Season Two Wrap Up
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Welcome to today's episode of the Project Mom podcast. Today's episode will be the year's last episode and as well as the last of season two. I wanted to take some time to reflect on what we heard in these past 29 episodes and share what's coming up for me in this podcast.
First off, thank you. I am so grateful for you being on this journey with me and supporting this project, which has given me an opportunity to really honor the parts of me that exist outside of motherhood and business. By the time you are listening to this, I will be on maternity leave and, most likely snuggling with my little boy.
My team has worked incredibly hard to get these episodes out on time and support my forward momentum while I focus on my number one priority: my family. I'm so grateful for my editing team and social team.
I feel so good about this season and what's in store for us next year.
It is truly amazing what you can do when you have a team that aligns with you in pace, goals, and motivation.
Haley at Heart Centered Podcasting is incredible. So, please check her out and support her work. Without her, I could not have done this season and prep for maternity leave as well as I've been able to.
Trying to plan for a maternity leave when you work for yourself is interesting when you're the one dictating the schedule and having to be self-motivated. There isn't anyone else you have to report to. It's up to you to determine how to support your clients, your forward momentum, and your growth to continue building on what you've created up until now.
It was extremely important to me to plan what I wanted to keep running while stepping away, essentially out of the office. On the VA work front, it was simple enough for me to make sure all new proposals that went out took into consideration a project and date of October 1st and that all existing projects could be wrapped up by the same date.
As for the podcast, it took a little bit more planning. I wanted to continue to release episodes through December to wrap up the year and season two. So, I spent just over two months bulk recording to provide Haley and her team the time they would need to edit and batch out content that we would then import into systems that allowed us to schedule it. It was crucial that Haley and her team helped me execute this plan because they alleviated a lot of the bulk of the work that goes into the details of each episode and its promotion.
My biggest takeaway is to get yourself a team to tackle some of the behind-the-scenes workloads to get ahead. Don't convince, force, or make yourself do it all by yourself.
Can somebody help you alleviate some of the immediacy of these tasks to support yourself later on?
The second thing I came to appreciate as I was planning is systems.
How can we automate and leverage specific systems to take the workload off our plate?
Some of the big ones for me were using your email system to send automated email follow-ups.
Can you leverage out-of-office templates and replies to provide general information to clients, potential clients, or podcast guests
What are some common email requests or questions you get regularly? Can you include some of that general info in your out-of-office response?
For me, this was a big one. This way, I can get that information out now versus waiting to respond individually when I return in a few months. So take some of that off your plate. Haley and her team have helped me with systems around scheduling social media content and leveraging the podcast hosting platforms and stuff to work in our favor. I appreciate the insight she and her team bring to the table to start leveraging these systems.
Get a team to help you, leverage their expertise, and set up some systems to reduce the workload.
I will say, too, with the call of transparency; yes, I'm sure I'm still checking emails, but there are better ways to enjoy and nurture both priorities in my life.
As a part-time podcast host and evolving entrepreneur, it was important not to sacrifice my goals as I grew my family. Both are vitally important to me and my identity and sanity, and my goal as I spend time with my family is to trust that the work I have done is still there and make an impact in this community that I'm fostering and loving.
So, with that, I want to focus on that community and that love that's giving back and giving back to me. So, let’s square look back on season two.
We had some amazing guests on the show and some of the trends and themes we saw this season were around boundaries and supporting ourselves with a mental reframe.
Can we stop comparing ourselves to those around us and focus on the growth we've made compared to our past selves?
We've also focused on conversations around identifying stories and narratives that no longer serve us, using our emotions and feelings to tap into our true needs and desires and, from there, creating inspired action. We've talked a lot about outsourcing, leveraging somebody else's expertise to move your business forward.
It has been an incredible 29 episodes. So, as I look to the future, for work and virtual assistant support, I will take on clients again. So, if you're looking for somebody come January to tackle some stagnant work and take it off your plate or to help you map out a maternity leave or a sabbatical for yourself, please reach out. There's no long-term retainer or commitment on my end - just project by project.
My goal is to help busy moms and business owners tackle some of their to-do lists to help their business move forward.
Not just financially but also regarding all your success metrics, whether that be time back with your family feeling good about your work and efforts. However that looks to you, my goal is to help you do it.
As for the podcast, I'm launching season three. I will interview some amazing guests who support mompreneurs and are mompreneurs themselves. I'm extremely excited to get back in the recording studio because we've already had so much interest in season three and have some incredible guests in the pipeline. Hopefully, the recording will begin in February and March of 2024 so we can get these stories and inspirations back out there for all of you listening to keep that inspiration and momentum going.
If there is a specific topic you want to hear about or someone whose story you think would resonate, please email me, find me on Instagram: Project Mom Podcast, find a way and share their story with me.
If anything, leave a review wherever you listen to your podcasts. Please help me get in front of more moms and entrepreneurs who will benefit from hearing these inspired stories and getting curious about their journeys.