I'm so excited to introduce you to our incredible guest, Amy Traugh. Amy is a shining light in the world of entrepreneurship, and her positive energy is absolutely contagious. As a business coach, host of the Motivated Mompreneur Podcast, and CEO of Moms on a Mission, she's on a mission to shatter the belief that moms must choose between their business and being present for their children. Who wouldn't want to hear more about that?

In this episode, we dive into how you can market your business without spending a dime. Amy shares invaluable insights and three essential keys to designing a business that aligns perfectly with your life. She doesn't shy away from tackling the all-too-familiar mom guilt that we all face on this journey. Trust me, these strategies will have you feeling inspired and ready to conquer the world!

But wait, there's more! Stick around until the end because Amy and I have an exciting collaboration for you. Plus, she's generously offering a free resource that reveals her secrets to effectively marketing your business without breaking the bank. This episode is a treasure trove of inspiration, motivation, and practical tips to help you embrace motherhood while pursuing your dreams.

Listen to part 2 of this episode on Amy's podcast, The Motivated Mompreneur!

What you'll hear in this episode:

[3:40] The power of getting in the room.

[7:40] Giving yourself a “whitespace” to slow down.

[13:50] What have been some of the biggest game changers in your business?

[16:40] Empowering your kids with life skills as well.

[21:20] The power of networking and finding your tribe.

[26:55] The joy is in the journey, not the destination.

[35:05] How to market your business without spending a dime.

[40:15] What are some of the day-to-day activities that set you up for success?

CONNECT WITH AMY

Connect with Amy on Instagram: @themomsonamission

To learn more about Amy's amazing services, check out her website: https://www.themomsonamission.com/

Amy's FREE challenge can be found here: https://www.subscribepage.com/10xyourgrowth 

Amy's Free Marketing Guide: https://www.themomsonamission.com/quick-links

CONNECT WITH KELSEY

Follow Kelsey: @thisiskelseysmith

Follow Momma Has Goals: @mommahasgoals

Download the app for Apple or Android

Learn more at https://thisiskelseysmith.com/

Use the code Kelsey for $50 off your ticket to EmpowerHER Live: https://www.kaciaghetmiri.com/empowerher-live

Join our text list. Text "Goals" to (707) 347-0319

Speaker 1 0:00

Yes, it can be so exhausting, so overwhelming. Start with one thing, and then the next and then the next, take those intentional steps one at a time, and you'll start to gain traction, you'll start to gain results. But it's not overnight. It is the hardest thing ever, it is not for the faint of heart. But if you have a dream on your heart, it is your mission, your responsibility to go out there. Because if you have the solution to someone's problem, it is your responsibility to share it with the world. So you need to do that we need you we need everything that you bring to the table. So just because there's someone else out there doing the same thing that is proof that it is possible. So start working on your mindset and really align yourself with those words.

Kelsey Smith 0:52

Let's reimagine mom life together. Mama high schools is your hub for relatable support and helpful resources that help you fuel yourself alongside motherhood. Your identity is bigger than mom, and whatever your goals are, together, we're making them a reality. Have you ever caught yourself taking on someone else's energy, positive or negative, this definitely happens. You can catch yourself going down if you're around some negative people. And you can also find yourself being uplifted by someone else that's just carrying light and positivity and excitement and optimism. And our guest today is someone that I love being her presence for just that she is a shining light. She's so positive, she is so real. She's uplifting, and she doesn't run away from the hard stuff. But she still brings it to you with belief and inspiration and motivation to move you forward. Amy trot is a business coach, a host of the motivated mompreneur podcast and the founder and CEO of the moms on a mission, which is a community of moms working together to change the narrative that you have to choose between running a thriving business and being a fully present mom. Sound familiar? We talk a lot about that here on mama has goals and I love finding other women sharing a similar mission and message. Amy has built two successful businesses from the ground up so she understands the juggle that moms in business face. She started with a organizational business after having a career in health care. She didn't come from a business background. And then from her success in her organization business, she now works with ambitious female entrepreneurs who are craving more freedom and flexibility to generate consistent income and their businesses. Whether it's online brick and mortar, she's got you. This allows you to really step into that desire without sacrificing your two most valuable assets, time and energy. And as a mom, we know how valuable those are. So through her one on one coaching services in her community, I am so excited to have Amy here to connect with you. We also have a super fun collaboration coming up. So make sure you stay till the end of the episode to catch her free market your business without spending a dime download and also what we have worked up together. I am super excited for you to dive into this conversation. We talk about what does it mean to market your business without spending that time? What are the three keys to design a business around your life? And just how does any balance different things as a mom? What does mom guilt look like? How do we show up? And how has she managed to step into her dreams alongside motherhood? Super excited for you to dive into this episode? I know you're gonna love Amy. Amy, I'm so excited to have you here. I always say that you meet the people that you're going to have the best relationships with and the most random ways. And we met at an event which just like talks about the power of in person. Because while we would have totally kicked it off, if we just met online to it just gives you this different like jumpstart, I think of it is like that track race or that track activity where you run and you do the long jump. It's like this long jump in your friendship where you're just like, totally hit it off. And you feel like you've known each other forever. This is like the second time we've talked and since that event, and I feel like I know everything about you and we're just best friends now. So I love that.

Speaker 1 4:23

Thank you for being here. Oh my gosh, thank you so much for the opportunity and for having me here. I mean, yes, getting in the room. It's not easy, especially being a mom, you know, there's 50,000 Other things that we prioritize and we have to do before prioritizing ourselves. But you're not going to find the time you have to make the time and getting in the room has been such a game changer in my business. So again, I am super thankful for you and just for all of the event hosts out there. I mean getting in the room is such a powerful, powerful things. I'm grateful for the opportunity. I couldn't agree more.

Kelsey Smith 5:03

I love that you bring that up to the event hosts because someone has to go in create that space for everyone. Right? And anyone listening should take action and figure out is that a mommy meetup? Is it just like grabbing a beverage of choice like, together with a couple of friends? Or is it a big large event like our friend Jenna put on, but allowing yourself to be the one to go first? And what did that look like for you jumping into your business, creating a community deciding to go into entrepreneurship? How did you go first? And how did you get here?

Speaker 1 5:36

Well, I mean, to be completely honest with you, I don't know if I'm allowed to swear on this show. But it was a complete, it was a complete shit show at first. To be completely honest, I went from a career in health care, to now coaching women. And it's like, how the heck did I make that leap? How did I made that transformation, it was my taking messy action. It was in recognizing, okay, here's where I'm lacking. This is the skill set I need to develop. And then taking action, getting the help that I needed, hiring the mentor, and just doing the darn thing because you can have all the information in the world. But if you're not actually implementing what you're learning, you're going to be spinning in place. So it was just a whole bunch of messy action. And I've learned a lot along the way. And I think for me, it's taking action. It's getting out of my own way. Entrepreneurship I think is the biggest mind game, the Vegas personal development journey you will ever go on. But honestly an embracing the cast, I wouldn't trade it for anything. And my journey started out as my community of moms, I developed it because there was nothing in my area that cater to the needs of moms running businesses. It's still very male dominated in my area. And I was told Time after time that you can't have both. And to me that just didn't sit right. And it's like, well, no, like, I'm a better business owner, because I'm a mom. And I feel like I'm a better mom, because I'm a business owner. Like they feel so interconnected. I wasn't going to choose I didn't want to have to compartmentalize and put everything into pretty boxes, because that's what life is all about. So I'm here to change the narrative and empower the next woman how to start and grow and scale that business of hers.

Kelsey Smith 7:27

What did that tangibly look like, though? You went from that feeling to okay, I want to do this. What was the first couple steps? And what were maybe some of the successes and the learnings, not mistakes? But learnings are like, Whoa, that wasn't quite as easy as I thought it was going to be.

Speaker 1 7:43

Right? Exactly. So I first started during the pandemic, I was afforded the opportunity to take a voluntary furlough from a career I had worked in for 16 years. And it was in giving myself that whitespace in slowing down that I realized, what am I doing? Is this how I want to be living my life because I was always a box checker. Yeah, you just go and I think so many of us are, especially as entrepreneurs, we go through life just checking boxes, it's you graduate high school, you go to college, you get your degree, you get your dream job, you find your dream, man, you're living in the house of your dreams. But at the end of the day, it's Wait a minute, what do I really want? Am I doing this for me? Or am I doing this because this is what society says I have to do. So I was afforded the opportunity to take a furlough. And once we made it through the homeschooling piece, because that was a struggle. I'm not gonna lie. I am not a crafty person. I was not meant to be a elementary educator and being a kindergarten and preschool teacher during a pandemic was a bit rough here in Ohio. dewine was our governor at the time. And we would do wine with the line every afternoon at two o'clock just to get our daily update and get through like, oh my gosh, yeah, looking back, it was just crazy. So for me in having that whitespace I'm like, you know, what, what if I don't get called back to this job? All right. Am I really happy. I'm just kind of existing. I'm not like miserable, but I really don't feel fulfilled by it was very draining. So I decided to start my first business and I started a residential home organizing company during a pandemic, which is so wild looking back on it, like I'm going into people's homes during the pandemic, but I need at work because people were at home so much that they wanted to get rid of the clutter. So I helped so many moms regain control of their environments. So as I'm doing this, this business is growing. I have a mentor. You're really establishing the basics of business, the things that we love to over Look, those foundational steps, using contracts, making sure you have a CPA in your corner to tell you, Hey, that's a bad idea, or this is legit. There's so many things, I didn't go to school for finance. So I really needed someone in my corner to tell me, okay, this is the way it can be done, legally, ethically, all of that, because in order to build a set sustainable business, you need that solid foundation. So growing this business, and it grew fast, it grew to the point where I was called back to my job part time, and I was working in my business part time, well kept growing and growing. And I got to the point where it was like, okay, I can quit my job, like, I've replaced my income. But is this what I really want. And in the process of building that business, what I really discovered was I actually liked growing the business more than I did traveling all over the place, because I'm in an area where it involves a lot of travel. So I took that time again, took a step back, what do I really want? What do I want this business to look like? And it was in doing so I'm like, okay, to get to the next level, I either have to hire a team to scale up. Or I have to ask myself, those hard questions. What do I want? And in the process of growing this first business, I had friends coming to me, they're like, you don't have a business degree? How are you making this work? How are you growing this business? How are you doing this, and I'm like, I'm just taking action, I got a mentor, like, I'm just going through the steps. So what I found myself doing, I was coaching other moms. And I didn't even realize that back that even in my career in health care, I was empowering and educating my patients, which is exactly what I do in my role now. But I didn't realize it at the time, like I've been doing this my whole life, I'm just teaching on a different subject manner. What I've done is just taken that action really set in place those solid foundational steps. And that has moved me forward. So realizing, okay, this, this was a great place to start. But I need to let this go so that I can fully embrace this next stage of my journey. Because there are so many women out there so many moms that have these big dreams on their heart, and just don't have the tactical skills to get them from point A to point B, the information is out there, you can learn anything, what you need is a solid plan in place to get you from point A to point B. That's what I love doing. I love holding their hand side by side working, growing, working through those mindset and self limiting beliefs. Because I'll tell you what we were talking before we hit record, this has been the biggest journey of personal development ever, because especially as a mom, it's hard running a business. Because we're raising children, which is a full time job running our business, which is a very time consuming activity. We're building our dreams, but we're not meant to do it alone. And that's where it can be hard, it can be hard to ask for help. But in my opinion, asking for help is one of the highest forms of self care out there asking for help. And that's hard. I still struggle with it. Even though now I have people that are helping me alongside me on the journey, I still struggle to ask for help. So I think it's really, it can be done as a moron. And I am here to change the narrative that you have to choose between running a business and being an awesome mom, because you can have both. I have both. And I want that so bad for the next woman as well.

Yeah. And I love that you bring up and asking for help. And it being a self development journey, because that's something that I have definitely learned along the way is it's not only asking about help, but learning where you need help, because that's why it's so hard to ask for help is because I think most moms can be remember back to a time whether it's when they had little infants or later on where someone says, Is there anything I can do to help you? And you're like, No, because it's easier to say no, then even think about what would be helpful or where you could get help. And that's where the self development piece is so important in the same thing in your business. Because if we can't delegate and receive help in our personal lives and motherhood and we are controlling and not able to even think about what would be helpful, if we want a scalable business, and even if you want just a little baby business, you're still going to need help with something at some point in time. And you have to figure out where that is. Because if an employee comes in or a contractor or anyone is like hey, how can I help you? And you can't answer the question, then that's on you. In that it's not meant to be super tough love, but it is just reality that you have to work on yourself to be able to answer the right question. What have been some of the biggest game changers in terms of like how you prioritize yourself, how you work on yourself, in terms of like routine community mentorship, what are like maybe the top few that stand out that you're like, that was a game changer.

So for me, it was really establishing a family plan. I have my business plan, which I am a huge advocate that every single person needs. I know, it's not the glamorous part of building a business. But that's what keeps you on track to know am I making progress towards these goals? In building out the business plan, like why we have this for our family. So we literally have a family plan that's structured very similar. We have our vision, we have our mission, we have our values, we have our goals, we have roles and responsibilities, because here's the thing, we get sucked into this Oh, is mom martyr complex? You know, it's just easier if we do it ourselves. So what are we going to do, we're going to do it ourselves. So no, we need to stop. Even her littles. If you've have little toddlers at home, there are things they are very capable of doing. You just need to take the time to teach them how to do it. And it's going to be messy at first. I remember when I was teaching my kindergartner how to pack her lunch for school. I mean, there would be jelly everywhere. It was like my kitchen looked like just a jelly explosion. But now she's so capable of doing it all by herself. And it gives her that sense of satisfaction. And if you think about it, it's empowering them with life skills, as well. So as mom's half your littles match the socks, if that's something you'd like, even before my daughter was capable of flipping them and pairing them together, I would just have returned them right side out, you know, little kids are capable, they're far more capable than we give them credit for you guys, you're not alone on this journey. You don't have to run your household alone, ask your kids for help. And right, they're having a family plan in place that makes sure we're all on the same page. And that communicates, okay, when mom's working, this is why I'm working. I'm doing it so that we can do more fun things and being really intentional about okay, this is our goal that we're working towards this year. This is the vacation we're going on this year. These are the fun things we have planned throughout the year, just really being clear about that has really gotten my kids to buy in and be part of the team. So it's not just a mom, martyr. I'm doing everything and resenting everyone.

Yeah, and I love that you bring that up your kids are seven and nine now. Right? And yes, so my boys are two and four. And I think that is applicable to any age. And I'm thinking about just the other day, I bought our kids a little clothes folder for kids clothes. And so my four year old knows, okay, I flipped one side, flip the other side, flip the other side and look closer, folded. And do I have to refold some of them, yes, but it keeps them busy in an activity. And he gets super excited that he's helping. And he thinks it's so cool to help with the different things. And our two year old, definitely could not take that on we tried. But like you said, bringing up the socks, I was like Kate, just match them, don't put them together, but put them if they're this color, put them in this pile. And if they're this color, put them in this pile. And so that's how he was able to help. And I think it comes back to being creative. And allowing that messy action. Like you said, you talked about taking messy action is how you got into your business of where it is now. And it was, as you said, it should show up first from how you felt. I'm sure it wasn't, but we feel like that when we're in it. But now it's created something so beautiful and has impacted so many people. And it's the same thing with the jelly example of your daughter of saying, Okay, we are going to make a mess. We're going to have jelly everywhere. And it's not going to be the visual representation of jelly in your business are stepping in, but it's going to feel the same way. You're going to be like oh my gosh, can't I just learn how to make a sandwich? I've jelly everywhere. So what are some of the ways that you learned the tangible steps or found the people because something I resonate with that I believe is part of your story too is you came in and you're like, Okay, this is great. I know I need to learn from people, but I don't even know who those people are. So how did you find like your first mentor or your first community to be a part of and what were the biggest learnings from being learning from someone else or being alongside others in the same season?

Yeah, so you I almost did it backwards. Because as I was building this business, I couldn't find anyone in my area that really understood. Yeah, so it was like alright, apparently I'm looking in the wrong places. So we started a Facebook group because I felt alone and I'm like, okay, hey, if there's any moms and dads area that have their own businesses like, just want to, like get together and like talk, but once a month, we'll just do coffee chats locally. And so I started a Facebook group. And that's all it started with it, it grew. And I'm like, Oh my gosh, I'm not alone. I am not alone on this journey. I was just looking in the wrong places. Yeah. So when I couldn't find a table to sit at, I believe, Oh, yeah. Because nothing within my area. So in doing so, I've met all of these incredible women. And then I've started to really reframe my Outlook with social media. You know, it's so easy to use it as something to compare ourselves to, oh, I'm not far enough. Yet. We put these unrealistic expectations on ourselves. But it's like, no, wait a minute, I'm meeting some of the most incredible people. So it was in just building my own community, and then look for different networking groups. Okay, cool, am I following on Instagram, and who am I resonating with our message and just really starting to get into different circles and stepping out of my comfort zone, because I am very introverted, and I am content just to like hang out on the couch or the book, like I'm happy as a clam on social media was my first or the pandemic was my first time where I actually leapt into the world of social media. I didn't have Facebook, I didn't have Instagram, I had nothing before the pandemic. So, you know, it was wild in that you putting myself out there and building this community, that how many resources then, and doors began to open, because I was open to those opportunities, because I was putting myself out there. And it's just crazy. So I think honestly, networking is so huge, and there are so many different opportunities out there to network, even if you have little kids, you can't make it out of your house. There are virtual networking opportunities as well. You are not alone on this journey, and it feels lonely at times. But it's just a matter of finding your tribe finding who message really hits with you, because that's the beauty of it. A lot of people see it as competition. Oh, she's doing the same thing as me. No, she could be your biggest collaborator, because different people are drawn to different mentors for different reasons. And that's okay. There's so much proof of concept that I feel like we pigeonhole ourselves because we think that oh, because she's doing so well, there's no room for me, if that were true, like libraries wouldn't exist, how many books on personal development or on business growth on all of the same topic exists? Because it takes that one person conveying their story, their knowledge in a particular way that hits home with some people more than others. So it's a beautiful thing. So again, it's just that mindset shift. So to answer your question, it was through networking, it was just in putting myself out there, and exploring and seeing, okay, who feels good, who is aligned. And even Honestly, my podcast has been incredible. In terms of networking, I have met some of the coolest people, yourself included through the world of podcasting. And that's not to say that you need to go and start a podcast, get on a podcast tour, start to branch out, and really be actively seeking opportunities to grow. Because that's where the magic happens, getting in the room getting in networking. That's where you will see so much growth in your business.

Yeah, I love that. And you don't have to have a podcast to be guests on a podcast. That's exactly what you're saying. And I think that's a really cool concept to remember that you have a story to share. Whoever you are, whoever you're listening, I promise you have a story to share. And you've experienced something you've achieved something you have learned something that someone would benefit from. And that's actually a really great practice that I'd love to just give some homework to anyone listening have think about the things that you have achieved and the things that you've overcome. And me when you come up with impostor syndrome, or you're not sure the next step to take in your business, or how to really push forward now that you've had some success, but you have more you want to achieve? What helps you celebrate what you have achieved while also staying focused on where you want to go.

Yeah, so for me, honestly, I keep a list of wins a list of accomplishments because imposter syndrome. Yes, it hits hard. I went through some last week that I had to work with. But anytime I feel stuck in my business, I make an investment. I then invest in myself whether that is doing another program that my coach offers, whether that is signing up for a retreat that I'm headed to where, literally I've only met To the women in person, can we just spend a weekend with these women that I hope, but you know what it's because I need to do that in order to move forward. And that's where aligning yourself with people that are ahead of you is so important because those people will stretch you. Because if I talk to some of my friends about what I'm doing, they're supportive. Don't get me wrong, but they just don't understand. They're like, why would you do that? Why would you want to go and hang out with like, random people? No, because they're going to challenge me to think bigger, to dream bigger to see the potential to see the possibilities. So I think we get so laser focused on all of the things that I haven't done, and I need to do and all of the things coming up. So for me, tracking my wins gives me tangible proof. Okay, here's what I did. And then I always ask myself, How can I make this happen? Because I'll set a goal. And it can be scary, and you can feel stuck and just overwhelmed. And the worst thing you can do when you're overwhelmed is not take action, but it's really hard. So what I do is I just intentionally go, Okay, this is my goal. How can I make this happen? What that does is it shifts your mind to see the opportunities to think differently to think bigger, like, okay, all right, maybe I'll try this. And that's all business is. It's just one big experiment. And you're seeing Okay, guess what, this worked? This did it? Or had a silent lunch? What can I learn from it? How can I show up differently? How can I move forward better next time when we're detaching from the outcome, and really embracing the journey and it's the same in motherhood, that's when we really begin to enjoy life and the journey of it all. Because this life is meant to be lived. And I think so many times we just get into hustle mode, whoever Yeah, like our kids aren't gonna be little forever, like you think about it. 18 years. That's a long time.

Yeah. I love that you bring up like the problem solving and motherhood because I'm not trying to make light of the discomfort or the stress that comes from wanting to pursue your goals or start a business or anything. But when we kind of break it down like that, it is a little funny how our brain shifts it right. We don't go into motherhood and go, Well, I'm only going to do this if I know I'm going to be the best mom and the most successful. And what are people going to think if I mess up or something happens, like no one goes into motherhood that I know of, and expects themselves to be the most perfect mom with the biggest success and that no one's ever going to judge them or think differently. But when we step into our goals, or business somehow falls into a different category, where you're like, what if I don't succeed? What if I fail? What if I don't know what I'm doing? What if people think this about me or that and it's like that already happens in your life as a mom, but for some reason, you've been able to just understand that's part of it. And what if you just allow that to be part of whatever else you're pursuing to that there, you're going to have to find your people, there's going to be moms that are going to feed one way and feed the other way moms that do bedtime one way and do it the other way in the parent one way and parent the other way. And it doesn't make them good or bad moms, that's just their way of doing it. And there's going to be people that get your business stuff and people that don't and have different goals. And it's important for you to find who you are within all of that, just like you figure out your own flow to motherhood and that it changes and I love that you brought that up that every time you feel stuck, you make an investment. Because you have to learn you have to grow just like I right now don't know what it means to be a parent of a 25 year old boy, one day I'm gonna figure it out. But right now I just have to focus on where am I at making sure I have the right people to support me in this season. You talk about the three keys to design a business around your life. And I would love for you to unpack that a little bit. Because while it's great to say Yeah, mom this way in business this way, designing them together is really the key to that. So how do we do that?

Absolutely. So the first step is we touched a little bit upon it is getting super clear. What do you want? What does success look like to you? The highs, when you know where you're going, you can make a plan to get there when you have that goal. But the thing is, we get so caught up in all of the shiny objects we get so caught up in the noise and what everyone else is doing. What to you what, what does success look like to you? And then ask yourself, Okay, what do I need to do to get there? And how will I know when I'm there? Because a lot of times we keep moving that goalpost. It's like oh, okay, I'll be happy when I'm making you know, this X amount of dollars a month. Alright, then you get used to that. It's like well, no, now I want this. Now I want this now I would then So we always tend to move that goalposts back and forth. But the thing is, the joy is in the journey, when we can really embrace the season of life that we are in as a mom, that just takes so much of the burden off of it, because it's easy to look and say, she went from zero to a million in six months. But guess what, she's not raising toddlers, that's okay. That is absolutely okay, this is your race to run, you do not have to try and make your business look like anyone else's. And I think that's where we give up a lot of our power as business owners is we're trying to do everything everyone else is doing. But this is your business, run it for you, you get to choose. And that's the cool part, that you choose how you run your business. So that means putting those boundaries in place, setting those business hours not working 24/7 Because that's a fast track to burnout, your motherhood is hard enough. And if you're trying to mom and run a business both at the same time, you can't it's like chasing two rabbits, you can't do both at the same time. So you just have to be a little more strategic about it. All right, I know I have an hour of time here. This is when I can go all in and really get those tasks that will move my business forward accomplished. Really being strategic, asking your husband, hey, he pays kids to the park, I just need to get some work done for an hour. It is amazing. When you know what you're working towards, and you reverse engineer that goal into micro steps, you can get so much accomplished in that hour. It is absolutely incredible. So that's step number one getting super clear on what you want this business to look like. And You'll regain so much control. Now step two, I love nerding out on all the numbers, I really truly believe that math is the path. And I love that is from one of my mentors just arose, math is the path because when you know the data, you can make decisions to move your business forward and remove the emotion from it. So many times I have clients coming to me and they're say, I just I feel like I'm doing all of the things and like okay, well let's look at the numbers. What's actually selling? Are you doing well, working one on one? Are you doing better selling one off sessions? What is actually selling? And then focus on that one thing, really having a focus each month, okay? Hey, this is really working right now, I'm going to double down on this, or you know what, I really don't enjoy doing that. I find it exhausting. I want to ramp up marketing efforts. And see, okay, over the next quarter, can I make this grow now? Because again, it's just an experiment. And once you take the emotion out of it, it's beautiful how the data tells you exactly what's working and what's not working. And it gives you that benchmark. Okay. I didn't think I was doing so well. But yeah, I yeah, like I'm trending up in the right way. It might not be the overnight success that I expected. But no, I'm trending in the right direction. So math and data, knowing your numbers is so so key, because I'm an emotional person, you're trying to make these decisions and your emotions take over. And it's like no, use the math, you use the data to drive your decision. And then number three, I think just really establishing a solid business foundation, having that business plan in place and referring back to it. So when you make a business plan, it's not one of those things that you just fill out and throw in a file on your computer and never go back to you need to be going back to this on a quarterly basis, if not more frequently. Because what this does is it acts like your GPS, if you're getting towards your goals, okay, the activities that I'm doing, is that keeping me in line with my mission, my vision, my values, am I working towards those goals? Do my activities that I'm doing every day? Are those getting me closer to that next goal? And part this having a business plan really helps you figure out okay, where are the opportunities for automation, to eliminate tasks to delegate different tasks, I have standard operating procedure set for every single thing in my business. And I go back and I find at least two new automations that I can set up every single month. So I think it's so important to take the time to establish that business plan to really zoom out 30,000 foot view of your business so you know exactly where you're headed. Because then again, you can reverse engineer it. Neagle, you can break it down into bite sized pieces and take intentional actions with the time you have

cautious, so good, clarity numbers, making sure you're organized, my brain is just stuck on the SOPs, too that you brought up at the end. And also the plan, there's so much of this that we're familiar with in other businesses. And for some reason, when we start our own business, we don't prioritize it. And they are so important. And for anyone that's already in a business that's listening, and you're like, I don't have time to set up SOPs, I'm just trying to keep my head above water. One, it's so important, but something that helped me so much was committing to creating one template. So this week, you can be like, I'm gonna create one template. And then each time you go and do a task, just go to loom, I think it's loom.com, record your screen, as you're doing it is a long video and pop the link into that SOP. Now that is not like the fanciest, most formal best version of an SOP. But if that is all you truly can get done right now. And that's your way of completing it. That is what you need to do. And there was a season where that's all I felt I could do. So I did that. And then I went back in and was like, Okay, let's make these pretty and let's organize them. But if it's like you were talking about earlier, it's how can I do this? How can I make this work? How can I shift my brain to say, Okay, it's not? Am I going to do this? Or how am I going to do it? It's, I'm going to do this, but how am I going to do it in a way that's possible. So you need just thank you so much for breaking down those three steps. So good. And knowing your numbers is another like one that I don't think people prioritize enough. They're focused on one part of their numbers, like, how many people did I get in the sale? Did I hit my goal. But you have to also, like you said, just know all the other pieces behind it, because that is so important. And talking about numbers, you also have this great freebie that we're going to link below. But I'd love for you to talk a little bit about how do you market your business without spending a dime?

Yeah, so I created this guide, because I kept seeing all these people telling me, oh, in order to succeed, you have to run ads, you need to do this, you need to pay for that. And it's like, well, when I first started my business, I didn't have the budget, I did not have the marketing budget to make that happen. So I started scrappy. So these are things that I've learned along the way. And I've done and they're really helped me build that first business. And there's some differences when you're running an online based business versus a local based business. There are a few differences that that go into that. But be something as simple as a Google Maps listing, it is 100% free. So if you have a business that you have a local presence, that is something you need to establish, that's not an issue, that's a must. Because what that does is it gets you ranked higher in search results. If somebody in your area, I'll go back and use my organizing business as an example, with search professional organizing your home organizer, I would pop up because I was close to their area. And I believe there's even a function that lets you establish like a little free landing page within that. So there's so many things out there for free that we're not taking advantage of. Another one is just collaboration, collaborate with people that are within your industry. Because again, when you step back and look at it, those that are at the bottom are competing with one another those at the top. They're collaborating, and they are growing leaps and bounds. I mean, just look at Laurie harder and Lindsey Swartz. They do very similar things. They're all about empowering women to thrive. They weak arms, they're always collaborating for amazing events. Look at the event that we went to look at all the amazing speakers that were like, You know what? No, we believe in this cause we all do similar things. Fight together, we are so much stronger. So I dive into collaboration. If an email list, I think email marketing is one of the most under utilized resources. I have so many clients and like, oh, social media is just draining me. It's like okay, do you have an email list? What happens? If that account gets cloned gets hacked, there's so many things happening, and I've had it happen to really close friends. We don't own our social media list. That's kind of scary when you think about it, but you own your email list. So really nurturing people trying to get them onto that list. It's just another part of the funnel. You can see the analytics of who's opening who's clicking who's engaging, you know, then who your warm leads are, who's interested what message is landing with who so use that leverage that. So those are just a few of the key takeaways from the freebie. But there's, I think there's 10 different items in there that talk all about how to market your business and gain that visibility and traction completely for free. Because you do not need to be spending money as a new business on paid advertising.

Yeah, there's so much you can do for free. And you know, I'm a huge advocate for collaborations as well, I think that's what keeps business the most fun. And there's so much opportunity there. Because doing things by yourself can get lonely and hard. We're not meant to know how to do all of this, like you said, Lindsey Schwartz talks about that all the time. We're not meant to do business and life alone. And I've added in motherhood, are not meant to do that either. So make sure that you tap into that freebie, we'll link that below. And we'll also have Amy with a couple more resources in the moment how schools app, so you can check that out as well. Amy, for anyone that's listening, they're like, gosh, I'm inspired, I hear you, I hear that you're saying I can do it, I hear that you say I'm gonna grow, I'm gonna learn along the way. The I don't know, I'm just already feeling shocked either timewise emotionally, mentally, financially, I have this thing on my heart. And I would love to own my own business. But I just I don't see how it could be for me. Let's pour some love into that moment.

Oh my gosh, because I was that Mama and I am here. And Kelsey, your your two, we are proof that it is possible. If you step outside of your comfort zone, and get into the room with people that will stretch you. You are not meant to do this alone. Get a mentor, get into community surround yourself with like minded individuals. And it is possible. And it's just in taking the information that you know, and implementing it one step at a time. Because yes, it can be so exhausting, so overwhelming. Start with one thing, and then the next and then the next, take those intentional steps one at a time. And you'll start to gain traction, you'll start to gain results. But it's not overnight. It is the hardest thing ever, it is not for the faint of heart. But if you have a dream on your heart, it is your mission, your responsibility to go out there. Because if you have the solution to someone's problem, it is your responsibility to share it with the world. So you need to do that we need you, we need everything that you bring to the table. So just because there's someone else out there doing the same thing that is proof that it is possible. So start working on your mindset. And really align yourself with those who are where you want to be. Oh, so

good. And for someone that is ready to get off of this and take an immediate action step and they need it spelled out, get off step here do this. What are some of the day to day activities that set you up for success? I know you said you have your family plan, so everyone kind of knows where they're at. But what specifically is it like a journaling activity a morning routine way that you keep on top of the house chores are? What are some, let's say one to three things that people could implement for a better flow in their day to day?

Yeah. So again, I think it just comes down to what do you want your business and your life to look like really taking the time to work through that whether it's just sitting quietly and reflecting on it, whether it's journaling, I'm a big pen to paper person, so I love just doing a brain dump of okay, what do I need to do? What do I need to do to get me closer to my goal, because I think it's so easy to get caught up in consuming all of the things because we think that we need to know more. We think that we don't have enough knowledge, know how all of the things. But you do know enough, you just have to implement what you know. So for me, part of that is just really being intentional about how I use social media, using it as a tool to collaborate and to grow versus a weapon to compare myself with others because it's so easy to get caught up and think, Oh, I'm just gonna scroll for some information in inspiration, no, stop scrolling, set an intent. And you're going to regain so much time in your day when you start using social media as a tool instead of a weapon. So I would say step one, reframe that relationship with social media and create more than you can sue I love that.

I 100% agree. And speaking of social media, where can we find you? Where can everyone connect with you? We will put everything in the show notes as well.

Yeah, so I am super active over on Instagram at Amy trawl. And my membership community is founded over at the moms on a mission.com

Amazing. And Amy, what is something that you consider a goal that you currently have right now either personally professionally, what are you working towards or excited about?

So my big goal is to be able to fully retire my husband. career in health care. Yes, I know I've been able to get him down. He's now 20 hours a week in his role. So our goal is just to keep growing and expanding get to the point where we are our own classes. So yeah, I really excited and just again, taking that intentional, messy action, like alright, let's go. How can we make this work and doing it

amazing. Amy, thank you so much for being here. I cannot wait to have you back and celebrate your retired husband. Let's go mama. I love it. Sometimes the smallest acts of love is all a mom needs to feel reinvigorated. If you can relate to that I'd feel so supported by your five star rating and written review. Take a moment and let me know what you thought about this episode.