Ep. 75 with Julie Wenzlick | Founder, P&W Designs

From 401(k) Consulting To PW Designs: Building A Side Hustle That Works

What happens when a senior workplace retirement plan consultant decides not to choose between a steady career and a growing creative studio? We sit down with Julie to unpack how she built P&W Designs—an SEO, branding, and web design studio—after hours, while staying the breadwinner and keeping the benefits that her family relies on.

We trace the path from custom planners to a full-service design practice, and why being equally analytical and creative gives her clients a rare advantage. Julie explains how she blends brand messaging with real SEO research and smart AI prompting to produce website copy that converts and ranks. She’s candid about assets that actually matter, from annual lifestyle branding photos to site structure and speed, and she shares a simple test for pricing: if every proposal gets an immediate yes, it’s time to raise rates.

The conversation doesn’t dodge the hard parts. We explore student loan realities, insurance tradeoffs, and why stability can be a strategic choice—not a lack of ambition. Julie opens up about postpartum anxiety, the identity shift of matrescence, and the self-care that works in real life: walks, fiction before bed, and design sessions that quiet her mind. We dig into boundaries that protect her corporate role and her business, the systems that save hours, and the power of outsourcing with an 80/20 mindset so progress doesn’t depend on perfection.

If you’re a parent with a steady job and a spark for entrepreneurship, this story will give you a practical blueprint for scaling without burning it all down. Subscribe for more conversations on branding, SEO, sustainable business, and the honest realities of work and motherhood. If this resonated, share it with a friend and leave a quick review—your support helps more women find their path.

Resources:

Everything's Figureoutable - Marie Forleo

Connect with Julie:

• IG: @julie.pwdesigns
• Website: P&W Designs
• Podcast: Being Better Everyday

Contact the Host, Kelly Kirk:

• Email: info.ryh7@gmail.com

Get Connected/Follow:

• The Hue Drop Newsletter: Subscribe Here
• IG: @ryh_pod & @thekelly.tanke.kirk
• Facebook: Reclaiming Your Hue Facebook Page
• CAKES Affiliate Link: KELLYKIRK

Credits:

• Editor: Joseph Kirk
• Music: Kristofer Tanke

Thanks for listening & cheers to Reclaiming Your Hue!

Chapters

• 0:10 Welcome And Serendipitous Booking
• 1:52 Julie’s Path: Side Hustles To PW Designs
• 4:58 The Corporate Day Job Explained
• 8:15 Left Brain Meets Right Brain
• 12:36 From Planners To Branding And Web
• 18:49 Motherhood, Presence, And Comparison
• 24:43 Breadwinner Realities And Why Stability Matters
• 30:25 Student Loans, Goals, And Tradeoffs
• 36:45 Anxiety, Matrescence, And Mental Health
• 44:32 Self‑Care, Walks, And Work Ergonomics
• 49:02 Outsourcing Smart: VAs, SOPs, And 80/20
• 55:25 SEO That Actually Works Behind The Scenes
• 1:02:05 Copy, Assets, And Practical Branding
• 1:07:39 Community, Boundaries, And Performance
• 1:13:02 Big‑Company Insights Fuel Small Biz Wins
• 1:18:08 Advice, Pricing, And Starting Small
• 1:22:16 Where To Find Julie And Final Thanks
• 1:26:22 Listener CTA And Closing

Transcript

SPEAKER_01: 0:10

Welcome everybody to Reclaiming Your Hue, where we are dedicated to empowering women to embrace and amplify their inherent brilliance. Our mission is to inspire mothers and entrepreneurs to unlock their full potential and radiate their true selves. I'm your host, Kelly Kirk, and each week my goal is to bring to you glorious guests as well as solo episodes. So let's dive in. Good morning, Julie. Good morning. How are you? Good. I'm excited to be here. I'm so excited. Another podcaster. Yes. We we get the drills. We certainly do. And talking off-air, we were like, I'm going, well, you know all the things about testing mics, making sure everything is good. You know, not too close, not too far away. I know. Part of me wants to just like tease you and take it really far away. Oh my gosh. I know. Like I'll I'd figure out like how to adjust the levels. Or my husband would. He's like the true editor. So um, welcome. I'm so happy that you're here.

SPEAKER_00: 1:13

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01: 1:13

And we had to what's really fun is that we were gonna otherwise have this planned for like months. 2026. Yes. And I had a gal who had to reschedule, poor child, got hand, foot, and mouth. And here we are. So I was like, Julie. Yeah. That like literally less than 24 hours. And I was like, wow, that was amazing. I didn't, I didn't think that it might work, but it works, and you're here.

SPEAKER_00: 1:39

Yeah, it happens to be my slow season at my corporate job. So I was able to take some time off.

SPEAKER_01: 1:44

Which we're gonna dive into because the listeners are probably like, corporate job. Wait a second. All right. Well, let's first start off by sharing with the listeners how it is that you and I are connected.

SPEAKER_00: 1:56

So for your one-year podcast anniversary, I had a friend invite me to your celebration, and that's how I got to meet you through my friend Sutton. And then funny enough, I knew many other people in the room.

SPEAKER_01: 2:10

So it's a small world. I know how amazing. And it was so nice. Like Sutton is to introduce us, and Sutton is gonna have a spot on the podcast here soon enough as well. Shout out to Sutton because it is her birthday today, too. Did you know that? It's on my calendar. So now I need to remember the text her live, breathe, die by our calendars. Right. Um, but yeah, she's she'll have a spot here on on the podcast. But when everything was gearing up for the podcast anniversary event, she was like, Well, how many people do you want in like through the doors? And I was like, Oh, X amount. And she goes, Well, where are you at right now? And I go, X amount. And she goes, I have so many people that I'm just gonna here you go. And she just started firing all of these people at me, you being one of them. Yeah, we got the introduction before the anniversary podcast, met you there. Yeah, and now we've we've just sort of viewed one another through the lens of social media, which is fun. And Julie, you crack me up. There's been so many times where you've given me like, hey, have you considered doing this? I'm totally known for that. Have you considered doing this? And I was like, Well, am I big enough to do this? Am I like, should I do you're you're like, just do it. Yeah, just do it. So let's let's dive into speaking more on behalf of what I am talking about so the listeners understand. Before we do that, what came first for you? Was it motherhood or entrepreneurship?

SPEAKER_00: 3:45

So it's hard because I've always more than 10 years I've dabbled in some sort of side hustle. So technically, I guess entrepreneurship. Okay, but the current version of my entrepreneurship was after my daughter. Okay.

SPEAKER_01: 4:00

Um why don't you share with the listeners what that business is?

SPEAKER_00: 4:06

Yeah. So um I timeline-wise had my daughter six years ago, and my current version of PW designs really started to come together not that long ago. Correct. Uh January of 24. So less than two years in on what I'm currently doing, which is SEO, branding, web design, uh, really like leaning into that side of things. But it is kind of crazy to think of like a year ago or even a year and a half ago, like this didn't exist. And it's very far down the road at this point.

SPEAKER_01: 4:44

Yeah, no kidding, based off of what you had shared with me about the income that it's producing as well. And um we can we'll get to we'll cross that bridge here in just a little bit. But I you had mentioned, hey, my corporate gig. Can you share with the listeners what it is that you do as like your my day job?

SPEAKER_00: 5:08

Your nine to five, your day job. I think it's funny because it's very different. So again, create a field at night and on the weekends, and during the day, I am a finance nerd. So I am a senior workplace retirement plan consultant with the second largest insurance and risk brokerage firm in the world. Um and lead our large market Minnesota clients. So I have clients anywhere between 50 employees up to 20,000. Um and wow. And and what I do in like layman's terms is I basically meet with the executives who are responsible for the 401k plan and help them manage their investments and compliance, which there's a lot of compliance behind 401ks.

SPEAKER_02: 5:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 5:56

There's also a lot of legalities. Um, so at any point, technically, I could be named in a lawsuit because I am a fiduciary, and so lovely. Um, but it's it's I've done that for 15 years and it's kind of I was just talking to my coworker about it. It's very much I could do it in my sleep, you know. Interesting. Okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 6:15

Okay. So that begs the question, then you're doing something in the financial, which is it's analytical. Yeah, it's very left brain. Super analytical. Yep. And then in the evenings, and probably the weekends, I'm assuming. A lot, a lot, uh, evenings, a lot, weekends, you are consumed with something in a good way, by the way. The creative side. Yeah. Like true creative side.

SPEAKER_00: 6:45

There are analytics that yeah, SEO is very left-brained.

SPEAKER_01: 6:48

Yeah, that are involved in this. So, how did PW come into fruition?

SPEAKER_00: 6:55

Everything, every side hustle I've ever had, and I I've actually recommend this to other small business owners too, is it's been by following my gut and just being like baby stepping into it. So the branding and web design side of it, I had in 23 done a couple of websites for people just because I knew how.

SPEAKER_02: 7:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 7:18

And they needed help. I need to pause for just a second because you knew how. What my philosophy in life is I'll figure it out. Like just so how did because I had to create backup. Um prior to PW designs focusing on a CEO of design and branding, I ran a custom planner business for three years. And so I would work with small business owners to design planners around their business instead of trying to fit their business within like a big box planner. And so that was creative and totally whatever. But then obviously I got to know a lot of people through that as well, and you know, create the network that way. And it's just been so that uh again, I had to design a website for that business and then did design work kind of on the side for people. And my friends were starting to push me. My business used to go by PW planners, and my friends were like, No, but you do design work for people too. Yeah. And she's so that's where PW designs came in. Okay. Um, so yeah, it's 24. I had a friend who reached out, had designed a logo by herself, and I was like, Well, will you just let me like peek at it? You know, create a more broad branding and and design, and and then it's just it's always snowballed from there. And that's the same thing with my planner business. It just kind of snowballed from me sharing a custom planner I created for myself.

SPEAKER_01: 8:47

So okay, I am connecting dots here like no other. So I can imagine you have the type of brain that just probably knows how to organize your day.

SPEAKER_00: 9:03

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 9:04

Which is very advantageous in the entrepreneurial world. And dare I say it, even in a corporate position where you know I'm super efficient. If you've got if you have flexibility, if you're given flexibility in your corporate position and you're you're like, I've got all these things to do, you still have to have time blocking, you still have to understand the planner side came in. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. This is so do you still construct how your like day-to-day, week to week, month to month, year to year looks like based off of like the planner stuff then?

SPEAKER_00: 9:48

Um I have a kind of. And the reason I say that is like I was so when I was doing planners and early motherhood, I felt like I was able to follow a schedule and like have a plan. And I think I'm moving too fast nowadays to like slow down and actually make the plan. Um, but I always get to a point, and I'm sure other people feel this too, where you just like you have too much, and then you all of a sudden have to like stop and write it all down and brain dump and kind of and understand at some point or another that boundaries do need to be set into motion as well, which isn't difficult.

SPEAKER_01: 10:35

Okay, so you had the planner business, and how many kiddos do you have? One, you just have one, yeah. And how old is she now? Six, she's six years old. Yeah, how old was she when you started doing the stuff with the planner business? Two, she was two years old.

SPEAKER_00: 10:54

Yeah, okay. Um, and I was a body coach before that. So, like I said, I've had a lot of iterations of entrepreneurship. I've always been looking to like add side hustle money, basically.

SPEAKER_02: 11:04

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 11:05

Um, and before that, I flipped furniture, so yeah. Um, you crack me up.

SPEAKER_01: 11:10

It's I talk to me a little bit. I I've got to understand this. Talk to me a little bit about just personality-wise or maybe how your brain works. Are you more like I need to have a creative outlet, but I am super analytical because I feel like when people fall into an analytical mindset, they they tap out on the creative side and they just outsource it.

SPEAKER_00: 11:37

Yeah. Right? No, I I tend to be more of the I've always said for as long as I can remember that I'm equally left and right brained. And interesting.

SPEAKER_01: 11:47

I can't say that I've had and and forgive me, guests who have been on the podcast that are listening right now that could say that they are both right and left, but I don't know if I've seen that or felt that. So I do want to talk about this a little bit more. Yeah. Pardon my stomach. So hungry right now, apparently.

SPEAKER_00: 12:08

Um, yeah, so I what I joined my corporate job 13 years ago. Okay. And at that time, our division was small, and I was able to create and create systems and create things nationally, and I do a lot less of that now.

SPEAKER_02: 12:28

Okay.

SPEAKER_00: 12:28

Uh, we've gotten a lot bigger, there's a lot more cooks in the kitchen, and also my book of business is too large for me to really focus on like outside projects. Um, so this allows me that creative. I can't sit, and and that's kind of what I was talking about even before we started airing. Like, there's there are people that can rest and just like chill at night. I am not one of them. And it is a problem. I'm not saying it's not a problem. But um, so having something, I mean, I could color or or do something else, but why not make money doing it? I don't know.

SPEAKER_01: 13:09

Uh I enjoy the mindset. I also enjoy the the rawness around like this. I can't help it. Yeah. There is so many individuals who have either been a guest or who are listening right now, that that is very much up their lane. They that's part of the reason that they have explored entrepreneurship or have gone into entrepreneurship. It's like, I just can't not do something.

SPEAKER_00: 13:39

So and everything that I've done, whether it's the body or the planners or now this version of PW designs, like helping, it always goes back to making somebody else's life better or business better. Um and I just get so much joy of seeing the light bulbs click with business owners, of like, oh that makes sense. Yes.

SPEAKER_01: 14:05

Yeah. Yeah. All right. I can't help but wonder what has harmonization with motherhood looked like because you have a a pretty demanding, or maybe not, you you tell me demanding job.

SPEAKER_00: 14:25

Because you travel too. I do not too often, but I do travel. I travel less now that I had my daughter. Um prior to having my daughter, I would go to South Dakota and Arizona and California and uh Missouri and Wisconsin and all the places. Um, when I had my daughter, I was still managing the Minnesota team at that time, and I offloaded travel clients so that I could be home. Sure. Um, and then I also stepped back from management in 22, which was an amazing decision. Um and but I I think I struggle the most with that the expectations around motherhood because I am less present than the majority of mothers I know. Tell me more. Well, I I see so many and uh not to like compare to social media, but these are people I know in real life too. But I see so many people on social media, people I know in real life, talking about how they got into business so they could have flexibility and to be more present with their kids. Um, or to work part-time hours and a full-time income. You know, that saying. And in reality, I'm not the lead parent. I will see my daughter during dinner time hours-ish, like whatever. She gets home from school around four until six, so a couple hours. And then lately, now that she's a little bit older, we've also been, I will work and I work really bad ergonomics, but I work in my bed a lot. Um, so I'll work in bed and then she comes in colors next to me for while I'm working for an hour or so at night. But it's not like quality, you know, it is quality time to me, but I'm not the mom who's like full-time parenting, right? I am working every night. I'm working on the weekends. Matt takes her and does errands so that I can work on the weekends. And um, so it is really hard to like I feel fine about it, but then I see other moms talking, and I'm like, am I a bad mom because I'm only spending an hour or two with her?

SPEAKER_01: 16:38

You know, I want to challenge this narrative. I do. Your mothering is your mothering. You have a roof over your daughter's head. Yeah. I presume a safe, healthy environment for her. Clothes on her back, food that she consistently able to eat. When you compare to, I mean, and this is just the challenge of social media too. It's such a catch-22. We understand as business owners, there's a need for social media. But then there's also um do you know Laura King? Does that name ring a bell? So Laura King is she's been heavy in corporate recruiting for quite some time and is making a pivot out of that realm and starting her own coaching business. She just wrote a book. I connected with her yesterday and she So she's local? She's local. Um, she had sh we were talking about social media and how we have to be intentional about that time.

SPEAKER_00: 18:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 18:05

That we're on social media so that we don't fall into this rabbit hole of comparison. It's um, I literally wrote it down consumption versus what's the other C word? I don't know.

SPEAKER_00: 18:20

But I get where you're going. Creation. Okay. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 18:23

Creation verse over consumption.

SPEAKER_00: 18:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 18:25

And being intentional about like time blocking that time or whatever. Okay, so I was like, it's so simple, it's stupid. You know what I mean? It's so simple, it's stupid. And then how are we intentionally like connecting with people on social media versus consuming so that as mothers, we're not falling into this trap and rabbit hole of comparison to what the next mom is doing or not doing for that matter? We literally live in uh United States of America. We're cushy, okay? For the most part, most of us and most of the women who have been on this podcast are cut, we have cushy, like it's cushy. It really is. There are literally people. Now I'm gonna get on a soapbox, but in third world countries, right, individuals who are homeless, single mothers who are it's day to day for their child. Like, where am I gonna go stay? I'm couch hopping, you know, like so. But I think you're doing give yourself some grace.

SPEAKER_00: 19:34

But I think it's hard when and it's it's obviously the community you surround yourself with.

SPEAKER_02: 19:40

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 19:41

Um, but for me, so I have my corporate job, and my coworkers on my corporate job, most of them that's all they do. I I know one that does more, but in general, most of them they have their job, they have their family. It's two things, right?

SPEAKER_02: 19:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 19:58

And then my friends who have businesses, they have left corporate America. And so I don't have in my community, there is a very limited number of people that have a child, are running a business, and are working corporate America. Like, I do not have really I again asterisks because I can think of a few people and I don't want them to get mad if they listen. But like in general, right? It's not the norm.

SPEAKER_02: 20:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 20:27

And therefore, then it makes you feel like, well, am I what what's different about me?

SPEAKER_01: 20:35

Well, share what's what is different because we talked about it off air.

SPEAKER_00: 20:41

Yeah, true. Um I it is what we were talking about was there, I get the question all the time, like, when are you gonna take PW designs full-time? And I'm blessed that this year in 2025, when we're recording this, I I made more in my side hustle this year than I did my first two years in corporate America. And no, granted, it was 15 years ago, but like still um insane to me. And the f I am replacing a entry-level wage position at this point. But I'm not entry-level in my career, and I am the breadwinner. Uh, my husband is lead parent. He does not work full-time, he works April through November and like 30 hours a week, max. Okay. So, like, I don't I love the stability of a corporate job. And like people always, like, when are you gonna? I'm like, I don't know if I ever will because the stability of having a salary like is really nice.

SPEAKER_01: 21:48

Knowing that you have that analytical side to your brain, my guess is that you've got spreadsheets and the numbers have to make sense, especially in your circumstance where it's a you it's a unique circumstance. Yeah, it truly is. I and you had asked me off air, like how many of the guests on the podcast who did leave corporate were the ones that were the breadwinners. And I'm like, I gotta really think through that. I I can't off the top of my head, I can't remember. Right. Um, but it is truly a unique position to be in, and it it does force you, you Julie, to have to go, well, what would the number have to be to make sense? Because entering into full entrepreneurship means that you let go of the benefits. Yeah, I know. And so how do you capitalize on you know balancing that out if you're going to make a transition? Insurance for a self-employed individual um is different.

SPEAKER_00: 23:03

Yeah, we've actually looked into it because I don't love my corporate insurance, but yeah, it's it's different.

SPEAKER_01: 23:09

Yeah, it is. And so, you know, the numbers, the math has to math in order to be able to say, okay, now is time to cut the cord. And any other decision besides like what you're doing right now would be entrepreneurial suicide.

SPEAKER_00: 23:29

Yeah. Well, and the thing is, is like also just thinking through, I mean, even the friends that I have that have left corporate, their husbands have they made it's more like a 50-50 income relationship, if that makes sense. You know, where it's like, oh, they both might make entry level six figures. And yeah, so if one of them's walking away, yeah, it's it's difficult, but they can penny pinch in order to make it work. Whereas I like we can't do that. So trying to scale up to my income on the side while also working full-time, yeah, is like a really difficult thing. So our goal is is that so we have student loans, and we've had I'm very transparent about this because I'm going to be proud when they're paid off. Uh so we graduated with like 165,000 in student loans. Okay. Um, and we're 15-ish years in. Okay. Um, my goal is that they will be paid off in December of 26. Okay. And I should, if my business continues on this trend, be able to do that. Okay. Because basically, my entire business income is going to our student loans, which is super fun though, because it's like I feel like the snowball is finally snowballing. Yeah. Yeah. Um, but after that, I'm like, I don't, I, yeah, I don't know what that looks like. Because now we're gonna have all this money that we don't have right now. So we'll see.

SPEAKER_01: 24:58

You know, and it's so I'm thinking back through other guests who I've had on in the conversations. Like, we haven't really gone super in depth into like the this income is going towards this to pay this off sort of situation. And I think that that's it's pretty honorable, you know what I mean? It you're like, I hate the fact that not only am I paying off student loans, but there's also the interest that's accruing. So it's like for sure, you yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 25:34

We've paid over 200,000 in student loans at this point, and we're not even done yet. Yeah, and it's just crazy.

SPEAKER_01: 25:40

But you have an end goal in mind and you've talked through what that goal is, and then it's just, you know, it's just gravy after that.

SPEAKER_00: 25:51

Yes, yeah. It'll I mean, once our student loans are paid off, it'll be thousands of dollars a month that we get back. And that is where then we actually then I can start dreaming, is is kind of what I say. It's like, but I've had 15 years of these student loans of the over a thousand dollars a month of payments, where you know, you're just like, what does life even look like without that?

SPEAKER_01: 26:15

I know, I know. Oh my gosh, where did you go to school? St. Thomas. Um oh my gosh, I went to St. Mary's University to get it.

SPEAKER_00: 26:24

I totally, I totally get it. But again, being from, and you're also from Wisconsin, um, being from northern Wisconsin, my parents made a humble living. Like they are retired and they did amazing saving, but I did not get help financially for school. Yeah. Uh I mean, I shouldn't say I they did, but unfortunately at St. Thomas it went like a semester.

SPEAKER_01: 26:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 26:46

Um, yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 26:47

And St. Thomas is so for all of you who are listening who are not familiar, St. Thomas is um, it's a really prestigious academy or university, private university here in the Twin Cities. And um, it's a part of the Mayak division. So what I'm speaking to, the the university that I went to is St. Mary's down in Winona. And on the scale of all of the universities in the Mayak division, St. Thomas is by and large the most expensive. Yeah. I'm pretty sure.

SPEAKER_00: 27:21

I think Gustavis might be slightly expensive more expensive. But like, but yeah, it's up there. Um, and it was back then, I don't even know what it is nowadays, but it was up there back then. And, you know, I went to school for finance during the financial crisis. And so that was a whole nother ballgame. Um, and so did my husband, and he never got a job in finance out of school because of that. Um, and so he graduated with all these student loans and then never used his degree, but we stayed together, so there's that. We're we're we've stuck through all of it. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 27:58

But he has a seasonal position, I'm assuming.

SPEAKER_00: 28:01

He owns his own lawn care business.

SPEAKER_01: 28:03

Um, nice.

SPEAKER_00: 28:04

So we made that transition when Danny was born. That was one of the decisions we made. Was I remember I vividly remember sitting on a plane, I think I must have been pregnant. Um, so it was like January of 2019. She was born in April of 2019.

unknown: 28:22

Okay.

SPEAKER_00: 28:22

And like we were doing the math of his take-home pay, how much he was working, uh, and what daycare would cost. And we're like, this just doesn't make sense. I'm like, you're literally working for us to pay daycare. Like it was the math didn't math, as you say. And so we, I can't remember if it was 2019 or 2020, but very one of those summers, we were like, nope, you're just gonna make your own business at this point. And I, because of COVID at this like 2019, we did have some care. We had like two days a week, and then I would just figure it out, and Matt would figure it out. And then 2020, when COVID hit, we my corporate job went full-time home.

SPEAKER_02: 29:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 29:10

And so he would go back and forth between helping watch our daughter, who was one year old, and then he would go out during nap times and be gone for the afternoon. And like if she napped well, I could get my work done.

SPEAKER_02: 29:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 29:25

But if she didn't nap well, it was, you know, challenging. Yeah. And like, you know, 2020 corporate job, like they didn't, they knew kids were home, they didn't care. Yeah. Um, but like looking back, I'm like, man, that was that was a lot. Tough. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 29:41

Yes. When Maddie was she would have been probably about eight months, nine months, eight months old. Um, we pulled her out of daycare. Yeah. Because we needed to ensure that we were sticking within our budget. We were also in slow season for bore both at that point. I was in mortgage still. And then so you know, during the winter, it's slow. So we were like looking at the numbers, going, We gotta, we gotta cut somewhere and you know, two thousand dollars later. Yeah. So she was at home with me. Um, it was it was not like we had help. Yeah, we had help from Nana, Joe's mom. And then so who's here, and then my mom would come up from lacrosse and spend a couple of days here too. So we were hosting, yeah. And then also, um, you know, and God bless both of them, but you know, shit came up, yeah. Like, so sometimes Nana would be rolling in and it's like 9:30, 10 o'clock, and I've gotta I've gotta hop on a Zoom or I've gotta have a phone call or I've gotta go to a coffee meeting. And it was just like you just had to make it work. Yep. And then on the other side of that, it's elevating the stress levels. Yeah, it just really is. So this is a nice little segue into as you've sort of gone through these different seasons, yeah. What has self-care looked like for Julie?

SPEAKER_00: 31:20

Um, part of my story is that I, especially since having Danny, I struggle pretty massively with anxiety. Okay. Um, so self-care for me has definitely ebbed and flowed, but um reading books is a huge one. So I read every night until I fall asleep. Um so I've read like 50 books this year again, 75 last year. Um but they're all like lighthearted, not self-help.

SPEAKER_01: 31:52

Not the not the growth, no self-help, all that stuff.

SPEAKER_00: 31:55

Okay. Um is it non-fiction or fake? Whatever the uh fiction. Okay, I always get those two mixed up.

unknown: 32:01

It's okay.

SPEAKER_01: 32:02

Non-fiction is always gonna be like real big true stories, and then fiction is yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 32:09

So I read a lot of fiction. Um, I also walk, and it's funny because pre-my daughter, I hated walking. I thought it was a waste of time. And now I'm like, love it. Love. And I also, if it counts, I have my sister-in-law is my best friend, and we literally talk every single day. And so, like a 30-minute walk conversation with her, like just fills your cup up so much. Yeah, because we I mean we know so much about each other's lives at this point. Like, I can name all of our coworkers, I can name what she's working on in her job, like all the things, and like same thing, like you know, you just get each other and I can vent, and she just gets what I'm venting about. Um, so I it's little things like that. I have tried over the years with my anxiety meditation or tapping or things like that, and although they help, it's just the like doing it part.

SPEAKER_01: 33:07

Yeah, that's the hardest. The habit, the building of the habit, yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 33:13

Um, but I have had to do a ton of I also have health issues, and yes, they're slightly stress-related. So I'm not saying I'm perfect.

SPEAKER_01: 33:24

No, nobody wants to hear perfect stories on this podcast. That's not the point of it. It's to to dive into like the realities of what motherhood looks like in conjunction to having a business. Yeah. And your circumstance, yeah, a corporate position, too.

SPEAKER_00: 33:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 33:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 33:45

And so I do technically am diagnosed with like adrenal fatigue, which is like, you know, the stress response side of things. Yep. So I I work with an integrative medicine person to work through like all the things there. So I'm super into functional medicine, integrative medicine.

SPEAKER_01: 34:02

Awesome. All the things. Same girlfriend.

SPEAKER_00: 34:04

But again, I had to learn like all of that I learned postpartum too, because uh I had a decent pregnancy, like I didn't have massive complications. Yeah, but postpartum for me was way harder than pregnancy and just like the like mental side of it, and yeah, it's a lot. And oh, I know. I was not prepared for and like I didn't think I was more anxious than the average person or whatever, but then like looking back my first year and like making sure I clocked everything, you know, and had everything on a time. I mean, analytical side, right? I mean it's yeah, fine. But I mean, I remember calling my sister-in-law at one point and being like, What am I doing wrong? And she's like, It's okay if they just cry. Like, yeah, sometimes they just cry to cry.

SPEAKER_01: 34:53

Yes, and like, but no, I know. So, did you ever do anything um with ama mama parenting? Like, um, any like after post- No, I didn't even know like anything.

SPEAKER_00: 35:09

So one of the people we know in common is Stephanie from How to Mom. Yes. Um, and I um I've worked behind the scenes in her business now for over a year and absolutely obsessed. I also did a custom planner for her that she still like orders um regularly. Um and so that's kind of how we first got introduced. Yeah. But I met all of my wellness, doula, all the things after. After. Like I didn't even know doula's existed when I was pregnant. And I like the network of people I know now in that space is just insane. And I'm like, and I've we were always a one and done. I'm like, dang it, I can't even use these resources.

SPEAKER_01: 35:50

Yeah, I know. Well, and Courtney Tanaka is another um mutual connection for us as well. And uh shout out to Courtney. And I think, did you guys meet at the anniversary event? Yes, we did, and then I got to work on our website after that.

SPEAKER_00: 36:05

I know.

SPEAKER_01: 36:06

So and she had nothing but like high praises for you. So shout out to you for that. So yeah, that's a good one. I mean, the world is small. It is okay. So back to what you're speaking to, Julie, and I want to praise you for the vulnerability around this because I am certain that there are many listeners right now that are going, yeah. Especially as it pertains to postpartum, and just that the transition, the identity piece that is happening where you're like it's just you and your husband at that point, and now you have to navigate, and it's there's an official term for it, it's um matrescence. Uh so Dr. Michelle Hagerty, do it is she in that like she just had her interview not too long ago.

SPEAKER_00: 37:05

No, but I know somebody else who does talk about matrescence and actually has a apparel line that goes along with it. Um, Samantha Hall, who's also local to the Twin Cities.

SPEAKER_02: 37:14

Oh.

SPEAKER_00: 37:15

Um I should talk to her. I was gonna say, so you probably shouldn't like so. I have some of her sweatshirts and stuff too, and like um I don't know, I can't remember the exact saying on one of her sweatshirts, but it's something like it's supposed like you're not doing anything wrong. It is this hard, or something like that. And yeah, yeah. So she's she's the one that taught me about that term of matrescence.

SPEAKER_01: 37:36

Oh, it just when I stumbled, and there's a a woman over in um the UK. Let me back up. There was an article that I came across on matrescence, and I read through it, and I remember sending it to one of the other gals who's been on the podcast. She's a dear friend of mine, too. And I was like, this, this is it. Like, this is exactly why I'm feeling the way that I'm feeling, why all of us as women at some point or another are feeling these challenges. And then I started Googling it and came across this woman over in the UK, Zoe Last Name is Escaping Me. She's written a book on it, she has a podcast, and I'm like, I need to reach out to her and like talk to her about this. She's kind of a big gig, you know, but eventually we'll eventually I feel like we'll do some sort of collab. But that in it, that word is just so encapsulating to the essence of that transition from I'm not a mom to I am a mom. Yeah. And all of the emotions that uh come in tech with that and the the ripple effect that comes with it as well.

SPEAKER_00: 38:57

For me, it's definitely the ripple effect because I I don't know how like my mom would probably roll her eyes, but I didn't know I struggled with anxiety until I became a mom. And then it just like it amplified us. Yes. Yeah. And I uh spent years kind of like evaluating that. My dad has severe anxiety, so I shouldn't be surprised. But I remember calling my mom at one point a couple years after like Danny was still a toddler, and I was like, So do we think that I struggle with anxiety? And she's like, Oh, I've known since high school. I'm like, why didn't you tell me? Yeah, like hello. Yeah. Um, so yeah, it's it's and again, that all came out with having being responsible for somebody else, like is what really amplified it for me is like I can't control everything in her life, and that is really, really hard. Oh yeah. Even to this day, and especially not um even to this day with like what happened with Anunciation. My daughter goes to a private Catholic school and was in church when that happened. Um yeah, and it just yeah, girlfriend.

SPEAKER_01: 40:08

I like I can feel the the waves of emotions coming up and well and again, you're near here too. We're near here, we're near to Annunciation. Maddie goes to an academy that's within a church, yeah. And so all of the wheels start going. You're like, what's what are the protective measures? And there's not good. Well, I there is on our end, but it's it's not enough. It's not enough, right? Right. And now we could go down the the political side of this, and I don't I don't know, but it's right now, but like it's it is so challenging to try to just put that at bay and go, everything is fine.

SPEAKER_00: 40:55

Well, you have to because there's nothing else you can do.

SPEAKER_01: 40:57

Like you literally, as a mom, have to put this whole different mask on with your children.

SPEAKER_00: 41:04

Yeah. My daughter came home that day and she goes, Oh yeah, we had inside recess today because it was raining outside. It wasn't raining that day. Yeah. And I was just like, Oh yeah. Uh-huh. And then she was like, Yeah, and and then the other day she made a comment about how she's like, Yeah, we always have a police officer at our school now. And I was just like, Yeah, they're just there to hang out. And like, you know, because she's six. We don't explain anything at six. But like it is it's it's weird. And I love um, I love the school that she goes to. I'm obsessed with that school, but it is like it just any school nowadays. And it it it doesn't, it truly didn't hit me until it happens in your state.

SPEAKER_01: 41:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 41:50

And then once it happens in your state, you're like, hold on. Yeah. And unfortunately, it's something where it's like you still have to go, it's not gonna happen to me. Because what else are you gonna do? Right. Like, you can't spiral forever about it. And I know it's you just kind of have to like, okay, well, yeah, you know.

SPEAKER_01: 42:08

Sorry, I didn't mean to like digress. No, you're not, it's there isn't any sort of digression or regression. It's these are the raw realities of um I don't love to use the word balance, the harmonization that we have to create, yeah, when it comes to folding in that income stream, yeah, the entrepreneurial business, the corporate position, and also motherhood too. Yeah. And it is and how do I mean, really, like the the emotional side of things is so intense. It's it can be so much more intensified in motherhood, but you have to figure out a way to cap on it, like put a cap on it so that you don't oh shoot, I just totally like overstepped the boundary of how I communicate this with my child. Yeah. Right. Because my emotions were going haywire. And I think for me, it's like my business actually calms me down. Okay. So it's so I was gonna ask you, yeah. That thank you. That was such a perfect like segue into what I wanted to ask, which was, you know, like talk to me about how what you're doing as your your evening weekend role, does it like amp you up or does it not? And I love that you're like, this is this actually calms me down.

SPEAKER_00: 43:36

Yeah, certain vers I would say the design web design and branding are two things that like I I have a very, very busy brain. I've never been diagnosed with ADHD officially, but I can relate to a lot of the stuff on social media around it. Yeah. Um good old social media. But so when I'm designing, especially literally, it's like my brain just like I don't know, the knob gets turned down. The dial gets turned down.

SPEAKER_01: 44:03

It's massaging something for you that is just like it, it's like uh mental gymnastics in a really positive way for you.

SPEAKER_00: 44:12

Yeah, I don't know. It's it's so I and that's how I kind of knew that I was on some onto something because I just could focus on it for hours and not like even look up type thing. Um, I will say SEO is the more analytical side, so I tend to do that more on the weekends because it is less calming because it is so you have brain intensive. Um, so I tend to do my SEO research and stuff on the weekends versus at night. But at night, like the web design and branding side of things, that's literally like my self-care. I love it.

SPEAKER_01: 44:45

So well, and here's to go back to the self-care. Um, when I send that prep email, I I should probably put emphasis on like this doesn't necessarily have to mean like I go and I get a massage or I go and get my nails or you know, a pedicure done. What yes, literally, what is your idea of self-care as a mother? There have been individuals on this podcast who are like five minutes in my car, in the garage, alone.

SPEAKER_00: 45:18

I get that.

SPEAKER_01: 45:19

Like after I've, you know, I've like five minutes. Yeah. And then I can I can truly feel recharged, and I'm like, I can relate to that.

SPEAKER_00: 45:29

Yeah, I can totally relate to it. Yeah, that's what my wallet is. It's like a loop around the the neighborhood, yeah. And then I'm like, okay, I'm decompress, I can switch modes.

SPEAKER_01: 45:38

Yeah. Okay, so I am curious because you spend a lot of time in front of a screen. What does self-care around that look like too? Because that, you know, with the the um I wear blue, like the light blocking.

SPEAKER_00: 45:55

Yeah, I'm starting to get better at that for sure.

SPEAKER_01: 45:58

Like even at even at night watching TV, sometimes when we actually do watch TV, I'm like, I should probably be wearing my blocker glasses.

SPEAKER_00: 46:06

Yeah, I have started to wear my blue light glasses a lot more. Um and the other thing is it's nice for Zoom calls because then if I don't have my makeup on, it like kind of hides it. I know, I know. So it does cheat too. Yeah. Um, but yes, blue light glasses, and then my desk at home for my I work from home most days for my corporate job. Okay. I have an ADHD chair, and so it's like the one with the like multiple levels and that spins.

SPEAKER_01: 46:33

And then it spins, and you've got the little thing where you can like press your legs. I've been looking at one of those too.

SPEAKER_00: 46:38

So I got that a couple years ago and have loved it. Um so that's helped. And then I also in the wintertime, I do a ton of walking pad um work. Yeah. Uh, which I also love. So like having the sitstand, have investing in the ADHD chair, investing in the the walking pad, all these things that like have helped me at least stay focused while I'm working.

SPEAKER_02: 47:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 47:02

At night, again, that's where I then get into trouble and have to get massages and stuff because I tend to just work from my bed and I'm like all hunched over and it's shitty ergonomics. But like you know, at least you admit it though.

SPEAKER_01: 47:14

Like you're like, I'm not not aware of this. Like, I'm fully aware.

SPEAKER_00: 47:18

Actually, like I go in and my massage therapist is like, oh, your shoulders are jacked again. I'm like, I know.

SPEAKER_01: 47:23

Yeah, yeah. What would it look like if you set parameters? I guess I was about to ask the question, like, what if you sort parameters around like, okay, when I am working, it has to be in the office at the chair. But then you also had mentioned early on in the interview that that's also your time to spend with your daughter and just have that closeness.

SPEAKER_00: 47:48

I think it would feel too much like a job if I had to sit at my corporate desk. Okay, that's my corporate desk. Now on the weekends I you have created division. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 47:57

Okay, okay, okay, okay. Wait a second. There's gotta be something out there that you can like like a chair that you can put in your bed. I'm not joking you. Like, Google it on Amazon. I bet there is something. Yeah, there has to be. Anyways, I'm such a like a fixer at heart. I'm like, what can we find for Julie that can be? Yeah, I need to work on my bad ergonomics. So that is the like but it's comfy. All right, so another question that is is popping up in my head is have you ever like, is there a way or a possibility to be able to scale back in the corporate position and then scale up with what you're doing with PW design?

SPEAKER_00: 48:47

That post student loans is my idea. Okay. Um I think they would be open to it because I know other people that work like the 32 instead of the 40. Yeah. Um, so that is kind of my my thought post-debt payoff is to potentially go down to a little more part-time. Okay. We'll see.

SPEAKER_01: 49:11

That's gonna that is literally gonna open up a whole different can of worms for you too in terms of time.

SPEAKER_00: 49:19

But I think people, and I'm sure you get this too, like you fill your you whatever time you have, you will fill it. Oh, for sure.

SPEAKER_01: 49:27

And it's just what do you fill it with?

SPEAKER_00: 49:29

Yeah. And I so I think in a way, what does benefit me is that I have to be super intentional with my PW designs time. And I have to be super smart about where I'm spending time. And like I implemented systems right away because I knew I didn't have the time for the admin work. And I have a VA that is in the Philippines that helps me with social media because I just SEO for those who don't know is search engine optimization. It's basically being seen organically so that you don't have to rely on social media. Yes, and so I don't I show up on social, but I don't care about the results at all, and that's pretty freeing.

SPEAKER_01: 50:05

So that is incredibly freeing. We could talk off air because I literally feel like again, I will use this term, catch 22 yeah, for social media. Like, I understand I have to have a presence. I have like put it in into science form format for when I'm posting for the podcast, and now I have to integrate that into the real estate business too. My husband was like, be honest, are you like, are you doing the same thing in your podcast business as you are for our real estate business? Because you're the social media gal for our pod for our real estate. And I was like, sure.

SPEAKER_00: 50:47

Yeah, it's a lot.

SPEAKER_01: 50:49

So, but this is something that as a business owner for real estate, I want to explore organically. Yep, because we understand like we have to have the presence. Yep. We want that to be uh people go to the social media for the validation. Yes, exactly. That they find us organically or they're referred to us, yep. They see the website, they go to the social media to see your personality, to see your personality. And so that's always been we're doing business planning this weekend too. So I'm like, how can we like figure out the rhythm of what the posts look like that honors the core values? Yeah, but is also validating for those that are seeking our services. Yeah. So thank you for going into the SEO. I also want to talk about too what has outsourcing really looked like for you? Like when did you realize that that was something that was critical? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 51:53

I think for you to do. I have always had friends that are really like big proponents of it. Um, for me, it was I started with a different VA who was doing Pinterest for me because I also do do Pinterest management, but kind of on the side.

SPEAKER_01: 52:13

Well, finish, finish this and then we will we'll talk about Pinterest.

SPEAKER_00: 52:17

Okay. Um so I started with a different VA to help with that and to help with scaling, and then I switched recently to somebody who has a better design eye. But I literally just found her by there's this woman in business Facebook group that has like, I don't know, 60,000 people in it all over the world. And I posted, I said, Hey, I'm looking for a social media VA, uh international specifically, because of pricing differences. And can this VA has to give me a sample of what their work would look like for my business? I will give you my branding and I will give you a post idea. And within 20 minutes, I had 15 people that already have been like, yep, I'm in. I will send you something in X. So I had hired somebody in a day. Okay. Um, and it because it's just there is so many people internationally, as long as their English is like decent, yeah. Um, that are, you know, I'm paying jumping at the bit. Correct. I'm paying her$11 an hour. And I looked and kind of was curious on conversions of like, is that a live living wage there? And it's like a really good wage there. And so I'm like, I'm getting somebody for$11 an hour, which is really cheap. Yeah. But her work pro her work, whatever, work process value is great. Yeah. And she's able to, you know, make a living for herself out of that. Incredible. And so she's I'm slowly like giving her more work. And obviously it's a push and pull because unfortunately, like the fractional VAs, she's taking on other work, so I have to make sure that she always has time for me.

SPEAKER_02: 53:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 53:55

Um, but it has been just that little bit of outsourcing, it's like five to ten hours a week, has been absolutely amazing for me. Um, and I continue to like, oh, I could get her to do this and do this. And yeah, but it's the training side is yes a lot.

SPEAKER_01: 54:10

So it takes you have to tra you there is this training aspect if you're gonna hire somebody internationally.

SPEAKER_00: 54:17

Yeah. Well, just like your your SOP, right? Like your way that you do things. And um, so now she does social media for me. I help with the ideas and stuff, but she does a great job of creating things.

SPEAKER_01: 54:29

Okay.

SPEAKER_00: 54:29

Um, and then she also edits my podcast in both audio and visual video form. And then she also helps me schedule Pinterest and creates Pinterest pins and stuff like that. And then she's also helping me with like random things. Like, I'm rebranding all of my freebies on my website. Okay. And she at least gets it to the 80%. Like sometimes I don't like what she does, but it gets it, it's still faster than me doing it.

SPEAKER_01: 54:56

It moves the ball forward enough that you can sort of and that that is a really fantastic CEO mindset. It is actually it is never thought of that. Like I swear I have read somewhere that like as the CEO of any sort of business that you're doing, you it could be household. Yeah. Because I like to call myself the CEO of the household. If I can do 80%, like sorry, if I actually this doesn't work with the kids, I get it. But to your point, in this circumstance, if you can have that work, 80% of it completed, and then you come in and you do the final touches on it, brilliant. Yeah, brilliant. Now I've got how I can incorporate like the example of being CEO of the household when your kids are old enough so that we're not feeling like we're we're putting our kids into slave mode. When they're old enough, they can help unload and reload a dishwasher. Yeah, it may not be perfect. I might have to rearrange things so we can get a few more pieces of dishes in there. Yeah. But that's a pure example. Yeah. It's less of you having to do it because we wear so many hats as moms. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 56:17

So it's for us for Danny, it's it's getting the dog food. Um, yeah. Because she is a buyer, she likes to spend money. Yeah. And so we are having her earn check marks, is what we call it, to like a certain number of check marks, and then she gets money to go buy stuffies because she's like 130 friggin' stuffies. Stuffies. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 56:38

So I'm like, nope, you're earning them from now on. The stuffies, I tell you, um uh our oldest boy is like he's got we've had to we've had to like clear the clutter multiple times since I entered into the boys' lives. And then he, I was like, you and your stuffies, like every time he's going to bed, and he goes, Oh, I have more at my mom's. Yeah, what? Yeah, oh yeah, it's a more more than here, which is Danny has a she has like a bunk bed area, and her all underneath is just stuffies.

SPEAKER_00: 57:14

I'm like, this is a problem, but the stuffies go with them sometimes.

SPEAKER_01: 57:18

I'm like, what is happening right now? But you know, it's a security thing too. I get it, it's it's fine. Outsourcing back to that. It's been incredible to hear your perspective, and I think that you just nailed it on the head in terms of like why outsourcing is really important, and that in this circumstance, and probably many other people's circumstances that are do that are doing an outsourcing, they're not doing all of it for the most part, especially if um there's you know specific demands like website design and yeah, all of that. But the 8020 is brilliant, yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 58:03

And again, it's it's I both in my corporate job and and side hustle, I I very much look at it like what is the most efficient way to get there. I'm also a huge believer in like just do it messy, right? Like, I don't I mean, even with all the systems I've been planting for how to mom, we're implementing and then we'll go back and make it better because you just gotta like start somewhere. And again, I I'm very much in the mindset of like I'll just figure it out. I know that's a little bit unique, but no, it it isn't.

SPEAKER_01: 58:37

There's you're speaking to uh a class of entrepreneurs that understand that you just have to get your your your hands dirty. Yeah. And no matter like no matter what it takes, just dive in. Yeah. And then figure it out. Everything is figure out. There was somebody else who's been on the podcast. Farlio. Farl.

SPEAKER_00: 59:02

Yeah. Wrote that book, but yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 59:05

Is did she write that book? Okay, so maybe this guest read that book and then shared that. She was like, I've I've Marie Farlio is the person who wrote that book. It's so true though. Yeah. Like everything ends up getting hashed out. Yeah. And so why not just dive in? This is a challenge for the perfectionists out there, though. It is. It's a true challenge. Um, which is why I'm saying that, because that was that's what I encounter is like it's gotta be, it's gotta be nice, it's gotta be pretty.

SPEAKER_00: 59:38

I used to consider myself a perfectionist, but I really don't think I am in business.

SPEAKER_01: 59:42

Okay.

SPEAKER_00: 59:43

I don't know why, but I'm just not. But I was in school, like I was the straight A student, top five in my class, graduated Magna cum lata, like all the things. You don't say not super surprising, I'm sure. No, but not at all. Um but but yeah, in business, I'm very much like. Just refine and get better. Like, yeah. I don't know.

SPEAKER_01: 1:00:05

Even even in like the website design stuff that you do. Mm-hmm. Awesome. So talk me through briefly. We don't have to spend a heck of a lot of time here. Um would a client just give you, like, all right, this is what I'm thinking, and you put it into motion and then depends on the client.

SPEAKER_00: 1:00:26

So a lot of my the people that I work with are fall into two camps. It's either their new business or new in the last year. Yep. Where they kind of DIY's things in the beginning.

SPEAKER_02: 1:00:37

Yep.

SPEAKER_00: 1:00:37

And they're looking to kind of elevate their experience to bring in more consistent clients and or more higher end clients. And so for them, people who they usually have either some idea because they've DIY'd it or they've been thinking about it. Yeah. And then I obviously take what not only on a branding side, but on a web design side, like what they kind of have in their head and make it come to fruition. Yeah. Um, there's a delicate balance because sometimes I don't like what people have created. Um so I mean, even Courtney, she knows this, but like when I worked with Courtney, she had hired me for SEO. So like just make my website be found. And I like was like, well, can I also change how it looks? And and she was, you know, open to it. And she thought she said she was gonna be difficult. She was one of like my easiest clients.

SPEAKER_01: 1:01:32

Oh my gosh, she's so funny, she's so humble. Yeah, she really is.

SPEAKER_00: 1:01:36

I was like, no, you were so easy. Um, but so that's one camp is kind of like the new-ish business owner. The other camp would be the SEO side of things, and that is where it is less about like what they envision for their website, and it's more about how is it actually working? It's a lot of like the structural back end.

SPEAKER_02: 1:01:57

Okay.

SPEAKER_00: 1:01:57

Um, so I just signed on with somebody who I'm gonna start working with in October. She is a um, she helps small businesses, small apparel businesses scale and get into Target and Maurice's and all these big box stores.

SPEAKER_01: 1:02:12

Interesting.

SPEAKER_00: 1:02:12

Um, so she works in LA out of the Garment District, and like it's a pretty cool business.

SPEAKER_01: 1:02:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 1:02:17

Um, but again, her website, I'm like when she contacted me, I would look at her website and I was like, it's great. I don't know. Yeah. From a looks perspective.

SPEAKER_02: 1:02:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 1:02:26

But when I actually looked at like the back-end SEO side of it, it's a mess because her web designer didn't understand SEO.

SPEAKER_02: 1:02:34

Gotcha.

SPEAKER_00: 1:02:34

And and that is very common and it's driving me nuts because small business owners don't know when you hire a web designer and they say I do basic SEO, they don't know what questions to ask in order to make sure that they're actually getting value besides it being pretty. Yeah. And so with her, right, we're taking what her website designer created, and I'm gonna have to redo it because it wasn't created properly to get seen on Google or AI or search or whatever. Yeah. Um, so it has been that is a huge passion of mine of just if you're gonna create a website, make sure it can also be seen.

SPEAKER_02: 1:03:12

Okay.

SPEAKER_00: 1:03:13

So I don't know if that answered your question because I kind of don't remember the original, but it was um I don't either. Uh okay. But again, it's those are like they're my two camps. And I tend to not, you know, I think your question was like, do you take what most people don't come to me with like a concrete vision of their what they want their website to look for?

SPEAKER_01: 1:03:35

Right.

SPEAKER_00: 1:03:35

I usually will ask them for inspiration. I'll say, hey, what are two or three websites you like? Super smart. Um, super smart. Because then it gets me their vibe without having to be super and obviously if I'm doing their branding that I know their vibe.

SPEAKER_01: 1:03:49

Yeah. Do they typically have like their assets already fully prepared, or are you creating some of the assets for them? And when I say assets, I'm not talking about money. I'm talking about like copy or yeah, their product. Yep.

SPEAKER_00: 1:04:02

Yeah, so that is a little bit unique as well. Um, and something I'm not good at like talking about or like differentiating. Um, but mo there's a lot of web designers that won't do copy. And um so like I have a friend who just does design. Like doesn't do SEO, doesn't do copy. It's like just the design. And again, I come from maybe it's the financial brain in me, right? But I'm like, I want you to get the most value for your money. Uh so every single one of my web design clients, unless they're already working with a paid copywriter, which is very rare in the like early stages of business, um, we do copy as a part of the web design.

SPEAKER_02: 1:04:46

Okay.

SPEAKER_01: 1:04:47

Um, and can you talk through that for the listeners that are listening right now and maybe don't have an understanding of that?

SPEAKER_00: 1:04:54

Yeah. So it's uh I'm taking their brand messaging, which I also can help work through with them.

SPEAKER_02: 1:05:00

Okay.

SPEAKER_00: 1:05:01

And between that, the SEO research and AI, we are able to, and then I tell AI how I want the webpage to be structured, craft copy that doesn't feel computerized. But and then they obviously can customize it. So for example, the client I'm working with right now, she's a facialist and a Dina obsessed. I've um is this who you just went to recently? Yes. Okay. Um, and I have never had like a facial that I mean, just wow. Anyway, for those who are listening locally, she's Jacqueline Peterson aesthetics. Anyway, um, I'll go check her out. So we're we're doing branding um and elevating her branding. And again, she came in and she was like, I I don't know, I have a logo. And like, no, like that's not a brand. So we're doing branding, and then the next step is I'm gonna, while she's on vacation, I'm doing the SEO research and the copy based on her messaging. She will review it and then I build the website. Okay. So that is part of the assets. It's like, obviously, what are you gonna say? Yeah, photography-wise, I don't officially offer photography. Um, so people should have photos, and I have brand photographers locally that I can refer to. Okay. Uh, but like with Jacqueline, I mean, we're gonna do a train and I'm gonna take pictures and she's gonna give me a facial. So, like there we go. And I did that for another massage therapist too, and I got like a two and a half hour massage out of it. It was amazing. Cell phones go a long way. My website is just a friend taking pictures of me on a cell phone. Like, which I love your pictures, yeah, by the way. And it was just love them. Like somebody not in, she's a she's an actuary. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 1:06:44

So, like, you know, cell phones go a long way. They do, especially if you've got one that's like, you know, if it's an iPhone or something that's like 13, 14, yeah, whatever those are like recent, you know. Yes, yeah, it goes along with you just fine.

SPEAKER_00: 1:06:58

Yeah, you really are. So, but yeah, I don't officially offer photography. So that is, I think, the one thing that like I have in my questionnaire, like, I forget to ask that, and then we get to the web design, and we're like, oh, we need photos.

SPEAKER_01: 1:07:11

Yeah, yeah, we need the we need the photos for sure, which reminds me I need to get some updated, like both Joe and I need to get updated business photos and all that stuff. So, you know, it's just a friendly reminder that, like, what would your recommendation be to somebody a business owner listening right now for a frequency of updating that stuff?

SPEAKER_00: 1:07:36

Headshots. I would say once a year. Okay. That tends to be what I do. Um, it certainly doesn't have to be that frequent, but I think people like it's just fun and it adds energy to your like if you have a website, right? It adds energy to your website and adds energy to you wanting to promote it if you have updated photography. Um, like for me, when I relaunched under under Show It recently, I, you know, got all the new photography in May, and it was just so fun to be able to see. Like, even though I loved my original photography, you just get really excited about showing the new stuff.

SPEAKER_01: 1:08:13

Yeah, yeah, for sure. Okay, that was that was helpful. I'm sure many of the listeners are like, okay, I'll go and get new headshots, begrudgingly.

SPEAKER_00: 1:08:24

See, and I don't even call it that because like I guess it is headshots, but to me, headshots seem so corporate, formal. Yep.

SPEAKER_01: 1:08:32

Where it's more just like lifestyle, branding, photography, yeah, branding photos. Yeah. That is a a nicer way of approaching it.

SPEAKER_00: 1:08:42

Because like headshots to me feel like, okay, you're standing here sif, and like, you know.

SPEAKER_01: 1:08:47

I I had to giggle like back when I first started in mortgage, it was like the yeah, and that's what I have at my corporate job, right? Shot, right? And then now there's just been this iteration, especially in real estate and mortgage, where there's it's more personal. There it is more personal. It should be. Yeah. You know what I mean? But anywho, I do digress. I do. Is there any anything that you have top of mind in terms of motherhood and how you continue to harmonize that that you'd like to speak to the listeners about?

SPEAKER_00: 1:09:25

Um, I think it's just the thing that what I'm working on accepting is that, and I'm sure you talk about all the time, is that everyone's motherhood journey can look differently and find people in your community that look similar to you, which I'm still obviously somewhat struggling with. But uh it's just uh yeah, I think that's the biggest thing because I have my pocket of entrepreneur a huge pocket of entrepreneurs and how they run their businesses and and do it with motherhood. But and I have obviously the other side of it, but I don't have a lot of people in the middle, and having people you can relate to and bounce questions off of and having that community, like even having a small business owner community, yeah, is so amazing.

SPEAKER_01: 1:10:11

Let's talk about the the village of influence for you. Yeah, just let's dive a little bit deeper into it. Um, in terms of realizing as you were continuing to build PW design and the importance of that, and when you started to make that shift.

SPEAKER_00: 1:10:30

I think for me, having the planner business as always working with small business owners in the first like I would have individual people that I would like start to connect, and it my business has always been huge on referrals of like you need to know so and so. I mean, that's how we met, right? Yep. And then my friend started uh female founders in the Twin Cities, and so I know her, and now I have a ton of people I know in that community, and then on top of that, I was also they've since shut it down, but um Untethered Momentum was another one that was similar, but having those like small business communities that are female led that you can just like chat and you know, answer questions and and speak up and and yeah, that and there's a certainly female founders is not the only one in the Twin Cities, right? Um, but yeah, having those little like communities are I couldn't agree more, yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 1:11:32

Which is what I'm continuing to and building through the podcast and going, Here are your people. Yeah, you're struggling here, check out this podcast, or just go through the Rolodex because everybody freely says, like, hey, this is how you can get connected to me if you have questions or if you're looking for services.

SPEAKER_00: 1:11:56

The fun one was I posted a reel on uh Courtney's website relaunching right with their updates, and somebody else in my community had commented on the reel and was like, Oh my god, I've been looking for a postpartum physical therapist and like I'm gonna be booking with you. I was like, Oh, yay!

SPEAKER_01: 1:12:15

Like, yes, perfect, perfect, perfect. Yeah, I mean, the the community that we surround ourselves with, and you know, it can start off small and continue to grow and build. I actually am starting to think through some of the people who have been on just recently who would be wonderful people for you to connect with because they are like one of them is still working her corporate gig and building something absolutely incredible as well. And so it'd be nice to have, you know, like to like bounce that off of and what that do you work 60 hours a week too? Yeah, yeah. She's uh she's somebody who's pretty um efficient with the time blocking. Yep. That has I think that's been her saving grace in all of it. She could work more though. She knows it too. She's like, I just I I won't, I can't.

SPEAKER_00: 1:13:18

Well, and my corporate job, that was the one thing that I set the boundary of. I think around the time I had Danny, was I realized I were I worked hard in my 20s, worked nights, whatever, for my corporate job. And then eventually I drew the line and I was like, no, I'm not working evenings, I'm not working weekends, unless I'm gonna miss a deadline.

SPEAKER_01: 1:13:40

Yep.

SPEAKER_00: 1:13:41

And most of the time I'm able to hold that boundary, like 90% of the time. And that has been like even if I didn't have PW designs, like corporate America will just expect that and it will take whatever time you give it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 1:14:00

And and so I'm very like give give it an inch, it'll take a mile. Correct.

SPEAKER_00: 1:14:05

So I'm very strict on like nope, I'm working in my business hours, and and obviously with that goes you need to perform in order to have that luxury. Right. And this morning I was voice testing uh my best friend about this, and you know the um the line with legally blonde where it's like what like it's hard, like when she talks about getting to Harvard law. Yeah. I it's it's again, it it comes with the luxury of time in my corporate job. I get that, but I am in the top 10 for referring out business in in my corporate job nationally, and I'm not even a producer, so like I'm beating the majority of producers in our country. Um I'm nominated for Napa Woman of Excellence this year, hopefully making the finalist list, which is basically like that's incredible, top women advisors in the country nationally. Um, and I just got notified that I like I won a hundred dollar gift card because I was the number one person to refer into our um certification to help plan sponsors understand fiduciary responsibilities. And again, I'm just like, but I feel like I'm not even trying. Like but it's wild. Yeah, yeah. It and so it's just like again, that's like what? Like it's hard, but it's just efficiencies and knowing your job.

SPEAKER_01: 1:15:29

What's really exactly literally, it was like you were in my head because when you there is something to be said about when you create boundaries, yeah, the ripple effect that comes with that that creates efficiency. Yeah. And then you're like, oh, I've figured out the science of this somehow, some way. And that's that's exactly what you're speaking to.

SPEAKER_00: 1:15:57

And I love it. Like, I do love my favorite part of my job is the fact that I get to not only in my small my side hustle, I talk to like small business owners, right? Maybe max five to ten employees. But in my corporate job, I talk to business owners that have 20,000 employees. Yeah. And hearing their perspective on economics and where their business is going and how like, you know, I have a pocket of nonprofit health hospital systems that I work with, and hearing how Medicaid is like I get so much information. Like it's so cool to have to be in the mind of executives and and large businesses. It's gotta be.

SPEAKER_01: 1:16:34

I mean, it's it's just a different playing field when it comes to um, you know, the what do they call it? C-suite. Yep. Like they their pulse on what's happening economically and then um geopolitically, yeah. Two. My husband geeks out over geopolitics, yeah. Geopolitics. And it when you start to have a pulse on that, it does inform for decision making as well.

SPEAKER_00: 1:17:05

Yeah. And for me, like one of the business owners I work with is a retail client. They have a hundred stores nationally, and then but they outs like their products, right, are are international products that they're tariffs, like importing in. Yeah. Right. And so hearing their perspective on how things have changed and how they're planning for it and how they're, you know, it's just fascinating. So oh, I bet. Yeah, so that I mean, that's why like, you know, people again ask, Well, would you ever? I'm like, I don't know, because I do love that aspect of my job.

SPEAKER_01: 1:17:36

Well, yeah, I mean, you'd be untethering yourself from know a different level of knowledge, yeah, too. Yeah. That I'm sure is huge takeaways for how you go into what you do with PW design as well.

SPEAKER_00: 1:17:53

Yeah, I don't know if I've like directly had those correlations, but I'm sure. Like consciously had those correlations. For sure.

SPEAKER_01: 1:18:00

Yeah. For sure. It'll come up at some point and be like, yep, there it is. There it is. Well, let's start to land the plane. Um, I've really enjoyed this. It's been fun to kind of hear a different, unique take and perspective on being full-time in a corporate position and building something on the side that is really doing a fantastic job of that income generation. And then being a mom too. Yeah. And all of it. And a wife. It sounds like a lot. Well, it is. Yeah. It is, but you're you're you're sharing the fulfillment that you're getting while you're spending time with your daughter and also working. And is she happy? Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 1:18:50

She's although she wants to like, she's last night, she was like, Can I help you? and like press keys. And I was like, No. Yeah, yeah. That's a step too far. Yeah. She's like, she's starting to learn how to do a computer. She's like, Mom, can I have a computer?

SPEAKER_01: 1:19:03

I was like, No. Maddie will sit next to me every so often and she'll just go like this. Yeah. And I'm like, oh my. Honey, stop. Honey, honey, honey, stop. And then she'll she'll listen for like a hot second and then she'll just because she has to. Yeah, she's a toddler. So I would love for you to share what's a piece of advice you would give a younger version of yourself, knowing all that you know now.

SPEAKER_00: 1:19:40

Um I think I always say it's like the things that I'm still learning, which is like giving myself grace when especially around my anxiety um of it's okay to not not be okay, and that it's not something necessarily that I can control. Um because it is annoying. And with my therapist says, like, you just have to accept it. And I'm like, I'm working on it.

SPEAKER_02: 1:20:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 1:20:13

But I never thought I was gonna be somebody who struggled with it, and that would have to like tap out if my daughter's sick. Like, you want to be the mom who can like be present and be there, but I have anxiety attacks when my daughter gets sick, and so Matt has to tap in, and you know, like just kind of working through like accepting is yeah, give yourself grace, which again is something everyone still needs to hear.

SPEAKER_01: 1:20:34

Yes, one thousand percent give give yourself some grace, you Julie, but then a woman listening right now too. So on the heels of that, what's a piece of advice you would give a woman listening right now? That's I I think there's no other way to cut this rug besides like that's in a very similar position as you are, and they have that spark of an idea for entrepreneurship, but they're like, Can I do it? Can I do it?

SPEAKER_00: 1:21:05

I would say start small. Okay, like for me, it was one project at a time, and it was I've seen other people go where they will jump 50 feet in, right? And like the business plan and the bar, like all the things, and I'm like, just get a client first, yeah. Like get somebody who is a friend who's willing to like you can test on and just start having fun with it that way, uh, is how I've always started, and it's worked out, and yeah, and then I slowly increase my prices over time, right? Like I go from just baby stepping into it, undercharging and and kind of charging for the value that I'm bringing at that time. And as I learn, as I grow, yeah, then my pricing changes with that. And it's beautiful, you know. Again, then it's it's baby steps.

SPEAKER_01: 1:21:52

Yeah, I love it. It's we could have a probably a whole separate podcast in terms of the topic of like what does it look like in scaling, yeah, and determining when is the right time to start charging for what your value is in that given moment, right?

SPEAKER_00: 1:22:13

That could be a whole different, but let's let's just give a little nugget. My little nugget of that, and this is advice somebody else recently gave me, is I was getting yeses for every single project and immediate yeses. And then somebody was like, if you are getting a yes for every single SEO and web design project, you're not charging enough. And she's like, You need to hear some no's to know your pricing is at the right spot. So um that has helped me give a little bit of confidence of like I want to be affordable for the entrepreneur who's just starting, but I also need to know that I'm taking time away from other things and and there is value there. And so yeah, it's just kind of that like sweet spot of like if you're hearing no's a lot, there's a problem, right? Or if you're not getting the inquiries and you're just starting out, then you might not have the authority to charge what you want yet. Um, but yeah, that was so good. I love it. So, so good.

SPEAKER_01: 1:23:13

Who would be a good connection for you?

SPEAKER_00: 1:23:16

Uh well, one, the people who are in my boat, like, yes, I want to talk to you. Yep. Um, but otherwise, I think on the business side of things, if you are an entrepreneur who is running a business and is and if you're not even sure if your website is being seen, like I'm happy to look at it in in the DMs and just give you a quick like voice memo of like, yes, it's being seen. Here's no, it's not being seen. I also have a free download on my website called SEO monitoring tools that helps with that, of like figuring out if you're being seen.

SPEAKER_02: 1:23:48

Okay.

SPEAKER_00: 1:23:49

Um, but then obviously, yes, if you have a website and you want to elevate it and make sure it's getting seen, especially in the age of search now and and have that strategy, I'm your girl. I love it.

SPEAKER_01: 1:24:00

I'm your girl. I love it so much. How can these wonderful listeners get connected to you?

SPEAKER_00: 1:24:06

So Instagram, it's Julie.pwdesigns. My website is by PWDesigns. And um my podcast, if you so it's called We didn't even talk about the podcast. That's okay. I didn't I never talk. I all honestly, every interview I forget to mention I have a podcast. Um very bad marketing. Anyway, um, so I run a podcast called Being Better Every Day. It started with the planner side of things. So the beginning parts of the podcast are all about time management and those nuggets, right? And now it's certainly ab to more business side of things. Um, but I'm on episode what 73-ish. Um so a couple years in of the being better everyday podcast, and it goes through, I just say going through being better in life, business and health. So all the topics. Um, I love it. And I do interview usually every other episode. So tons of this too.

SPEAKER_01: 1:25:00

We are gonna drop all of that information into the show notes for the listeners so they can get connected to you should they um want to just step into this world of entrepreneurship, or they're ready to get started on what design might look like for their website, or they're going, I'm I'm your girly, also. Like I'm your girl, I have the corporate gig, I'm I'm also a breadwinner, but I have passion around this other entrepreneurial business, and I'm also trying to harmonize all of that with being a mom, too. I'm your girl. So we'll be sure to get all of that into the show notes. Julie, I just want to say uh what a blessing that Sutton connected us. Yes. We met at the anniversary event, and then you graciously nudged me like, hey, do you have like a submission form to be on your podcast? I was like, am I official enough to have a submission form? Guess so. But thank you for reaching out and thank you for being here for your flexibility in less than 24 hours. Me going, hey, can you come and be on the podcast? Because I just had an opening. So what a pleasure. I am so grateful for this opportunity and I hope you have a great day. Thank you. Thanks for listening. And if you enjoyed this episode and know of any inspiring mamas who are powerhouse entrepreneurs, please help connect them with myself and the show. It would mean so much if you would help spread this message, mission, and vision for other Mompreneurs. It takes 30 seconds to rate and review, then share this episode with your friends. Until the next episode, cheers to reclaiming your hue.