Welcome to The Live Free Podcast. I'm your host, Micala Quinn, and I am a mom on a mission to help you launch, grow, and scale a profitable freelance business from home. Join me each week for tangible business advice along with inspiring interviews all designed to help you mom strong, work smart, and live free.
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All right, mama, it's time. Grab your coffee, water, or wine because we are starting.
Hey there, welcome back to the live free podcast. Happy February. Happy Monday. Hope you are off to a great start to your week and in new month. Um, today I've got for you another student success story featuring one of the women from my program, the Live Free Academy. Today you're going to get to meet Maggie.
She is a busy mom of three beautiful young girls, and she runs her business part time proving that you can grow a successful freelance career. While balancing your family life. Now, Maggie got started back in 2022 and delivery academy was a critical piece of her journey. And she's here today to share all about how and why she got started.
She got started as a. tech virtual assistant, which is, um, very similar to an administrative assistant, but you focus more on all of the tech pieces that it takes to run a business. Um, so she's going to share more about, so she's going to share more about getting started as a tech VA and also her journey in pivoting to, um, web design.
So now Maggie is a web designer. Helping entrepreneurs create websites that don't just look great, but also attracts clients, build trust and drive sales. So I am so excited for you to meet Maggie today and hear another perspective of what it can look like to freelance. And run your business and also be there for your family and, um, just see different ways that women are, um, embracing the freelance life and making it work for them.
I hope you're inspired today. And without further ado, let's go meet Maggie. Maggie. Welcome to the podcast. Hi. So happy to be here. Oh my gosh. Yay, I'm so happy you're here and so thankful in advance for your willingness to come on and just share your experience getting started freelancing and what, what that's looked like and also what it's, um, allowed you to do for you and your family.
So thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Let's start kind of just at the beginning. Who are you and what do you do? Brought you to freelancing. So this is kind of embarrassing, but I've been like rehearsing my story for like the last year. Like I was like, I was having a hard day, like put on your podcast and like, listen to someone's story to like, give me that next like burst of energy to get through, like.
The next day or hour or whatever I needed. And so it was just an honor to like get to be in this position right now. So hopefully it's encouraging, um, my background in freelancing. So I have a unique background. I used to work for a church. Not a lot of people I've ever heard stories like that. So, let's see, what happened was, oh, my job, one thing was really great about it was when I started having kids, I got to scale down my hours and get to choose my hours.
Um, it was really nice and still get like compensated the same like hourly rate. And then, um, when I had my second, when I was pregnant with my second, I actually had to be on bed rest. And so, I got to, like, work virtually from, like, with my own hours, like, working on my kids, like, mostly. You know, there were a few meetings I had to attend, but for the most part, I got to choose my hours.
So then, when I was, uh, after my second was born, my husband and I, we both worked for this church, and we just, like, Suddenly, we're in a spot where we realized we had to leave and we did not have a plan B at all, which I would not recommend. But that's just, you know, sometimes you can't, you've limited control of your circumstances.
And so that's just what we found ourselves in. But fortunately, we were able to get a sabbatical to kind of take some time, like Breathe a little bit process and come up with the next game plan. Yeah. So my background is in psychology and you know, psychology, I love it. So many great things about it, but like not a really great clear like career path, unless you do graduate school.
So I was like, okay, like I'm not in a spot where like, I want to go back to school and try and think about like. What can I do with my skills that I have? And while I was working for the church, I just love to teach myself technical things. Like I taught myself how to do automations, like Zapier, but like without Zapier, like hard coding.
And I just, and it was before AI, so I just like Googled all these forums. Like I could just figure these things out. And I love like just the, the problem solve, like using technology to solve problems. Like so cool. So when I was on my cycle dreaming about what's next, you know, I was like talking to my husband and I was like, I want to work flexible hours.
You know, I want to work from home and I want to get paid to do it. My husband's like, good luck. So I was like, okay, okay. So I ran into a friend and she has a background in like digital marketing when like Facebook first came out. So she's been doing it for decades and she, she knew she's like, Oh, like. I, like, I work with small businesses.
I, even myself as a small business, will hire people to do, like, as freelancers and do these jobs. I was like, oh my gosh, light bulb. So, her, but she didn't really know a lot about, like, how to get started because she's so far into the process. So I was like, okay, like, so she told me, like, up work. So I was like, okay, like.
I created a Upwork profile, watched Upwork videos, and I got my first, like, gig on Upwork for like 20. And, you know, did it, you know, something Google scripts related, and it just felt exhilarating. Like, oh my god, like, there's someone out there that's willing to pay me money to use what, like, skills I already have.
Like, it, yeah, was definitely very, like, attractive to me. And I'm from home. Yeah, I did it from home. Yeah. From my own computer, like all this different stuff. So I was able to like, like, I don't even know how it happened, but an opera, an ongoing opportunity fell into my lap where I was like working for another small business that was more like a better rate hourly.
And, um, that was a really great experience. And I did that. So. While we're on our sabbatical, we get pregnant with our third, and my husband is like, he's learning a whole new skill to get a new job, like he has to get, so I kind of took the backseat of my career and just like focused on, you know, growing our family, taking care of the older kids.
We moved across the country in this season, so I'm just kind of like, whatever I can do to like, Get this kind of engine going is great, but not on the forefront at all. So we get here, we're in Oklahoma now. And, um, I got another like, so that for, you know, ongoing job ended, I got another potentially ongoing job.
I was right before I was going to give birth to my third. So I was like, well, I'd love to keep working with you, but, um, but that, you know, so we had a great week together. And I was actually talking to a friend here that I met in Oklahoma, and she's like, what are you going to do? I knew I needed to work.
And she actually had bought your like social media course. Yeah. And she recommended you and like, I don't know like I think it was like 40 hours I bought your course after hearing about I don't know there's something ridiculously fast like because looking on your sales page you know your copywriter is amazing because it was like the exact words and free like I think on there I said like you want to work.
You know, flexible hours, work from home and get paid to do it. And I was like, yes, like that is exactly what I'm looking for. Conversation with my husband. Yeah, yeah, exactly. He like didn't think it would happen. I found it. I found the solution because I knew, I think I knew enough. It was like, I know I can do it.
I know I have the skills. I know there's people paying me. I just didn't have that like roadmap and like my founder course. And it was finally like, finally there's a roadmap. And because Upwork is just really competitive. I would not like recommend it. Like. It's all I had. Like, that's fine. It's a part of my story, but to have, you know, people to have the skills of like how to go find your own clients is just game changer.
Yeah. Yeah. So you enrolled in the Live Free Academy. Do you remember when that was? I think it was the week before Thanksgiving. Okay. So just over a year ago, you enrolled, you had at that point, was your third born? Yes. I had just had my third. How old were all your kids? Yeah, I mean she was just a month old.
It's so funny, I like told my friends, I was like, I really want, because my other maternities weren't very long, I was like, I really want like a long maternity break, da da da. And then I told my friend, I'm like, okay, I have this like business plan, da da da. And she's like, remember when you said you wanted like a long maternity break?
I was like, I know, I know. But like, I don't know, when you find something that feels like the answer you've been looking for, like, You make time for it. Like, I would listen to courses, like, on driving my middle child to, like, daycare, like, and I would find it in the pockets of time, like, especially over, like, Thanksgiving break and, like, winter or Christmas break, like, yeah.
So, yeah, I had a one month old. That season is, like, a blur. I don't know if it's because of my third born or because I was building a business, but yeah. You had a one month old. How old are your other two kiddos? So at that time, my oldest and my youngest are three and a half years apart. Okay. So you have three girls.
Three girls within four years. Yeah. Oh my goodness. Two under two, twice. So fun. So fun. Yes. All the dolls and dress up and Oh yeah. Three girls. Yeah. Fun, fun. Matching dresses. Yeah. Princess. So when, what were your options here? Like you had to work, is that correct? Or was staying home an option? So my husband, like.
He had to take a, like, he was switching fields, like, he didn't want a ministry job anymore, so he's starting, like, at the entry level position, but he is in the tech space, so there's a lot of room, but we knew, like, okay, the entry level position, like, it's just, we can get by, but we just can't do the extras of, like, Like trips or like saving for a down payment or like those sorts of things.
Yeah. Yeah. So we were in a spot where it's like, okay, like we haven't run, like I had a runway where I can make it work, but, um, but it, you know, it'd be tight and yeah, like. And you have that desire to kind of that taste of I, I can make some money and help us do those things that we want while still being here and being at home mostly with, with, with your girls.
Yeah. Um, so you enrolled, how long did it take you to kind of go through the course and get ready to start landing clients again? Yeah, so by January, I joined your challenge, so it's like a month and a half, um, yeah, so the challenge, so I started in tech VA, so that's the other thing, like, since I had this like technical experience, I started there, and I landed two clients in it.
Like January, we started in February, and then one client just like took a little bit longer, but she, we didn't like officially start working together until February. Um, so like, was that two clients or was that three? Yeah, I don't know, three. Yeah. Sorry for reaching out to her in January. It just took a little time to connect, but in that like kind of January, February month, you landed three clients.
That's awesome. And so you started as a tech VA. What is a tech VA? Cause there's probably some people, I mean, there's people that have no idea what that is, but there's probably some people that are like hearing you talk about what you were doing in your job and like the tech and the problem solving and like, I love that I can do that.
I didn't know I could get paid to do that for people. Yeah. Well, I have like two different answers. Like I can. Yeah. Yeah. So tech VA. Like. Oh, I guess I'll tell you what it is, and I'll tell you some opinions that I've heard about the position, candidly, if that's okay. Of course. Um, so what it is, is, so virtual assistant is the VA part, so you're like supporting an online business, or it could be a brick and mortar, but you're supporting them particularly in the tech stuff, like, You know the automations, you know, all these software engineers build these platforms But you need them to talk to each other to make your job more efficient Like no one wants to be doing these like manual tasks.
So that's a big part of it Give us an example of like what you mean of like softwares talking to each other. Yeah, let's say um Let's say your, your, a business has, um, like a membership. And so, when someone signs up for your membership with your membership platform, what, use like Thinkific. Yeah, so let's say, like, it sounds like they make an account or pay or whatever happens.
Well, I want to make sure I add them to a certain email list in my ConvertKit or Kit. It's my email platform so that when I want to email everyone, they're like, hey, a new course is updated. That list is always accurate based on subscription status. And so, you know, you can have someone that just like, Oh, someone canceled the subscription.
Let me take them off the list. Or, Oh, there's a new subscription. Let me add them to the list. Or you can use a software like Zapier that, you know, you'll set it up. You'll take care of that. And the thing about technology too, is it's always evolving for better or worse. And so it's like, even when you have Zapier and there's other software engineers, like doing the hard coding of the talking to each other.
There's still things to update, like either platform can change how they do, like how they develop the software, which makes talking change. So you have to like readjust things, or update things, and then the business evolves too. And so there's always kind of this contin even if you're like, oh they already have things set up, it doesn't mean there's not a need.
For more of that support. Yeah, yeah, awesome. So that's kind of tech VA manages all of that. Yeah You said you had some candid thoughts on it I would I would love to to hear yeah So I think the main path that people come into tech VA is when they have been a VA And then they are more technically sound where that stuff doesn't turn them off or scare them So they get that like experience Um, kind of, they know how a small business operates.
They know how to do Zapier. They know how to do kind of the basic stuff already. And they're just now, when they call it like transitioning to tech VA, they're now like being recognized as that for their, their expertise, getting compensated for the expertise and that sort of stuff. My route was like, not, and I'm like, you did suggest it to me.
I'm glad you did. Cause I think it helped me. Like, I don't think I would have wanted to start as a VA. So it helped me get my foot in the door. But I think what I realized is, um, I did not know a lot about small businesses needs. And even though I am very technically sound, problems don't scare me. Problem solving is not very profitable as a business owner.
Because, you know, tasks take me a lot longer to do. And I don't know how to, like, fairly charge. You know, because I'm like, oh, I haven't done that before. Like, let me go figure it out. So, that can kind of, like, transition to my next. Like pivot in my business, but that's kind of what I learned about tech VA So you kind of started there with we're all three of those clients tech VA clients Yeah, yeah.
So, and they were very different. Like, one was a Dubsado setup, which is like, you know, tech bay kind of thing, or that can be your special, like some people do that as like a specialty. So was that a one time project? Yeah, it's a one time project. Yeah. So it was, I mean, I loved it. I learned a lot, but like.
Took me so long. You know, I probably could have charged a lot more for it. Yeah, that sort of stuff. Um, and then the next one, it was like a retainer client. And that actually, like, didn't end on the best terms. We, like, she had missed expectations of how long things would take to figure out. Like, I did some DNS settings, updating.
Um, which means, um, that's like your domain, so like, so yeah, we think about like Thinkific, like if you want to have your own domain instead of like dot Thinkific, that's a DNS setting you have to do. So that cool stuff. And there were some big changes like with Google and DNS settings that a lot of people were having to do.
I remember. Last around that time. Yeah around that time last year. Yeah So retain a client and then the other one. What was the third? Yes, so that was another rotate Well, it was kind of like an hourly like retainer, but I did a lot of website work actually from her so yeah, that was really good so she was on Wix and so I had a like learn Wix and Um, how to like optimize like a sales page and that sort of stuff.
Yeah. Um, how did you connect with these clients? Yes. I did a lot of cold outreach. So that's what two of them were. And then one of them was someone in my personal network. Someone in your personal network. Awesome. Awesome. Um, and so you said you kind of started to pivot. What, what was your pivot or kind of walk us through?
So yeah, I had did these like two clients and I was like wrapping up my first month with this. Retainer client and, you know, the dynamics were not great in that and just the kind of work, you know, realizing like, wow, there's a really steep learning curve to this. And like, and so I knew on one hand, I knew like, oh my gosh, like, you know, first it was someone paid me 20.
Now someone's paying me almost 1, 000. Like, you know, your mind is just kind of expanding of what's possible. Your retainer was 1, 000 monthly retainer. Yeah, I think it was like 900. But yeah, so just like, wow, like. I can do it like if I could land up now 1, 000 client or almost, you know, like what else is possible and then realizing like, well, you know, I can get better at being in tech VA I can learn like there is a learning curve I can learn these skills but like what's the cap for me as a tech VA, and, you know, realizing, you know, you might know better than me but maybe like 50, I don't know, I don't know if you have a better answer.
Yeah. Yeah. You, you, you're the expert here, you know, necessarily, I mean, Crystal was on the podcast and she did tech VA work and she charged like over a hundred an hour. So there's, there's not that with V with VA specific work, um, there is like 40 is kind of the max. I have seen some like specialized and like the medical executive assistants get up to like 50.
Yeah. I love it. But tech VA, I think to charge more, it has to be a little more specific. And like with anything you have to find the right balance of, okay, who's the client that can prioritize and afford it. And how do I like message and market this to be what they want and need sort of thing, but, um, it, it can be hard to find those people that will prioritize.
The text stuff, because in their mind, they're like, oh, it's, it's, it shouldn't take you that long. It's blah, blah, blah, but you don't, they don't see all of the problems that arise when you're doing some of the tech stuff, because it's not always a black and white, um, like do this, do that, do that. Like you do this.
Oh, you run into this. Now you have to go do X, Y, Z and problem solve that. And then you get that done and now you're back. And it's just a lot more messier. And some people don't quite understand that. And then, you know, if they don't understand that and they get like nitpicky on hours and oh, why did that take you so long?
Um, it's kind of more of like the type of client, like that client. Problem, which reminds me, I think my other like thought about tech VA, which feels tricky is I feel like I wasn't on VA. So like, correct me if I'm wrong, but I feel like VA, you're mostly doing tasks that the client used to be doing. So they know, they know how to train you, how to do it.
They know how to make you like, they understand that task in and out tech VA. They're asking you something. They have no idea how to do that. And so it's a very different power dynamic and a very different. like set of expectations of how long a task will take. And so I think it just has some, I think I was starting to realize that like this route just has some, you know, we'll need to pivot to something else.
Yeah. I don't love it. This isn't what I want and love. And finding that from experience. Is so powerful because a lot of people will sit there and not start because they're, they're thinking, I don't know what I, I'm going to love her. I don't know if I'll like that. I don't know if I'll be good at that.
You're never going to know until you try. And when you try, you'll either see and learn, Oh, I love it. And you can keep running with it or, Ooh, I don't. Okay. Here's what I don't love. Here's what I do love. How can I pivot this into something that I do love? When did you start to make your pivot? Yeah. So in February of last year, so 11 months ago.
So, yeah. And it was also like. I think realizing what's possible freelancing, it transitioned from just like, oh, I just need a job to like, wow, there could be something here that can change how my family operates. Yeah. Like, you know, yes, it's not just about money, it's about like what you can do, like your values and be able to live out certain values.
And so I think my mind started really to like expand and like see a vision that this business could do for my family. And then so I started listening to like some podcasts episodes from your feed about like scaling, and I think it was like you and Mackenzie were on and you're talking about like, You need to like get specialized in something where people can, um, like that people value.
So they're willing to pay a high ticket for it and you can get fast at it. Like supply and demand and take less time. Like that's the best, that's, that's his way to like boost your revenue. So take less time and charge more. So then I was like, okay, like what am I going to do? And I had contemplated a little bit of like, maybe I'll be a specialist in like something, email marketing and da, da, da.
Um, but then I like came back to like web design. And it's so funny because like, obviously as a tech person, like I could have done web design day one. Like I even know the coding language for websites. Like I learned that during my sabbatical. And there was something that felt really scary and not safe to like, just starting with websites, like I had all these insecurities, like.
There's so many web designers already, I'm not talented enough, and like, I just had to go on this journey, little baby steps, and then realize like, oh, like, because if I want to freelance, I'm going to be supporting small businesses. I want to do tech, the website is the home of tech, but like, there is no way around it.
If you want to be doing tech. For small businesses, you're going to be bumping up against websites in some way or other. Everything they do revolves around their website or some sort of a website. Yeah, exactly. So, and then Mackenzie has her course, um, for like learning the skills web design and getting launched as a web designer.
So I bought her course in February and then took the next 2 months to. Build my own website and get established and then I launched that in April and all while I didn't have any kids in child care I'd pulled all my kids out and so I'm like going to the Y in the morning and then I'm working during nap time and then I'm working in the evenings like after husband gets home and just an insane season.
Yeah. Yeah, when you were going through and learning the skills of like offering web design as a service um Were you working with any clients at that time? Oh, yeah I was working with that So the disorder was the one time and then my first retainer fell through after one month So then this client I landed in march I got to work with her all through this process, which was really helpful just to have some like income coming in that like kind of offset, you know, of course, you know, course purchases and that sort of stuff.
So yeah. And one of, one of the big differences between like some of the tech VA work versus web design. And I, Um, talk to a lot of people who are like thinking they want to do web design or other type of more project based work is one of the big differences is, um, web design does tend to be mostly project based to where you're hired for one project, you build the website, you update the website, and then, um, you go on your way, the client goes their way, they're happy, you go your way, you're happy, hopefully, right?
Whereas retainer work, it tends to be once you land the client, you're working with them ongoing month to month to month to where the services that are more retainer based, like tech VA, VA, social media, you do the initial work to land the client upfront. And then you kind of just get to maintain and coast.
Whereas. web design, there's going to be that constant or not constant, but ongoing, um, ongoing need to connect with potential clients to kind of build your pipeline for the next month and the next month. That's kind of a key, key difference. So you had that kind of steady. Retainer that you were working with while you were going through this process that I think helps.
Yes, absolutely. Yeah, that is a very, and I'm still like in that phase as a, like my web design business. I'm like, I mean, like, I think you can like build your business at least I hope, you know, I'll get to a spot where it doesn't feel like so laborious. individual client that there is some more like, hey, the airplane is flying and they, you know, I just have to maintain it.
Um, versus a retainer client. Absolutely. That's a huge, you know, if you just want a job where like you get to, you don't have to put yourself out there constantly. You're not thinking about growing your business. You just want something to do where you can get that income. Like retainers, absolutely the way to go.
Like that's a great solution. Yeah. Um, so how did it go to start? building, like getting web design clients. What did that process look like? Yeah. So, um, in May, so yeah, in May, I landed two clients from Facebook groups, wild. Um, so yeah, got to work with them, you know, got to see those projects through learn, like.
You know, learn a lot along the way of client management is just also another beast when you do projects because You know when you're charging hourly, you don't have to really worry about scope because it's like oh They're paying me hourly like I'll just include this if they ask me to do this I'll do this when you're in project base, you know You have to start thinking more about boundaries and processes and you know what you say Yes, you know, you know how to have those kind conversations and there's a lot to learn Yeah.
Um, and you came back and started doing the challenges again. Yeah, I came back, I think in July. Yeah, I took June off marketing. Don't do that. But I just celebrated a little bit and then came back in July for the challenge. Yeah. And so how has web design been going since, since summer? Yeah. So yeah, summer was definitely really slow.
It was really challenging. I don't think I got, like, I did all the things I did before, but like, didn't get any clients in July and that was really discouraging. Um, so then I like, you know, I think I, in that season, I came to coaching calls, like, it's like, Hey, I'm back. Um, and you had so many great ideas. I think you did throw out to me to do like in person networking.
Yeah, so I did that in I think in August or in October. Yeah. Which is like in person networking is a big lift when you don't have any childcare and you have three young kids because you have to get a babysitter. I tried taking them to one, one time and did not work well. So yeah, I went to one, but that first one I went to, there was a woman that's, um, she needed a web designer and it was perfect.
And I got to do a project for her and, um, she was a little like brick and mortar here in town and, um, it was really cool. Experience, I kind of helped get that little momentum going again, so that happened. And then I also built a lot of relationships with people through these networking events that people that serve like similar clients.
So there's a woman that. She does Google ads for small businesses. And so if she's helping people with ads, like they usually need website work done. So I actually got a referral from her last month. Yeah. Or November, I think. So yeah, like just kind of building your network. Cause I feel like I just, I mean, I'm new to the town.
I feel like because I was like working for a church before, like, I just, I didn't know a lot of people like in business for a church that was like college students, so I didn't know my network was like pretty small when you think about like, Knowing business owners or people business owners. So that, yeah, going networking events really helped, um, get that momentum going again.
Yeah. Yeah. I just think it's such a powerful way to connect and there's no, there's really like not any other competition. Other people offering the exact same services as you. It's a local, local community. It's made up, I'm guessing. of a lot of your typical traditional brick and mortar businesses. There might be some service based business and that's, is that where you met the lady who does the Google ads?
Yeah. At a networking event. Yeah. I think only, I went to like a dozen networking events last year and maybe one had another web designer. So, yeah. And even another web designer isn't necessarily competition. You guys can still connect and, um, collaborate in ways like there may be a project that's not right for her.
That's right for you or him and vice versa. Um, what are the networking groups like that you've been to? Yeah, so, I really like, there's one in town that's all women, and that one is really, like, oh my gosh, people are just there to like, meet people, and so, like, I know it's easy to feel nervous, especially, you know, I'm extroverted by now, like, for introverted people, like, or even as extrovert, you know, like, it's gonna be awkward, who am I gonna talk to, but like, literally everyone is there to meet someone, so like, the worst thing you can do is just say like, hi, my name is, what's your name, you know, like, and just start the conversation, and there's really, like, Yeah, yeah.
So I like that one because they just did a quick introduction. So yeah, you just need like five minutes, like quote unquote elevator pitch, and then um, just explaining who you are, what you do, who is, who's the kind of person that you help, um, what kind of results you help people get. And then, um, then they sort of go around, everyone does that, and then they leave a lot of time to mingle, and that's the best part, because then you can go talk to someone else that you, you know, someone was like, oh, I need website done, and they know to like come find me during that time, or you can just talk to whoever you felt like could be a collaboration opportunity or whatever else, um, so that's been, some of the other ones will have like, Um, they'll give, like, they'll be paid ones where, not that you have to pay, but, uh, if someone wants to be sponsored, they'll pay to, like, or I guess they're sponsoring, I don't know how we're saying it.
They're paying the organization to get, like, extra air time, so they get five minutes to talk to everyone. That's another one that I've gone to. And then I've gone to, like, a small one that's, like, six people that's very, like, intense on, like, like, everyone will share. They're gonna introduction. It's like the same six people every time and then each week.
It's like, okay, like who are you looking for? Okay, who's gonna connect you to someone like? Very like intense in that way, but yes, there's a lot of different flavors out there. How did you find them? Oh, yeah, online Google. So yeah, actually a friend told me about the women's one. Um, and they have a Facebook group too.
Um, but the other ones, yeah, just Googling networking groups. Yeah, that's awesome. Um, how many web web design projects do you typically do a month? Yeah, so I'm still like building up my typical. Yeah, so in, I had some odds and ends kind of jobs from actually, uh, you gave me a referral, like a small like landing page.
And so I did that in the fall. I had this like referral from another like that person, the Google Ads person. I was doing that in the fall. Um, yeah, and then that woman I met the networking event that's still working on. Kind of building up that momentum because it just takes a long time. Like you'll be mark, you know, marketing for a month to get that first person.
And then you do the consultation and then there's just like a long time to like, start getting clients. So I'll just say I, um, in October, I joined, uh, a coaching program just for like. How to run a web design business because like the people management side, the like marketing side, like it's also like, you know, it's hard to know your craft and know how to do all the business side of your craft.
So I did that on October and, um, then I like landed, I'm just doing a new process in my business where I like offer. A strategy session first, which is 500 and it's where I kind of do a deep dive into their business. So it's not just like me putting together a proposal based on what they tell me in the 30 minute conversation.
It's like, okay, we get to have a longer on ramp where, you know, we'll, we'll meet for 90 minutes. I'll go through this whole workbook you filled out and then I'll make some proposals. So I did, I got three of those in the fall and I landed one web design project that I just started this week. Yeah. And then I have a few more that I'll like be making proposals to.
And then I have a few more like leads in the pipeline too. So. I'm still like building up because the fall wasn't very like impressive, quote unquote, but, but like a lot happened in the fall, like feeds and like getting connected and learning processes and all that stuff. So now I'm hoping to do like one to two projects a month, depending on
with like one to two projects a month. Uh, what does that look like in, in time? Yeah. So Um, I'm like hoping to keep growing that. So this project was 3, 000. Um, and I'm hoping to keep raising my rates and prices. So I would love to like my minimum baseline revenue for my family would be like 3000 and revenue to cover like.
The minimum of what we need and like business expenses, but ideally I'd be at 6, 000 a month in revenue while working like 15 hours a week. Yeah. Which is like, it's insane, but it like I feel like web design makes it like feasible. Like if I was doing something else, it'd be a lot harder. Yeah. Yeah. And I think that's why last year was like a really long like to pivot was a really long time to kind of get to that spot.
I'm not there yet. But I knew like this is going to give me the best chance going. This is what I'm doing. That's awesome. That's awesome. So how are you making your the current connections and kind of the leads? What's what's routes that you're taking right now? Yeah, so I paused going in person networking because yeah, It's just a lot for me right now.
Like, not only, like Yeah, to get the user but just like mentally, you know to like coordinate babysitter and all that different stuff like it's a lot So I'm experimenting with things Like blogging I'm gonna start a blog where I get to it's gonna be really simple It's like I'm gonna get give them some questions.
They're gonna fill it out I'm just gonna copy and paste and like that's a really easy way just to like You know, I'll start with people I know, but then I'll ask them, I'm like, hey, who do you know that would like to do something like this? And those are just natural connections I can make with people.
And then there's also the path of like, you know, when they, you know, I'm gonna give them some ways to promote their blog, you know, the blog that I'm posting. And like, maybe someone in their audience will like hear about me and that sort of stuff. So I'm trying to do this, like, kind of virtual asynchronous way of building relationships.
Um, but yeah, are just kind of easier for my seasonal life. That's awesome. Yeah. That's awesome. So what is, um, what has starting this business, what does it kind of allowed for you in your family or what, what has it made possible? Yeah, I think we're still, uh, waiting to realize it fully, or more so, but I think, like, so I put the girls back in daycare this, this, like, last week we started again, and just the fact that I'm like, wow, like, I created a job for myself out of thin air, like, that's insane, like, that's what I wanted ever since we, like, left our job, and, like, I knew, like, I wanted a job that, so I can sit down at my desk And I know exactly what to do that's gonna, like, produce revenue so that I can provide for my family, like, just insane.
So, yeah. Like, I think that alone. And then, yeah, hopefully, like, that just the extra will be, like, enough to just not feel so stressed. You know, three kids is expensive. Like, you don't realize, you're like, kids are cute. They are really cute. And They add to the bottom line a lot too, so love it, worth it, but like, just to kind of relieve some of that stress for us.
Yeah, that's awesome. That's awesome. Well, Maggie, thank you so much for coming on and sharing with us, um, how you started, why you got started, kind of your journey and pivots you've made along the way. It's been so fun to sit down and, and just hear. Yeah. Oh man. It's been a pleasure and Jim come true to get to the city here.
So, yeah. Yeah. Well, thank you. Thank you. And we're excited to keep following and, um, seeing where you go now before we do and know if there's someone in the audience, I know you, that doesn't have a website yet. Um, that is looking to maybe get one started for their business. Um, for their service based business.
Do you have a resource to kind of help with the website? Yeah, I just put, yeah, I just put together a freebie called Your Website Roadmap. And it's a step by step guide that I use with my clients because we want our websites to be about connection. Like that's what networking is about. That's what businesses are about.
It's all about connection. And so to have your website help people connect with you like authentically. And so it's for them too. Like it's going to meet them where they're at in their journey. And, um, guide them to working with you or making a purchase, like that's a big job for a website. And so to have systematically think through your own business, who you are, what you want, you know, as step one is so important.
That's why I have it with my work with my clients. We start with the strategy first. And that's why I put together this freebie that anyone can access it. And, you know, start planning out their website before they kind of choose all the other, you know, go in the other direction too because it's so important to have that so you can find that on my website.
It's just Maggie dash Luke just luk. com. Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Well guys if you need that website planner. Go check that out. And Maggie again thank you so much. Thank you, Micala. You're awesome.
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