You are not a billion-dollar business.
But that's not a bad thing.
My parents are away visiting Europe for the summer and well, I’ve elected to help and take care of their house.
I’ve already taken three vacations this year and while my heart longs for a beach-filled summer, my brain knows I have a lot of work to get done.
The only issue? My mother has a massive balcony filled with plants I need to take care of while they’re away.
Plants only my mom can take care of in this 50° weather. It’s something that shocks anyone visiting their house because nobody can quite believe that someone’s able to keep plants alive in this Doha heat.
Green thumb is an understatement.
When I still lived by myself, I attempted to create a small balcony garden. I had seventeen plants delivered to my house and began taking care of them.
But here’s the thing - if you go from zero to seventeen, it will get overwhelming. You realize you don’t have the right supplies and maybe should’ve started with one pot to realize that gardening isn’t for you - before spending all that money.
So instead of the balcony garden I was initially excited about, it became a balcony graveyard.
It’s not like my mom created her balcony garden overnight. And I’m sure that when winter approaches, she will add more plants. In fact, she’s in the process of growing some (but inside the house).
I think this can be applied to anything you’re attempting to do.
You have to sow the seeds now to see growth in the future. But also nurture them to grow healthy.
We get really impatient, thinking that results aren’t coming immediately and attempt to do another ‘new trend’ we’ve come across just because our current marketing isn’t working.
Heard of Shopify? And have you heard of Shopify Plus?
It’s just the addition of another word, right - plus? So what’s the big deal?
But even well-established companies like Shopify needed about 18 months for their customers to even realize that the platform had the capability to support bigger businesses through Shopify Plus.
(Listen to this this podcast episode from April Dunford with Hana Abaza, Shopify's former Global Head of Revenue Marketing to know more. Incredible episode.)
I started regularly posting on LinkedIn in mid-February of this year. And really, it’s only in the last month where I’ve genuinely been seeing a difference, after launching my website.
Discovery calls look a different because previously, most of the call was just explaining my process and the value of website copywriting. Now? It’s actually understanding how I can help and how working together will look like.
In a way, sticking to my marketing plan is allowing me to assemble my own team of ‘sales agents’.
Chances are you’re just one person running everything, or you’ve got a contractor or two working for you.
And you’re certainly not a billion dollar business with an infinite roster of customers and marketing specialists working on getting your name out there.
So stop trying to add something new to your overstuffed schedule and actually stick to your marketing plan.
Because those seeds you planted a few months ago need to be continuously nurtured to flower.
On another note….
The heat isn’t the only thing ramping up this summer, but so are things for my business.
I might regret posting about this everywhere but it wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t tell you that I’m providing a free website audit. Here are the details.
I’m specifically on the lookout for a business coach or wedding photographer who might be interested - but yes, any creative service entrepreneur can go for it. If you want an expert copywriter’s eye without the price-tag, now’s your chance.
It’s free for anyone who applies before Thursday, August 1st. And post-call notes are only available to the first five people who apply.
If you know anyone who would benefit from it, feel free to share the link with them.
End Notes
Now, you might ask - do I really only stick to a plan I created six months ago? For another 12 months?
The great thing about being an entrepreneur is that things are flexible.
For example, I set out to do write a new blog post every 2 weeks. But now I’ve realized it’ll be more like every 3-4 weeks with my schedule.
My website rebrand was long overdue, nearly 14 months, but I finally got started on it in April before launching last month. In May, I was told that creating a website audit would be a great idea and I started pre-launch on Wednesday.
I’m also going to be slowly reducing my writing time for LinkedIn because i find Substack to be a lot more enjoyable. It really is up to you.
It’s a flexible rule - not a hard and fast one. The key is to figure out a marketing schedule that suits you, in terms of ease and convenience.
And if I might add - enjoyability.
This was a longer newsletter than usual. What did you think?
Happy marketing,
Maria
Ps: I’ll report back on how many of my mother’s plants I’ve accidentally (or not) killed off.