
enough or not good enough,right?
So I'll never forget when I wasthinking about starting a
podcast, I reached out to mycommunity, of course, via
stories of course, and I said,can you share some podcasts that
you listen to and love?
I'm just doing some research andsomebody shared with me a
(04:00):
podcast by a woman named.
Ash, McDonald's and Ashley is atherapist and a business mentor,
and they were like, the reason Ilove it is because she is like
on a walk when she's talking onthis podcast.
And I was like, wait, what?
Because I hadn't even startedpodcasting yet.
(04:20):
And I was like, oh my God, Ineed like a studio and I need
the perfect microphone and Ineed silence and I need and
like.
Here's this person saying, myfavorite podcast is from someone
who literally is out for a walk,and you can hear cars honking
and you can hear dogs barking,and you can hear kids crying.
I'm like, I was like, really?
So of course I had to go andlisten.
(04:42):
I.
And I ended up binging the, youknow what, out of her podcast,
like just drinking the Kool-Aid,like just re-listening to
episodes.
And so much of what she said waslike, resonating with me so
much.
And so here was this woman whonot only.
Was recording a podcast in a waythat no podcast coach would ever
(05:05):
recommend you do.
Right.
Being out and walking and havingall that noise.
And number two, at the time, shehad completely gotten off of
Instagram, like she had stoppedposting completely.
It said on her Instagram she wastaking like a two month break.
But at that point, I think whenI found her, it had been like
three and a half months and shestill hadn't come back.
And I was like, wow, someone cando that.
(05:28):
Like you can just.
How are you so brave?
That was very brave to me forsomeone to just be like, I'm
stopping.
Like I don't care and I need tolike get my life together and
then maybe I'll come back, butmaybe I'll come back in two
months and maybe it'll be more.
And I don't know.
I just felt like she was superbrave and I felt like, like I
needed someone like her to kindahelp me figure out some of the
(05:52):
limiting beliefs that I washaving or the pressure, like
relieve some of the pressurethat I was constantly putting on
myself to show up.
Show up, show up no matter what.
So she kind of gave me thatpermission to take that
imperfect action.
You know, that it was probablygood enough that I'm just
sitting at my desk in my housewith a decent microphone in
(06:12):
front of me and maybe I didn'tneed, you know, everything to be
absolutely perfect and maybethere's no such thing as
perfect.
Right?
Bye.
Anyways, so I know that contentcreation can feel really heavy,
really heavy at times for a lotof us.
And if you're a solopreneurtrying to do it all, like you've
absolutely had those momentswhere you're like, W, why does
(06:35):
this feel like such a grind?
Or shouldn't this be easier bynow?
Or should I keep going?
Should I keep posting?
What's the point?
Right.
I've heard it from my students.
I've heard it from my followers.
There's even times when I havefelt this deeply myself, right?
(06:55):
And the truth is, a lot of us, Ithink make content a lot harder
than it needs to be, and we'reputting very unnecessary
pressure on ourselves to achievesomething that's not even
achievable, right?
Perfection.
Who, who's to decide?
What is the perfect contentschedule?
Who's to decide what the perfectlooking feed is?
(07:16):
Who's to decide?
How many times is the idealamount to post?
Like who's in charge of thesethings?
I.
I, I don't know.
You tell me if you know.
I mean, of course the firstperson that comes to mind is
Adam, er, like the CEO ofInstagram.
He, I feel like he does sort ofhold the strings and we're the
puppets, but that's anotherstory for another day.
(07:39):
But we've built schedules, we'vebuilt strategies, we have
expectations around what wethink we're supposed to be
doing.
You know, daily posts jumping ontrending reels, nonstop
engagement within the first hourafter you post on the perfect
Canva graphics.
But none of that's gonna matterif it's burning you out.
(07:59):
'cause if it's burning you out,it's absolutely not sustainable.
And if it's not sustainable,you're gonna quit at some point.
Right.
So what changed for me was this,I started giving myself
permission to.
Quit the things that weren'tworking for me, even things that
I used to or even still doteach, right?
(08:21):
Even things I thought I had todo to be successful or to be
doing it all the right quoteunquote way.
And no, this doesn't mean thatI've.
Really ever given up.
I've never disappeared off ofanywhere that I've committed to
posting or showing up withoutexplaining or saying something.
It just means that I finallygave myself permission to show
(08:43):
up in a way that felt likereally true to me at my pace,
using my strategy and like myrules, right?
And today I wanna help you dothe same.
I wanna share 10 things that Istopped doing that might make
you say.
Okay.
If she can do it, I can do it.
And that's kind of how I feltwith Ash McDonald's podcast.
(09:05):
I'm like, listen, if she can doit, she doesn't have a podcast
editor.
She's out on a walk doing thispodcast.
I don't have to be perfect.
I just, I didn't care that Iheard honking and kids crying in
the background.
It made it very real andrelatable.
I was listening to her and hermessage.
I didn't care about thebackground noise.
If you're sharing somethingworthwhile that comes from a
(09:25):
really pure, beautiful placethat makes you light up when you
talk about it with the goal ofhelping someone achieve
something.
It's gonna land.
You know what I mean?
Whether the graphic's notperfect or the audio wasn't
perfect, or you got noise in thebackground.
So if you're feeling stuck orfrustrated, or just kind of over
it when it comes to content,this is your sign that maybe
(09:48):
it's time to release some of thepressure you're not behind,
you're not doing it wrong.
You're just maybe caring toomuch that was never yours to
begin with.
So that's why today.
Talking about these 10 things.
I quit to make content creationfeel fun and easy for me again.
'cause I knew that if I didn't.
(10:08):
I was on a a downward spiral andit wasn't going to help me
achieve my goals, that's forsure.
These are real shifts I made.
They did not happen overnight.
They did not happen all at once,but over time as I paid
attention to what felt alignedand what didn't, these kind of
came to me naturally and I justreally listened to myself.
(10:30):
Some of them might surprise you.
Some of you you might alreadyknow'cause whatever.
I probably shared it in mystories or in my newsletter.
Some of it you might be feelingin your gut right now, and
hopefully a few of them aregonna give you the permission
that maybe you didn't even knowyou needed.
Right?
So let's dive in 10 things.
I quit to make content creationfeel fun and easy again.
(10:53):
I quit trying to make reels thatdon't feel aligned.
So if you haven't noticed forthe past, I don't know, year
more two years, the trendingtype of reel is that B roll
style and B roll is just likevideo of you doing stuff with
text over top or talking overtop like a voiceover.
(11:17):
And it's very like story drivenand very kind of ethereal and
like I've tried it and it.
It's really hard for me.
It's really, really hard for me.
It doesn't come naturally to me,and I forget to take B-roll and
I don't want to stop what I'mdoing with my family and be
like, oh, hold the phone.
Let me set up my camera so wecan all walk towards it on our
(11:39):
walk.
Like, no, I wanna be in themoment with my kids on a walk
and I don't wanna set up my dumbphone to take a video of it.
Or when I'm working and I'mgrinding, you know, like at my
desk doing things like I don'twanna stop what I'm doing and
set up my phone And yes.
Yes, yes, I know.
I could just, you know, carveout 10 minutes a week and do
(12:00):
them strategically, and, but it,again, that's not coming easily
and that feels hard for me too.
There's something about it thatjust doesn't feel right.
It doesn't, it just doesn't landwith me and I'm not gonna force
myself to do it.
I've tried.
They've done fine, but it's toobig of a lift for me.
So I mean for me, like creatingeducational reels, like, Hey
(12:24):
imm, here's how to do this.
Watch this, save this.
You're gonna love this.
That feels really good to me.
I can do that all day long.
I could do one every day if Iwanted to, but this like, let
me, you know, string togetherthese B-roll footage and talk
over top of it and have a biglife lesson.
It doesn't feel aligned with me.
I'm more like, oh, let's get tothe point.
(12:46):
So I'm not gonna make myself doit.
I'm not gonna do it.
I'm not gonna make reels thatdon't feel aligned.
If it feels forced, I think youraudience can feel it.
And if it's out of alignment, Idon't think the algorithm's
gonna favor it either.
So that's number one.
And if somebody has some likehot tip for me on how to make
those easier, go, please shareit.
(13:08):
I'm really hoping they just goaway.
I'm hoping that the trend stops,like I'm, I'm just like done
with it.
Number two, I quit engagement.
That drains me, so you may ormay not know this, but I have an
Instagram community manager, I'mgonna call her.
Her name's Nicole.
She's wonderful and she isresponsible for responding to
(13:32):
all the comments that are lefton my posts.
I found that when my account.
Got really big and I was havinga lot of comments on my post,
which is amazing, by the way.
Great problem to have.
It really drained me to sitthere and reply to everybody,
and it didn't feel like the bestuse of my time.
Uh, it was, it's weird.
It was, it was confusing.
(13:53):
'cause I, I think it's soimportant to reply to people.
If someone takes the time torespond to something on my post,
like I wanna respond to them,but I would rather have been
creating, right?
Like, I would've rather put myenergy into that.
Creating a podcast, creating ablog post, creating a piece of
content for Instagram, right?
(14:15):
So I quit engagement thatdrained me.
I didn't stop responding topeople, but I hired someone who
really adopted my tone of voice,knew how to respond in a way
that was, you know, aligned withme.
And she even helps go through mydms, because again, that can be
quite overwhelming if you'regetting 50 plus DMS a day, which
is.
Definitely what I get.
Probably more she flags the onesthat she feels really need my
(14:39):
tone of voice or that she knowsis an old student of mine, or I
would wanna respond, whatever.
But the rest, if it's easy, justyou're welcome.
Oh, thank you for letting meknow.
Like she's in there helping meout with that, and that has
helped.
Like really sustain my energywhen it comes to social media
because again, I think it'simportant.
I think it's really important toengage, but I don't have the
(15:03):
time or energy to do it.
So I hired someone to help mewith that and that's brought me
a lot of peace of mind.
'cause the end of the daywould've come and I'd be like,
oh my God, I haven't respondedto anybody.
This is gonna take forever.
And it's not that anymore at theend of the day.
I know she's been going throughit three times throughout the
day and I'll have certain dms toflag that I need to go in and
respond to, and I really lookforward to responding to those
(15:24):
dms.
I definitely enjoy dms more thanI do, like replying to comments,
but, um, they both are time.
It's time.
So number three, I quitanswering in depth questions via
DM from people who aren't paststudents of mine, who I know all
my past students.
I literally know every singleone of their names.
I'm not even kidding.
(15:44):
Or in my community.
So if you're not in my communityand you're DMing me like a
question, can you look at, canyou look at my bio?
Can you look at my contentpillars?
I have found a really nice wayto say no.
I, I, I cannot, like my dms arenot my coaching zone of genius,
(16:04):
right?
If somebody wants personalizedhelp from me, I feel that I've
earned the right to say you'vegotta.
Pay for that.
Like I have people who arepaying for that.
I have 274 members in mycommunity right now.
They pay me every month.
I'm absolutely answeringanything they post in that
(16:25):
community.
But for me to go and dive intoyour pillars or your bio or
whatever, like when I knownothing about you or your
business, it's not really fairto you and it's really not fair
to me or my time.
So I've had to again, come upwith a very nice way to say.
I, I'm sure you understand this,I'm stretched very thin.
(16:45):
I get a lot of dms every day,and I wish I could, but I can't
stop to answer everyone.
But if you do want consistentfeedback or answers like Please
join my community, that's whereyou can get it.
And I think it's more than worthit.
So boundaries really are, is metrying to be a professional.
I'm not trying to be rude andtrust me, I always feel a little
(17:07):
guilty saying no, but.
I have to if I'm able to sustainlike the energy that I bring to
my work.
Number four, I quit copying whatworks for someone else.
Oh my gosh, I guarantee so manyof you fall trapped to this.
Like you follow a couple peoplewho do something similar to what
you do and you go and stalktheir account and like they had
(17:28):
a reel that did really well or apost, and you're like, oh, I
should try that.
Right?
But just because it worked forher doesn't mean it's gonna work
for me.
So I really need to trust myvoice, my tone, my posting
strategy.
You don't need to borrowsomebody else's blueprint.
You can honestly build your ownright, and you know, if that's
(17:51):
hard for you, like maybe youstop following those people.
If it gets in your head, and I'mnot saying you can't be inspired
by, but I actually prefer tofollow people that are not in my
niche for ideas like this,because I don't know, it's just
more fresh, right?
In fact.
This content idea for thispodcast, these 10 things I quit
doing.
(18:11):
It's actually from a YouTubevideo from somebody who's like a
YouTube expert, and I loved theheadline and it got me to watch
the video and I was like, youknow what?
That could be good for a podcastepisode.
So here we are, number five.
I quit the before and afterschool.
Content chaos.
So I work, I tell everyone Iwork from the hours of between
(18:34):
nine and three when my kids arehome before school or when they
get home from school.
You'll not find me working.
You'll not find me at my desk.
My laptop stays up in my office.
I am not on my phone trying torespond to people.
I don't even look at my phone tobe super honest.
And the same goes with bedtime.
(18:55):
Morning when I wake up, I do notsleep with my phone in my room.
Therefore, I'm not doomscrolling.
I'm not trying to reply topeople at night when I'm in bed.
I'm not waking up and hoppingright on my phone and getting
anxious about, you know,whatever.
And it is.
Changed my life.
It's changed my life.
So if you are even on the cuspof thinking, maybe I could try
(19:17):
to sleep with my phone, not inmy room, like I just can't, I
cannot recommend it enough.
Or even just having boundariesaround when you're replying to
people, I tell people, you'renot gonna get the best version
of me if I'm replying when mykids are home.
And you know, I think about thembeing on their phones one day
and I'll be really upset ifthey're not paying attention to
me when I'm talking to them'cause they're on their phones
(19:37):
and I don't want to set thatprecedence myself.
So.
Yeah, I avoid.
The before and after schoolcontent replying or or post
replying.
And same with bedtime andmorning time.
Number six, I quit.
This actually goes along withthat.
I quit the, I have to respondright away.
Mindset, like I'm a little bitof a spazz.
I don't like notifications to bethere, so if I see a
(20:00):
notification like it needs to goaway.
I need to deal with it.
So what that means is I don'tget notifications from Instagram
when I have a dm.
I don't get notifications whenpeople comment on my posts.
Those are all turned off.
I strategically check my dmsthree times a day.
I.
The dms will be there.
I don't have an automaticmessage saying, thank you for
(20:22):
your thing, and I'll be with youas soon as I can.
I actually hate those.
I hate when I get those frompeople and I'm almost like, you
don't have to do that.
Like you're a working person.
You don't have to tell us howmuch time is gonna take you to
get back to us.
Like you're, I, I don't know.
You're living your life.
Like you don't really owe anyonethat, so I don't know.
I don't like those.
(20:42):
Types of automatic responders.
I don't expect people to replyto me immediately, and I don't
think you should expect it fromother people.
So I don't owe anyone instantaccess to my time or energy, and
neither do you.
Being responsive is great, butbeing reactive is not for me, so
I'm very strategic with that.
Number seven.
I really quit focusing on vanitymetrics.
(21:05):
Like I just have stoppedobsessing and trying to like
figure out why I'm not gettinglikes, why I am not getting
views, why I am not gettingsaved in shares.
What did I do wrong?
That's where my mind goes.
I.
What did I do wrong?
Why did I post this a year and ahalf ago and it crushed it, and
now it's just bombing?
Who knows?
(21:26):
I will probably never know theanswer.
The stupid algorithm changesevery minute.
I don't know, like I I, I'vereally just started trying to
focus on creating content thatfeels really fun, really fun for
me, really lights me up.
Really true to who I am and theproblem I'm trying to solve for
someone.
(21:46):
Even if it doesn't crush it onInstagram, if it brought me joy
and I know it helped, maybe oneperson, like it just is what it
is right now.
It's just so hard out there.
You know, metrics really don'tmeasure impact.
I want to repeat that.
Metrics don't measure impact.
The connection does, and I feelthat connection every day with
(22:06):
you guys in my dms and replyingto my emails and all of that and
that.
Brings me a lot of joy.
Um, number eight, I quit feelinglike everything I've built is
gonna fall apart if I take abreak.
So whether that's taking a breakoff Instagram for a day and not
posting, which I just starteddoing a couple weeks ago, which
(22:29):
is very hard for me, or takingtwo weeks off, which I did last
August and I haven't done thatsince.
But I would really love to dothat again this summer.
I made the mistake.
Early on the first three yearsof my business by working
through vacations, I would stillpost, I would still email, I
would still show up, and sureyou could be like, oh, but you
(22:51):
batch, and like it's just comingout.
But there were still alwaysproblems, right?
I set up the many chat wrong orpeople were reading for replies
or like it just.
It still had me tethered to myphone on vacation when that's
not what I wanted to be doing.
And I was really frustrated withmyself when my whole family's on
(23:12):
the dock enjoying the lake, andI'm like up in the house.
'cause I messed up somethingwith a key word in many chat and
I'm like, are you kidding me?
I don't wanna be up here doingthis.
Why did I even post?
Just take the time off.
Nothing's gonna fall apart.
Right.
And here's the thing, when I'vetaken this time.
I come back so much more aliveand creative, right?
(23:35):
So breaks are not laziness.
They're maintenance.
You should build them in.
So now I've made a commitment tomyself to take a week off every
quarter, and it just is what itis.
I'll let people know, I'm takinga week, I'll see you in a week.
Here's what I'm up to.
Or maybe I don't even have totell them what I'm up to.
I don't know.
Maybe I'm up to nothing but.
(23:55):
That's what's gonna feel goodfor me.
Number nine, I quit the all ornothing posting pressure.
So that kind of goes back toanother one, but I, I'm not
feeling the need to show upevery single day to be
consistent.
I am consistently committed,even when I'm not constantly
showing up online.
I realize that my content, I.
Doesn't have to be visible andbrand new every single day.
(24:19):
It doesn't have to feel like afull-time job.
And I want it to feel fun again.
So I really need to let go ofthat pressure.
Like I have to show up six daysa week or everything's gonna
fall apart.
'cause it's not, that's thetruth of it.
And you know when something doesreally well or goes kind of
viral, like, I should let thatgo.
I should, I should not show upthe next day.
(24:39):
I should just let that kind ofride that wave for a bit and
then show up again.
Or I even considered going downto like a three to four day
posting schedule versus six.
Like I see a lot of creators whoare as big as me or bigger, like
only doing that much.
And that kind of feels gloriousto me.
You know, when I was a smalleraccount and really trying to
(25:00):
make a name for myself andreally try to grow my following,
like five, six posts made sensefor me.
I'm not sure if that's what Ihave to be doing anymore.
And so that's something I mightinvestigate this summer, to be
honest.
Showing up a little less andmaybe putting a little more time
into what I am creating.
Last but not least, and I'venever admitted this out loud,
and this may be very shocking toyou, is.
(25:23):
I've really quit the mentalitythat Instagram is the only place
I need to be to grow mybusiness.
I feel sad saying that I wish Icould have a talk with the CEO
of Instagram.
I wish I could tell him howdisheartening it is as a creator
(25:44):
who has poured so much time andenergy into their platform.
To feel like I am getting,there's just the shit end of the
stick as far as reach andvisibility.
I feel like I am punished forhaving so many followers.
I'm not gonna lie, there aredays when I wish I could go back
(26:05):
to 10,000 followers.
I'd probably do it in aheartbeat.
I'm not gonna lie.
I have 121,000 followers allorganically, which is great.
I didn't pay for any of them.
I didn't do any ads, but I.
Just feel, I don't even wannareach new people.
I shouldn't even say reach.
I just wanna reach my ownfollowers.
And I feel like it's gottenharder and harder and harder and
(26:25):
harder.
Every single algorithm changethat is made.
And if I'm not out there doingthose artsy reels with all this
B roll and like voiceover, likeI'm not gonna get any like
visibility.
I don't know.
I don't know.
So I've really started thinkinga lot about.
(26:46):
Getting on other platforms.
I don't know what that means.
I don't know where my gut's kindof telling me YouTube, I'm
loving the podcast.
Like maybe I do take my podcastto video and I do one really
great video a week and it's onYouTube, but I've definitely
started diversifying by addingon the podcast.
(27:07):
You know, I love my emailnewsletter.
That's something I'm definitelywilling to expand upon.
Maybe it's everyone's talkingabout LinkedIn.
Maybe it's Pinterest.
I'm not sure, but I'vedefinitely started opening my
eyes and started talking topeople about other platforms
because Instagram is not quitethe all in one toolbox that I
(27:29):
think it used to be.
I.
It's a tool, but it's not thewhole toolbox.
I will tell you that you shouldnever build your business on
borrowed land.
And luckily, you know, while itis my main platform, I haven't,
I have 17,000 email subscribers,thank God, on my newsletter, and
I can get in touch with them atthe drop of a hat and let them
(27:50):
know what I'm up to or what newthings going on.
So.
It's sad for me to admit that,and I don't, you know, because a
lot of my business has been likeInstagram.
Instagram, like everybody shouldhave Instagram.
It's the best.
Like I love it.
I haven't needed anything else.
Well, my tune is changing and Ijust wanna be honest about that.
So.
If your content feels heavyright now, it's not'cause you're
(28:13):
not good at it.
It's not'cause you need betterhooks or you know, need to jump
on trendier reels or the perfect30 day calendar.
It might just mean that you'recarrying too much that wasn't
meant for you.
Your strategy might feel off.
You might be carryingexpectations that aren't yours.
Or the hustle's just really notaligned with the season that
(28:33):
you're in in life.
So here is your gentlepermission slip.
You don't have to do it all.
You don't have to do itperfectly, and you definitely
don't have to keep doing thingsthat suck the joy out of content
creation for you.
So I loved you to take a 32ndaudit of your process right now.
What's something you could quit?
(28:54):
What's one thing you could quitthat would make you feel
lighter?
And feel like you're having morefun or make it just feel a
little bit more you.
And I want you to DM me and tellme what that is.
I really do.
I'm gonna share these.
I want you to tell me, maybeit's quitting, the pressure of
posting every day.
Maybe it's quitting reels for aweek.
(29:15):
Maybe it's quitting, having 18tabs open in Canva and never
posting anything.
Whatever it is, I want you tolet it go.
Give yourself the space tocreate from a place of clarity,
not chaos.
Okay?
You've got this, I've got this.
I hope you've enjoyed this realtalk.
Let me know what you think andI'll see you next week.
(29:37):
Thanks so much for hanging outwith me on the Creative Bodega
Podcast.
If you love this episode, pleasebe sure to share it with a
fellow solopreneur.
Who could use a little contentcreation inspiration.
And hey, don't forget to checkout the show notes for any
resources I mentioned on theepisode to help you create
content that feels easy andactually gets you results.
(29:59):
If you want even more Canva andcontent tips, head over to my
website, the creativebodega.com, or find me on
Instagram under the same name.
Until next time, keep creating,keep showing up, and most
importantly, try and have alittle fun with your content.
I'll see you on the nextepisode.
A lot of us, I think, makecontent a lot harder than it
(00:02):
needs to be, and we're puttingvery unnecessary pressure on
ourselves to achieve somethingthat's not even achievable,
right?
Perfection.
Who, who's to decide?
What is the perfect contentschedule?
Who's to decide what the perfectlooking feed is?
Who's to decide?
How many times is the idealamount to post?
Like who's in charge of thesethings?
(00:24):
I.
I, I don't know, you tell me.
Welcome to the Creative Bodega,a podcast about content
marketing, Instagram growth, andpersonal branding for female
service-based solopreneurs whowanna grow their business
without letting it take overtheir lives.
I'm your host, EM Commerce, andeach week I'll share actionable
tips, expert advice, andunfiltered truths to help you
(00:48):
create engaging content, connectauthentically with your
audience, and turn followersinto loyal customers.
All without the burnout.
If you're ready to simplify yourcontent creation, navigate the
ever changing trends and build abusiness that works for you
while staying sane in this crazyseason of life, then you're in
the right place.
(01:10):
What up m here from the CreativeBodega.
So excited to chat with youtoday about the 10 things.
I quit to make content creationfeel.
Fun and easy Again, I wanna saythat I listened to another
podcast, well, I, that's kind ofa lie.
I was on a podcast as a guest.
It's called The Dirt on Flowers,and it's run by these two
(01:31):
amazing women and I love themand they call their listeners
Dirt Bags, which like.
I think it's hilarious.
Like I crack up every time Ithink about it and I would
really like to be able to callmy listeners something.
I think there's something reallycool about that and it feels
like very insidery to be calledsomething and I'm not one to be
(01:54):
like my content queens, likedirt bags is hilarious.
Again, they're all flowergrowers, so it's like super
appropriate.
So if you have an idea for me.
I don't know why I just thoughtof this before getting started,
but if you think of somethingthat we can call this community
of listeners, that would be sofun.
Definitely could be a play onmaybe the content coven.
(02:15):
My membership could be mycontent witches.
I.
But that's kind of cheese too.
I don't know.
Anyways, I digress.
I'm sharing 10 things I quitdoing so that I could create
content more easily, morejoyfully, and in a way that
actually supports my businessand doesn't drain me.
So I wanna be like veryrelatable today.
(02:37):
Very real talky, very judgmentfree.
And I'm hoping this episode'sgonna feel really empowering.
Because if there's anything I'venoticed with all the female
entrepreneurs I work with, it'slike we all feel like we have to
follow all these rules.
If we don't do this, we won't besuccessful.
If we don't follow this advice,we're never gonna make it like.
(02:58):
Here's the thing, every singlecreator has their own unique
experiences that led them to thepoint where they are, and you're
never gonna be able to followtheir footsteps.
Exactly.
Sure you can take bits andpieces, but if you don't really
own it and make it somethingthat feels.
Good and fun and light for you.
It's gonna be a slog.
(03:19):
And I don't know, I feel like inthe end you're sort of like a
little doomed if you, if youfollow that rat race.
So everything I say, I telleverybody, take with a grain of
salt.
Take what feels good, forgetwhat doesn't.
And you know.
Stop following or listening topeople who don't make you feel
good enough or like you're notdoing enough.
(03:39):
We're already so hard onourselves.
We don't need anyone elsetelling us that we're not doing
enough or not good enough,right?
So I'll never forget when I wasthinking about starting a
podcast, I reached out to mycommunity, of course, via
stories of course, and I said,can you share some podcasts that
you listen to and love?
I'm just doing some research andsomebody shared with me a
(04:00):
podcast by a woman named.
Ash, McDonald's and Ashley is atherapist and a business mentor,
and they were like, the reason Ilove it is because she is like
on a walk when she's talking onthis podcast.
And I was like, wait, what?
Because I hadn't even startedpodcasting yet.
(04:20):
And I was like, oh my God, Ineed like a studio and I need
the perfect microphone and Ineed silence and I need and
like.
Here's this person saying, myfavorite podcast is from someone
who literally is out for a walk,and you can hear cars honking
and you can hear dogs barking,and you can hear kids crying.
I'm like, I was like, really?
So of course I had to go andlisten.
(04:42):
I.
And I ended up binging the, youknow what, out of her podcast,
like just drinking the Kool-Aid,like just re-listening to
episodes.
And so much of what she said waslike, resonating with me so
much.
And so here was this woman whonot only.
Was recording a podcast in a waythat no podcast coach would ever
(05:05):
recommend you do.
Right.
Being out and walking and havingall that noise.
And number two, at the time, shehad completely gotten off of
Instagram, like she had stoppedposting completely.
It said on her Instagram she wastaking like a two month break.
But at that point, I think whenI found her, it had been like
three and a half months and shestill hadn't come back.
And I was like, wow, someone cando that.
(05:28):
Like you can just.
How are you so brave?
That was very brave to me forsomeone to just be like, I'm
stopping.
Like I don't care and I need tolike get my life together and
then maybe I'll come back, butmaybe I'll come back in two
months and maybe it'll be more.
And I don't know.
I just felt like she was superbrave and I felt like, like I
needed someone like her to kindahelp me figure out some of the
(05:52):
limiting beliefs that I washaving or the pressure, like
relieve some of the pressurethat I was constantly putting on
myself to show up.
Show up, show up no matter what.
So she kind of gave me thatpermission to take that
imperfect action.
You know, that it was probablygood enough that I'm just
sitting at my desk in my housewith a decent microphone in
(06:12):
front of me and maybe I didn'tneed, you know, everything to be
absolutely perfect and maybethere's no such thing as
perfect.
Right?
Bye.
Anyways, so I know that contentcreation can feel really heavy,
really heavy at times for a lotof us.
And if you're a solopreneurtrying to do it all, like you've
absolutely had those momentswhere you're like, W, why does
(06:35):
this feel like such a grind?
Or shouldn't this be easier bynow?
Or should I keep going?
Should I keep posting?
What's the point?
Right.
I've heard it from my students.
I've heard it from my followers.
There's even times when I havefelt this deeply myself, right?
(06:55):
And the truth is, a lot of us, Ithink make content a lot harder
than it needs to be, and we'reputting very unnecessary
pressure on ourselves to achievesomething that's not even
achievable, right?
Perfection.
Who, who's to decide?
What is the perfect contentschedule?
Who's to decide what the perfectlooking feed is?
(07:16):
Who's to decide?
How many times is the idealamount to post?
Like who's in charge of thesethings?
I.
I, I don't know.
You tell me if you know.
I mean, of course the firstperson that comes to mind is
Adam, er, like the CEO ofInstagram.
He, I feel like he does sort ofhold the strings and we're the
puppets, but that's anotherstory for another day.
(07:39):
But we've built schedules, we'vebuilt strategies, we have
expectations around what wethink we're supposed to be
doing.
You know, daily posts jumping ontrending reels, nonstop
engagement within the first hourafter you post on the perfect
Canva graphics.
But none of that's gonna matterif it's burning you out.
(07:59):
'cause if it's burning you out,it's absolutely not sustainable.
And if it's not sustainable,you're gonna quit at some point.
Right.
So what changed for me was this,I started giving myself
permission to.
Quit the things that weren'tworking for me, even things that
I used to or even still doteach, right?
(08:21):
Even things I thought I had todo to be successful or to be
doing it all the right quoteunquote way.
And no, this doesn't mean thatI've.
Really ever given up.
I've never disappeared off ofanywhere that I've committed to
posting or showing up withoutexplaining or saying something.
It just means that I finallygave myself permission to show
(08:43):
up in a way that felt likereally true to me at my pace,
using my strategy and like myrules, right?
And today I wanna help you dothe same.
I wanna share 10 things that Istopped doing that might make
you say.
Okay.
If she can do it, I can do it.
And that's kind of how I feltwith Ash McDonald's podcast.
(09:05):
I'm like, listen, if she can doit, she doesn't have a podcast
editor.
She's out on a walk doing thispodcast.
I don't have to be perfect.
I just, I didn't care that Iheard honking and kids crying in
the background.
It made it very real andrelatable.
I was listening to her and hermessage.
I didn't care about thebackground noise.
If you're sharing somethingworthwhile that comes from a
(09:25):
really pure, beautiful placethat makes you light up when you
talk about it with the goal ofhelping someone achieve
something.
It's gonna land.
You know what I mean?
Whether the graphic's notperfect or the audio wasn't
perfect, or you got noise in thebackground.
So if you're feeling stuck orfrustrated, or just kind of over
it when it comes to content,this is your sign that maybe
(09:48):
it's time to release some of thepressure you're not behind,
you're not doing it wrong.
You're just maybe caring toomuch that was never yours to
begin with.
So that's why today.
Talking about these 10 things.
I quit to make content creationfeel fun and easy for me again.
'cause I knew that if I didn't.
(10:08):
I was on a a downward spiral andit wasn't going to help me
achieve my goals, that's forsure.
These are real shifts I made.
They did not happen overnight.
They did not happen all at once,but over time as I paid
attention to what felt alignedand what didn't, these kind of
came to me naturally and I justreally listened to myself.
(10:30):
Some of them might surprise you.
Some of you you might alreadyknow'cause whatever.
I probably shared it in mystories or in my newsletter.
Some of it you might be feelingin your gut right now, and
hopefully a few of them aregonna give you the permission
that maybe you didn't even knowyou needed.
Right?
So let's dive in 10 things.
I quit to make content creationfeel fun and easy again.
(10:53):
I quit trying to make reels thatdon't feel aligned.
So if you haven't noticed forthe past, I don't know, year
more two years, the trendingtype of reel is that B roll
style and B roll is just likevideo of you doing stuff with
text over top or talking overtop like a voiceover.
(11:17):
And it's very like story drivenand very kind of ethereal and
like I've tried it and it.
It's really hard for me.
It's really, really hard for me.
It doesn't come naturally to me,and I forget to take B-roll and
I don't want to stop what I'mdoing with my family and be
like, oh, hold the phone.
Let me set up my camera so wecan all walk towards it on our
(11:39):
walk.
Like, no, I wanna be in themoment with my kids on a walk
and I don't wanna set up my dumbphone to take a video of it.
Or when I'm working and I'mgrinding, you know, like at my
desk doing things like I don'twanna stop what I'm doing and
set up my phone And yes.
Yes, yes, I know.
I could just, you know, carveout 10 minutes a week and do
(12:00):
them strategically, and, but it,again, that's not coming easily
and that feels hard for me too.
There's something about it thatjust doesn't feel right.
It doesn't, it just doesn't landwith me and I'm not gonna force
myself to do it.
I've tried.
They've done fine, but it's toobig of a lift for me.
So I mean for me, like creatingeducational reels, like, Hey
(12:24):
imm, here's how to do this.
Watch this, save this.
You're gonna love this.
That feels really good to me.
I can do that all day long.
I could do one every day if Iwanted to, but this like, let
me, you know, string togetherthese B-roll footage and talk
over top of it and have a biglife lesson.
It doesn't feel aligned with me.
I'm more like, oh, let's get tothe point.
(12:46):
So I'm not gonna make myself doit.
I'm not gonna do it.
I'm not gonna make reels thatdon't feel aligned.
If it feels forced, I think youraudience can feel it.
And if it's out of alignment, Idon't think the algorithm's
gonna favor it either.
So that's number one.
And if somebody has some likehot tip for me on how to make
those easier, go, please shareit.
(13:08):
I'm really hoping they just goaway.
I'm hoping that the trend stops,like I'm, I'm just like done
with it.
Number two, I quit engagement.
That drains me, so you may ormay not know this, but I have an
Instagram community manager, I'mgonna call her.
Her name's Nicole.
She's wonderful and she isresponsible for responding to
(13:32):
all the comments that are lefton my posts.
I found that when my account.
Got really big and I was havinga lot of comments on my post,
which is amazing, by the way.
Great problem to have.
It really drained me to sitthere and reply to everybody,
and it didn't feel like the bestuse of my time.
Uh, it was, it's weird.
It was, it was confusing.
(13:53):
'cause I, I think it's soimportant to reply to people.
If someone takes the time torespond to something on my post,
like I wanna respond to them,but I would rather have been
creating, right?
Like, I would've rather put myenergy into that.
Creating a podcast, creating ablog post, creating a piece of
content for Instagram, right?
(14:15):
So I quit engagement thatdrained me.
I didn't stop responding topeople, but I hired someone who
really adopted my tone of voice,knew how to respond in a way
that was, you know, aligned withme.
And she even helps go through mydms, because again, that can be
quite overwhelming if you'regetting 50 plus DMS a day, which
is.
Definitely what I get.
Probably more she flags the onesthat she feels really need my
(14:39):
tone of voice or that she knowsis an old student of mine, or I
would wanna respond, whatever.
But the rest, if it's easy, justyou're welcome.
Oh, thank you for letting meknow.
Like she's in there helping meout with that, and that has
helped.
Like really sustain my energywhen it comes to social media
because again, I think it'simportant.
I think it's really important toengage, but I don't have the
(15:03):
time or energy to do it.
So I hired someone to help mewith that and that's brought me
a lot of peace of mind.
'cause the end of the daywould've come and I'd be like,
oh my God, I haven't respondedto anybody.
This is gonna take forever.
And it's not that anymore at theend of the day.
I know she's been going throughit three times throughout the
day and I'll have certain dms toflag that I need to go in and
respond to, and I really lookforward to responding to those
(15:24):
dms.
I definitely enjoy dms more thanI do, like replying to comments,
but, um, they both are time.
It's time.
So number three, I quitanswering in depth questions via
DM from people who aren't paststudents of mine, who I know all
my past students.
I literally know every singleone of their names.
I'm not even kidding.
(15:44):
Or in my community.
So if you're not in my communityand you're DMing me like a
question, can you look at, canyou look at my bio?
Can you look at my contentpillars?
I have found a really nice wayto say no.
I, I, I cannot, like my dms arenot my coaching zone of genius,
(16:04):
right?
If somebody wants personalizedhelp from me, I feel that I've
earned the right to say you'vegotta.
Pay for that.
Like I have people who arepaying for that.
I have 274 members in mycommunity right now.
They pay me every month.
I'm absolutely answeringanything they post in that
(16:25):
community.
But for me to go and dive intoyour pillars or your bio or
whatever, like when I knownothing about you or your
business, it's not really fairto you and it's really not fair
to me or my time.
So I've had to again, come upwith a very nice way to say.
I, I'm sure you understand this,I'm stretched very thin.
(16:45):
I get a lot of dms every day,and I wish I could, but I can't
stop to answer everyone.
But if you do want consistentfeedback or answers like Please
join my community, that's whereyou can get it.
And I think it's more than worthit.
So boundaries really are, is metrying to be a professional.
I'm not trying to be rude andtrust me, I always feel a little
(17:07):
guilty saying no, but.
I have to if I'm able to sustainlike the energy that I bring to
my work.
Number four, I quit copying whatworks for someone else.
Oh my gosh, I guarantee so manyof you fall trapped to this.
Like you follow a couple peoplewho do something similar to what
you do and you go and stalktheir account and like they had
(17:28):
a reel that did really well or apost, and you're like, oh, I
should try that.
Right?
But just because it worked forher doesn't mean it's gonna work
for me.
So I really need to trust myvoice, my tone, my posting
strategy.
You don't need to borrowsomebody else's blueprint.
You can honestly build your ownright, and you know, if that's
(17:51):
hard for you, like maybe youstop following those people.
If it gets in your head, and I'mnot saying you can't be inspired
by, but I actually prefer tofollow people that are not in my
niche for ideas like this,because I don't know, it's just
more fresh, right?
In fact.
This content idea for thispodcast, these 10 things I quit
doing.
(18:11):
It's actually from a YouTubevideo from somebody who's like a
YouTube expert, and I loved theheadline and it got me to watch
the video and I was like, youknow what?
That could be good for a podcastepisode.
So here we are, number five.
I quit the before and afterschool.
Content chaos.
So I work, I tell everyone Iwork from the hours of between
(18:34):
nine and three when my kids arehome before school or when they
get home from school.
You'll not find me working.
You'll not find me at my desk.
My laptop stays up in my office.
I am not on my phone trying torespond to people.
I don't even look at my phone tobe super honest.
And the same goes with bedtime.
(18:55):
Morning when I wake up, I do notsleep with my phone in my room.
Therefore, I'm not doomscrolling.
I'm not trying to reply topeople at night when I'm in bed.
I'm not waking up and hoppingright on my phone and getting
anxious about, you know,whatever.
And it is.
Changed my life.
It's changed my life.
So if you are even on the cuspof thinking, maybe I could try
(19:17):
to sleep with my phone, not inmy room, like I just can't, I
cannot recommend it enough.
Or even just having boundariesaround when you're replying to
people, I tell people, you'renot gonna get the best version
of me if I'm replying when mykids are home.
And you know, I think about thembeing on their phones one day
and I'll be really upset ifthey're not paying attention to
me when I'm talking to them'cause they're on their phones
(19:37):
and I don't want to set thatprecedence myself.
So.
Yeah, I avoid.
The before and after schoolcontent replying or or post
replying.
And same with bedtime andmorning time.
Number six, I quit.
This actually goes along withthat.
I quit the, I have to respondright away.
Mindset, like I'm a little bitof a spazz.
I don't like notifications to bethere, so if I see a
(20:00):
notification like it needs to goaway.
I need to deal with it.
So what that means is I don'tget notifications from Instagram
when I have a dm.
I don't get notifications whenpeople comment on my posts.
Those are all turned off.
I strategically check my dmsthree times a day.
I.
The dms will be there.
I don't have an automaticmessage saying, thank you for
(20:22):
your thing, and I'll be with youas soon as I can.
I actually hate those.
I hate when I get those frompeople and I'm almost like, you
don't have to do that.
Like you're a working person.
You don't have to tell us howmuch time is gonna take you to
get back to us.
Like you're, I, I don't know.
You're living your life.
Like you don't really owe anyonethat, so I don't know.
I don't like those.
(20:42):
Types of automatic responders.
I don't expect people to replyto me immediately, and I don't
think you should expect it fromother people.
So I don't owe anyone instantaccess to my time or energy, and
neither do you.
Being responsive is great, butbeing reactive is not for me, so
I'm very strategic with that.
Number seven.
I really quit focusing on vanitymetrics.
(21:05):
Like I just have stoppedobsessing and trying to like
figure out why I'm not gettinglikes, why I am not getting
views, why I am not gettingsaved in shares.
What did I do wrong?
That's where my mind goes.
I.
What did I do wrong?
Why did I post this a year and ahalf ago and it crushed it, and
now it's just bombing?
Who knows?
(21:26):
I will probably never know theanswer.
The stupid algorithm changesevery minute.
I don't know, like I I, I'vereally just started trying to
focus on creating content thatfeels really fun, really fun for
me, really lights me up.
Really true to who I am and theproblem I'm trying to solve for
someone.
(21:46):
Even if it doesn't crush it onInstagram, if it brought me joy
and I know it helped, maybe oneperson, like it just is what it
is right now.
It's just so hard out there.
You know, metrics really don'tmeasure impact.
I want to repeat that.
Metrics don't measure impact.
The connection does, and I feelthat connection every day with
(22:06):
you guys in my dms and replyingto my emails and all of that and
that.
Brings me a lot of joy.
Um, number eight, I quit feelinglike everything I've built is
gonna fall apart if I take abreak.
So whether that's taking a breakoff Instagram for a day and not
posting, which I just starteddoing a couple weeks ago, which
(22:29):
is very hard for me, or takingtwo weeks off, which I did last
August and I haven't done thatsince.
But I would really love to dothat again this summer.
I made the mistake.
Early on the first three yearsof my business by working
through vacations, I would stillpost, I would still email, I
would still show up, and sureyou could be like, oh, but you
(22:51):
batch, and like it's just comingout.
But there were still alwaysproblems, right?
I set up the many chat wrong orpeople were reading for replies
or like it just.
It still had me tethered to myphone on vacation when that's
not what I wanted to be doing.
And I was really frustrated withmyself when my whole family's on
(23:12):
the dock enjoying the lake, andI'm like up in the house.
'cause I messed up somethingwith a key word in many chat and
I'm like, are you kidding me?
I don't wanna be up here doingthis.
Why did I even post?
Just take the time off.
Nothing's gonna fall apart.
Right.
And here's the thing, when I'vetaken this time.
I come back so much more aliveand creative, right?
(23:35):
So breaks are not laziness.
They're maintenance.
You should build them in.
So now I've made a commitment tomyself to take a week off every
quarter, and it just is what itis.
I'll let people know, I'm takinga week, I'll see you in a week.
Here's what I'm up to.
Or maybe I don't even have totell them what I'm up to.
I don't know.
Maybe I'm up to nothing but.
(23:55):
That's what's gonna feel goodfor me.
Number nine, I quit the all ornothing posting pressure.
So that kind of goes back toanother one, but I, I'm not
feeling the need to show upevery single day to be
consistent.
I am consistently committed,even when I'm not constantly
showing up online.
I realize that my content, I.
Doesn't have to be visible andbrand new every single day.
(24:19):
It doesn't have to feel like afull-time job.
And I want it to feel fun again.
So I really need to let go ofthat pressure.
Like I have to show up six daysa week or everything's gonna
fall apart.
'cause it's not, that's thetruth of it.
And you know when something doesreally well or goes kind of
viral, like, I should let thatgo.
I should, I should not show upthe next day.
(24:39):
I should just let that kind ofride that wave for a bit and
then show up again.
Or I even considered going downto like a three to four day
posting schedule versus six.
Like I see a lot of creators whoare as big as me or bigger, like
only doing that much.
And that kind of feels gloriousto me.
You know, when I was a smalleraccount and really trying to
(25:00):
make a name for myself andreally try to grow my following,
like five, six posts made sensefor me.
I'm not sure if that's what Ihave to be doing anymore.
And so that's something I mightinvestigate this summer, to be
honest.
Showing up a little less andmaybe putting a little more time
into what I am creating.
Last but not least, and I'venever admitted this out loud,
and this may be very shocking toyou, is.
(25:23):
I've really quit the mentalitythat Instagram is the only place
I need to be to grow mybusiness.
I feel sad saying that I wish Icould have a talk with the CEO
of Instagram.
I wish I could tell him howdisheartening it is as a creator
(25:44):
who has poured so much time andenergy into their platform.
To feel like I am getting,there's just the shit end of the
stick as far as reach andvisibility.
I feel like I am punished forhaving so many followers.
I'm not gonna lie, there aredays when I wish I could go back
(26:05):
to 10,000 followers.
I'd probably do it in aheartbeat.
I'm not gonna lie.
I have 121,000 followers allorganically, which is great.
I didn't pay for any of them.
I didn't do any ads, but I.
Just feel, I don't even wannareach new people.
I shouldn't even say reach.
I just wanna reach my ownfollowers.
And I feel like it's gottenharder and harder and harder and
(26:25):
harder.
Every single algorithm changethat is made.
And if I'm not out there doingthose artsy reels with all this
B roll and like voiceover, likeI'm not gonna get any like
visibility.
I don't know.
I don't know.
So I've really started thinkinga lot about.
(26:46):
Getting on other platforms.
I don't know what that means.
I don't know where my gut's kindof telling me YouTube, I'm
loving the podcast.
Like maybe I do take my podcastto video and I do one really
great video a week and it's onYouTube, but I've definitely
started diversifying by addingon the podcast.
(27:07):
You know, I love my emailnewsletter.
That's something I'm definitelywilling to expand upon.
Maybe it's everyone's talkingabout LinkedIn.
Maybe it's Pinterest.
I'm not sure, but I'vedefinitely started opening my
eyes and started talking topeople about other platforms
because Instagram is not quitethe all in one toolbox that I
(27:29):
think it used to be.
I.
It's a tool, but it's not thewhole toolbox.
I will tell you that you shouldnever build your business on
borrowed land.
And luckily, you know, while itis my main platform, I haven't,
I have 17,000 email subscribers,thank God, on my newsletter, and
I can get in touch with them atthe drop of a hat and let them
(27:50):
know what I'm up to or what newthings going on.
So.
It's sad for me to admit that,and I don't, you know, because a
lot of my business has been likeInstagram.
Instagram, like everybody shouldhave Instagram.
It's the best.
Like I love it.
I haven't needed anything else.
Well, my tune is changing and Ijust wanna be honest about that.
So.
If your content feels heavyright now, it's not'cause you're
(28:13):
not good at it.
It's not'cause you need betterhooks or you know, need to jump
on trendier reels or the perfect30 day calendar.
It might just mean that you'recarrying too much that wasn't
meant for you.
Your strategy might feel off.
You might be carryingexpectations that aren't yours.
Or the hustle's just really notaligned with the season that
(28:33):
you're in in life.
So here is your gentlepermission slip.
You don't have to do it all.
You don't have to do itperfectly, and you definitely
don't have to keep doing thingsthat suck the joy out of content
creation for you.
So I loved you to take a 32ndaudit of your process right now.
What's something you could quit?
(28:54):
What's one thing you could quitthat would make you feel
lighter?
And feel like you're having morefun or make it just feel a
little bit more you.
And I want you to DM me and tellme what that is.
I really do.
I'm gonna share these.
I want you to tell me, maybeit's quitting, the pressure of
posting every day.
Maybe it's quitting reels for aweek.
(29:15):
Maybe it's quitting, having 18tabs open in Canva and never
posting anything.
Whatever it is, I want you tolet it go.
Give yourself the space tocreate from a place of clarity,
not chaos.
Okay?
You've got this, I've got this.
I hope you've enjoyed this realtalk.
Let me know what you think andI'll see you next week.
(29:37):
Thanks so much for hanging outwith me on the Creative Bodega
Podcast.
If you love this episode, pleasebe sure to share it with a
fellow solopreneur.
Who could use a little contentcreation inspiration.
And hey, don't forget to checkout the show notes for any
resources I mentioned on theepisode to help you create
content that feels easy andactually gets you results.
(29:59):
If you want even more Canva andcontent tips, head over to my
website, the creativebodega.com, or find me on
Instagram under the same name.
Until next time, keep creating,keep showing up, and most
importantly, try and have alittle fun with your content.
I'll see you on the nextepisode.
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