Creative daily

Build an audience without burnout: 3 strategies from a mindset coach Becky Mollenkamp |

Dec 13, 2022

Find out about mindset coach and long-time creator Becky Mollenkamp's tried-and-true strategies for growing an audience and not burning out.

Becky Mollenkamp is an expert in mindset coaching that helps people make the shift from  small-business owner to CEO, and build sustainable businesses without burning out. By using her Gutsy Boss brand, she has helped thousands of clients to let go of the "shoulds' and define success on their own terms.

With nearly 20 years of working as an entrepreneurand even running a content marketing agency that earned six figures prior to launching her own coaching company in 2015 -- Becky has learned the best practices for her in terms of building an following.

Today, three principles drive Becky's advertising:

There's no need to be following the latest social media trends

Make sure you choose long-term approaches over instant gratification

Make sure you are in harmony with your family and work to create a lasting business

It seems like a fresh marketing trend is popping on the scene every single day. It could lead into feeling overwhelmed and disengaged from your priorities. Becky took her conscious choice to concentrate more on the strategies and methods that are working for her.

Right now, that means moving away from social media platforms that can cause more stress than success.

"I am getting to the end of my rope in social media," she explains. "I've removed myself from Facebook, which feels fantastic. And Instagram, I'm not spending any time on it."

Becky's guiding principle, letting go of the 'shoulds', also applies to social media. Particularly in the case of doing too much at once.

"It begins to seem like a lot. Now I've got to create the TikTok in addition to that, I have to create another Reel... that includes a photograph along with video. Additionally, I must have some really creative ideas for Twitter. Then I have to be able to post something on Medium. This is too much." Becky describes.

"I feel we're getting to that place of overwhelm in our society and we are seeing people begin to say, 'I have to make a change in things around.'"

Instead of making something completely new entirely from scratch for each platform, think of new ways to use what you've done before. You can, for instance, transform an existing YouTube video into smaller clips for TikTok and Instagram Reels. The transcript of the video can be used as the foundation of your newsletter or blog article.

What do you see how do you have the power toown your target audience? You communicate with them through a platform or channel that you manage, such as your email list, an online community or your website.

Here's the way Becky explains the importance of email for owning your target audience.

2. Select long-term plans over immediate satisfaction

After nearly two decades as an entrepreneur, Becky is aware of the strategies that are most effective for her. She is now returning to those tried-and-true techniques even though they may take longer to reap the benefits.

If you're building your business It can be tempting to seek out marketing tactics that pay off fast. You can be discouraged when you don't see instant results, but the strategies which require more time and effort upfront often lead to more genuine long-lasting connections to your target audience.

The type of work Becky performs requires honesty and vulnerability from her clients, so they must be comfortable in her presence prior to committing to coaching. A consistent communication with her via emails helps build that trust.

"Before people do one-on-one work in my office, they generally have my email address for six months or a one year period," she explains. "I'm regularly emailing them and for the clients to become acquainted with me. There is a small portion of them who invest in something smaller in the beginning, but after some time, clients who will become my clients one-on-one will eventually invest in coaching."

The Gutsy Boss Podcast is yet another important element of Becky's game plan for the long term. "That's took a while to reap the rewards," says Becky. "I've been running my podcast for the past four years, and I'm only beginning to see every month , I'm experiencing an increase in the number of people who listen to my podcast."

SEO is the process of making your site, content, and products more accessible to users by using search engines. The content that has been optimized is more prominent in the search results of pertinent terms and keywords. The more optimized your content, the more easy your targeted public to locate it in search.

Becky ran a content marketing agency prior to becoming a coach, and SEO has stood the test of time across careers.

"SEO is an old-fashioned strategy which works," she says. "SEO is a long game, however it's one that can pay dividends. Instead of putting out an item that's got a shelf life of two seconds, SEO can be a shelf life that goes on for years."

As she tailors the content on her website and blog to meet the needs of her particular audience with in mind, prospective customers can find Becky's blog by searching. Once they do her blog, the content she has to offer and her unique insight keep them reading, listening as well as subscribing to her newsletter and frequently becoming clients.

"I become the no-brainer since there was no one other than me who answered the question the same way. If this was the final option they were able to come up with that question, then it's the one that resonated with them, which means I was answering in the way that they needed to hear it in order for them to want to work with me."

Finally, Becky finds herself networking (what Becky calls is an "old school way of marketing") as well as using the network to connect with more prospective clients.

"Getting out and talking to my existing network, doing old-school in-person networking to make new connections... being able to speak to others' audiences has proven extremely beneficial, be it gatherings or just working with others," she says.

What do these audience-building techniques have in the same? They can help Becky keep a healthy work-life harmony, which has become more essential more than ever before for creatives in the past few years.

3. Maintain your peace of mind at work and grow a business that lasts

"It felt like, all of a sudden, every business was an online company during the pandemic. It caused a massive burnout" Becky recalls. "I'm getting it from a lot of individuals: We're all kind of burned out with the demands of running an online company."

Becky focuses on finding ways to expand her readership and business without sacrificing her life that she's built and wants to continue to lead. "I am a mom, and I'd love to have an existence. I don't want my life to revolve around creating videos all day long."

"How do I make most effective choices to allow me to live my dream and still expand my following?"

Growth and productivity are wonderful However, not when they come at the expense of your mental well-being.

"I need to contemplate the ways I can use my time the most efficiently, not because I want to accomplish more, but because I actually would like to live a full existence."

Let go of the 'shoulds' and build the business you want to be in

Becky helps her clients build businesses without burning out. She says this is a result of her years of finding that balance herself.

Her company has come far since her first course launched in the year 2018. But the heart and soul of her coaching and helping people to let go of the'shoulds and'shoulds' -- is steadfast in the products, content as well as her own method of growth.