Every week I'll share branding strategies for women who want to be seen as the experts they are—and paid what they're worth. Plus stuff about the entrepreneurial life, thoughts on navigating middle age, and what I'm currently consuming (both in terms of pop culture and carbs).
Share
How I keep my business booked out
Published 5 days ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader!
I’m just back from what I’m calling The Empty Nester Distraction Tour with my dear friend Vanessa.
We spent 10 days seeing and eating all the things in London and Copenhagen. It was as dreamy as you’d expect. So. Many. Pastries.
As you can imagine, reentry has been a little rough. I gave myself a pretty light week, but I could barely swing the bare minimum I was expecting of myself. For example, I’m sending this out a day late.
I spent a good part of today just sitting around upset that I didn’t have any pastries.
Such a spoiled brat, I know!
The best part about the trip was that I didn’t need to bring any work or even think about it while I was gone.
This is because I work in sprints and don’t have any ongoing projects.
I was also able to fully relax because I knew I was coming back to already-scheduled projects and I’m booked out through the end of the year.
Look at those pastries! We had to compare a couple different bakeries. For science.
So how do I keep my business booked out?
I wish I could say it’s all because of my fantastic website (which I really do love and it absolutely does help). But even I can admit that the best website in the world isn’t enough because you still need people to know that website exists.
The truth is that keeping my calendar full takes more than vision boarding or manifesting. It takes marketing.
Don’t be scared! You might already be doing more marketing than you think.
I start every project with a 90-minute discovery interview called a Branding Roadmap. One of the questions I ask:
→ “Do you have a marketing plan?”
Most people answer, “Nope!”
But once we start talking, it often turns out they’re already doing marketing without realizing it.
I think a lot of people assume “marketing” has to mean complicated funnels, paid ads, or social media content they don’t want to make.
But marketing a service-based business can be simple, straightforward, and all about building relationships. And for me, that’s a lot more enjoyable than figuring out a complicated funnel.
Here’s what keeps my pipeline full and pipeline-ing:
1 | In-person and virtual networking. I’ve gotten super intentional about the events I’ll attend. I need to be sure my target clients are going to be there and that there’s actually a way for me to interact with them directly. Otherwise I pass.
2 | Connection calls (aka coffee chats). These days, I’m mostly having coffee chats with women I already know. Staying in touch and hearing what everyone’s working on helps us spot opportunities to support each other and make introductions. I still meet new people, but I’m more intentional about which connections I pursue.
3 | Posting regularly on LinkedIn. This has also changed for me recently. I was posting 3x/week for over a year and I didn’t mind that when LinkedIn was a more fun place to hang out. Now AI slop has mostly driven me off the platform, but I still get work there, so I’ll pop in about once a week. And I’m still calling that “regularly.”
4 | This here weekly email newsletter. An email newsletter is a long game, but it’s a good game. Many people have told me they decided to work with me because of my newsletter. It took me a long time and nudging by many people to start, but I’m so glad I did. And the hardest part is definitely getting started.
––
Basically, here’s what works for me: I focus on showing up, building relationships, and consistent messaging.
I’m always clear about what I do, who I serve, and what problem I solve. That messaging is repeated everywhere I show up: in conversations, on LinkedIn, and here in my emails.
That kind of consistency builds trust. And trust keeps the calendar full.
And thank goodness — no TikTok dancing is required.
Talk soon,
P.S. It’s a lot easier to market your business when you’re clear on who you serve, what makes you special, and how to talk about it. A Branding Roadmap helps you get that clarity so you know what to say wherever you show up. Book a call to chat about whether a Branding Roadmap makes sense for you.
Goodies Just For You
WHAT I’M THINKING ABOUT: This is old news now, but I was really moved by the end of Sandra Bullock’s interview on Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast. As they’re wrapping, Poehler confesses she was hoping they could be friends but didn’t want to have too high expectations for that. What followed really made me emotional. I love when women can be real and vulnerable with each other like that. It was also a sweet and funny example of how difficult it can be for women to receive compliments.
WHAT I’M MAKING: It feels appropriate to share Alison Roman’s dip that she shares for “when you aren’t going to Europe.” She calls it “The Dip” and it is DELICIOUS and looks so much fancier than the effort it takes. I promise you will impress and thrill all your friends if you serve this at your next dinner party.
WHO I’M ADMIRING: I can’t talk about relationship marketing and getting booked out without singing the praises of Sarah Noel Block. Sarah is THE expert in relationship marketing. A big part of why I’m booked out through the end of the year is my work with her. The first step in getting a piece of her genius is The Booked Out Blueprint. Check her out!
You Might Have Missed
The one about who will survive the AI revolution. Read it here →
The one about the snoozefest that is Claude Design. Read it here →
The one about the surprising security of self-employment. Read it here →
The one about when your website doesn’t match who you are now. Read it here →
The one about my most impossible goal. Read it here →
Don’t Be a Stranger
🖥️ Check out brands I've built for other accomplished women. Visit my website →
☎️ Ready to attract high-paying clients who value your expertise? Book a free fit call →
💃🏻 I've been having a good time over on LinkedIn. Come join me over there →
💌 Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here to get your own!
Elevated branding and web design for ambitious women
Every week I'll share branding strategies for women who want to be seen as the experts they are—and paid what they're worth. Plus stuff about the entrepreneurial life, thoughts on navigating middle age, and what I'm currently consuming (both in terms of pop culture and carbs).
Hi Reader! I’m doing a bunch of work on my house right now. My son is moving out, and I’m distracting myself from the 😭 of it all by updating his room. It will still be his, but not… uhm… disgusting. It’s the only room in the house that’s never been professionally painted. I’ve always done that room myself. I don’t know why. The walls and ceiling were covered in earthquake cracks that I kept ignoring and painting over. This week I finally hired a pro to do it right. And it got me thinking...
Hi Reader! Are you really good at investing in other people? Your kids. Your team. Your community. Do you sometimes invest so much that you find yourself overcommitted and exhausted? But when it comes to investing in yourself, do you hesitate? While I was thinking about this email, I caught myself doing exactly that. In big and small ways. Earlier this year, I was considering a sales and marketing program with someone I know and respect. I had big goals for the year, and I was confident she...
Hi Reader! AI is so confusing right now. On the one hand, it’s jumping out of testing sandboxes and hacking into other companies’ systems. And an Anthropic engineer was in the news this week after quitting, warning that AI could wipe out humanity. And on the other hand, the more time I spend trying to get AI to make my life easier, the more impressed I am with my own human brain. I’ve never felt smarter in my life. So assuming humanity isn’t wiped out — who is going to come out okay in this...