Hey Reader,
Can I be honest with you for a second?
March has not gone according to plan.
It started with Covid. Ten days of it. (Just me, or does it feel like 2020 never fully got the memo that it was supposed to end?) I was in bed, sipping my Starbucks medicine ball tea, watching my inbox fill up, and doing approximately nothing I had planned.
Then, just when I thought I was back, we lost power for three days.
Zero wifi. Zero schedule. A lot of candles. And field trips to the library to re-charge just for emergencies. Also not on my bingo card for the month.
But here is the part I want you to sit with for a second.
At the end of all of it (and in the middle of no power just for fun), my girls kicked off “green season”. 🍀 They are Irish dancers, and this was THE WEEK. Not one. But multiple performances, parades, and more. And I was at every single one.
Was I running at 100%? No. But was the business running without me worrying about it and not even opening my laptop? Yes.
The podcast episodes went out. The emails landed. The launch completed.
The systems did what systems are supposed to do when life gets messy.
That is the whole point.
Not the polished version. The real one, where the power goes out, and you still make it to every parade, because you built something that runs without you white-knuckling it.
Since I haven't sent a roundup in a few weeks (hi, did I mention we also just launched Anti-Social School™ 😅), here are the five episodes worth adding to your playlist right now.
🎧 Episode 608: You Are Not the Problem. This Might Be
There is one specific reason established entrepreneurs keep blending into the noise, and it has nothing to do with your niche or your price point. Megan names it, and once you hear it, you will not be able to unsee it.
In this episode, you will learn:
- What a signature framework actually is (and what it is not)
- Why your unique approach is not coming through in your marketing
- How to stand out in a crowded market without working more hours
→ Listen to Episode 608 (Apple | Spotify | YouTube)
🎧 Episode 609: The Growth Strategy That Does Not Require an Audience
What if one aligned conversation, not a launch or a complicated collab, brought in your next client this month? I walk through micro-partnerships and why they might be the most underrated strategy for sustainable growth right now.
In this episode, you will learn:
- What micro-partnerships actually look like in practice
- How to find aligned partners without it feeling awkward or salesy
- Why relational growth compounds in a way social media never does
→ Listen to Episode 609 (Apple | Spotify | YouTube)
🎧 Episode 610: What Would Happen If You Just... Stopped Posting?
Not a trick question. Four marketing strategies that are quietly working right now, none of which require you to show up on social media every single day.
In this episode you will learn:
- Why the loudest tactics are not the ones converting right now
- Four off-social strategies to start using this week
- How to shift your marketing without blowing up what is already working
→ Listen to Episode 610 (Apple | Spotify | YouTube)
🎧 Episode 611: The Reason Your AI Content Sounds Like a Robot
There is one very specific mistake most entrepreneurs make with ChatGPT, and it is why the output sounds generic every time. Kinsey and I get into it, including the guilt so many women feel around using AI at all.
In this episode, you will learn:
- The biggest mistake people make when using ChatGPT for their business
- How to train AI to actually sound like you
- Why AI can support a life-first business without sacrificing authenticity
→ Listen to Episode 611 (Apple | Spotify | YouTube)
🎧 Episode 612: Your Website Should Be Working While You Sleep. Is It?
Fresh this week. Becky makes the case that your link-in-bio is costing you clients every single day, and the fix is simpler than you think.
In this episode you will learn:
- Why you need more than a link-in-bio to grow sustainably
- How to turn your website into a lead-generating machine
- Why a simple website with email marketing will outperform social every time
→ Listen to Episode 612 (Apple | Spotify | YouTube)
We are heading out for spring break this week and I am so ready. ✈️ We are not touching the ground again until June, and I have a lot more to share about what it actually looks like to travel with a running business. Stay tuned for that.
For now, pick whichever episode title made you think "wait, that is exactly what I needed" and press play. Trust that instinct. It is usually right.
And if nobody else has told you today, let me be the first: you are building something really good. The fact that you are here, still showing up, still looking for a better way? That matters. Keep going. 💛
Forward this to a friend who needs a permission slip to build their business differently. She will thank you for it.
XO,
Holly 💛
P.S. Anti-Social School™ is always open (the bonuses just change seasonally). If you missed the launch, grab the free workshop at hollymariehaynes.com/workshop and start building your offline strategy. Honestly, it is the perfect thing to listen to over spring break. ☀️