When my daughter was born, I had this New Year's Resolution to read the Bible from cover to cover. I had been a Christian most of my life, but had never read the entire Bible. I think having a child reminded me that one day (and that one day is today), she would have a ton of questions that I would need Biblical answers for. I couldn't rely on my own instinct as a mother.
So, I started reading. When I was halfway through the Bible, I made a 391 page Bible journal. It featured handwritten font, the Bible sectioned off to read cover to cover, and lines for writing down thoughts and prayers. I fully intended on selling it. It was a ton of work, but I held off on doing anything until I finished reading the Bible myself.
The day I finished, I prayed for God to be glorified through my life and business. The words "give it away" came to mind, and I knew God called me to give away the journal. I went ahead and embedded the download into my first set of emails for the Bible journal as a freebie.
I fully thought no one would want it, but I was wrong.
Within 4 months, I had 5,000+ email supporters added to my email list. I say email "supporters" because they are such joy into my life in ways I never imagined. I am able to hear story after story of God moving through the journal and people reaching out for prayer. Not only that, but it gives me this desire to serve them over selling. Then it all made sense. Every creative business owner deserves a tribe of email supporters.
I spent so much time doing what I loved, but had hardly anyone standing beside me whenever I had something to launch to the world. I mean, my little wood burned shop was hardly noticed over all the noise of social media.
So, one day I stopped listening to all the podcasts preaching about having an email list and started growing one. It was completely unexpected, but within 5 months, I woke up to almost 5,000 subscribers.
I help you gain a list of email supporters by first learning how to create a valuable lead magnet, then showing you how to put that lead magnet in front of people that value you and what you have to offer.
Jesus walks beside me. He is my purpose, and the very reason I am who I am.
It gives me joy to stay home with my little ones and I do everything I can to put my family's needs before my own. I guess you could say I embrace the traditional. I love to cook, keep a clean-er-ish house (but let's be honest...that isn't possible with little ones), and raise my children. If I had the choice of going out or staying in, you'd probably find me looking like a hot mess in my own home. Does that sound like you?
In the middle of all my roles, I realize the importance of doing something, just for me. That is where my art steps in. It's my only "me" apart from my family. It's a source of release, my calm, my creative outlet. So when I am knee deep in clothes, diapers and who knows what else, I know my artwork is there waiting. My patterns are my way of reminding me who I am in the middle of the crazy.
If you are anything like me, I might find you listening to every podcast telling you that email lists are where it's at. But you are not finding specific answers on how to do it well. It shouldn't be this hard to grow an email list.
After hearing the stories behind the people on my email list, I feel to have the chance to be a part of their story through their inboxes week after week. It was in the middle of letting go of that Bible journal when I understood that God had called me to serve others.
Not only to serve others in my email list of subscribers, but to serve other creative business owners just trying to find their tribe.
My husband, little ones and I live in the outskirts of Jacksonville, Florida. We have a little girl with a slight obsession with her baby dolls, a little boy that will swipe treats off the counter at any moment, and a baby that is always being held every second of the day.
I believe in serving others over myself and get joy out of seeing others succeed. You see, I am a Jesus loving, saved by grace mama, trying to teach my kiddos how to love others more than they love themselves.
Everything I do, I do because I believe people need a tad bit of joy to pop into their inboxes week after week.
It is one of the greatest privileges to have people trust a business owner enough to hear their story and stay on their email list. To become their tribe.
Do you know why I made it? I find so much joy in watching other business owners ( like you) succeed. I'm not the type of person building up this jealousy for what others have. I am more of the type that is cheering others on for their successes. What is the most important way to gain success in a business?
I don't want your business to be an endless struggle through technology. You want to gather the knowledge needed to, not only grow a tribe of email list supporters, but also to gather within a positive community of people needing support as they grow their businesses.
It can be a place of learning together as a community. No more endless Youtube video tutorials. No more trying to guess about things like SEO, blogging, website building, product launching, and lack of goals.