The Creative Bodega | Content Marketing and Instagram Growth for Solopreneurs

77: Ep3: Nobody Told Me I'd Have To Share My Life Online With Strangers

You know you're supposed to share parts of your life online. But what, exactly? You're private. Your kids don't want to be content. And you have zero interest in crying on camera for engagement. I hear some version of this from the women I work with every single week, so if that's you, you're not alone. In this episode of The Creative Bodega, I'm introducing you to a concept I call your core story bank: the 4 to 5 stories and personal themes that make you relatable without making you an open book. If you're the private one, the introvert, the one who cringes at performed vulnerability, this episode is especially for you. Check out the full show notes for this episode CLICK HERE. [http://www.thecreativebodega.com/blog/77] Things I cover inside this episode: * Why "be authentic online" has spiraled into performing pain for views * The "share your scars, not your wounds" rule and how I apply it * What a core story bank is and why 4 to 5 stories is plenty * My own core stories and themes (the CrossFit gym era, NYC, Blitzy the pit bull) * How to find the bridges between your life and your ideal client's * Why I pulled back from showing my kids online, even though those views spike * The private-person path to a personal brand (dog walks and morning coffee count) Resources & Links mentioned in the episode: * The past episode where I tell my NYC-to-meeting-Rob story (referenced when discussing core stories): [INSERT LINK] Connect with me: 🫶🏼 Follow me on Instagram for daily insights [https://www.instagram.com/the.creative.bodega/] 🫶🏼 Join my 321 Create Newsletter for weekly content tips [https://view.flodesk.com/pages/60990f85d2d30e29cc6edc04]  🫶🏼 Check out The Content Coven Membership [https://www.thecreativebodega.com/the-content-coven] Be sure to hit "Subscribe" or "Follow" so you never miss an episode!

76: Ep2: Nobody Told Me My Camera Energy Was Part Of My Brand Visuals

Your Canva templates are perfectly on-brand. Your color palette is locked. So why does your content still feel a little cold when you hit record? You're not imagining it, and you're definitely not alone in wondering why the visuals aren't translating to connection. In this episode of The Creative Bodega, I'm getting into the part of visual branding nobody talks about: the energy you bring to camera, and why it might matter more than any font pairing you've ever agonized over. If your branding feels done on paper but flat on video, this episode is for you. Check out the full show notes for this episode CLICK HERE. [https://www.thecreativebodega.com/blog/76] Things I cover inside this episode: * Why my own visual branding started with a color I borrowed from another creator * How my palette evolved from muted and safe to bold as my confidence grew * The 2017 video I almost couldn't watch back, and the one shift that changed it * Why smiling before you hit record changes how your content actually feels * What "done" really means for your visual brand, and why it doesn't exist * Why your energy on camera matters more than your font choices right now Connect with me: 🫶🏼 Follow me on Instagram for daily insights [https://www.instagram.com/the.creative.bodega/] 🫶🏼 Join my 321 Create Newsletter for weekly content tips [https://view.flodesk.com/pages/60990f85d2d30e29cc6edc04]  🫶🏼 Check out The Content Coven Membership [https://www.thecreativebodega.com/the-content-coven] Be sure to hit "Subscribe" or "Follow" so you never miss an episode!

75: Ep1: Nobody Told Me How Long Building a Personal Brand Actually Takes

Do you ever wonder if the discomfort of putting yourself out there is ever going to go away? You post, you wait, you check the numbers, and some days it still feels like nobody's out there. In this episode of The Creative Bodega, I'm kicking off a new series called Nobody Told Me, six honest truths about what it actually takes to build a personal brand. We're starting with the one nobody warns you about: how long everything really takes. If you're deep in the reps and wondering when it starts feeling easier, this episode is for you. Check out the full show notes for this episode CLICK HERE. [https://www.thecreativebodega.com/blog/75] Things I cover inside this episode: * Why I still cringe when someone tells me they watch my Instagram stories, even five years in * What building an audience from zero at my CrossFit gym in 2017 actually taught me * Why posting into a void with 12 story views is where everyone starts, no exceptions * The 3 non-negotiables for showing up consistently without burning out or overcomplicating it * Why sporadic brilliance always loses to small, sustainable systems repeated for 90 days * Why I talked a close friend out of chasing $1,000 a month as an influencer * What's changing with The Content Coven, and why now is the time to join Connect with me: 🫶🏼 Follow me on Instagram for daily insights [https://www.instagram.com/the.creative.bodega/] 🫶🏼 Join my 321 Create Newsletter for weekly content tips [https://view.flodesk.com/pages/60990f85d2d30e29cc6edc04]  🫶🏼 Check out The Content Coven Membership [https://www.thecreativebodega.com/the-content-coven] Be sure to hit "Subscribe" or "Follow" so you never miss an episode!

74: The Ultimate Canva Organization Episode with Canva Verified Expert Brenda Cadman

If your Canva account is a complete disaster — designs floating in space, uploads you've had since 2017, and templates you used once and can never find again — you are not alone. Most solopreneurs are working inside a cluttered Canva account without realizing how much time and mental energy it's costing them. The good news? Getting organized doesn't have to be a full weekend project. In this episode of The Creative Bodega, I'm joined by fellow Canva Verified Expert Brenda Cadman, whose entire expertise is Canva organization. She breaks down where to start, what to delete, how to structure your folders, and the one navigation trick most people don't know about. If you've ever re-uploaded the same brand photo six times because it was faster than finding it, this episode is for you. Check out the full show notes for this episode CLICK HERE. [https://www.thecreativebodega.com/blog/74] Things I cover inside this episode: * Why your uploads folder is probably a dumping ground, and how to fix it * The purge-first approach: why creating folders before deleting is the wrong order * How to use Canva's "Your Projects" view to actually see what still needs to be filed * The star folder trick for projects you're accessing constantly * The difference between designs and templates, and why mixing them up is costing you time * Why naming your files matters more than you think (and what to name them) * How to make progress in small chunks without overhauling everything at once Resources & Links mentioned in the episode: * Brenda Cadman's website (where to find her and learn more) [https://brendacadman.com/] * Brenda's Canva organization course, evergreen and updated when Canva changes [https://learn.brendacadman.com/~access/a4c20277f] Connect with me: 🫶🏼 Follow me on Instagram for daily insights [https://www.instagram.com/the.creative.bodega/] 🫶🏼 Join my 321 Create Newsletter for weekly content tips [https://view.flodesk.com/pages/60990f85d2d30e29cc6edc04]  🫶🏼 Check out The Content Coven Membership [https://www.thecreativebodega.com/the-content-coven] Be sure to hit "Subscribe" or "Follow" so you never miss an episode!

73: Instagram Followers Don't Pay Your Bills: What I Should've Been Watching Instead

Have you ever posted something, checked back an hour later, and felt your stomach drop? You poured real energy into it. And the response was...crickets. If you've been using your follower count, your likes, or your email list growth as proof that you're good at this, I want you to know you are so not alone. In this episode of The Creative Bodega, I get more vulnerable than usual. I share what happened when I finally got on a call with my business coach and therapist, Ash McDonald, what she said that stopped me cold, and why I'd been white-knuckling the completely wrong numbers for months while ignoring the one that actually tells you the truth about your business. Check out the full show notes for this episode CLICK HERE. [https://www.thecreativebodega.com/blog/73] Things I cover inside this episode: * Why follower count and likes are the easiest numbers to track, not the most important ones * The question Ash McDonald asked me that I couldn't answer (and why that was the real wake-up call) * How I'd been avoiding my revenue check-ins and what that avoidance was actually costing me * Why someone else's massive launch triggered a spiral, and what was really going on underneath it * The difference between vanity metrics and the numbers that tell you if your business is actually healthy * Why leadership isn't about having it all together, it's about being relatable * What I'm doing differently now, including restarting monthly check-ins with my husband Rob Resources & Links mentioned in the episode: * Ash McDonald, therapist and business strategist [https://ashmcdonaldmentoring.com/](therpist/biz coach referenced throughout the episode that I love & have worked with a number of times). * Ash McDonald's podcast [https://ashmcdonaldmentoring.com/podcastpage] (how Em originally found her and built trust before hiring her). * EP 13: Em's episode with her husband Rob [https://www.thecreativebodega.com/blog/13] (referenced as one of her most-listened episodes). Connect with me: 🫶🏼 Follow me on Instagram for daily insights [https://www.instagram.com/the.creative.bodega/] 🫶🏼 Join my 321 Create Newsletter for weekly content tips [https://view.flodesk.com/pages/60990f85d2d30e29cc6edc04]  🫶🏼 Check out The Content Coven Membership [https://www.thecreativebodega.com/the-content-coven] Be sure to hit "Subscribe" or "Follow" so you never miss an episode!