10 Lessons from 10 Years in Business and Multiple Millions in Revenue

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New Business Owners, Here’s How to Build Your First Website

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 30 Dec 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Reading Time: 19 minutes

You’ve started the business, or the side hustle, or the hobby, or freelancing. You’ve got the name, maybe even an Instagram handle, maybe your first client paid or not, but no real website yet. That means, to build your first website might be the next big step to looking professional and really solidifying your business as a business.

In this episode, I’m giving you clarity, confidence, and understanding on how to get a website up without tech overwhelm, without tons of money, or without tons of time. I'm even going to do a quickfire glossary of website-related terms you’re going to hear on your website journey so you can really understand what’s going on.

Below, I’m going to share the things you don’t need when building your first website, even though you might think you need them. I’m also going to share the things you actually do need, and then walk you through the step-by-step of building your first website. Let’s dive in.

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I truly love helping first-time business owners launch their first website because it is such a milestone. The day you launch your website as a small business owner is often the day you think of as the official start date of your business. It’s like that ribbon-cutting moment.

If you’re brick-and-mortar, the start date is often the grand opening when customers walk into the building. But when you’re online-only, especially as a service business, it’s often your website going live and you telling people about it. That is the official start.

For me, I actually count my website launch day as day one of my business. I had been freelancing for about six to nine months before that, but the day I made it official is the day I consider my business start date. That was March 29, 2016, which is almost ten years ago now, which is crazy.

I still remember the feeling of building my first website and nervously posting on my Facebook profile and personal Instagram account that I now had a business, with a name, and that I was open for new clients.

Anyway, when I launched my first website, it wasn’t perfect. My current website still isn’t perfect. There are errors that happen on it, even as a designer. But my first website was exactly what my business needed at the time, and it helped me immediately. It helped me book clients and get things rolling.

And for me, as someone who was just 22 at the time, it helped me, in the middle of feeling really nervous about the whole business thing, confidently call myself a business owner.

So before we get into it, I’m going to share what you actually need and don’t need to build your first website. But first, if you’re new here, I want to give you a quick 30-second summary of who I am.

I’m Elizabeth McCravy and I started my business officially almost 10 years ago after quitting my first “real” job. I worked at an advertising agency as a designer, stayed about four months, and then quit with no plan.

I had started freelancing while I was still at that job, but I really ramped it up after I quit. Eventually, that freelancing turned into a legitimate business. At the beginning, I did random design work, websites, social media management, copywriting, whatever people needed, I would do it. I was a jack of all trades and wasn’t sure what I liked most yet. I just knew what I could do and what I enjoyed.

Over time, I narrowed things down to website design and branding, and within that, I narrowed it further to using Showit as my website builder, which we’ll get into later in this episode. Now, almost ten years later, I’m one of the top Showit website designers. I sell website templates, I’ve helped thousands of businesses with their websites, and I’m also a mom of three.

My youngest is five months old, my oldest is four years old, and I work part-time from home on this business and this podcast, often during nap time. Literally right now, my little girl is napping. I love what I do. I love website design, I love keeping things simple, and I love removing the extreme confusion that often exists around this process.

I really love seeing people make their business legitimate through a website. Taking the dream, making it a reality, making money online, and making money from home. I’m all about working faster and smarter so you can get back to things like being with your family or focusing on other areas of your business.

5 Things You Don’t Need To Build Your First Website

I’m going to start with the five things you don’t need to build your website, and then the five things you do need.

1. You Don’t Need to Have Your Business Running For a Certain Amount Of Time (Or Have Earned a Certain Amount of Money)

The first thing is this: you do not need to have your business or side hustle running for a certain amount of time, or have earned a certain amount of money, to have or need a website.

This mindset is really just selling yourself short. We often make up milestones we think we need to hit before our business is “legit” enough to do the next thing. But typically, you know in your gut when it’s time to get a website.

For some people, that’s day one. For others, it’s more like my experience, where I freelanced for about six to ten months before deciding to make it official with a website. And for some people, they won’t even launch their business until the website is set up.

Or maybe you’ve had a couple of clients through friends or social media, and now you’re feeling that gap because you don’t have a place to send people. You’re thinking, I booked someone through Instagram, but now this next person wants to see more than just a post. They want a website. You don’t have a home base yet.

In those cases, yes, you probably do need a website. What I don’t want you to fall into is the trap of thinking there’s some test you have to pass to prove your business is ready for one. That “ready” point looks different for everyone and depends a lot on your business and what you’re doing.

2. You Don’t Need Custom Coding Or To Hire a Developer

Second, you do not need custom coding or to hire a developer to build your first website, or honestly, for most websites ever. Custom-coded websites are very 15-years-ago. That’s the hill I’ll die on. Technology has advanced to the point where you simply don’t need it.

You likely do not need a developer. If you’re listening to this podcast, you’re probably starting a service-based business or maybe an online course business, something along those lines. You do not need a custom-coded website.

And I’m not even talking about AI advances here. I’m talking about website technology before AI was even a thing.

Now, I’m not saying your website isn’t built using code, or that code isn’t happening on the backend. But you don’t need to code yourself, and you don’t need to hire someone to write custom code for you in order to have a website.

Instead, you can use what’s called a website builder. It often feels similar to using something like Canva, if you’re familiar with that, where you’re dragging and dropping elements to build your website yourself. So just take the coding and developer aspect off the table.

Again, yes, some people do need a developer. If you’re starting an app company or building software, absolutely, you’re hiring a developer. But if you’re starting a copywriting business, bookkeeping, a design company, or maybe you’re a midwife, a doula, or a counselor, you do not need a custom-coded website.

3. You Don’t Need To Invest Thousands in a Custom Website

You do not need $1,000 or more for a custom-designed website when you’re just starting.

Yes, you can hire a designer to custom build a website from scratch, start to finish, if you want to. And if you have the funds and feel confident that a custom website makes sense for your specific business, then sure, that can be a valid option. But for most businesses, that’s not what I recommend.

It’s usually better to invest less money into your first website and have something you can edit, adapt, and change yourself. In the first three years of your business, things are likely going to change a lot.

What often happens is someone spends $10,000 on a custom website, and then one, two, or three years later, it feels like a waste because they need to redo it anyway. Maybe they change their business name, their services, their messaging, or their aesthetic. A lot shifts early on.

Those first three years of business are similar to the first three years of a child’s life. You go from laying there, to sitting up, to crawling, to walking. Businesses grow and change in the same way, and a lot can happen in a short amount of time.

That’s why I think starting with a template makes more sense. Earlier in my career, before I sold website templates, I worked one-on-one with clients only. I didn’t have a template shop yet.

And this exact issue is what motivated me to create my templates and eventually start selling Showit templates. I had amazing women coming to me for their very first website. As my prices increased to $10,000, or more for custom websites, I’d often think, I really want to work with her, and she really wants to work with me. But I don’t think she needs to spend that much right now.

Some of these women were even willing to go into debt to get their first website. And as someone who also teaches business, my honest opinion was that this wasn’t the best business move.

One of the best things about service-based businesses is that they can be very low-cost to start and have low monthly expenses, while still having high profit margins. So going into debt for a website right out of the gate often doesn’t make sense.

That’s why I created my website templates with these business owners in mind. You’re new, you want to move from freelancing or side hustling into a legitimate business, and you want to spend less than $1,000 on your website. That’s where templates come in.

You don’t need the “super website” when you start. Most people don’t. But it is really nice to spend under $1,000 and still have a website that looks custom and professional through a template. And for some people, they continue using templates long-term, and that works beautifully. A lot of people do that.

Or maybe when you’re five years in, you hire a designer to revamp everything and get a completely custom website.

4. You Don’t Need To Have Your Website Copy And Branding Photos Ready

You don’t need to have every photo or every piece of website copy written before you start. This is something that often hangs people up. You’ll think, I need to get a photoshoot done. I need to write everything. I need to know exactly what I’m going to say on my website before I even begin.

But you can actually buy a website template first and then figure out your photos and copy after. What I’ve seen through my own customers is that the template can actually inform those decisions, rather than the other way around.

If you don’t have a super clear vision yet for your brand photos or overall style, it’s often easier to choose a template first. Then you can get brand photos done after you’ve purchased the template. The same goes for writing your copy. Once you see the layout and sections, it’s much easier to think, okay, this is what this About page includes, or these are the sections on the Services page. Now I know how to write copy for that.

So I actually think it’s a better decision to pick the template first and then do photos and copy afterward. It’s usually faster and more effective.

5. You Don’t Need a Giant Business Plan

You do not need a giant business plan with all of your goals and hopes for the next five or ten years before you have a website.

You might not consciously think this is a requirement, but a lot of people feel like their business just isn’t “there” enough yet to have a website. So let me be clear: you do not need a five-year business plan. You don’t need to know that you’re in this for the long haul.

You just need to know what you’re selling right now and have a little bit of money set aside to create your website. That’s it. Know what you’re selling, have a bit of money ready, set aside a little bit of time, get the website up, and then make that money back once you start booking clients or customers from your new site.

What You Need to Build Your First Website

Okay, now let’s talk about what you actually do need before you build your first website.

1. A Business Name And Offer

You need a name for your business. That can be your own name, like mine, or something like your name plus what you do, for example, Elizabeth Maccray Copywriting. For a long time, my business was called Elizabeth Maccray Designs, and now I mostly just use my name.

Your business name can also be a fictitious name, which is actually how I started. I had one fictitious name, then a few years later I rebranded to another fictitious name, and eventually I rebranded to my own name. Any of those options work.

You also need an offer, meaning something to sell. That could be a service like photography, a product like an online course, something online like coaching, or something in person like being a birth doula or a therapist.

Without a name and an offer, you won’t really have anything to put on your website yet. So those are the first things to figure out: what am I selling, and what am I calling this business?

Once you have those things figured out, you’re probably ready to start the journey of picking out a template.

2. A Domain Name

The next thing you need for your website is a domain name, which is your website address. You can think of this like your brick-and-mortar address. If you had a physical store, this would be the address people put into their maps app to find you. Online, your domain name is where people go to find you on the internet.

For example, my domain name is elizabethmccravy.com. In my ten years as a business owner, I’ve actually changed my business name three times, so I’ve had two other domains before this one. I share that to say, pick something that works for now. You can change your domain later if you need to. Is it a bit of a headache? Yes. But it’s doable, and it doesn’t have to be the thing you keep forever.

You can buy a domain name through places like GoDaddy. Domain names are usually much cheaper than what you’ll pay for your website template and your website platform, which we’ll talk about next.

Unless you’re buying something that’s extremely short or highly desirable, most domain names are pretty affordable. We’re usually talking around $30 a year. Something like your own name, like elizabethmccravy.com, is typically not expensive because it’s specific to you.

You do want your domain name to be short, memorable, and easy to spell and say. You also want to make sure that when it’s written out without spaces, it doesn’t accidentally spell other words that don’t make sense.

I also have a business naming guide on my website here if you want more advice about this. Inside, it talks more about naming your business and choosing a domain name, since those two things go hand in hand.

3. A Website Platform

The third thing you need for your website is a website platform. This is also sometimes called a website builder. Those two terms are interchangeable.

The platform I use, and that my templates work with, is called Showit. It’s very beginner-friendly, but also robust enough that large businesses earning millions of dollars still use it. It has a wide range of users, from people just starting out to very established companies.

It gives you a lot of creative freedom and it’s something you can update yourself, which is one of the many reasons I’m such a big Showit fan. I know the people who work there and build the product. They care deeply about excellence, customer support, and community. It really is one of the best platforms out there.

Head here if you want to learn more about Showit and get a one-month free trial with no credit card required, just to explore the interface and see what I’m talking about.

4. A Template Or A Custom Design

You either need a template that you can customize yourself, or you need to hire a designer to custom build a website from scratch.

I’ve already shared why I don’t recommend a fully custom website for most brand-new businesses. There are always exceptions, but if you’re not a designer yourself, you’ll need one of these two options.

What you don’t want to do is start with a blank screen and try to build everything from scratch on your own. That usually takes forever and becomes overwhelming. You need a starting point, either through a template or through a designer.

5. Website Hosting

And the fifth thing you need is website hosting. Website hosting is the tool or company that actually puts your website out on the internet.

We use hosts for lots of things. Podcasts have hosts, for example. If you’re a podcaster, your host is what gets your show onto platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts. My podcast host is Buzzsprout. Buzzsprout is what makes this episode available for you to listen to.

Sometimes the website builder and the host are two separate things, and sometimes they’re the same. In the case of Showit, your website builder and your website host are bundled together, which makes things much simpler.

In the case of WordPress, for example, the host and the builder are not the same.

A Rapid First Glossary Of Words You’ll Come Across As You Build Your First Website

Okay, now let’s do a rapid-fire glossary of the words you’ll hear when you build your first website. Even as a designer, I wish I’d had something like this when I was starting out.

Website template (sometimes called a website theme): A website template or theme is essentially the bones of your website. It’s designed and ready, and you just add your words and images. It’s a base you build on, and you can customize it as much or as little as you want. These terms are interchangeable. “Theme” is more commonly used in the WordPress world, which is another website builder. “Template” is more commonly used with platforms like Wix, Squarespace, or Showit.

Domain/domain name: Like I mentioned earlier, this is your website’s street address, for example, elizabethmccravy.com. You buy this through places like GoDaddy. Your domain name is where the website you design gets pointed to.

Hosting: A website host stores your website’s content, things like text and images, on powerful computers called web servers. Hosting also maintains the site and makes sure it’s secure and available to visitors. Showit is a website platform that also includes hosting, which is really nice because everything is wrapped into one place. So when you hear the term “hosting,” that’s what it means. It’s the behind-the-scenes system making your website accessible online.

Website platform (also called a website builder): Just like template versus theme, platform and builder are interchangeable terms. This is the tool you use to actually build your website. Examples of website platforms include Showit, Squarespace, WordPress, Wix, Shopify, and Kajabi. Kajabi is a good example because it includes a website builder, but it also hosts online courses and handles email marketing. Some platforms do multiple things, while others, like Showit, are more focused specifically on the website itself.

SEO: This stands for search engine optimization. SEO is how Google, ChatGPT, and other search engines find your website. And to be specific, SEO isn’t something you buy, it’s something you do. When you hear the word “optimize,” that’s exactly what it means. You’re optimizing your website to be found in search results for the things people are looking for.

Full site template: This is a Showit-specific term. A full site template means it includes your entire main website: homepage, About page, Services page, Contact page, blog, and more. You can always add pages, and you can also delete pages you don’t need. For example, if a template includes a blog or resources page and you don’t plan to use those, you can remove them. A full site template is meant to be the foundation for your entire website.

Add-on template: An add-on template is made up of pages or canvases that you add onto an existing website, rather than replacing the whole thing. This is not going to be your whole site. It’s pages you add onto a template or custom design you already have.

Here are some examples:

Speaker page template: if you’re trying to book more speaking gigs and want a media kit on your website, you can buy that template, customize it, and add it to your main site.
Timeline template: this is made up of canvases, meaning sections of a website page, that you add onto your Showit template. It lets you share your story or your service process in a unique way through a really intentional design.
Podcast page: that’s a page on your website dedicated to information about your podcast. Maybe your full site template doesn’t include a podcast page design, so you buy an add-on to include that.

Add-on templates aren’t necessary. They’re an extra option, not something you need to start with. What you do want to start with is a full site template.

So there you go - those are your glossary terms. There are probably a few I could add that I’m forgetting, but this is a really good starting point to help you understand the language around websites.

Step-by-Step For How To Build Your First Website

Now let’s get into the step-by-step of how to build your first website. I’ve got five steps that outline what to actually do. I’ll also say that if you’re using a different website platform than Showit, these steps might look a little different. I’m specifically sharing how to build your first website in Showit.

1. Choose Your Website Platform

Step one is choosing your platform. Again, I recommend Showit as a first platform, but the most important thing here is just picking something and starting. Don’t get stuck in decision overwhelm.

I’ve actually changed my website platform three times. My very first website, back when I was freelancing in college, was on Squarespace. After that, I built websites on WordPress. And now I’ve been on Showit for many, many years. So just know that you can change platforms later.

One thing I do want to clarify, because this comes up a lot, is that changing platforms does mean redoing your design. You can’t design a website on Showit and then simply upload it to Squarespace. You would need to recreate the design within that new platform.

But again, the key thing here is to just pick a platform and start. For service-based businesses, online courses, templates, and things like that, my recommendation is Showit. You can learn more about Showit here and you can get a one-month free trial with no credit card required by using the code ELIZABETH when you sign up.

2. Pick a Template That Fits Your Brand

Step two is picking a template that fits your brand. A website template saves time, stress, and money. If you’re DIYing your website, you do not want to skip this step.

Like I mentioned earlier, as a non-designer, you don’t want to start with a blank screen and think, okay, let me drag in a button, place a photo here, adjust this spacing. That process takes forever if you’re not a designer.

As a designer, that’s literally what I do for fun. That’s what I’m doing when I create templates. I’m starting with a blank screen and designing something for you. But that’s not what you want to be doing yourself.

A website template puts you in the driver’s seat when it comes to updates. If you need to change your pricing, you can do that yourself. If you want to add a new service, you can duplicate a page and create a new info page for that service.

Maybe you launch your website using photos a friend took of you, and later you do a professional brand photoshoot. You can easily go into your template and swap out all of your images. Showit makes this really simple, and that flexibility is one of the biggest benefits of starting with a template.

That flexibility is one of the biggest benefits of using a template. It really puts you in control. So to start, you pick your platform and then you pick your template.

For your main website, you’ll want what’s called a full site template, not an add-on, like I explained earlier in the glossary section. A full site template gives you everything you need to launch your website.

And if you’re enjoying this episode, I highly recommend checking out my templates here! I have a lot to choose from.

I have templates for photographers and videographers, wedding professionals, coaches, therapists, lactation consultants, birth doulas or midwives, copywriters, bookkeepers, podcasters, course creators, and YouTubers. When you’re choosing a template, I recommend picking one based on the design, layout, and overall vibe that resonates with you. That matters more than the industry label.

There’s a wide range of styles too, from sophisticated and modern to fun and colorful. There really is something for everyone in the shop.

I also have a website personality quiz that matches you with a group of templates based on your brand personality. If you’re looking at the options and thinking, I don’t know which one is right for my ideal client or my business, you can go here and take that quiz. When you take the quiz, you also get a discount and some free Canva templates for your social media.

3. Customize Your Site

At this point, you’ve picked your platform and your template, and now you make it your own.

You customize your site by adding your brand colors, fonts, website copy, and photos. Sometimes people keep the template’s original fonts and colors, which is the fastest and easiest option. Other times, they change everything.

What I see most often is a mix. Maybe you keep most of the colors but swap out a font, or you keep the fonts and change the colors. There’s a lot of flexibility here.

The template you purchase includes placeholder content, so it’s meant for you to replace the words and images. That means swapping out photos of models or stock images for photos of you, your work, or your products, and updating the copy so it reflects your business.

My templates also come with my Showit Blueprint Course. It walks you through how to use Showit step by step. You don’t have to watch the entire course to customize your site, but I do recommend watching the first few videos so you understand the interface.

Showit itself also has great resources to help you learn the platform.

4. Connect Your Domain And Launch Your Website

Step four is connecting your domain name and going live. Your website does not have to be perfect before you do this.

Showit has clear tutorials on how to connect your domain, so I won’t go deep into the technical details. But essentially, you’re telling your domain provider, wherever you bought your domain, that the website you built in Showit is what should appear when someone types in your domain name into their browser.

That’s what it means to connect your domain and go live.

Once you do this, your website is live on the internet. It’s launched, which is such a fun and exciting moment. Now you can share the link with people. It can show up in Google search. You can share it on Instagram, add it to your Stories, and send it directly to potential clients. It’s a real link, out there on the internet, connected and working.

5. Start Sharing Your New Website

That brings us to the fifth and final step, which is to start sharing it. Add your website to your social media bio. Put it in your email signature. Do that launch post where you say, “Hey, I’m officially in business. Here’s my website. Come check it out.” You can promote it as a way to book clients or sell your offers. At this point, it’s yours to share.

I also want to say this about this step: you can continue tweaking and updating your website after it’s live. You don’t need it to be perfect before you launch.

Maybe you get your site to a solid baseline where you think, this is good enough to go live. Sure, you might want to add a blog later, or a resources page, or email marketing opt-ins down the road. But for now, it works. Launch it with what you have and keep improving it as you go.

With Showit, making updates is very simple. You just log into your Showit account, open the website builder, make your changes, and click publish again. As soon as you do that, the updates go live.

So when I say that step four is connecting your domain and going live, that doesn’t mean you’re locked into that version forever. You can make changes as often as you want, even multiple times a day if you need to. You’re fully in control, and changes take effect immediately when you publish.

You can add new pages over time, purchase add-on templates whenever you want, and those add-ons can come from any shop. They don’t have to be from the same designer you bought your main template from. That’s a question I get a lot, so I just want to note that here.

And from there, you start sharing your website and making money from it.

Are you feeling ready to finally get your business online and build your first website?

I’ve mentioned it a few times, but if you’re interested, go check out my Showit website templates. They’re fun, unique, and strategically designed. They’re also built with SEO in mind, which I briefly touched on in the glossary section earlier, but SEO is a big focus in how I design my templates.

My team and I also offer really great customer support over email. If you run into roadblocks or need help troubleshooting something while you’re working on your template, you can email us and we’ll get back to you. We even often create custom videos to walk you through things. If you’re stuck and need a visual explanation, we’ll record a video showing you exactly how to do it.

I really hope to see you launching your website and officially making your business official in the near future. I hope this episode was so, so helpful for you as you build your first website!

Links Mentioned:

Not sure which template is right for you? Take the quiz!

Thanks to our blog sponsor, Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM)!

CHM is a faith-based alternative to health insurance—at about half the cost. You can enroll at any time and join a proven, faith-based solution that’s both reliable and affordable.

My family has been CHM members for over 5 years, and their maternity care shared all expenses for all 3 of my children’s births—from c-section to home birth. They even shared costs for key parts of prep and postpartum care, like pelvic floor physical therapy and lactation consulting.

Beyond birth, CHM has helped us through ER visits, surgeries, and procedures. Those bills were shared by other CHM members, leaving us responsible only for our monthly contribution.

I can’t recommend Christian Healthcare Ministries enough! It’s more than financial help—it’s also spiritual support when you need it most.

Learn more here! And if you’d like to hear our full story, check out episode 305 of The Breakthrough Brand Podcast, where Adam and I dive into our experience with CHM.

The post New Business Owners, Here’s How to Build Your First Website appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

One Simple Journal Prompt to Make 2026 Your Best Year Yet

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Reading Time: 12 minutes

Get ready for a simple journal prompt that has the potential to change your year and help you actually do and accomplish the goals you’re hoping to achieve. This is actually an episode I wasn’t necessarily planning to do. I know there’s so, so much goal-setting content out there at this time of year, but this is something I personally do.

The other night, I was writing and working through this simple journal prompt myself before going to bed, and I literally decided at that moment, while feeling the impact of it, that I had to do a quick podcast episode on this. I’m doing this because I truly think it could be so helpful for you as you think about the year ahead.

This is a way to help you cut through the goal-setting clutter. It helps you move past the things you might think will make the year awesome, but that you ultimately won’t care about at the end of 2026. Maybe right now you’re thinking, that’s the thing, that’s the goal, but maybe it’s not actually the thing you’ll care about at the end of the year, or even over the trajectory of your entire life.

We’re thinking about what we can do to make this next year great in a way that still benefits you when you’re 70 years old. Decisions that have a lasting impact. So this is about thinking through the legacy of your life as a whole, not just revenue numbers, not just things like “get healthier,” or “read X number of books,” or other vague ideas—or even specific goals that seem really good, but where you’re not sure how to get from point A to point B.

I think this prompt is going to help you with all of that. So let’s dive in. A simple journal prompt to make next year your best year yet.

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:

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Search for episode 328!

So I’m someone who loves goal setting, and I also love journaling, letter writing, and reflection-style prompts. So if that’s you, I think you’re going to like this. We’re kind of merging those two things and making them work well together.

The History Behind This Goal-Setting Prompt

This is based on something I actually do every year in the month of October, usually for my birthday. I’ve done this birthday ritual now six years in a row, and it’s very, very important to me. I’ll have to do an episode on it at some point. The version I do for my birthday is different than what we’re doing for the new year, but for my birthday ritual, I’m thinking five years out.

What we’re doing right now is thinking one year out. And because this has been so impactful for me in terms of reflection, just knowing where I’m heading, what I’m trying to do, what I want my impact to be, and what I want my life to be about, I wanted to apply that same idea here.

The Best Goal-Setting Journaling Prompt for 2026

You’re going to teleport yourself to December of 2026 (one year later from whenever it is that you’re doing this journaling). Picture that version of yourself, your family, your business, all of it one year from now.

You’re sitting there journaling and reflecting, and you think to yourself, or maybe you say to someone else, “Man, 2026 was the best year I’ve ever had. It was the best year.”

Now, maybe that feels too intense for you. Maybe you’re thinking, “No, I’m not going to say it was the best year ever because of this, or that, or whatever else.” If you feel that kind of resistance, instead picture yourself saying, “2026 was everything I could have ever dreamed it would be.” It was everything you could have dreamed it to be. All the goals were hit. This year was everything you could have wanted.

You are yourself one year later, saying, “Man, this year was the best year yet. This was everything I could have dreamed of.” Now ask yourself this question: What would have had to happen to make that true?

That’s the simple journal prompt. If 2026 was your best year yet, everything you could have dreamed of, what would have happened?

Write a letter to yourself, from your future self to the version of you right now, talking about everything that happened that made the year so wonderful. What you accomplished. What you overcame. What changed. What was hard. What was awesome. What was more challenging. What you pushed through. And then offer advice to yourself, now looking ahead.

Don’t overthink it

My first piece of advice with this is: don’t overthink it. Just write.

Like I said, I’ve done this birthday journal prompt for six years now—doing the same version, but thinking about myself five years into the future. I’ve explained it to so many of my friends, even over the past year or two, including friends who share almost the same birthday as me.

I’ve sent them photos from my journal entries from years earlier where so much of what I wrote actually came to fruition. I was telling them, “Look—this is how powerful this is.” But it can still feel complicated and confusing. So I just want to say, if it feels that way for you, you’re not alone. And there’s no one right way to do this. You just try it and get into a flow with it.

Here are some tips to help you get started.

Tip #1: Write From The Perspective of That Future Version of You.

I know it might sound silly, but you’ve got to get there. You’ve got to be her, be him, be that version of yourself.

Something that helps me get into that headspace is writing at the top of my journal entry or on a separate sheet of paper, is a statement like, “Let’s think about what’s happening now.” Then I’ll write things like my age, my husband’s age, my kids’ ages, and anything I already know will have happened.

For example, maybe you know that next year you’ll have a baby because you’re pregnant right now. That’s something you know will be true. Maybe you know you’re starting a podcast because you already have the launch date planned and you’re working toward it.

Maybe you know your oldest is starting kindergarten, or your kids are moving to a new school. Maybe you’re moving states, or maybe you’re hoping to move houses locally. Maybe you’re going to be looking for a new church to join.

Whatever it is, write out the things you already know are going to happen. That helps you think from that future perspective.

I’d really encourage you to do whatever helps you get into that headspace of that version of you. Sometimes with this kind of imaginative, creative writing, things like going on a walk beforehand can really help, just reflecting and thinking, “Okay, me at the end of 2026, what all would have happened?” You can even go month by month and think, “Okay, this person has a birthday this month,” and let that guide your reflection. Just think through the different things that are happening and get yourself into that headspace, okay?

Tip #2: Before Writing, Jot Down Some Of Your Hopes and Goals For The Year

Before you start writing the letter, you can jot down some of your hopes and goals for the year. This helps you remember the specific things you want to write about. For example, maybe you have a specific health goal you’re thinking about. Jot that down, because that’s something you’ll want to write about. Maybe there’s a shift happening in your family life that you want to reflect on. Maybe you want to get more involved in your church and volunteer more. Maybe the year is going to be defined by adjusting to a new baby and going back to working part-time as a mom.

Whatever it is, just jot down the things you already know you want to write about. That’s something that’s really helpful for me when I do this. I start by getting in the headspace, what’s happening, and then I think about what I know I want to touch on.

Tip #3: Consider These Categories When Deciding What To Write About

If you’re not sure where to start, or you’re thinking, “Okay, I love this idea, but what do I actually write about?,” here are some categories that can help:

Health
Personal growth
Spiritual growth
Finances and money
Career and business
Marriage
Family and kids
Friendships
Other family relationships outside of your nuclear family
Community involvement
Fun and recreation.

Those are some core categories to consider. And you can absolutely think beyond these too—things that might span multiple categories or feel more specific. Things like moving, hiring in your business, or launching something new. Whatever you think might happen this year and whatever you want to write about.

But if you’re still thinking, “I don’t know where to start,” start with your health. What do you want your health to be like at the end of 2026? Then think about personal growth. Maybe you’re really tired of being glued to your phone and doom-scrolling every chance you get. What would you want that to look like at the end of 2026?

And as you write about these things, ask yourself: what did it take to get there? Maybe at the end of 2026 you’re saying, “I barely use Instagram anymore. I don’t scroll every time I have five seconds. I’m not on my phone before bed.” What did it take to get there?

That’s the headspace you want to be in. This is the goal. This is the outcome. What did it take to get there?

Tip #4: Remember That You Are Guessing and Dreaming

Remember that you are guessing and dreaming. For some people, and I can get into this headspace too, it’s really easy to get caught up in the details. Like, “I hope we move this year, but I don’t know if we’ll find a house we can afford. I don’t know where it would be or when it would happen.” It doesn’t matter. You guess. You dream.

Maybe you have a business goal that feels completely out of reach. Maybe you’d love to hit a certain revenue number, or launch something new, or work with a specific number of clients—whatever it is.

And you might be thinking, “Yes, I have this goal, but I don’t know if I can actually hit it.” Of course you don’t know—it hasn’t happened yet. That’s the point. You’re dreaming. You’re writing as if the goal has already happened. What would you say? What would you tell yourself now to help you get there?

Using that example from a minute ago—maybe at the end of the year you’re much less attached to your phone—write about what that would feel like. What does a day feel like when you’re on your phone so much less? Then answer the question: what did it take to get there?

So just keep that in mind as you write. You’re guessing and dreaming. Guessing and dreaming. You’re trying to predict based on your hopes and imagination. And you might read this letter a year from now and think, “Oh my gosh, that did not happen,” and that’s okay. Maybe something even better happened, something you never could have asked, imagined, or dreamed of. That’s straight from scripture. God can do so much more than we can ask, dream of, pray for, or imagine.

This isn’t about saying, “This has to be exactly what happens this year.” You’re just guessing and dreaming. Stay in that headspace.

Tip #5: You’ll Probably Have to Do This in Multiple Sittings

Ultimately, this goal-setting journal prompt might turn into a long letter, or maybe a paragraph or so for each category. Plan to work on it over multiple days. Don’t get overwhelmed by thinking you need hours at a time to do this.

I’ve been working on my letter in three different stints already, and I’m still not done. I did a little during overlapping nap times with the kids the other day, a little before bed on two different nights, and today I’ll work on it again during nap time.

Just work on it in small increments.

Tip #6: I Prefer Pen To Paper… But You Could Also Type It Out!

I personally like pen to paper in a journal, but you could also type this pout. Just make sure it’s somewhere you can save and look back at it throughout the year. You might even rewrite it or revisit parts of it halfway through the year.

Don’t get caught up in how you do it. If you prefer typing, type it. If you prefer journaling, journal it. You don’t need to buy a fancy new journal to do this.

Just find an old journal you haven’t written in for a while—maybe it’s your prayer journal or your business journal—whatever it is, just find a place to write. It doesn’t have to be perfect. What matters is that you do this and give it a shot.

Tip #7: Give Yourself Advice

My next piece of advice is to just give yourself advice. You are the person who accomplished the goal, writing a letter to the version of you who hasn’t accomplished it yet. So offer yourself advice. Ask the question: If this goal was achieved, what would have had to happen to get me there? And then write about that.

Think of it as your future self giving really good advice to you now. It’s kind of like sitting down for coffee with a more experienced mom, someone whose kids are grown, and asking, “How did you do this?” Or talking to a business owner who’s ten years in when you’re just starting out. What would you ask? What would they say?

But in this case, you are that person, giving advice to yourself about accomplishing these goals.

Tip #8: Once You’re Done Writing, Go Back Through and Reread It To Help With Your Goal Setting

Highlight or underline the parts where you really light up, these are usually the parts that clearly show what you truly want for the year.

Maybe as you reread it, you realize, “What I really want this year is a shift in how our family does life.” Or, “What I really want is more headspace and free time.” Or, “What I really want is to enjoy playing with my kids.”

Those aren’t my personal examples, I’m just throwing out ideas, but you’ll start to see themes emerge.

Maybe what you really want is to be on your phone less. Maybe what you really want is to feel more energized at 3:00 p.m. because you’re healthier and sleeping better. When you go through this, you might see things you would never notice if you just sat down and said, “What are my goals for the year?” Like, “I want to read this many books,” or “I want to exercise a few times a week.”

This gets you into the more nitty-gritty. So go through it. And then, when you do your goal-setting process, whatever that looks like for you, use this. This isn’t necessarily the goal-setting process itself. This is the thing you take and then run with when you go set your goals.

This becomes your anchor point. Your starting point for What do I want? What do I really want? And then, how might I get there?

I know for me, when I go through this, I actually start to see things like, “Okay, what’s a good Q1 step toward this bigger goal?” Sometimes you’ll literally see it in what you wrote. You might have already answered the question, What did it take to get there? What did I actually do to make this a reality?

Tip #9: Pray Before You Begin

I would really encourage you to ask God for wisdom and guidance in what you write. When I pray during my goal-setting process, I ask God that I wouldn’t have a goal or a vision for the year that isn’t from Him, that doesn’t glorify Him, and that isn’t part of His greater plan for my life and my family’s life.

That might look like sitting down and praying right before you write. It might look like going on a walk and praying before you sit down to write. Maybe today you’re thinking, “Okay, I want to do this journal prompt,” but the only time you have is a 20-minute walk with your baby sleeping. So you pray during that walk and start dreaming—What are the things I might write about? Maybe you jot a few notes in your phone that you’ll come back to when you actually sit down to write.

But just pray about it. That would be my biggest encouragement—ask God for guidance in your goal setting. Whether you do this prompt or not, I think it’s so important as believers to invite God into the goal-setting process.

So those are my nine tips. Now, to recap the prompt, I’m going to restate it the way I did at the beginning to get you back into that headspace.

The Best Goal-Setting Journal Prompt for 2026

If 2026 was my best year yet, what would have happened to make that true? And what advice would I give myself now to get there?

Another way to phrase it is: If 2026 was everything I could have dreamed of, what would that mean happened? Maybe one of those resonates with you more. Maybe one of them feels intimidating. I know for some people, the “best year yet” idea feels like, “Whoa, slow down.” If that’s you, just think in terms of, If it was everything I could have dreamed up, what would that mean?

Reflect on this letter through the year

And maybe this is a letter you go back and read in early February. You might realize, “I said I wanted this, but I’m not doing any of the things I said it would take to get there.” And then you refocus.

Honestly, that’s something I think I’m going to do this year. I might even put a calendar reminder every quarter to go back and reread my letter.

And maybe it’s as simple as taking five minutes to reread it. Or maybe it’s more like, “Okay, I need to rewrite that part,” or, “I need to revisit some of these goals.” Or maybe you read something and think, “I don’t even agree with this anymore, why did I think I wanted that? I don’t want that.”

You might have some of those reactions when you come back to it later. But I would encourage you not to let this be something you just throw away. Let it be something you actually revisit and something that continues to inform your goal setting.

Links Mentioned:

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Thanks to our blog sponsor, Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM)!

CHM is a faith-based alternative to health insurance—at about half the cost. You can enroll at any time and join a proven, faith-based solution that’s both reliable and affordable.

Beyond birth, CHM has helped us through ER visits, surgeries, and procedures. Those bills were shared by other CHM members, leaving us responsible only for our monthly contribution.

I can’t recommend Christian Healthcare Ministries enough! It’s more than financial help—it’s also spiritual support when you need it most.

Learn more here! And if you’d like to hear our full story, check out episode 305 of The Breakthrough Brand Podcast, where Adam and I dive into our experience with CHM.

The post One Simple Journal Prompt to Make 2026 Your Best Year Yet appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

5 Tips for Better Podcast Interviews (That Actually Grow Your Show) with Akua Konadu

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Reading Time: 10 minutes

Today we have another lovely guest training on the podcast, this time with Akua Konadu. Akua and I met a few years ago when we were both speaking at the Creative Educator Conference. She’s the host of two incredible podcasts, which you’ll hear her talk about as she introduces herself. When I was planning these guest trainings (originally for my maternity leave, though I’ve been airing them more sporadically now), Akua immediately came to mind as someone who could offer such a valuable perspective on interviewing as a podcast host and hosting better podcast interviews. She is a truly strong interviewer, and storytelling is something she teaches in her business — so she lives and breathes this stuff.

If you’ve started a podcast and have done even a handful of interviews, you know interviewing is a real skill. It’s not as simple as reading questions you wrote ahead of time. It’s a conversation. And it can feel overwhelming at first, and sometimes, it can feel like you’re asking a question but already thinking ahead to the next one and not fully hearing their answer. There are a lot of little pitfalls like that that new (and even seasoned!) podcasters can fall into.

Akua is here to help you avoid those traps and grow your show by becoming a better interviewer. She’s sharing five powerful tips for better podcast interviews, plus some storytelling strategies that are absolute gold. Storytelling is her specialty, and you’ll really hear that shine through.

So whether you’re brand new to podcasting or you’ve been interviewing guests for years, these are the kinds of things we can all easily miss. I know you’re going to learn so much from her.

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Hello, hello! I am so excited to be tapping into the Breakthrough Brand Podcast this week. My name is Akua Konadu, and I'm a host of not one, but two podcasts. Number one, the Unbreakable Business Podcast, powered by HoneyBook, where we lean into the untold stories of entrepreneurship. And then my other podcast, which is all about life, Here’s the Tea with Akua, where we are all about making uncomfortable conversations more comfortable.

So as somebody with two podcasts, I have done countless interviews, and it has been such an incredible and really fun experience, and we have seen a lot of success. I’m really excited today to be talking with you all about how to become more strategic with interviewing. As I have learned about myself, I’ve naturally fallen into the podcasting realm, but what I’ve learned is that interviewing is definitely a skill.

As you lean more into that journey, it’s really about refining these skills and exercising that muscle so that you feel more confident in your interviews, but also so that your interviews make a major impact that will actually grow your show. I’m really excited to share some tips with you that I think have been so phenomenal for me in my podcast journey and have really made a difference in my growth. That’s what we’re going to dive into.

So here are some interview tips that are going to lead to breakthrough conversations. Are you ready? Let’s get into it.

1. You Need To Research Your Guest & Prep Like a Pro

My number one tip is to research your guest. You want to prepare like a pro. Now, prepping for everybody can really depend on your personality. For example, if you are type A, maybe you are somebody that’s really thorough, you like to have a lot of questions laid out. It really just depends on your personality and the goal of your show.

For me, I am not like that. I’m actually type B. Most of my interviews, naturally, I have winged, but I have prepped in a way that has allowed me to really kind of just wing my episodes. I’ll have questions, but naturally, depending on their answer, I’ll end up not using my questions.

Here are some examples of how I prep for my shows.

First, what is the main goal of your show?

Really go back and revisit that. For me, with my personality and for both of my shows, the underlying goal is I love to have really raw, real, unfiltered conversations. So I know that about myself and that’s the main goal of the show.

I also do a really deep dive into getting to know the guest.

I listen to past interviews, number one, see how they do on video, see how they do in interviews in general, but also to really get a good feel for their personality and how they answer questions. We do deep dives into their social. I’ll try to go and find some really old social media posts where they’ve shared little hints of their story but maybe haven’t fully emphasized it.Then I think, “Okay, we can lean into that.” I Google them, read articles if they’ve been featured in anything—really taking that time to get to know who they are as an individual and also who they are as a business owner. That prep is super helpful.

In my prep documents, we always have their bio, of course, but I’ll also have an outline. And then, if there are any notes where I’m like, “Ooh, I really want to lean into this specific piece of their story,” I’ll bring it up.

An example of this in action

So, for example, we had an episode on the Unbreakable Business Podcast with a woman who’s a PR expert. That is mainly what she is known for. If you Google her name, it’s PR. If you Google interviews, it’s all about PR. That’s great, that’s what we wanted her on the show for, but I wanted to come at it from a more unique angle, where people are either able to learn something completely different from what she generally talks about with PR, or we can tie more of her personal journey into that.

So we dug deep into her social media and found this really random social media post where she was featured in a magazine at nine years old and we opened with that. That was immediately the hook of the episode: asking her about that specific moment when she found out she was in this magazine and how she got into the magazine. I knew we’d be able to capture our listener’s attention right away by bringing that up.

On top of that, when you catch them a little bit off guard like that, it lets down the guest’s nervousness, and then you start to see the real person—who they are, not the more buttoned-up interviewee. I get to see them as their whole person and their humanity, and that’s why I research in the way that I do.

2. Lead with Curiosity, Not Control

The next tip that I want to share is to lead with curiosity, not control. Like I said before, I’m a type B, so no conversation is ever the same. Always stay open to where the conversation naturally flows.

Even if you’re someone who’s like, “Okay, I can’t do that, Akua,” maybe just start with one question, and then depending on their answer, let that lead into another question or a follow-up. Really stay flexible, because one thing that I don’t enjoy as a listener of a show is when it’s just very “interview-y.” I really want it to be a conversation.

So come in with strong openers and direction—just not with super rigid questions. Because sometimes when you ask rigid questions, they’ll just give you one straightforward answer and that’s it. And of course, it’s okay if you ask follow-ups, but I want to see them as an individual. I want them to share as much as they can that’s relevant to the question.

That’s what I do: I lead with curiosity and really follow the conversation. A lot of the time I’m like, “Ooh, I really like what this person just said here, let’s lean more into that,” and I’ll take the conversation in a different direction. And that’s okay, because that will honestly lead to a much richer, deeper conversation that can truly go very far.

Let those emotional moments really land before jumping into the next question or the next topic. Really give that person the space to share whatever it is that they’re feeling or whatever it is they want to share. And then, if you want to know more about it, lead in with curiosity—because then you get to know more about the person, and that helps your audience get to know more about them as well.

Tips from a Storytelling Strategist

If you don’t know this, I’m a storytelling strategist. I love helping business owners lean more into their story and lean more into their gifts to actually create content that aligns with who they are, connects with their audience, and makes it easier for them to sell their products and services. So it would be unjust for me not to share any storytelling tips with you.

These are some storytelling tips I use to really pull out depth in interviews because, again, that’s what I’m looking for: untold stories of entrepreneurship, making uncomfortable conversations more comfortable. So you really have to focus on stories.

Instead of having people share a story that starts at the very beginning, I always ask a question that’s in the moment. So instead of saying, “What’s your advice for somebody starting out?” or “How did you get started in your business?” I’ll say, “Can you share with me a time in your business where you felt like you were going to give up?” or something like that.

It forces them to be in a moment, like what I said earlier, where they’re now placing themselves back in that situation (how they felt, what they were thinking), and that’s what they’re going to share.

That is what I always, always want to do: how can I bring out the emotions and the transformation? That’s what I love to talk about and really lean into as I’m doing these interviews. The way I do that, like I said, is by inviting them into a question that starts in the moment and isn’t very generic. Because when they answer a question that starts in the moment, they’ll remember something else that’s been stored away in their brain and think, “Oh my gosh, I want to talk about this as well.”

And again, it just leads to such a beautiful flow of the conversation. That’s something that has been really impactful for me as a storytelling strategist—really starting in that moment.

3. Make It Feel Like a Conversation

If you’ve been podcasting for a while, this is likely not new to you. But what I love so much is when guests ask me as the host questions as well. There have been times I’ve had episodes that absolutely caught me off guard, but those have led to some of my best-performing episodes because it feels like a conversation. It’s not just a one-way conversation. It’s not just me asking the question and them replying.

When they’re also asking me questions, or I give my reaction and add to the conversation, that makes such a big difference. It makes it feel so much more natural and so much more meaningful.

So remember that you, as the interviewer, are also a person who can equally contribute to the interview you’re giving. Because again, it starts to naturally turn into that conversation where, when you’re giving that feedback, it will prompt that person to either ask you a question or also add more to the conversation, where it feels like two friends who are just chatting it up.

I mean, I’ve had guests where it was my first time meeting them, and some people would think that I actually have a relationship with this person, but I really don’t. That really helps lower the person’s defenses (like their nervousness, if that’s how they’re feeling).

4. Don’t Get Caught Up In “Insider Talk” Or Jargon

Remember to ask those clarifying questions. For example, on the Unbreakable Business Podcast, we obviously focus more on service providers, B2C. We had a guest come on the show who’s mainly B2B. And so he was saying lingo and things that may not be completely relevant, or maybe people working in the B2C realm may not know. So I made sure to stop and then give people that additional context, and then he continued to go on.

Anytime I knew there was going to be a gap in what he was saying, where our audience might not understand, I would always follow up or pause him in the middle while he was sharing his answer, where I could tell he was going to take a second. You can tell, when you’re giving the interview, where you’re like, “Ooh, I can interject here,” because I could tell he was about to give a pause.

So then I said, “Okay, just some added context,” and then I would share that. And he would be like, “Yes, yep, absolutely,” and then he would continue on with the story, so it was really easy for our listeners to follow along with what he was sharing.

Don’t be afraid to ask those clarifying questions. Don’t be afraid to just take a pause and say to them, “I just want to make sure that our listeners understand here,” and then lay it out for them so they understand, and then the person can pick up where they left off.

I always do that, and it has made such a great difference, because I want to make sure that every single person listening to the show really does feel like they got something out of it.

So always lead with that clarity. If you have to pause, that’s okay. If you have to ask them clarifying questions, that’s okay. If you need to have them stop for a second, that’s okay too. As you interview more and really exercise those skills, it’ll become a lot more natural to you.

5. Have a Really Clear CTA (Call-to-Action)

Make sure to end strong. Have a really clear CTA. I know it’s simple, but it’s just so important.

I really like to have guests hold themselves accountable, whether it’s asking them questions for reflection, or saying, “If you remember one thing from today…” And I always say, “Head to my socials so we can continue this conversation.” I absolutely love that. I think it’s super helpful.

Leave listeners with clarity and not just with the content. That’s where you can ask for reviews, or I’ve seen some people do a quick episode recap at the end. Whatever it is, don’t just leave them with the content—leave them with some form of action they can take.

So those are all of my tips that have really made such a big difference and have led to breakthrough conversations on the podcast. Thank you all for tuning in.

Advice from a Storytelling Strategist for Better Podcast Interviews

As a storytelling strategist, what has helped me become such a strong interviewer is really understanding what my storytelling style is. I have a quiz called “What Is Your Storytelling Style?” This quiz is personalized to your type and gives you incredible tips, resources, and podcast episodes to listen to that reflect your storytelling style.

I really want to encourage you to take that quiz because it’s going to help you figure out what your natural strengths are, especially as an interviewer, and help you learn how to use them more intentionally.

You can connect with me at @akuakonadu_ on Instagram. I love chatting in the DMs. My website is here and you can also find me on the Unbreakable Business Podcast, powered by HoneyBook. We have new episodes that come out on Wednesdays.

Links Mentioned:

Take Akua's storytelling quiz

Follow Akua on Instagram

Listen to Akua's Podcast: The Unbreakable Business Podcast hosted by Honeybook and Here's the Tea with Akua

Not sure which template is right for you? Take the quiz!

Thanks to our blog sponsor, Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM)!

CHM is a faith-based alternative to health insurance—at about half the cost. You can enroll at any time and join a proven, faith-based solution that’s both reliable and affordable.

Beyond birth, CHM has helped us through ER visits, surgeries, and procedures. Those bills were shared by other CHM members, leaving us responsible only for our monthly contribution.

I can’t recommend Christian Healthcare Ministries enough! It’s more than financial help—it’s also spiritual support when you need it most.

Learn more here! And if you’d like to hear our full story, check out episode 305 of The Breakthrough Brand Podcast, where Adam and I dive into our experience with CHM.

The post 5 Tips for Better Podcast Interviews (That Actually Grow Your Show) with Akua Konadu appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

2 Christmas Traditions for Christians Who Want To Bring Jesus Into The Season

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Reading Time: 11 minutes

Every year on the podcast, I release a Christmas episode and many of you have told me it’s one of the episodes you look forward to most. This year, I’m sharing two of our family’s favorite Christmas traditions for Christians. They’re simple, meaningful, and rooted in faith, while still being incredibly fun for young children. If you have toddlers or preschoolers, these may become new favorites for your family too.

Today, I’m focusing on two traditions our family has come to cherish, ones I’ve been asked about by friends, listeners, and even people who saw little snippets I shared on Instagram last year. One of these traditions in particular was actually requested as its own episode after someone messaged me about it.

Before I dive in, here’s a little context about the ages of my kids, since that shapes how we practice these traditions:

My oldest is four,
My second is 20 months,
And my youngest, experiencing her very first Christmas, is just four months old.

Our kids are still very little, but I think one of these traditions works well for all ages, even teens and adult children. The second one is especially great for younger kids. I’ll also mention what these looked like when my boys were even younger.

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Tradition #1: The Shepherd’s Supper

This first tradition is the one my son, Colin, talked about for an entire year after we did it. It’s called the Shepherd’s Supper, and it has quickly become a highlight of our Christmas season.

I first heard about this idea from Sally Clarkson, a Christian author and podcaster—many of you may know her from her show Life with Sally. In her family, they call it the Shepherd’s Meal. When I came across it, I immediately knew it was something I wanted to try with my own kids, and it turned out to be even more special than I expected.

We call this tradition the Shepherd’s Supper—even though Sally Clarkson, who inspired the idea, actually calls it the Shepherd’s Meal. I must have subconsciously preferred the alliteration, because “Shepherd’s Supper” is what stuck in our house. Either way, we borrowed the concept from her and adapted it to fit our season of life, and I encourage you to do the same as you read through this. Take what resonates, leave what doesn’t, and make it your own.

When We Do It

The Shepherd’s Supper is simply a special meal, and you can schedule it anytime in December. Some families do it during the week of Christmas or even on Christmas Eve. For us, Christmas Eve is reserved for extended family, and it’s always been our big celebration—full meal, presents, the whole thing. So we save the Shepherd’s Supper for Christmas Day in the evening, which feels like the quiet, reflective end to the holiday.

But truly, you could do this on December 10th, December 18th, or whenever your schedule allows. It can also be a beautiful way to start the Christmas season if that works better for you.

The Heart Behind the Tradition

As we think about the night Jesus was born, the shepherds play such a beautiful role in the story. They were the very first to hear the news of His birth, visited by an angel while they were watching their flocks at night. After hearing the announcement, they hurried to Bethlehem to see the baby Jesus. Then they became the first evangelists, joyfully spreading the news of what they had witnessed.

This tradition is a way to bring that moment to life. During the meal, we read the Christmas story—specifically the part about the shepherds, the angelic announcement, and their journey to see the newborn King. The goal is to create an atmosphere that feels a little like being outside under the night sky, imagining what it might have been like to be in their place. That’s the foundation of the Shepherd’s Supper, and from there you can adapt it however works best for your family.

Before explaining exactly how we do it in our home, I want to share a portion from Sally Clarkson’s blog about how her family began this tradition. She started it when she had just one child, looking for a simpler Christmas Eve meal because Christmas Day itself tended to be fuller and busier. Here’s an excerpt of what she wrote:

“I also thought that instead of focusing all of our time, energy, and excitement on “presents” and stockings, that on Christmas Eve, we could really ponder the heart of Christ through his first coming to the shepherd’s with a heavenly chorus, finding a humble mama nursing, tenderly cuddling her baby and remembering that Jesus came for all people—the high, the lowly, educated, pious and ungodly alike. We pondered and both agreed that the glory of Christ appearing to common men and women, shepherding their flocks was something we wanted to copy—the glory of angels singing amidst the ordinary work of shepherds watching over their flocks. And so, Shepherd’s meal became a sacred, mug-loved tradition for all of us.”

How We Set the Scene

So, what makes this meal special in our home?

When we do our Shepherd’s Supper, we turn off all the lights downstairs and eat entirely by candlelight. Kids think this is magical—and honestly, as an adult, it feels sacred and peaceful too. We place candles on the dining table and the countertops (always keeping safety in mind, especially with little ones around). The soft glow instantly makes the meal feel different and memorable.

What We Serve

We keep the food incredibly simple. For our family, the Shepherd’s Supper is a board meal, almost like a charcuterie spread but with things everyone enjoys. My goal is easy, no cooking required—especially because I usually host a big Christmas meal the day before.

Some of the things we’ve included:

Cheese and crackers
Fruit
Nuts
Pirate’s Booty
Little gummy snacks for the kids
A tiny jar of honey (Colin’s absolute favorite last year—he still talks about getting to eat honey with a tiny spoon!)
Pimento cheese with crackers, which was mine and Adam’s favorite

We serve everything on a large wooden board made from wood from my dad’s sawmill business. It’s a special family piece we had created after he passed away, and using it adds another layer of meaning.

You can set this up however works for your home—on the dining table, on a coffee table while sitting on the floor, even on a picnic blanket with candles kept safely up on the counter.

If you have small kids, embrace the unpredictability. Last year, Colin was three, and he decided the candlelight made things “too dark.” We ended up turning the Christmas tree lights on, then the hallway lights, then off again… at one point the kitchen lights were on, then off, then on again.

And that’s okay. Some kids may not like certain parts of it at first. Some might love it immediately. The beauty is in trying something meaningful and letting it evolve into a tradition your family grows into over time.

Reading the Christmas Story

At some point during the meal, we read the Christmas story—specifically the shepherds’ part, from the angel’s announcement to their journey to find Jesus. We talk about what that might have been like and how remarkable their role in the story is.

Last year, we read from The Jesus Storybook Bible, which we love and recommend for young kids. You can also read straight from Scripture, but the Jesus Storybook Bible is especially engaging for little ones. When Colin was three, the story really clicked for him in a new way, which made the whole moment feel even more special.

Colin was so engaged last year with the idea that we were like the shepherds: reading their story, imagining their journey, and talking about Jesus together. He absolutely loved it. Ethan, who was only nine months old, had his own sweet version of enjoying the experience. He sat in his high chair sampling new cheeses, taking in the candlelight, and soaking up all the excitement. Even though the impact is bigger for an older child, little ones still get to experience their own kind of wonder.

We also take time to pray together as a family. Everyone gets a chance to pray, and we just enjoy being together in the candlelight. It feels different from our usual dinners at home (in the best way). You don’t have to travel or plan something elaborate to create a meaningful memory. This simple shift in atmosphere turns an ordinary evening into something your kids will remember.

When it comes to the food, do whatever works for your family. The Clarkson family, where I originally learned about this tradition, does a fruit plate and soup. You can go that route, or you can make a board of your kids’ favorite foods and your own favorite treats. I still haven’t decided exactly what I’m doing this year, but I’ll probably choose things that feel like little seasonal treats for the boys, plus a few special things Adam and I really love. Sometimes it ends up being a mix of “fancy” items alongside kid favorites like Annie’s fruit snacks—which is why I joke that it’s a charcuterie board, but also not really.

This quickly became one of our favorite Christmas memories and a tradition we plan to continue as our kids grow. The food might change, but the candlelight and the Christmas story remain at the heart of it. And Colin has already been talking about how excited he is for this year’s Shepherd’s Supper.

We now do a similar tradition for Easter that we call the Lord’s Supper. It’s the same idea with a spring twist, different foods, and a focus on the Easter story. It has already become another meaningful tradition for our family.

Tradition #2: Wandering Wisemen

The second tradition we love, especially for younger kids, is something we call Wandering Wisemen.

In the Christmas story, the wise men followed the star of Bethlehem in search of Jesus, bringing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. I love this tradition because it creates daily opportunities to talk about that part of the story. Every morning, it opens the door to conversations about Jesus’ birth, His life, and really any part of His story you want to explore. It’s hard to fully explain without doing it yourself, but once you try it, you’ll see how naturally it sparks meaningful moments.

To do this, you’ll need a nativity set (any nativity set). A friend recently texted me asking how we do Wandering Wisemen because she wanted to start it with her kids. And she mentioned that there’s now an actual product called Wandering Wisemen. I had no idea! We started doing this years ago after I stumbled across a blog post while looking for an alternative to Elf on the Shelf. That’s where I got the name.

You absolutely do not need a special product or anything expensive to do this tradition. Use whatever nativity you already have.

We use the same old-school nativity set I grew up with as a little girl. The figurines are breakable—some are even chipped or cracked at this point—but I love the tradition of using it. It has Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, shepherds, animals, and the wise men. Just a classic nativity.

We set it up in a central spot in the house where the kids can play with it as much as they want. The only pieces that don’t go out right away are baby Jesus and the three wise men. Baby Jesus doesn’t appear until Christmas morning, and the wise men begin their “journey” around the house starting in early December.

Right now, as I’m recording this, baby Jesus and the wise men are tucked away on a high shelf in my office closet—waiting for their moment.

When We Start

We usually begin around December 1st. You can start earlier, but in my experience, stretching the activity too long can wear everyone out. I think a few weeks before Christmas is the perfect length.

Each morning, the wise men move to a new location in the house for the kids to find. You can keep the three of them together or separate them—whatever works best for your kids’ ages and personalities.

When we first started this with Colin, he was around two. At that age, he wasn’t “hunting” for them, he just wanted to walk over and see where they were. So we placed them somewhere obvious and kept it simple.

Last year, when he was three, we turned it into more of a search. We hid them a little better and gave hints. This year, since Colin is really into “I Spy,” we may separate the wise men on some days so he has a challenge while Ethan (who is about to turn two) gets an easier spot. Sofia, being a baby, won’t participate yet, but she’ll eventually join in.

The Journey to Christmas Morning

Throughout December, the wise men get “closer” to the nativity scene. Then on Christmas morning, the kids wake up to find the wise men finally in the stable—and baby Jesus in the manger for the first time. It creates such a sweet moment and another chance to revisit the Christmas story.

Making It Fun (and Realistic)

Some mornings, the kids are excited about finding the wise men; other mornings, they’re less enthusiastic (and that’s totally fine). You can place the wise men anywhere:

At the breakfast table
In the fridge
Sitting above the microwave
In front of the TV
“Reading” a book

If this sounds a little like Elf on the Shelf, that’s because the rhythm is similar (the characters move at night, the kids find them in the morning). But this takes the same sense of fun and ties it directly to your faith and the Christmas story.

And if doing it every day feels exhausting, shorten the timeframe. Start two weeks before Christmas, or even just the week of. It’s completely flexible.

For our family, Wandering Wisemen has become our alternative to Elf on the Shelf. Maybe we’ll add the elf later if the kids ask someday—especially as school influences what they hear—but for now, the wise men are plenty of magic for all of us.

A New Tradition We’re Adding This Year: Daily Advent Reading

There’s one more Christmas traditions for Christians we’re trying for the first time this year. I’ve attempted versions of this before, but the boys were always a little too young for it to stick. This year, we’re going to do a daily Advent reading as a family using The Jesus Storybook Bible.

The team behind the book actually has a free advent reading plan online with a story assigned to each day from December 1st through Christmas. I’ve already printed the list and pinned it in our kitchen. I’m planning to buy Sofia her own copy of the Storybook Bible so she’ll have one to follow along with someday, and the boys will each have theirs too. It’s turned into a whole thing… everyone wants their own book during reading time!

We’ll aim to read the day’s story together at breakfast or dinner, depending on our schedule. I’m realistic, we’ll probably miss days here and there, and that’s completely fine. I might even start in late November just to give us a little buffer.

As much as this is for the kids, it’s also for me and Adam. If you’ve listened to past Christmas episodes, you know I love doing an Advent devotional every year. Some years I keep up with it more easily than others. This year, with a newborn and no real morning routine of my own, I’ll probably choose a short personal devotional. But I love that the family readings give all of us a chance to pause together and talk about Scripture in a simple, meaningful way.

And if you decide to try Shepherd’s Supper, Wandering Wisemen, or the Advent readings, I’d genuinely love to hear about it. Send me a message, DM me on Instagram, or email me—I always enjoy hearing how your families make these traditions your own.

Links Mentioned:

Other Christmas episodes to tune in to over the holiday season:

Episode 297: How to Plan for Christmas to Avoid the Overwhelm
Episode 296: 7 Christmas Tradition Ideas for the Whole Family (+ How to Bring Jesus into Your Home for the Holiday/Advent Season)
Episode 191: How to Actually REST This Christmas Season as a Business Owner (Taking Time Off, Holiday Bucketlists, and Business Dreaming)

Thanks to our blog sponsor, Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM)!

CHM is a faith-based alternative to health insurance—at about half the cost. You can enroll at any time and join a proven, faith-based solution that’s both reliable and affordable.

Beyond birth, CHM has helped us through ER visits, surgeries, and procedures. Those bills were shared by other CHM members, leaving us responsible only for our monthly contribution.

I can’t recommend Christian Healthcare Ministries enough! It’s more than financial help—it’s also spiritual support when you need it most.

Learn more here! And if you’d like to hear our full story, check out episode 305 of The Breakthrough Brand Podcast, where Adam and I dive into our experience with CHM.

The post 2 Christmas Traditions for Christians Who Want To Bring Jesus Into The Season appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

Can You Make Money From a New Podcast? The Money Conversation Every Podcaster Should Have

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Reading Time: 14 minutes

Can you make money from a new podcast? Can you make money from any podcast? Most people start a podcast with no real idea of how, or even if they’ll ever make money from it. Then they’re surprised when it isn’t profitable later on.

Knowing your long-term monetization strategy from the start changes everything: how you structure your episodes, what calls to action you use, and ultimately who your audience becomes. So I want to encourage you to think about and plan for this before you start your podcast.

But if you’ve already launched your show and you’re within those first 20 episodes, or even if you’ve been podcasting for a while and you’re thinking, “Elizabeth, I’ve been doing this for some time, but I’m not making any money and I don’t know why” this episode is for you too.

We’re going to work on a plan to make money from your podcast now—better late than never.

I also want to say this: your podcast doesn’t have to be profitable from day one. It’s also completely fine to start a podcast as a hobby with no plans to make money from it. You just need to be clear with yourself that that’s your intention.

So in this short episode, from one podcaster who’s been doing this for a long time to another, I’m sharing how to make a simple money plan for your show before you start it.

This comes from someone who’s produced over 320 episodes and who created this kind of plan before ever hitting record. I had a clear vision of how the show would generate income from day one and I’m still here, six years later, loving podcasting. I think that early planning made all the difference.

So let’s dive in.

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All right, guys—let’s have the money conversation that every podcaster needs to have.

You don’t need to make money from your show on day one. It’s great if you do, but it’s not a requirement. What is important is knowing where you’re headed. You need a game plan—a vision and strategy that guides you as you record episodes, launch your show, create marketing assets, and build your email list.

You should have clear steps in place to move you toward monetization. Ask yourself: How will I bring people from the podcast app into my world (whatever that world looks like)?

This kind of planning doesn’t have to take hours, but it can completely change how you show up for your podcast and how you show up for it.

The idea of making money from your podcast is something I’m really passionate about, because it’s something I’ve done successfully in my own business. My podcast is a huge asset—it allows me to sell my own products, earn through affiliate marketing, and partner with sponsors. It’s not a financial burden dragging my business down; it’s something that lifts it up. And beyond that, it’s genuinely fun for me.

I feel so strongly about this because I see so many podcasters give up. They shut their shows down or switch to a paid-membership-only model because they’re thinking, “I love doing this, but I’m not making any money. What’s the point?”

That’s why, in my course, Podcast Success Blueprint, I put a big emphasis on monetization. Most podcasting courses only include one or two quick videos on making money, and then they move on. The main focus tends to be: Get the show live. Launch it. Submit it to Apple and Spotify.

And while that’s important, it’s also a huge mistake to stop there, because monetization matters just as much.

When I first created my course, about a year ago now, I made sure monetization wasn’t an afterthought. I noticed it was missing from so many other programs, and I wanted to change that. If you’re putting in the time to record, edit, market, and publish your show, you deserve to see a return on that effort.

So in Podcast Success Blueprint, there’s an entire module dedicated to this topic, called Make Money Podcasting. In that module, I go really deep to help you think strategically about the financial side of your show. So if that sounds interesting to you, definitely check out my podcast course here.

But for now, I want to guide you through three steps to get clarity on your money plan for your podcast. Once we go through them, I’ll also share a few reflection questions to help you think through this even more. I’d encourage you to grab a journal or open a blank Google Doc afterward and brainstorm your answers.

Step One: Decide on Your Goal

The first question to ask yourself is:

Is your podcast a marketing tool for your business, a community builder, or a standalone business?

Most podcasts fit primarily into one of these categories—sometimes there’s overlap, but usually one serves as the foundation. So, let me explain some of those with a few examples to help you think about which category is right for you.

Using your podcast as a marketing tool

My own podcast is a marketing tool for an already existing business. This is probably the most common type of podcast, and it’s also the category that most of my podcast students fall into.

An example of this would be a show that serves as a marketing tool for a business that already exists. That business could sell literally anything—it could be selling courses, websites and design services, or even physical products. It could really be anything, but the key is that the podcast is a marketing tool for that business.

Using your podcast as a community

A community podcast is often what you see when you think of an influencer who has a show. These are usually interview-heavy podcasts that revolve around a specific niche or interest. In this case, you’re probably not selling your own products—at least not yet. Maybe you’ll do that eventually but for now, the monetization usually comes from ads and affiliate marketing. These types of shows tend to be very ad-driven.

Using your podcast as a standalone business

Then there’s the standalone business model. This is where the podcast itself is the foundation of the business. The business starts because the podcast starts. You may eventually add other offers, but the podcast is essentially the product—the source of the business. Often, the name of the podcast and the name of the business are the same.

Basically, figuring out which of these three categories you fall into will help you determine what role your show plays in your overall business strategy.

And again, you don’t have to overthink this one. Is your podcast a marketing tool, a community builder, or a standalone business? You probably already know which one it is.

Like I said, the marketing tool model is the most common—but I’ll share this: I actually have another podcast and business idea that’s been on my heart and mind, something I plan to start in the next few years. I’ll keep the details a secret for now, but when I think about that idea, because I’ve already done this step of planning, it definitely falls into the standalone business category, where the podcast itself would be the foundation of the business.

The podcast you’re listening to right now, though, is a marketing tool for my current business.

So anyway, get clear on which one of those you are and what your goal is for your show.

Step Two: Pick Your Monetization Model

This is a big one. Your monetization model represents what you’re working toward, even if it’s not what’s happening in your first few episodes. From day one, you’re planting seeds that align with your long-term income strategy. This is your vision for how your show will eventually make money.

In my course, Podcast Success Blueprint, I teach sixteen different ways to monetize a podcast. They fall into a few larger categories, and the great thing is, you can absolutely use multiple models at once—I do that myself on this show.

So don’t feel boxed into one path. For example, if you’ve identified your podcast as a community builder, you don’t have to stick to one monetization method forever. Each season of your show, or each phase of your business, can use different strategies.

There are so many ways to earn from your podcast, but to get your ideas flowing, here are three that I personally use:

Selling your own offers
Sponsorships
Affiliate marketing

Now, think about your show’s vision. Which of these makes sense from day one? Which might you grow into over time?

When I say “from day one,” I don’t mean you have to be making money right away—it just means you’re laying the groundwork for that goal in your first few episodes.

If your podcast is a marketing tool for an existing business, selling your own offers is a great place to start. Mention your products or services naturally and consistently. It can be part of your early content strategy.

If you don’t yet have offers but plan to create them, you might begin by focusing on email list growth. That way, when your product or service is ready, you already have an engaged audience to sell to.

If you already have a strong following or great industry connections, sponsorships might make sense early on. Maybe you expect your show to gain traction quickly or have potential partners in mind—great, that’s an opportunity.

And finally, affiliate marketing. This is one I recommend for everyone. It’s simple to implement and works naturally within your content. I go into detail on how to do this inside Podcast Success Blueprint, but it’s one of the easiest, most flexible ways to start generating income as your audience grows.

If you’re not familiar with affiliate marketing and you’re thinking, “I’ve heard of it, but what exactly is it?”—let me explain.

Affiliate marketing is similar to sponsorships in that you’re promoting another company, but it’s different because there’s no formal contract or upfront payment involved. Instead of a company paying you a set amount to mention them, you share a special link or coupon code that’s tied to you as an affiliate.

When someone makes a purchase or signs up through your link, you earn a commission. In other words, you only make money when the company makes money. It’s a win-win: they gain a new customer, and you get paid for driving that sale.

I absolutely love affiliate marketing, and I think every podcaster should use it in some way.

Now, just to help you visualize how all of this works in practice, let me walk you through how I’m personally using all three monetization methods—selling my own offers, sponsorships, and affiliate marketing—in this very episode.

You’ve probably noticed that while I’m teaching and sharing valuable content, I’ve also naturally woven in references that support my business financially. None of it (hopefully!) feels pushy or distracting—it’s just part of how the episode flows.

So, here’s how I’m doing each one:

Promoting my own products

I’ve mentioned my course, Podcast Success Blueprint, several times throughout this episode. That’s intentional. It fits naturally with the topic, and it’s something I truly believe helps my audience.

When you host your own show, don’t shy away from mentioning your expertise or your offers. If you’re teaching on a topic, it only makes sense to let listeners know how they can go deeper with you—whether that’s through a course, a service, or a product. You’re serving them by giving them the next step.

Sponsorships

If you’re listening to this episode within about two months of its release, I’m currently in the middle of a sponsorship partnership with a company I absolutely love: Christian Healthcare Ministries. I’ve partnered with them three times now on multi-month sponsorships, and it’s been such a great fit for both sides.

So, let’s talk more about that sponsorship. Christian Healthcare Ministries is amazing—they’re actually the company my family uses for our healthcare. We’re a family of five, and they’ve been such a great fit for us.

Right now, I have a multi-month partnership with them that includes not only podcast ads but also some social media content and other promotional elements.

That’s something I want you to think about, too: podcast sponsorships don’t have to be limited to just an ad read. You can create deals that include more deliverables and bring extra value to both you and the company.

If you’re listening to this episode close to its release, you’ve probably heard that ad—or maybe you’ll hear it later in the episode. I use dynamic ad insertion, which is a method I highly recommend and also teach inside my course. In my opinion, it’s one of the best ways to handle podcast ads in 2025, 2026, and beyond.

Affiliate Marketing

Now, for the third monetization method: affiliate marketing.

I haven’t mentioned any affiliate links in this specific episode yet, but when it makes sense, I do. I try to keep it natural and relevant and not push it. If there’s a product or service I genuinely use and love, I’ll mention it and share my affiliate link or discount code.

Inside Podcast Success Blueprint, I teach how to set up an affiliate system that makes this process simple—so you always have your links and codes ready and can easily share them in your episodes.

If you go back and listen to other episodes of my show, you’ll hear me weave in affiliate mentions organically. I also use pre-recorded ads that point listeners to my Tools and Resources page—a page on my website where I list all the companies I’m an affiliate for, along with any special discounts or codes my listeners can use.

So there you have it, three monetization methods, all demonstrated right here in this episode:

And remember, those are just the beginning. There are many more creative and niche ways to monetize, which I cover in detail inside my course.

So, before you even hit record, take some time to map out a general monetization plan. Ask yourself:

What can I aim toward long-term?
Is there an affiliate I could mention early on?
Is there one of my own products that fits naturally into this topic?
Could I offer a freebie in this episode that helps me collect email addresses from day one?

Thinking about these things in advance helps you record those early episodes with purpose and direction.

Now, even though I don’t think you should put too much pressure on your early episodes, it’s still worth being intentional with them. Here’s why: when your show is new and doesn’t have many episodes yet, people often go back and start listening from episode one—even if your show doesn’t need to be heard in order.

That means those early episodes can end up being some of your most-listened-to over time. So it’s a great opportunity to start implementing your monetization ideas right from the beginning.

And if that thought feels intimidating—like, “Oh my gosh, what if someone listens to my first episode a year from now, and I’ve gotten so much better since then?”—don’t stress. You can always replace the audio later. Keep the episode in the feed, but upload an updated version whenever you’re ready.

I just really want to encourage you to think about these things early on because it will help your show grow with purpose from the very beginning.

Step Three: Map Your Funnel

Now, “mapping your funnel” might sound a little more complex than it really is. At its core, it’s just about asking:

How will a listener who just found your podcast go deeper with you?

What’s the journey from point A (your show) to point B, C, or D, where they buy from you or connect with you in another meaningful way?

That’s all a funnel really is: a guided path that connects your podcast audience to the rest of your business.

I actually think this part is really fun—it’s like building a web. You have all these different “hubs” in your business, and your goal is to connect them so that people move naturally between them.

For example:

You want the person who listens to your podcast to join your email list.
You want the person who found you through a freebie or blog post to start listening to your podcast.
You want your social media followers to check out both your show and your offers.

It’s all about creating flow between the different entry points into your business so people can engage with you in multiple ways.

There are a lot of ways to structure this, and the best approach will depend on your podcast’s purpose and the way your brain works. Inside my course, I teach a few different funnel models that fit various show types and business goals.

How I’m Putting This Into Practice For A Future Podcast

And, as I mentioned earlier, I have another business idea I plan to start in the future—one where the podcast itself will be the foundation of the business. Funny enough, when I was outlining this episode, I pulled out my business journal (tapping it right here next to me!) and started sketching out how that funnel might look for that future project.

I actually have my journal open right now, and I was looking at an entry dated April 9th of this year. That’s when I did exactly what I’m talking about here: mapping out funnel ideas for a new podcast concept I’ve been dreaming up.

Now, I’m nowhere close to starting this business. I don’t even have a name for it yet—no start date, no launch plan. It’s just an idea I’ve been imagining and developing in my head. But I went ahead and did this “map your funnel” step as part of my broader planning process.

In that journal entry, I wrote out that the foundation of this future business would be free podcast content. Then I listed three specific ways I’d want to monetize that podcast directly. I also mapped out how I’d use email marketing from day one to start building toward those monetization goals—even though, realistically, some of those offers won’t exist when the show first launches.

I even brainstormed potential products that could come later, once the podcast audience is established.

That’s what I mean by mapping out your funnel. Depending on how your brain works, this process might look a little different for you.

You could literally draw arrows like:

Someone discovers you through your podcast → They hear a call to action in an episode that sends them to your website → From there, they book a discovery call or purchase a product, and now they’re a client or customer.

This step is so valuable. You deserve for your podcast to be something you love doing, but also something that contributes to your business, not something that drains it. Ideally, it should function as a marketing tool and a business asset, not an expense.

And I can tell you from experience: I did this same exercise when I started this podcast back in early 2018. I had a clear vision for how a listener could go from hearing an episode to taking action—whether that meant reaching out to hire me as their website designer or purchasing one of my website templates. Those were my offers at the time, and that clarity made all the difference.

So, that’s your third and final step: map out your funnel.

Answer These Questions To Help You Answer "Can I Make Money From a New Podcast?"

Now, I want to encourage you: grab a notebook, open a Google Doc, whatever works best for you, and take a few minutes to brainstorm your monetization plan right now. Think about your goals, your audience, and how your show can naturally lead people deeper into your business.

So here are some reflection questions to go along with the three steps I shared. Use these to guide your brainstorming:

What is your podcast?

Is it a marketing tool for your business, a community builder, or a standalone business? Define this clearly so you can start viewing your show through that specific lens.

What are different ways you can make money from your show?

Dream big here. Maybe right now you’re thinking, “I could never land a major multi-month sponsor.” But what would it look like to work toward that goal? Start mapping out steps in that direction.

How can you move people from point A to point B?

Point A is your podcast—where listeners discover you. Point B is where they become a customer or client. What tools, conversations, or content could help bridge that gap? Think about things like episode ideas, calls to action, or email opt-ins that could guide that journey.

When do you want to start monetizing?

Is it from episode one? After ten episodes? Or maybe never—because it’s purely a hobby for you? Be honest with yourself about your goals.

What can you do right now to build a foundation for monetization?

Even if you’re not ready to sell anything, what’s one small thing you can do from episode one, like starting an email list, to set yourself up for future success?

Write out your answers, and let yourself dream. See where those ideas take you.

And before we wrap up, I just want to say, as someone who’s been podcasting for a long time and genuinely loves it, it’s still such a joy for me. Right now, I’m sitting here recording during my baby’s nap time, and I truly love this work. I want that same experience for you.

Podcasting can be fun, impactful, and deeply rewarding. It lets you connect with people in a unique way, but I know one of the biggest reasons people give up, even when they love it, is because it’s not making money. That’s exactly why I want to help you change that.

If you want to go deeper into how to build a podcast that grows both your business and your income, check out Podcast Success Blueprint. I’d love to have you in the course community, where I teach everything about growing and monetizing your show.

Links Mentioned:

Get on the waitlist for my Black Friday sale

Not sure which template is right for you? Take the quiz!

See REAL Showit website template customers

Thanks to our blog sponsor, Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM)!

CHM is a faith-based alternative to health insurance—at about half the cost. You can enroll at any time and join a proven, faith-based solution that’s both reliable and affordable.

Beyond birth, CHM has helped us through ER visits, surgeries, and procedures. Those bills were shared by other CHM members, leaving us responsible only for our monthly contribution.

I can’t recommend Christian Healthcare Ministries enough! It’s more than financial help—it’s also spiritual support when you need it most.

Learn more here! And if you’d like to hear our full story, check out episode 305 of The Breakthrough Brand Podcast, where Adam and I dive into our experience with CHM.

The post Can You Make Money From a New Podcast? The Money Conversation Every Podcaster Should Have appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

5-Minute Website Audit: Is Yours Helping or Hurting Your Business?

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Reading Time: 11 minutes

Today, we’re talking about your website and just simply whether or not your website is working for you or if it’s hurting your business… because yes, sometimes “just having a website” isn’t the answer and it is possible that if it’s hurting your business, then it would be better to bypass the website altogether (I’m not saying I recommend that, but if it’s really not working for you, that might be your best option until you get one that does!). This quick website audit should help you decide!

Basically, if you’ve ever wondered, “Is my website actually working?” — as in, is it doing the job it’s supposed to — then this is your episode.

Alright friends, we have five questions — basically five elements or components of your website — that we’re looking at today to figure out: is my website helping me or hurting me? And if it’s hurting you, what do you need to do to get things working the right way?

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:

Subscribe & download the episode to your device: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | iHeartRadio

Search for episode 323!

Real quick, though, if you’re new here, new to this podcast, or new to me… or maybe you’ve listened to a few episodes but you’re thinking, “I don’t actually know what this girl’s background is — who even is she and why is she talking about this?,” let me give you a 30-second spiel.

I’m Elizabeth. I’ve been a professional website designer for 10 years and a business owner for about 9.5. I’ve designed sites on Squarespace, WordPress, Showit, Weebly, Wix, and even custom-coded sites — you name it.

For the last five-ish years (really more like six or seven — time is a blur), I’ve focused exclusively on Showit. I’ve built custom websites for clients, and I've also sold website templates (which are pre-made sites you buy and customize, or hire someone to customize).

Now, I primarily design and sell website templates at elizabethmccravy.com. And I’ve helped thousands of small business owners with their websites — from people launching their very first site (which is one of my favorite things to celebrate!) to people working on their tenth version, or coming over to my add-on templates after working with another designer.

Okay, little background done. Now let’s get into it. These are the things I look at, based on my experience as a website designer, to figure out whether what you currently have is working for you or if it’s time to change things up. And just a note: changing things up does not always mean starting from scratch. It can be a full overhaul, or it can mean adjusting and adding in a few strategic things.

Step 1: The 30-Second Test

If someone landed on your homepage right now, and we are focusing specifically on your homepage for this, would someone who doesn’t know you immediately understand:

who you are (or what your business is),
what you do, and
who it’s for

within 10–30 seconds?

If the answer is “maybe” or “probably not without clicking around” — that’s your first clue that your site might be confusing people.

You want to make it super obvious what your company does and who it’s for. Your headline, the big text someone sees first, should clearly say what you do. This is not the place to be super cute or overly clever.

Clarity always beats cuteness. Clarity also beats industry jargon your ideal client might not understand. And clarity definitely beats fluffy “word-salad” phrases.

For example, instead of something vague like:

“Making magic happen online”

(which could mean anything), you’d want something clear like:

“Strategic Showit website templates for creative entrepreneurs.”

Same for photographers. Instead of:

“Capturing your beautiful moments from behind the lens”

(which only implies photography), try something like:

“Seaside Florida luxury wedding photographer.”

You're telling the location, the style, and the type of photography and actually using the word photographer.

Getting really specific helps your visitor immediately know, “Okay, this is for me.” That’s when they’ll keep scrolling, or click to another page, or head over to your Instagram or TikTok — whatever they want to do next.

Here’s what I want you to do.

Either do this yourself or ask a friend, your spouse, your roommate — someone who already kind of knows what you do — and say, “Hey, can you scroll my homepage real quick? Do you get what I do?” Send them the link on their phone and just ask: Do you get it or not? If you landed here as a stranger, what question would you have?

Attention spans… they’re wild. Like I said, I’ve been doing websites for 10 years now, and so much has changed. Attention spans are getting shorter and shorter — which honestly bums me out (different conversation for another day!), but it’s true. The rise of short-form video has really changed expectations for how fast people should understand something.

Years ago, when I first started, people had more patience. They might land on a site, not immediately understand it, and think, “Hmm… what’s happening here?” and keep scrolling. They’d give the website a chance.

Now? They don’t. They leave. They close the tab, go back to their Google search, go back to the list ChatGPT gave them, hop back to Instagram — whatever. They move on fast.

That’s why this first step is so important: you need to grab attention through clarity of words and a design that is both functional and beautiful.

So again, that first test: give someone 10-30 seconds on your homepage to understand who you are, what you do, and who it’s for. Pause this episode if you want and send your site link to someone right now. Ask them, “Do you get what I do?”

Step 2: Does the design feel like your brand?

This one is simple — and you probably already have a gut reaction. Does the design of your website still feel like your brand?

Your business evolves over time. Sometimes you need a new look to match where you are now. That’s not a dig at what you had before — it just means you’ve grown. I’ve had many versions of my own site in the last 10 years because my business, my offers, and even how I want to show up have all changed.

So it’s normal for the fonts and colors you once used to not be the right ones anymore.

Here are a few signs it might be time to part with your current design:

You’re using a totally different aesthetic on social media or email than on your site. You updated everywhere else but left the old look on your website. Time to bring your site up to speed.
There's no cohesion on your site. Each page has a different color palette or vibe. Maybe one page looks like one template, another looks like a different template, and another looks custom… nothing feels unified.
Your fonts feel busy or hard to read and it’s confusing for users to figure out where to go next. If you’re unsure, ask a designer or trusted friend, “Does this feel too busy? Is this readable?”
Your site feels like “old you.” You look at it and think, “This was my business five years ago… but it’s not anymore.” Your headlines, offers, tone — they align with an older version of your brand and not who you are now or what you sell today.

Step 3: When is the last time you looked at your website on your phone?

This is a big one: your mobile experience.

Because oh my gosh — this can be a disaster you don't even know is happening. You had the best time designing your site on your desktop, dragging things around in Showit, getting everything just right… and then you completely ignored the mobile layout. And now your mobile site is chaos.

This happens all the time.

I love Showit. I chose it as the platform I design on and for my templates — it’s the only thing I use and recommend. But one of its biggest perks is also a challenge: desktop and mobile are connected, but you still have to manually adjust mobile.

Meaning, you can’t design only on desktop and assume it will magically look perfect on a phone. It won’t. And honestly — that’s actually a good thing. The fact that Showit lets you customize mobile separately is a huge advantage. There are a lot of design decisions you should make differently on mobile versus desktop.

When I design my templates, I almost always simplify and rearrange things for mobile to make the experience smoother. And remember: over 60% of website traffic is mobile.

So why are we ignoring mobile design?! Truly, you could argue we should start with mobile first.

If your text is tiny, buttons overlap, images are cropped weirdly, or the whole thing just feels clunky — that’s a problem.

So, scroll your site on your phone. If you have a giant site, pick key pages to evaluate. Ask yourself:

Is this easy to use?
Does scrolling feel natural?
Can I read the text?
Do buttons work and are they tappable?
Are photos cropped correctly (especially faces)?
Can users clearly see where to go next?

You might not need to check every page on your website on mobile, but you should check these for sure:

Homepage
About page
Blog (blogs often break on mobile!)
One services page or product page

This will tell you whether things need tweaking… or a full mobile overhaul. But bottom line — don’t ignore mobile.

Step 4: Personality & Connection

This one’s huge. And once you have it, your whole website just clicks. It’s like this secret sauce that makes everything feel right.

Ask yourself:

Does your website sound and feel like you?

Or…

does it sound like your copywriter wrote it?
does it sound like ChatGPT wrote it?
does it sound like a mash-up of everyone else in your industry?

If your copy and design feel stiff, generic, or bland, people won't connect. They won’t feel anything.

You want your website to sound like you talk:

on your podcast
in your YouTube videos
in your Instagram Stories
in your DMs
and even in your Instagram carousel captions

It should feel like a real human speaking — you, not a template of “professional website voice.” So, a great website doesn’t just show what you do — it shows who you are as a business or as a person (especially if you’re more of a personal brand).

Look at things like your copy and your photos. Stock photography is totally fine in places — I love high-quality stock photos and videos — but you also want to highlight your own work. So if you're a photographer, yes, most of the images on your site should be yours. And you should also have your face on your website. That personal connection really matters.

People shouldn't have to dig all the way to your About page to see what you look like. Your face should be on your homepage and sprinkled throughout other pages too. That connection goes a long way.

Another piece of this: don’t be afraid to share real details about yourself — things that help someone connect with you beyond your resume. I’ve emphasized this from day one when designing sites, especially for personal brands and service providers. If you are the person they’ll be working with, they want to know you — not just your credentials.

So in my templates, you’ll see an emphasis on creating space to share about yourself — who you are, not just what you do.

And if you’re thinking, “I have no idea what I’d even share” — here are some simple examples:

Do you have pets?
Are you a parent?
Do you practice a specific faith?
What hobbies do you love (even if you think they’re boring)?
What did you do before this career?
How long have you been doing what you do?
Are you married or in a relationship?
What's your Enneagram (if you're into that)?
Favorite books?
Fun quirks or interests?

Those kinds of details build connection.

When I was prepping this episode, I was looking through the Showcase page on my site — I have probably 200+ real examples from customers who’ve used my templates. You can see their sites, testimonials, and which template they chose.

And I want to share one testimonial that really fits what we're talking about — this one is from Marisa Glaser Creative. Shout out to Marisa — her website is amazing.

Here’s what she said about her Elizabeth McCray template:

“This purchase was worth every penny and Elizabeth is definitely going to be my recommended designer for friends looking for Showit templates in the future! Before Elizabeth McCravy Shop, my website was fine but felt like it was missing something. It didn’t feel like a full representation of the quality and quantity of my work as a photographer. I was a little overdue for a portfolio refresh but I wanted to go a step above and add a blog, a resources guide page, more client testimonials, and have better spaces to lay out sales copy for my services. “ - Marisa Glaser Creative

Marisa is such a good example of this — her old website was “fine,” but it wasn’t her. And now? She has a site that actually showcases the quality and quantity of her work and who she is.

Step 5: Is Your Website Doing Its Job?

This one is simple, and again, a bit of a gut check. Is your website doing what it's supposed to do?

Ask yourself: what is the main goal of my website?

Some examples:

Book clients
Sell digital products
Grow your email list
Send people to your podcast or YouTube channel
Get people to buy your book
Capture inquiries / forms

Whatever the goal is: is that happening?

Is your website actually driving that result?

If the answer is no, it's time to adjust. Sometimes the design looks amazing, but the strategy isn't working. Other times the strategy is great but the design isn't supporting it.

And that’s the difference between a site that's just pretty and a site that's actually profitable — strategy + great design.

It may mean a full overhaul, or it may just mean tweaking and updating pieces.

I have one more quick testimonial because it really fits here — this one is from Design Our Travel, a travel agency who used the Alice template. Here’s what she said:

“Before using the Alice template, I was piecemealing each page together, which made my website clunky and unorganized. The Alice template allows my website to still have so many working and moving parts, yet it flows and it's interactive as if I spent thousands of dollars on it. My traffic has increased – people are filling out forms and requesting more information.” - Design Our Travel

Such a great example — her old site wasn't working, it felt pieced together and messy. Now, people are filling out forms, requesting information, and traffic has increased… all huge wins. That’s exactly what we want. Your website shouldn’t just exist because someone told you you “should have a website.” It should actively support your business.

Recap: Your 5-Minute Website Audit

Clarity: Can someone land on your homepage and know who you are, what you do, and who it’s for in 10–30 seconds?
Brand Alignment: Does the design still feel like your brand today? Or like a past version of your business?
Mobile Experience: Have you checked your site on your phone? Is it clean and easy to navigate?
Personality: Does your website sound and feel like you — not AI, not your competitors, not a generic template voice?
Results: Is your website actually doing its job? Is it bringing in leads, clients, sales, traffic, whatever your main goal is?

So if you do this simple test and you're realizing, okay… my website needs some updates, that’s what I’m here for. Truly. If you've enjoyed this podcast and you’ve never checked out my Showit website templates, I really want to encourage you to do that.

I have so many options — because sometimes you really do just need a fresh start and a brand new site, and sometimes you just need a few strategic upgrades. If you already know you need to start fresh, amazing. Let’s do it. If you're not sure, email us with your website link, and we can help you figure it out. We’ll give you honest feedback on whether you need a full new site or if a few add-on templates would give you a big upgrade at a lower cost.

We have add-ons like:

an About-page timeline
service-process steps
a Link-in-Bio page
a quiz template (this is such a great way to grow your email list fast)
podcast pages
landing pages for your opt-ins
sales pages you can customize
a speaker page if you're leaning into speaking or podcast interviews

And then, of course, we have full site templates — a complete website + blog, ready to customize. Think of it like a “website in a box.” They come with pre-selected fonts and colors (which you can absolutely change), and every purchase includes the Showit Blueprint Course that walks you through customizing everything. So if you hear “change fonts and colors” and panic, don’t worry — I walk you through it.

If you're listening to this live, my big Black Friday sale is coming up really soon. If you're looking at 2026 and thinking, This is the year I do the big website upgrade or I need that add-on to really uplevel my business, this is the time to shop. This is my biggest sale of the year.

Head to elizabethmccravy.com/bf (short for Black Friday) to get on the waitlist. Once you sign up, you can forget about it until the sale starts — we’ll email you all the details when it goes live. If you're listening and the sale is already happening, all the info will be on that page.

Links Mentioned:

Get on the waitlist for my Black Friday sale

Not sure which template is right for you? Take the quiz!

Thanks to our blog sponsor, Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM)!

CHM is a faith-based alternative to health insurance—at about half the cost. You can enroll at any time and join a proven, faith-based solution that’s both reliable and affordable.

Beyond birth, CHM has helped us through ER visits, surgeries, and procedures. Those bills were shared by other CHM members, leaving us responsible only for our monthly contribution.

I can’t recommend Christian Healthcare Ministries enough! It’s more than financial help—it’s also spiritual support when you need it most.

Learn more here! And if you’d like to hear our full story, check out episode 305 of The Breakthrough Brand Podcast, where Adam and I dive into our experience with CHM.

The post 5-Minute Website Audit: Is Yours Helping or Hurting Your Business? appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

The Truth About Scaling a Business With Limited Hours (and Little Kids) with Shanna Skidmore

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Reading Time: 20 minutes

You’re in for such a treat with today’s episode! I have the wonderful Shanna Skidmore here to share how to work less, mom more, and still hit your goals. Shanna truly walks the walk — she currently runs her business in just 15 to 20 hours a week while spending the rest of her time with her two girls. You're going to love her advice on scaling a business with limited hours (and little kids at home).

If you’ve heard of Shanna before, you probably know she’s a finance expert. She helps small business owners master their money and is a former Fortune 500 financial advisor — so yes, money is her thing. But on her podcast, Consider the Wildflowers (which I love and have been a guest on), she also talks about the real side of working mom life. Her solo episodes on that topic are some of my favorites — always full of wisdom and practical advice.

When I invited her on, I knew I wanted her to talk about this — because she has such insight and tactical ideas for balancing business and motherhood. Shanna’s actually been on the Breakthrough Brand Podcast before, where we talked about how to run your business without social media. That episode (number 253) is still one of our most-downloaded ever, so definitely go back and listen to it after this one.

And if you want more from Shanna, I was on episode 43 of her podcast Consider the Wildflowers, where I share my business story and how I handle finances in my own company — plus a bit of backstory you might not have heard before. I’ll link both episodes in the show notes for you.

So, get ready to be encouraged by this conversation — the mindset shifts, the practical tips, and Shanna’s honest reflections on navigating work and motherhood with little kids, while letting go of the pressure to “do it all.”

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:

Subscribe & download the episode to your device: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | iHeartRadio

Search for episode 322!

While money is usually the topic I’m asked to speak on most, today I’m excited to share something equally close to my heart: motherhood, business, and the role finances play in both.

By nature, I’m an overachiever — driven, perfectionistic, and competitive to the core. I started my career in the world of finance bros, black power suits, and three-inch heels. At the ripe age of 21, I was thrown into an environment that valued more above all else. More money, more recognition, more influence.

It’s not that the finance world didn’t value family; it’s just that the culture I entered was heavily weighted toward success defined by achievement or at least, that’s how I perceived it.

When I started my own company back in 2013, I unintentionally found myself pushing back against that culture. I saw incredible women pursuing their passions, starting and growing businesses to create more flexibility and find that elusive work-life balance only to end up burned out, working late nights, and often barely making a dollar.

The Why Behind Starting a Business

Now, my guess is that you didn’t start your business just for the money, the recognition, or the fame. No shade to any of those things but I doubt they were your main motivation. Yet, in the business world, those same messages I heard early in my finance career are still everywhere: six-figure business, seven-figure business, $100K months.

But when we share numbers without context, it can easily lead to comparison and make us working mamas feel like we’re falling behind. Or maybe that’s just me.

Because honestly, I’m just over here trying to keep the magnet tiles picked up, dinner on the table, and enjoy the work I do in the limited hours I have (while also saving for college, weddings, endless home projects, and of course, seasonal throw pillows).

What I really want is a business that fuels the life I want and I’m guessing you feel the same.

Over the past four years of running a business while raising little ones, I’ve learned that I can’t do it all at least not at the pace I wish I could. In fact, whenever I’ve tried, I end up tired, burned out, and, more often than not, burning dinner.

So the question I want to explore today is this: Can you build a business that fuels both your passion and your paycheck, in limited hours, while raising babies and building the life of your dreams?

This is exactly why I’m so passionate about the work I do with business owners. Because I believe numbers have this powerful way of giving us permission, freedom, and strategy — helping us structure a business that supports the work we love, provides income, and also makes space for the life we want to live.

And at the end of the day, isn’t that what it’s all about?

Now, please hear me when I say that I’m not here because I have it all figured out. But if you’ll allow me, I’d love to pull back the curtain and share my journey, from starting my business before kids to running it now with little ones at my feet.

I’ll walk you through the mindset shifts, practical systems, and yes, the real numbers (with context!) behind how I’ve continued to grow a multi–six-figure business while working just 15 to 20 hours a week.

At this point in my career, I’ve seen the back end of hundreds, if not thousands, of small businesses, ranging from $1,000 a month to over $10 million a year. It’s such a privilege to see the reality behind the highlight reel. And as I always say, the numbers don’t lie.

Here’s the good news: from my experience, I’ve learned that you don’t need to spend every naptime hustling when what you really need is rest. You don’t need a 60-hour workweek or a massive passive income empire to run a profitable business as a mom.

If you’ve ever wondered how to work less, mom more, and still hit your goals, my hope is that you’ll leave today encouraged (and equipped with practical strategies to do both mom and CEO well).

Here’s what we’ll cover today:

How I run a multi–six-figure business in 15–20 hours a week while raising littles.
Five strategies that have helped me grow revenue without adding more hours.
Three practical tools that keep my business running while I raise my babies.
Some real talk: real numbers and what sustainable growth actually looks like as a mom and CEO.

So let’s dive in.

Scaling a Business With Limited Hours

My business didn’t start with nap schedules and 20-hour workweeks. It began when I had no kids and all the time in the world to pour into my work. But over the years, and especially after becoming a mom, things had to change. The truth is, motherhood changed everything, including my business model.

Ironically, the lessons that serve me most now as a working mom — setting boundaries, defining success, managing my time, and separating my identity from my work — weren’t lessons I learned in motherhood. They were lessons from the early years that prepared me for it.

Those foundational years shaped how I show up now, with limited hours and bigger responsibilities, and I’m so grateful I laid that groundwork.

Before we dive into strategies, let me take you back for a minute to how my business evolved and how those early lessons set me up for sustainable growth today.

When I first started, I didn’t have a roadmap. I was figuring things out as I went — adjusting my pricing, experimenting with offers, saying yes to too much. Before long, I was buried in projects, overpromising, undercharging, and completely stretched thin.

That’s when I learned my first foundational lesson: boundaries matter.

Not just with clients, but with my time, energy, and expectations.

I realized that clarity around my offers, intentional pricing, and a well-protected calendar weren’t just smart business strategies — they were forms of self-preservation. Little by little, I started building a business focused on sustainability and longevity, not just growth.

Because the truth is, you can only run on burnout and adrenaline for so long.

Profitability and manageable workloads aren’t just good for you… they’re good for your business. They help you build something that lasts, so you can keep serving your clients for the long haul.

Fast forward five years, and my business had really taken off. What started as a solo, service-based venture had grown into courses, programs, and digital products. I’d taught thousands of students, was generating more revenue than I ever dreamed possible, and had built a team — six employees plus a group of contractors handling everything behind the scenes.

From the outside, my business looked like a success. And on paper, it absolutely was. But behind the scenes? I was tired. The business had grown so quickly, and while I was proud of what we’d built, I woke up one day and realized my life didn’t look the way I wanted it to.

So, I did something that felt radical at the time — I took an entire year off.

I paused launches, stopped selling, and gave myself permission to just breathe.

During that year, I got pregnant with our oldest daughter. That season taught me one of the most important lessons of my career: how to separate my identity from my business.

I began to believe deeply that my work is just that — work. It’s a job I love and am proud of, but it’s not my entire identity.

Over the past four years, we’ve welcomed two little ones (with another on the way!) — and I’ve continued running a multi–six-figure business while working just 15 to 20 hours a week. This setup allows me to prioritize being a mom, especially in this season with little ones at home.

We’ve intentionally kept our team small, our operations streamlined, and our growth strategy focused. When I became a mom, it wasn’t that everything about my business had to change, it was that the lessons I’d learned in my first eight years suddenly became essential.

Boundaries, clarity, focus, and knowing what matters most — those weren’t optional anymore. I didn’t just want a business that looked successful; I needed one that worked with my life, not against it.

Because here’s the truth:

You can grow a business and raise kids.

You can scale with limited hours.

You can build something you’re proud of without sacrificing everything else that matters to you.

But it doesn’t happen by accident. It happens by intention or, better yet, by strategy.

Looking back over the past 12 years of running a business — four of those with little ones in tow — I can see five guiding strategies that have shaped my growth and helped me do both mom and CEO in a way that feels sustainable and fulfilling.

These strategies aren’t magic tricks or quick wins. They’re steady, intentional choices that have made long-term growth possible for me and I hope they’ll do the same for you.

So, let’s jump into the first one.

1. Start With The Life You Want.

Before you set goals, map out offers, or chase after growth, get clear on the life you want to live.

It might sound cliché, but it’s true — your business should serve your life, not the other way around. Strategic growth always begins with clarity on what you want your life and work to look like.

There’s no one-size-fits-all business model, and that’s a beautiful thing. You get to define what success looks like for you.

So, first, ask yourself: What do I want my life to look like?

Be specific. How much do you want to travel? What do you want your home life to feel like? Do you love cooking and meal prep, or would you rather outsource that? Do you want quiet mornings before your family wakes up? What time do you want to get up and go to bed?

Next, ask: What do I want my business to look like?

What kind of impact do you want to make? How many hours do you want to work? Do you want to work part-time? Who do you want to serve? How big do you want your team to be?

And maybe most importantly: What does being a good mom mean to me?

Does it mean picking your kids up from school? Being at every game? Having slow mornings together? You get to define it. No one else.

Start there. Get clear on what you want from your life and your business.

That’s the first strategy, and in my opinion, the most important one.

2. Do The Math On Your Time And Money

Because time is your most limited and valuable resource — especially as a mom and business owner. Now, I have a course called The Blueprint Model. It’s a strategic growth and financial planning course, and in it, I teach a concept called The Time Bank (one of my absolute favorites to share with my students).

Think about your time like a bank account. You only get so many hours to “spend” each week, and our goal is to always stay positive (not rack up those “NSF fees” with our time).

So, to start, I want you to get clear on how many hours you actually want to work.

For me, in this season of motherhood, I aim for about 20 hours a week. I have two days of childcare, that’s roughly 10 hours, and then every morning I get up a couple of hours before my family wakes up. That gives me my 20 working hours for the week. I call these your time deposits.

Once you know your time deposits, the next step is to brain dump all your tasks and responsibilities. You can do this for home life too, but for now, let’s focus on work.

Write down everything: emails, social media, client communication, travel, meetings, the actual work you deliver — all of it. Then, estimate how much time each task takes.

These are your time withdrawals.

Now, do a little time math.

How many “deposits” — hours — do you have each week? And how much time do all your “withdrawals” — your tasks — actually take?

For me, that’s 20 hours of deposits. Then I look at how much time everything on my plate requires. Again, you can do this for home tasks too.

At the end of the week, ask yourself: are you positive or negative in your time bank?

I think so many of us feel rushed, hurried, or like we’re always behind. I often feel that way myself. And every time I do, I sit down and redo this exercise. Seeing it in black and white helps me understand why I’m overwhelmed, and usually, it’s because I’ve simply taken on too much.

I’ll share a few practical tips later for keeping your time bank in the positive, but for now, just know: this exercise has been incredibly eye-opening for me.

3. Get Strategic With Your Offers

When you only have 15–20 hours a week to work, not all offers are created equal.

One of the best shifts I ever made was getting brutally honest about how much time each offer actually took and how profitable it was. (And side note: whether or not I even enjoyed doing it!)

The truth is, business models can look a lot of different ways.

A wedding photographer might take on 10 weddings a year at $10,000 each and make $100,000. Another photographer might not want to work weekends at all, so they do three portrait sessions a week at $650 each which is also $100,000 a year.

That’s what I mean by designing a business model that works for you — your life, your interests, your goals — not forcing your life to fit a business that just looks good on paper.

Let me give you an example from one of my students that perfectly illustrates this.

She’s a calligrapher. Her highest-revenue offer was custom calligraphy (beautiful, detailed work that paid well per project). But she also had a shop selling calligraphy pens and kits, which were priced much lower. So to make the same amount, she’d have to sell a lot more of them.

Naturally, she put most of her time into her high-ticket custom projects because they brought in more per client. But when she did her time bank math, she realized how many hours those custom jobs were consuming.

So she made a shift. She started focusing more on her shop — products that were quicker to fulfill, easier to scale, and still profitable. Within 30 days, her monthly sales jumped from $2,000 to $20,000… simply by reallocating her time toward the offers that gave her the best return.

That’s the power of strategy.

By being intentional about her offers, she multiplied her income without increasing her hours.

So after I clarified my time and my vision for my life and business, this became my next step too: get strategic with my offers.

Ask yourself:

What’s working and what’s not?
Which offers give you the best return on your time?
Which ones do you actually enjoy?

Focus your energy there especially if your time is limited.

4. Delegate Like a CEO Even if It’s Just You

If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times: ask for help.

Whether it’s outsourcing your laundry, hiring a virtual assistant, or bringing in childcare, growing a business with limited hours requires support (usually more than you think).

But the question is: how, when, and what should you delegate?

So, you want to start by identifying the tasks that only you can do or the ones that are most important for you to do.

I know that’s easier said than done, but with practice, it really does get easier.

For example, in my own business, I know that I’m the visionary. Financial reporting and strategy are how my brain works best, so I want to spend time improving our financial reports for CFO clients. I want to refine my course, The Blueprint Model, and build out new spreadsheets and reporting tools for our shop.

I’m also the face of the brand. That means carving out time, and honestly, I love carving out time, to spread the word about what we do. I enjoy being a guest on podcasts like this one, writing and recording content for our own podcast and blog, and creating long-form SEO content. I also love connecting with and serving our audience through our weekly newsletter.

Those are the things I’ve identified as the most valuable tasks for me — the ones only I can do. Everything else, I work to get off my plate.

In The Blueprint Model, I teach this process using something we call the Time Matrix. It’s a simple framework that helps you categorize your tasks into four quadrants:

Eliminate
Automate
Delegate
Prioritize (or keep)

First, once you’ve identified your key responsibilities (that you are prioritizing/keeping), look for what you can eliminate. These are tasks that don’t add value to you, your clients, or your business.

For me, one of those was social media. Back in 2017, I quit social media entirely. It’s not that it isn’t valuable, it just wasn’t the most useful for my business or my time. I realized that my energy was better spent elsewhere, so I eliminated it.

Next, automate whatever you can.

Automation can be simple, even silly but it makes a difference.

For example:

My nanny always washes our bedsheets on Mondays. I never have to think about it.
We always order takeout on Thursday nights. I don’t cook that night, and I love it.
I meal prep and grocery shop on Friday mornings.
In our business, we automate podcast guest follow-ups using a tool called Dubsado.

The more you can automate, the less mental energy you spend on repetitive decisions.

And finally, delegate.

If a task can’t be eliminated or automated, and it’s not the best use of your time, delegate it.

Start small. Hire someone to manage your inbox or schedule client calls. Bring on a part-time virtual assistant. Hire childcare, even if it’s just a few hours a week. And if a traditional sitter isn’t an option, think creatively. I’ve had students who trade childcare days with a neighbor: one mom watches all the kids one day, the other takes them the next.

In my business, we have contractors who handle podcast editing, blog post formatting, Pinterest management, and email support.

And of course, since we’re a finance company, we manage our own books in-house but for most small businesses, hiring a bookkeeper is one of the best early investments you can make.

Outside of business, think about delegating household responsibilities too.

A house cleaner, a nanny, or even using grocery pickup or meal delivery services like HelloFresh, Kroger ClickList, or Target curbside — those count as delegation too.

Delegation isn’t just about outsourcing tasks; it’s about protecting your time for the work and relationships that matter most.

When you do this well, you create space — space for creativity, strategy, family, and rest.

I know it can be really hard to ask for help, and even harder to pay for help, especially when your budget feels tight. Limited work hours can feel frustrating, and I completely understand that.

But honestly, having limited time has forced me to get crystal clear on what truly matters most — and to find creative ways to both pay for and delegate tasks. That’s been one of the biggest mindset shifts in my journey.

5. Do Less, but Better

When you’re short on time, doing more is not the answer. Doing the most important things really well — that’s the answer.

For me, that means focusing on just one, two, or maybe three core offers — the ones that are the most profitable, the most impactful, and the most enjoyable for me to deliver. Then I go all in.

Refine your systems.

Optimize your delivery.

Raise your prices as your value grows.

I see so many entrepreneurs stretched thin — juggling too many offers with clunky systems that waste precious time. But when you simplify, when you focus on one thing, optimize it, then move to the next, you create smoother systems, save time, and increase profitability.

It’s the same with marketing.

You don’t need to be everywhere. Choose one, maybe two or three marketing strategies that you love and that actually move the needle for your business. Maybe it’s a podcast, a blog, or a YouTube channel. Maybe it’s a simple weekly newsletter.

For me, it’s long-form SEO content and speaking.

Now, I know speaking isn’t technically the most profitable thing I do on paper, but it’s my favorite marketing tool. I love being with people, sharing on stage, and connecting through conversation. It’s great for our brand, and it fills me up — that matters too.

When you simplify, you create space for mastery.

And mastery brings better results, better clients, and more profit.

Before I send you off, I want to give you three practical tools I use to keep my business running smoothly, week after week while balancing both motherhood and entrepreneurship.

Practical Tool #1: Set Real Work Hours (and Respect Them)

I have friends who integrate home and work life beautifully. I tried that for a while… and realized it just doesn’t work for me.

I don’t like the “nap-time hustle” — rushing to my computer the second my kids go down, or feeling frustrated when naps don’t happen as planned. That constant juggling left me exhausted.

For me, I prefer clear separation between work time and home time. When my kids nap, I want to be unloading the dishwasher, picking up toys, reading a book, or just sitting quietly — not answering emails.

Early in my business, I started tracking my time religiously with a tool called Toggl, almost as if I were billing by the hour. And I’ve been using it ever since — 12 years now!

That practice has given me deep insight into how long tasks actually take me.

So when I decided to keep work and home life separate, I knew I needed to set real work hours and respect them.

For me, that doesn’t necessarily mean 10–2 on certain days. My schedule shifts depending on the week, especially if we’re traveling or taking time off. But my goal is to clock 20 hours per week.

That’s my sweet spot and Toggl helps me stay accountable to that.

When I track my hours honestly, I can see what fits into 20 hours… and what doesn’t. That clarity helps me “clean house” — cutting back, simplifying, and focusing only on what truly matters.

For instance, I know that writing long-form content, whether that’s guest blogs, podcast interviews, or solo podcast episodes, is a priority for me. But I also know I’m slow at it, so I plan my time accordingly.

I’m very thorough. It takes me about five hours to write one blog post or one solo podcast episode. And when you only have 20 hours a week to work, that’s 25% of my time — every single week!

So if that’s my one form of marketing, it has to work, right?

Tracking my time in this way has helped me stay realistic about where my energy goes and make sure I’m focusing on the tasks that actually move the needle… the things in my zone of genius.

I look at:

How much time I need to improve and update our course, The Blueprint Model
How much time I need to prep for launches
How much time I need to write our newsletter
How many client calls I can realistically take each week

Tracking my time has given me incredible clarity. It keeps me honest about what I can and cannot take on, and it allows me to direct my focus toward the work that actually moves the business forward.

Practical Tool #2: Plan Your Tasks in Advance and Focus on the Most Important First

I use a tool called Asana for this, and I absolutely love it.

I get overwhelmed trying to keep a running to-do list in my head. I don’t like constantly thinking, “What have I forgotten? What ball have I dropped? What do I need to do tomorrow?”

So years ago, I started using Asana to plan everything and it’s been a game changer.

Big tasks, tiny tasks, random brain dumps — they all go into Asana. I can assign things to my team members, set deadlines for myself, or just park ideas on a “tackle later” list so they’re not cluttering my brain.

And yes, I love the fun part, when you complete a task, a little mythical creature flies across the screen. It’s silly but satisfying!

At the end of every work session (and I call them sessions because my schedule shifts week to week), I take a few minutes to review what’s on my list and choose the one, two, or three priorities I’ll tackle first the next time I sit down to work.

And here’s the hardest part: I start with the hardest or most important task first.

I’m naturally drawn to quick wins and I love checking boxes as much as anyone. But I’ve learned that the hard stuff usually matters most.

One of my friends calls the easier, low-pressure tasks “wine tasks” — the things you can do later in the day when your energy is lower or interruptions are more likely. I save those for later and knock out the tough, high-impact work first.

This one simple practice — putting everything in Asana, getting it out of my head, and choosing what to focus on next — has made me dramatically more productive and calm.

For me, that’s Asana.

Practical Tool #3: Know Your “Enough Number”

You’re going to be sad we can’t spend more time here because this one is my favorite — it’s the financial philosophy I’ve become known for.

Knowing your “Enough Number” means creating a clear, realistic budget for both your home and your business.

This is truly the most practical and freeing tool I use to make both mom life and CEO life work together.

I know, down to the penny, how much our family needs to live and how much my business needs to run. And I focus solely on hitting those numbers.

Knowing what “enough” looks like gives me permission to rest, to stop hustling, to let go of the fear that I’m falling behind. Especially in a season where I want to watch my babies grow more than I want to watch my business grow.

So what does this look like in practice?

If you have no idea what your sales goal or “enough number” is, start here:

Sit down and figure out how much you need to contribute to your household this year. That’s it. Start there.

Call it your salary, your owner’s draw — whatever term fits your business. But identify that number.

That number — the amount you need to contribute to your home — might be zero, or it might be $100,000.

From there, the next step is to figure out how much it costs to run your business. Once you know those two numbers, you can reverse-engineer your goal with simple math:

What you need to make (your personal income)

What it costs to run your business

= Your sales goal — or what I call your Enough Number.

This is the total amount of revenue your business needs to bring in to cover all your expenses and pay yourself what you want to earn.

Simply put, your Enough Number is the sweet spot where ambition and contentment meet.

Knowing this number gives me so much peace of mind.

If I want to try a new offer, or if I happen to have extra capacity and want to stretch for a bigger goal, I can absolutely do that but I know I don’t have to.

Inside my financial planning course, The Blueprint Model, I teach my students to identify three numbers:

Your Need Number: what you need to live.
Your Want Number: what provides comfort and flexibility.
Your Reach-for-the-Stars Number: your big stretch goal.

But at the end of the day, simply knowing your Enough Number gives you the clarity and permission to rest.

I know that if I hit that number, I’m providing for my family, my business is healthy, and I can exhale. It’s incredibly freeing.

This, without a doubt, is my most practical and most powerful tool.

I’m not stressed about money, because I know exactly what I need to hit. That focus keeps me grounded and calm.

And if you’re listening and thinking, “Shanna, I have no idea where to start. I’ve never made a budget for my business or my home. Money gives me the sweats,” — I’ve got you covered.

I have a free 30-minute class here, or if you’d rather dive straight into the tools I use myself, I also have two simple one-year budget templates (one for home and one for business) available in my shop.

You don’t need a complicated system just something that helps you use the hours you do have wisely.

For me, that looks like:

Tracking my time with Toggl
Planning my work with Asana
Defining “enough” with clear home and business budgets

These three practical tools keep me grounded. They’re simple, effective, and most importantly, they help me run a business that supports my life, not the other way around.

They help me be present when I’m momming, and be focused when I’m working so I can do both well.

When you know where your time is going, what matters most each week, and how much money is enough, you can stop spinning your wheels, stop feeling behind or burnt out, and finally start growing with intention.

You can have a thriving, profitable business and a rich, meaningful home life — but not always at the same pace or scale as the “overnight success” stories we so often hear.

Real, lasting growth takes time especially when you’re intentionally working fewer hours to prioritize motherhood. That can feel challenging, but it’s not a setback. It’s a sign of wisdom.

I once heard that Tony Robbins gave three talks a day in his early years to outperform the top speaker in his industry, who gave just three talks a month. That kind of momentum creates fast results — it’s the “10,000-hour rule” in action.

But when your available hours are fewer, your pace will naturally be different. And that’s okay. That’s not failure… that’s intentionality.

Give yourself permission to grow slowly, sustainably, and in alignment with the life you want and the mom you want to be.

You can always choose to accelerate later.

Martha Stewart famously built her empire in her fifties, proof that success has no expiration date and no perfect timeline. So whether you’re building your business during naptime, after bedtime, or in just 15 hours a week — you’re not behind.

You’re growing with intention, and that is something to be deeply proud of.

I’ll leave you today with one of my favorite quotes from Dolly Parton:

“Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.”

Links Mentioned:

Sign Up For Shanna’s Free Class with 6 Money Moves to Make in 2025 to Cozy Up with Your Business's Numbers (Without Spreadsheet Meltdowns or Budgeting Burnout):

Grab Shanna's Simple One Year Business Budget

Grab Shanna's Simple One Year Home Budget

Listen to Shanna's Podcast Ep. 127 What Work-Life Balance really looks like as a mom & CEO

Not sure which template is right for you? Take the quiz!

Thanks to our blog sponsor, Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM)!

CHM is a faith-based alternative to health insurance—at about half the cost. You can enroll at any time and join a proven, faith-based solution that’s both reliable and affordable.

Beyond birth, CHM has helped us through ER visits, surgeries, and procedures. Those bills were shared by other CHM members, leaving us responsible only for our monthly contribution.

I can’t recommend Christian Healthcare Ministries enough! It’s more than financial help—it’s also spiritual support when you need it most.

Learn more here! And if you’d like to hear our full story, check out episode 305 of The Breakthrough Brand Podcast, where Adam and I dive into our experience with CHM.

The post The Truth About Scaling a Business With Limited Hours (and Little Kids) with Shanna Skidmore appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

Three Babies Later: My 13 BEST Tips For the Postpartum Season

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Reading Time: 36 minutes

Hey everyone, welcome back to the podcast — and welcome to the final part of my birth series (about the postpartum season)! So far, I’ve shared three episodes all about pregnancy and birth, and I really appreciate everyone who’s listened along. If you haven’t yet, you can totally go back and check them out after this one!

Here’s a quick recap:

The first episode was all about my pregnancy — the behind-the-scenes of my decision to have a home birth and prepare for a VBAC (Episode 318)
The second episode was Sofia’s home birth story (Episode 319)
The third was a Q&A where I answered 15 questions about all things birth (Episode 320)
Now, my 13 best tips for thriving during postpartum season (Episode 321)

Today, we’re diving into postpartum but instead of sharing my personal postpartum story, I wanted to do something a little different. When I sat down to plan this episode, I realized that what might be most helpful for you is practical advice.

After going through three postpartum and newborn seasons (each one unique, with three very different births and babies), I’ve learned a lot. As I’m recording this, I’m about three months postpartum (Sofia is around 14 weeks old), so this is all still very fresh for me.

These are the postpartum lessons and pieces of advice I wish I’d heard sooner — things that aren’t your typical “postpartum recovery” tips. Instead, we’ll focus more on lifestyle, adjusting to a new baby, a growing family, and the transition that comes with it.

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:

Subscribe & download the episode to your device: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | iHeartRadio

Search for episode 321!

Okay, so like I said, I’m coming to you right now at three months postpartum with my third baby, Sofia. I also have two boys — Colin and Ethan. Colin is four years old now, and Ethan is a year and a half. So yes, we’ve got a brand-new baby in the house!

I’ll start by saying that I’m not really going to share much about my specific postpartum experience in this episode. It’ll naturally weave into my advice, but what I mainly want to say up front is that this has truly been my best postpartum experience yet. Some of the advice I’ll share will explain why that’s been the case, and I’m so grateful for it.

There are so many factors that go into what makes a postpartum experience feel easier or harder — physical, emotional, situational — so I just want to remind you: don’t compare your postpartum journey to someone else’s. Every situation is different.

And honestly, with this being my third baby, it’s kind of crazy to me that even with more kids, a husband who went back to work much sooner, and a business to run, this time has actually felt easier than my first. Back then, I was just adjusting to having one child. So, it doesn’t necessarily get harder every time.

This has been such a sweet postpartum season for me. I’ve truly loved these months and am continuing to love life as a mom of three. It feels so amazing. I’m really loving our family-of-five life. So that’s a little life update and some context before we dive in.

Now, let’s get into these pieces of postpartum advice that you might not have heard before or at least not explained in this way. These are things I’d tell any mom, whether it’s your first baby, your second, your third, or beyond.

1. None of these difficulties of postpartum last forever. Remind yourself that when it’s hard.

Remind yourself of that when things feel hard. Truly, the first year of a baby’s life, and even beyond that, is full of constant change. Week by week, even day by day in those early months, everything shifts so much.

For me, as a third-time mom, it’s easier to see that now. I can look back and think, yeah, that was hard last time too, but it didn’t last forever. It passed quickly. I know to expect things like the three-month sleep regression, and that perspective really helps.

It’s definitely not as easy to see this as a first-time mom, when everything feels so new. But now, I really know how fast it all goes. Especially with my second, Ethan — he still feels like such a baby himself. He’s 19 months old right now as I’m recording this, and that close age gap has shown me just how quickly time passes.

So when things feel hard, I really want you to remind yourself — none of it lasts that long.

Let me give you some real examples from these past three months:

Your baby won’t always be awake with you until you go to bed, like in those newborn weeks when if you go to sleep at nine or ten, they’re still up with you — and then waking throughout the night. Eventually, your baby will have a bedtime around 7:00 or 7:30 (that’s my recommendation), and you’ll get your evenings back. You’ll have that time again to just relax or do something for yourself.

This time around, I actually enjoyed those evenings with Sofia — once the boys were down, she’d stay up with us until our bedtime. But now, at three months postpartum, that phase has already ended.

Nursing also won’t always take 45 minutes every two hours. It becomes quicker, more spaced out, and so much more manageable.

Your baby will eventually sleep through the night. I can’t say exactly when, it’s different for everyone, and honestly, they might sleep through the night for a while and then stop and start again. That’s been my experience. But it does happen, and you will sleep again.

Going out gets easier (both with your baby and without your baby). It really does.

If you hate swaddling (or your baby hates it!), you’ll be done with it before you know it because your baby will outgrow it so fast. Ironically, as I’m recording this, Sofia is taking her first crib nap in the Magic Merlin Sleep Suit, which we use as our swaddle-to-sleep-sack transition. We did about three months of swaddling, and now she’s in that next stage already.

You’ll also get to an actual nap schedule eventually, with fewer naps and more predictability, instead of feeling like your baby constantly needs to sleep.

Those are just a few examples of things that can feel challenging early on, but they really do pass so quickly. Try to remember that and soak in the parts you want to enjoy, because this season goes by in a blink.

The beautiful things about this season also go by quickly. I’ve been reminded of that too… yes, the hard parts pass fast, but so do the amazing, precious, sweet things about the newborn phase. Those are the moments I want to have as permanent photos and videos in my mind forever.

For example, contact naps. Yes, older kids and toddlers can still nap on you, but it becomes so rare, and you really do miss it. I’ve been soaking those up. The little newborn stretches when they come out of the swaddle all scrunched up, the cooing, the way you can just lay around and look into your baby’s eyes and babble back and forth, those happy moments when your baby just wants to be held.

And then all the “firsts” — the first smile, the first laugh, rolling over, grabbing something — all of it is just so, so sweet and precious. And it really does fly by.

That little saying, “the days are long, but the years are short,” is so true in parenting. You’ll find your groove and your new normal sooner than you think but it’s always changing. That first year, the schedule constantly shifts. Eventually, though, you’ll reach a point where things feel more stable (the feeding rhythm, the naps, the daily flow), and if you’re someone who thrives on routine, that will feel really good.

2. Getting “ready” for the day can be very mood-boosting

I’ve talked about this in other podcast episodes, including the ones about my postpartum experiences after both of my boys were born.

But I mentioned this especially after Ethan was born, how much my mood improved when I took a little time to get ready. And I don’t mean putting on jeans or a fancy top or doing your hair perfectly. I’m talking about simple things: comfy sweatpants or leggings you feel good in, a nursing- or pumping-friendly top, a little bit of makeup, and a shower.

That has truly been one of my best postpartum hacks. It’s crazy how much my mood shifts when I go from wearing pajamas, not showering, and having no makeup on — to just putting in my contacts, brushing my hair, or applying a little makeup.

I don’t do that every single day, especially not in the early weeks, but during that first month, it made a huge difference to get ready every few days… even just blow-drying my hair or putting on mascara.

And that’s true even if I look at the day ahead and think, “I’m only going to be at home,” or “the only place I’m going today is the pediatrician and the Starbucks drive-through.” It doesn’t matter and it still helps me feel better and more like myself to get a little bit put together.

On that note, I highly recommend buying yourself some cute clothes, lounge sets, and PJs for postpartum… things you’ll be excited to wear, that feel comfortable and beautiful. Maybe even size up a bit.

Find a few outfits that fit the season you’re in. For me, those early months were during the hot summer, and now we’re easing into fall. Having a few sets or outfits that were easy for nursing or pumping, but also made me feel comfortable, made a big difference.

I usually find mine on Amazon… I’ll just search for sets, pick a few that look cute, and return what doesn’t work. It’s simple and easy.

And again, this is something that really works for me. If you’re hearing me say that and thinking, “Ugh, that sounds stressful, that sounds like more work,” then maybe this tip isn’t for you. But for me, during times in postpartum when I’ve felt down, stressed, or anxious, that little act of getting ready has really helped.

3. Take the rest and slowness that postpartum is inviting you into.

First, it’s okay to hog your baby. It’s okay to just lay in bed and have other people bring you things.

I think too often, after having a baby, whether it’s your first or your third, we feel this impulse to get back to it right away. But you don’t need to. I promise.

And sometimes that impulse can be even stronger if your birth felt easier or went really smoothly. You think, “I don’t actually need that much recovery time,” so you try to jump back in faster than you should.

For me, with this third baby, I actually rested the most. Way better than with my first or second. And that still feels kind of crazy to say, considering what life looks like with three kids.

This time, I had my easiest recovery because I had a straightforward, no-intervention home birth. So in theory, my recovery should have been faster. Plus, I already had two other kids, so I could’ve told myself, or someone else could’ve said, “Elizabeth, your recovery was simple, you’ve got other kids to care for, you need to get back to it.”

But I didn’t tell myself that and thankfully, no one around me did either. And I’m so grateful for that.

So if you have that little voice in your head (maybe because it’s a subsequent birth, or because your delivery was smooth and you feel like you don’t need as much rest), let me be the one to tell you: take the longer recovery.

My midwife actually encouraged me to rest big and I did.

And like I said, I actually rested longer and better this time than even after my C-section.

If you missed the earlier episodes, this was my first home birth, and the postpartum care was completely different from my other two births. My first was through a birth center, and my second was hospital care. But with home birth, I was honestly surprised by how much care and follow-up there was.

I saw my midwife, Aubrey, four or five times before I even got to six weeks postpartum. And when I compare that to my other births, it’s night and day. With my previous experiences, it felt like no one checked on me. I didn’t see a doctor or midwife or have any guidance until that six-week appointment that everyone knows about — you have your baby, you leave the hospital, and then it’s radio silence for six weeks.

And even that six-week appointment… I remember thinking, “What’s the point?” It felt like nothing was really checked on, and then there’s just that quick mental health screening with a few questions, and that’s it.

This time was completely different. I felt like I had so much care and support, and that made a huge difference in my postpartum healing. It helped me rest.

Every appointment, Aubrey would come to our home. We’d meet in our bedroom while I was still laying in bed, and I’d ask her questions like, “Should I start doing this or that now?” or “Can I go up and down the stairs again?” And she kept encouraging me, “No, just keep resting. Keep letting other people help you right now. Focus on rest.”

And I really did. I leaned into resting this time and fully embraced the slowness and that’s exactly what I’d encourage you to do too: embrace the slowness and take the rest.

I can’t say enough how much I loved those first two months postpartum and how well cared for I felt. I loved the slowness. I loved having family help and support. I loved not being the one in charge of meals, laundry, and all those daily tasks (which we’ll talk more about in some of the upcoming tips).

Now, I still did things here and there. I’ll admit, one of the harder parts this time was feeling more disconnected from my older two kids, just because I wasn’t with them as much. But they were totally fine. We had so much family around, lots of people coming and going, and they got tons of attention.

During that first month or two, I wasn’t doing their bedtime routines every night. Normally, Adam and I would each take one kid and alternate nights, but this time, I wasn’t doing that as much. Still, if I felt like, “Oh, I really haven’t connected with Ethan today,” I’d make a point to do his bedtime that night. Little things like that helped me feel connected, even while doing less overall.

And again, it’s not forever. Your kids will be okay with you being less available while you focus on the baby.

The 5-5-5 Rule

There’s a postpartum ritual I want to mention called the 5-5-5 Rule, and there are a few versions of it. The basic one goes like this:

Five days in bed
Five days around the bed
Five days around the house

So, in bed, around your room, and then around your house so you start slowly easing back into activity after birth.

There’s also a more gradual version that goes:

Five days in bed
Five days on the bed
Five days around the bed
Five days around the house

It’s all about gently transitioning from full rest to light movement and, eventually, normal activity.

I really encourage you to read up on the 5-5-5 Rule — there are tons of blogs and articles out there. Share it with your spouse or family who will be supporting you, and let them know you want to try it.

And if this is your second or third baby and you’re thinking, “I didn’t rest at all after my first,” that was totally me too. I didn’t rest well after my first birth. So this time, I made a point to do it differently.

It doesn’t have to be something that only works when it’s your first baby and you don’t have other kids to take care of. You can absolutely do a version of this with your next baby too.

So, talk to your spouse, talk to your family members, and let them know, “Hey, this is my plan so I can heal better and faster. I want to rest, stay in bed, and really bond with my baby.”

When I talk about taking rest and embracing the slowness that postpartum invites you into, I know it can be hard. You’ve just done this huge thing, and it’s so easy to feel like you need to jump right back into everything. But your body just went through something enormous, and I don’t care what kind of birth you had, your body still needs time, rest, and nourishment to recover.

You need to feed yourself well, you need to rest, and you need to get sleep whenever you can. That’s why everyone says “sleep when the baby sleeps.” It’s not always realistic, but it’s because your body truly needs that time.

Even if you’re feeling pretty good a few weeks postpartum, remember, your body still has a lot of healing to do. You just did something massive, and recovery takes time.

So, I could say a lot more about that, but I’ll leave it there: take the rest, embrace the slowness, and look up the 5-5-5 rule.

4. Ask for help and accept help.

I have some specific advice around this that we’ll get into, but again, this applies whether it’s your first baby or your third. What people help with will just look different each time.

With more kids, there’s naturally more to manage, so this time, help might look like people caring for your older children. With your first, it might’ve been more about help with the house or with the newborn directly.

I also know not everyone has a strong support system or family nearby, and that can make it really hard to get the kind of help you want postpartum. I totally get that. And I truly pray that if you’re in that situation, someone will come into your life who can help, or that family might be able to travel to you and stay for a bit.

If that’s not possible, I’d really encourage you to pray about and think through who you could ask to be that helping hand for you and your spouse during this season.

Now, let’s talk about some practical ways to ask for and accept help. Obviously, this depends on your own family and friend situation, but here’s some advice I’d give:

1. Create a postpartum help checklist and put it on your fridge so people can see it when they come over.

This is a more passive way to guide people who are already in your house — visitors, family, friends — on how they can actually help.

This was really helpful for us with my first baby, especially since everything felt new to everyone.

For some of our family, this was the first grandchild, the first time any of us were doing this whole “new baby” thing together. Honestly, I didn’t even really know what kind of help I would want. The idea of having my in-laws or my mom in my house doing things for me felt really strange and different from what I was used to.

Normally, when they’d visit, I’d be in full hostess mode… not laying in bed while they cooked or cleaned.

But I had taken a birth course from My Essential Birth — shoutout to Stephanie, who I just adore. I actually shared Ethan’s birth story on her podcast, Pregnancy and Birth Made Easy. Anyway, I took her birth course as a first-time mom, and it included lessons about postpartum. She now also has a full postpartum course, which I’ve heard great things about.

In that original course, she had a PDF you could print. Something to stick on your fridge or send to family members with ways they could help postpartum.

So, I printed it out and put it on our fridge.

When family came to visit, I could just casually say, “Hey, the birth course I took suggested printing out this list, it has some ideas for ways you can help while you’re visiting if you want to look at it.” It was super casual, nothing awkward or pushy.

That list from Stephanie had things like:

Take out the trash
Wipe down the kitchen counters
Hold the baby so mom or dad can shower
Take the older kids out of the house for an activity
Make a pot of coffee
Fold laundry
Prepare a meal

Simple, practical things, but it gave people direction.

So, I definitely recommend making your own little list to put on the fridge — something like, “Here are some ways to help.” It’s such a great, low-pressure way to ask for help, especially if it feels uncomfortable to directly tell people what you need. That was definitely me with my first. I didn’t want to ask, so this was a perfect workaround.

2. If you have a family member you’d feel comfortable having stay with you after birth to help, ask them to.

Even if you don’t have a guest room, maybe they’re sleeping on the couch or in another room, having someone actually stay with you can make a huge difference. Or, if they live nearby, maybe they just come over every morning and stay through the kids’ bedtimes.

For both of my second and third births ,with Ethan and Sofia, that person was my mother-in-law, Jan. Both times, she came over when I went into labor to watch the other kids, and then she stayed for about four to seven days straight, just living with us. Then she went home, and came back again a week later to help even more.

It was truly so helpful, and I’m beyond grateful to have that kind of family support — and to actually want someone to come live with us for a week! My mother-in-law and I are super close, and she knows exactly how to take care of me postpartum. She’s also amazing with the kids.

She took such great care of me and was constantly encouraging me to rest, along with Adam, especially during that first month. Other family members helped, too, when they were around.

But if you have someone in your life who you could ask to come stay for a few days or a week, do it. It’s honestly more helpful than people just popping in and out for short visits.

3. Say yes more often when people offer to help. It shows them that their help is appreciated (and say thank you a lot).

This applies in general life, too. If people keep offering to help you and you always respond with, “No thanks, I’ve got it,” eventually they’ll stop offering because it feels like their help isn’t wanted. And maybe sometimes it’s not, but if you do want help, then say yes, even if it’s not done exactly the way you’d do it.

Like, I’ve literally had this scenario: my mom unloads the dishwasher and says, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know where everything goes, so I just left it on the counter.”

And I’ll tell her, “Thank you so much for doing that, it’s still super helpful, even if things aren’t put away.” Because now the dishwasher’s empty, and we can reload it. That’s still progress.

So just saying a big, genuine thank you and letting people know, “Yes, that helps! Please keep doing that!,” goes a long way.

Same with folding laundry. My sweet mom used to say, “I know I might fold things differently than you do,” and I’d be like, “I literally don’t care at all.” I don’t have a special system for folding. Any help is helpful!

Something I also love to do for my friends in postpartum, and that friends have done for me, is when I’m driving through Starbucks, I’ll text and say, “Hey, what’s your drink order? I’m going to drop one on your front doorstep, no need to talk or hang out.”

And saying yes to those kinds of offers, and showing appreciation, is such a good way to encourage people to keep helping. When people aren’t sure if what they’re doing is useful, just tell them it is, and thank them.

4. If family or friend support isn’t an option, consider hiring a postpartum doula to help you in those early days.

We had postpartum doula help when Colin, my first, was a baby, and it was so helpful. They can help at night with everything except feeding the baby (or even do the feeding if you’re using bottles), and they can also help during the day with all kinds of things… whatever you need.

You typically book them by the hour for a set number of hours per day or week. And honestly, if you don’t have nearby family you feel comfortable leaning on, that can be such a worthwhile investment.

5. Eat a lot to support breastfeeding and postpartum recovery!

This applies whether or not you’re breastfeeding or pumping, because your body needs nutrients and energy to recover from birth. But it’s especially important if you’re nursing or pumping. If you want to increase your milk supply, help your milk come in, and keep your energy up through sleepless nights and recovery, you’ve got to eat.

I know it sounds simple, but seriously, eating more food is your friend.

If you’ve ever Googled “how to increase milk supply,” you’ve probably seen all the supplements and products being sold for it. But a random thing that always comes up is that Oreos supposedly increase milk supply.

Here’s the truth: there’s no scientific reason Oreos would increase milk supply. There’s nothing magical about them (other than being delicious). I once saw someone joke that Oreos help because they release endorphins and make you happy and that happiness helps your milk come in.

But the real reason is simpler: most breastfeeding moms aren’t eating enough.

So when they suddenly eat a few Oreos, they’re just bumping up their calorie and fat intake, and that’s what helps the milk supply.

So no, this isn’t advice to eat Oreos to boost milk supply (although, funny enough, I did have two Oreos last night). But the real takeaway is — just eat more.

When my midwife and I talked about this, her advice to me was: “Whatever amount you think is enough to eat in those first few weeks — it’s probably not.”

So feed yourself generously.

Don’t forget protein

So get another little serving, especially a serving of protein.

I really did this. For example, one thing we did a lot during those first few weeks postpartum was getting Chicken Salad Chick to have on hand for lunch — just tubs of chicken salad, some croissants, and grapes. (Chicken Salad Chick’s one of my absolute favorite things, by the way.)

My husband or mother-in-law would bring me a plate in bed, and instead of just eating whatever portion they gave me, I’d ask for another serving just to get that extra protein in.

This is not the time to focus on weight loss or starting a new diet. It’s the time to eat to nourish your body. Let yourself enjoy food again. Enjoy the postpartum season. Get your calories up, focus on protein, eat good foods, and drink plenty of water to support breastfeeding and recovery.

Eat warm foods

Also, as you think about what to eat, especially in those early postpartum days, think warm foods.

This was something I learned, I think after Ethan was born, that I didn’t know with my first. I found a little quote from an article that explains it perfectly:

“Eating warm foods postpartum is recommended because they’re believed to help restore energy and balance, support digestion, and promote healing and nutrient absorption. Warm, cooked meals are easier for the body to digest, which is especially important when the digestive system is sluggish after childbirth.”

I wish I’d known that earlier, especially after my C-section or even after my first vaginal birth. After Colin was born, I really focused on smoothies, because they were easy for Adam to make and easy for me to drink one-handed.

But this time, I tried to focus more on warm, cooked meals, and I do think it made a big difference with digestion and just feeling like myself again.

So all that to say, enjoy your food. Have a treat. Eat the Oreo. Have some ice cream. Get the extra serving of protein. Drink your water with electrolytes. Just focus on nourishing your body with good food and kindness.

6. Paper plates, plasticware, and throwaway dining supplies are your best friends.

You can save the planet another day but right now, you just had a baby. So make life easier by going disposable for a little while.

At the end of my pregnancy, I stocked up on paper and plastic plates, plastic utensils, and even paper bowls. I like to get the nicer, microwave-safe ones that won’t melt — you know what I mean.

We used that stuff all the time in the early weeks, especially when we had visitors or big family meals. A lot of it was my husband’s or my mother-in-law’s call since they were managing the food, and they went straight for the paper plates every time — and it was so helpful.

Honestly, I still use paper plates at least once a week now, usually on Friday nights. That’s kind of our thing — pizza and paper plates. It just makes cleanup easy.

So, stock up on all that, right? Use it as needed, and run your dishwasher less. Don’t forget plastic cups too!

In addition to that, take other shortcuts in the kitchen.

Once you’re at a point where you’re starting to cook again, make it as easy as possible. For example, salad kits. We love salad kits in this season. My favorite is the Everything Bagel Salad Kit by Taylor Farms. There’s also Caesar salad kits and so many others, but seriously, we use them all the time.

Yes, they’re a little more expensive and maybe a little less “healthy” than homemade, but it’s still a salad you’ll actually enjoy and can get on the table fast.

Funny enough, Ethan’s favorite food right now is the Everything Bagel Salad Kit, which cracks me up, but he absolutely devours it.

Other shortcuts: buy pre-cut veggies if that helps, keep frozen pizzas on hand, or other easy frozen meals outside of the freezer meals we’re going to talk about next. Just have those options ready to go.

Basically, when it comes to cooking and cleaning in the kitchen, if you find a shortcut that makes life easier, even if it’s a bit more expensive or less eco-friendly, do it. Just do it for this season. It’ll make you happier and make things run more smoothly.

So yeah, one of my biggest little hacks: paper plates and plastic everything in postpartum. Total game changer.

7. Make freezer meals at the end of pregnancy, and then keep the practice up in postpartum once you do start cooking again.

Make freezer meals at the end of pregnancy and keep that habit going in postpartum.

Freezer meals are your best friend in those early weeks, second only to paper plates and plasticware, honestly. And they’re one of my favorite mom-life hacks in general.

I first got into doing freezer meals during my first pregnancy. Like I said, I prepped a ton of meals at the end of pregnancy to have ready for after birth and I never went back. I still make freezer meals now, even when I’m not in that newborn season.

Right now, I’m three months postpartum, and our freezer meals and meal train lasted about two months. So for the last month, I’ve been back in the kitchen cooking like normal.

Last week, I spent some extra time, in between naps for Sofia and juggling the boys, making a couple of casserole-style dishes for dinner. I doubled both of them and froze half.

I also made 16 frozen breakfast burritos last week, which we’ve been enjoying this week (and some last week too).

The two dinners I doubled were a chicken enchilada dish, and a pesto chicken protein pasta. And no, my kids will not eat either of those! Those are just for me and Adam. The boys are in a pickier stage right now, especially with those kinds of meals. But still, doubling them and freezing half has been such a win.

Freezer Meal Tips

I recommend doing your freezer meal prep between 34 and 38 weeks pregnant.

Why that range? Because after 38 weeks, you’ll probably feel too pregnant to spend hours walking around the kitchen and standing on your feet cooking all day.

And if you do it too early, before 34 weeks, the food might not last as long and could go bad before you get to use it postpartum.

For most of these meals, you’ve got about a three-month runway to eat them, which is great. But keep in mind, if one of those months is during pregnancy, that really only gives you two months into postpartum to use them. You get what I’m saying?

Go in with a solid plan for what you’re going to cook.

The way I do it is:

Plan out the exact meals I’m going to make.
Choose recipes that share overlapping ingredients.
Make a full list (what dishes I’m making and the ideal order to prep them in).
Create a master grocery list for everything.

Then I do a giant grocery order, usually through Instacart, which, yes, is always really expensive. I have everything delivered the day before my prep day, just in case some items aren’t available and I need to go in person to grab them or stop at another store.

After that, have a big prep day, or even two prep days, depending on how much you’re making.

Do a mix of breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals. It’s easy to only think about lunches and dinners, but don’t forget breakfast!

Things like breakfast burritos, oatmeal bakes, and muffins are my go-tos. And this time, just like with Ethan, we also made a French toast casserole. It’s definitely not the healthiest meal, but it’s delicious, satisfying, filling, and something my kids love. So we made a few of those too.

Get someone to help you with it all

This is not something I’d necessarily recommend doing alone, unless you think you’d really enjoy that solo time, maybe listening to a podcast or something. If that sounds peaceful to you, go for it.

But personally, especially being so pregnant, I’ve always liked having someone help. And all three times I’ve done this, my mother-in-law, Jan, has helped me. It’s become kind of a special tradition for us, something we do together while expecting a new baby. She loves cooking too, so it’s always fun.

I handle the planning and shopping, and she comes over to help with all the cooking and prep.

It’s looked a little different each time:

When I was pregnant with Colin, we just did it on a random day since I didn’t have kids yet. Scheduling was easy.

When I was pregnant with Ethan, we already had Colin. So we planned it for a day when Adam was home from work. That time, Jan helped more with Colin, while Adam and I did most of the cooking, because Colin was so excited his Mimi was there, there was no way he was letting her hang out in the kitchen with me!

And this third time, when I was pregnant with Sofia, we did it on a weekday when I had childcare for both boys and Adam was at work. So it became kind of a “workday” for me and we got it all done while the house was quiet.

So, my advice: get someone to help you with your freezer meal prep.

Depending on how much you’re making, expect that it might not all get done in one day, and think strategically about the order you cook things in.

You can work on multiple dishes at once, do all the chopping at once, batch your steps — there’s a lot you can do to make it more efficient and manageable.

It doesn’t have to be a recipe that’s specifically labeled a “freezer meal” in order to work well as one.

This is something I learned after my second baby. The first time, when I was figuring out what to make, I was just Googling and searching Pinterest for “freezer meals” and that’s all I was typing in. But really, anything that’s a casserole-style dish usually works great as a freezer meal.

Meals that can be pre-assembled and tossed into a big Ziploc bag to go straight into the crockpot later also work really well.

My favorite type of freezer meal, especially for lunches and dinners, is casserole-style. And like I mentioned before, I love muffins and breakfast burritos for breakfast.

But just know, you probably already have recipes you make all the time that would freeze beautifully. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. You just freeze it differently.

Instead of using your regular glass pan, buy aluminum foil pans in a few different sizes.

Freeze in smaller portions

For example, let’s say you’re doubling a casserole recipe, instead of freezing it into two big pans, split it into four smaller ones. That way, you’re not thawing a massive dish every time.

Because, and this ties into tip number eight coming up, you might have a meal train, or people bringing you food, or you might be getting takeout more often. So you don’t always need a full 9x13 casserole’s worth of food every time you want to eat. Smaller portions make things easier.

So those are my freezer meal tips.

And if you’re listening to this thinking, “Okay, that’s great, Elizabeth, but I’m one month postpartum and I didn’t do any of that,” that’s totally okay.

You can start anytime… just double whatever you’re already cooking and freeze some in freezer-safe containers.

This is something that’s become part of how I cook as a mom. I started doing it after having my first baby, and I’ve kept it up ever since.

Even when it was just Colin and Ethan, before I was pregnant with Sofia again, I got into a habit of doing big freezer breakfast preps every few weeks.

I’d make breakfast bagel sandwiches, English muffin sandwiches, breakfast burritos, and breakfast muffins. I love breakfast freezer prep, it makes mornings so much easier.

So, it’s not just for postpartum, it’s really a great rhythm for motherhood in general.

Anyway, those are my rapid-fire freezer meal tips.

And let me know if you’d ever want a full episode, or even a series on another podcast, all about freezer meals. I know it’s not business-related, but if that’s something you’d want to hear more about, I’d love to know.

8. Ask a friend to make you a meal train and then send it out to people for you as well.

Ask a friend to make you a meal train.

I am a huge fan of meal trains when a family has a new baby. Maybe it’s a Southern thing, or maybe it’s just my specific friend group, but it’s kind of an unspoken rule — when someone has a baby, someone organizes a meal train for them.

And I’m the same way, if a friend has a baby, I’m like, “I’m bringing you a meal.”

We use MealTrain.com for this. It’s free to use (they do have paid features, but the free version works perfectly).

I actually just logged into my Meal Train account recently, and I’ve personally organized seven meal trains for other families over the past few years. And my family has had four meal trains made for us — one for each baby, and one when my dad passed away.

A meal train is exactly what it sounds like — it’s a calendar where people sign up to bring meals to a family. Usually dinner, though it can be anything. The idea is that it’s like a “train” of meals that keeps coming, so the family doesn’t have to cook for a while during whatever big life event they’re going through.

On the Meal Train site, the organizer sets it up with the recipient family’s info — you can include photos, food preferences, favorite dishes or restaurants, preferred drop-off times, your address, dietary restrictions, and more.

It’s all laid out clearly for everyone who’s helping.

So that’s why I’m saying, MealTrain.com is so worth using, versus just having a friend say, “Oh, want me to ask some people to bring you food?”

Use the website. The calendar function is really nice, because maybe there’s a night when you’re like, “No, we don’t want anyone coming, we have family in town,” or “We’ll still be at the hospital,” or “We just want a quiet evening.” You can block off those dates easily. I love that about it.

If you’re approaching your due date and no one has offered to set up a meal train for you, or if you’re thinking, “Wait, I’ve never done this before, none of my friends usually do meal trains when they have babies,” then I would just say: ask a friend if they’d be willing to set one up for you.

They can text or email it out to people. Or, if you prefer, you can be the one to share the link yourself where you’re listed as the recipient and they’re the creator.

There are a few ways to handle it. I’ve done it differently for different friends:

Sometimes I’ve had the friend send me a list of phone numbers for everyone they want to include.
Sometimes I’ve entered everyone’s email addresses myself.
Other times, I’ve just posted the link into a group text we’re both in, and the organizer sends it out to the rest.

There’s no one right way, just whatever makes it easy for you.

Another idea: if you have a fellow expecting mom due around the same time as you, offer to swap meal trains. Like, “Hey, we’re both pregnant, let’s each set up a meal train for the other.” That can be such a fun and practical way to support each other.

Every time we’ve done a meal train, it’s been one of the biggest blessings in our postpartum season.

Yes, I make freezer meals, like I talked about earlier, but the meal train meant that we barely had to touch those freezer meals at first. For the first two months, I literally didn’t start thawing any of them for dinners.

Actually, we even used three or four of our freezer meals before Sofia was born, between 40 and 41 weeks pregnant, because we all got sick as a family.

If you listened to Sofia’s birth story, you probably remember this part — Ethan got really sick, then we all caught it. And even though I was like, “Ugh, I didn’t want to dip into our freezer meals yet,” it ended up being so, so helpful.

I was in no position to cook or even go grocery shopping, so having those freezer meals ready to go was a total gift.

So the meal train and freezer meals really work together beautifully helping you not have to worry about cooking at all.

It’s also a really sweet way for friends and family to meet the baby, if that’s something you want, they can drop off a meal and say hi for a few minutes. (More on that next.)

This time around, since it’s still so fresh, Sofia was born at home, so I didn’t have that hospital stay beforehand where you wait to start the meal train until you’re discharged.

But we still had the meal train start later because we had so much family visiting at first, and they were already providing meals.

My friend Sarah Clark set up my meal train for us, and I had actually done hers too, since she had a baby about three months before me. So it was kind of like we swapped, “You do mine, I’ll do yours.”

She made me a recipient on the MealTrain site, which meant I could log in and edit the dates myself, but she handled creating it and filling in all the details, our preferences, favorite restaurants, dietary notes, all that.

Basically, we kept the first week blocked off for family, with no sign-ups, and then opened it up afterward for a few nights a week where people could bring meals.

I even added a note on the page that said something like, “After this date, Adam will be on paternity leave for three weeks,” so, I put a note after that date saying that would actually be the most helpful time because Adam was going to be back at work, and I’d be home alone more with three kids. Having dinners taken care of then would be really helpful.

Some friends came in and visited when they brought food, while others just left meals on the doorstep, depending on timing. We also had some really sweet non-local friends who sent gift cards or ordered food from local restaurants and had it delivered to us which was so thoughtful.

So, if you’re hearing all this and thinking, “That’s nice, but my community or my friends don’t live nearby,” don’t worry. Gift cards, DoorDash, and delivery meals work just as well.

One of my friends, Tori, actually did this a few years ago. Right after she had her baby, she’d just moved away from where I live, so she didn’t have much local community yet. I set up a meal train for her, and all of us back here, her friends from home, signed up to send her gift cards, order her food for delivery, all of that.

So, even if your community isn’t local, it can still work beautifully.

9. You don’t have to see every visitor, even if they are kind enough to be bringing you a meal.

Sometimes people want to drop off food and also stay to chat, or they’ll text like, “Hey, can I stop by and see the baby right now?”

I’m just putting this out there… you can say no. Short and simple, you have permission to say no.

I remember as a first-time mom, and even last time, and a few times this time, feeling so overwhelmed when someone wanted to visit and I just wasn’t up for it.

Maybe Sofia would be due to nurse, or maybe I just wanted to nap, or I didn’t feel like getting ready, or cleaning up. Sometimes it’s even that feeling of, “I don’t want this person to see my house like this.”

Whatever it is, you can be kind and still say, “Oh my gosh, thank you so much, I appreciate this meal so much, but the timing’s not great right now.”

Or you can say, “Yes, I’d love a quick visit, let’s just plan for about 30 minutes.”

You can totally set those boundaries ahead of time.

You don’t have to let everyone hold the baby. You don’t have to have long visits.

And sometimes, you will want to! I had a few times this postpartum where a friend dropped off a meal, and I was like, “Stay forever.”

I was loving the company, catching up, talking about everything. We even had some close friends who brought takeout, brought their child too, and we all ate together. She held Sofia while I ate, and it was just such a sweet evening.

Those moments are wonderful, but again, if it doesn’t work for you in the moment, you can say no. Or if it does, say, “Please stay longer.” Just don’t be afraid to tell people what you need, and what kind of visit you’re up for.

10. Take all the photos and videos you want, and be in them too.

Hand someone your phone and ask them to take a picture of you and your baby, or of you with all your kids, or even a short video where you’re just being yourself — no makeup, messy hair, nursing your baby.

It doesn’t have to be a “postable” photo to be a perfect memory. Some of my favorite postpartum photos are those real, unfiltered moments.

Sometimes I’ll just hand Adam my phone and say, “Hey, can you snap a photo of this?” Or I’ll take a selfie with Sofia, or a picture of the boys doing something simple or of Adam being sweet with the kids.

The big takeaway here is: be in the photos, too.

And that’s not just postpartum advice, that’s motherhood advice in general.

It’s so easy to always be behind the camera, taking the perfect photos of your baby, your kids playing, or your husband with the kids.

But turn the camera around, or ask someone to take a photo of you in it, too. Those are the moments you’ll want to look back on.

And again, I truly believe that some of your favorite photos and videos from the postpartum season are going to be the ones that feel the least “Instagrammable.” Those are often the most real and the most meaningful.

So anyway, just a reminder, that’s true for all of motherhood. Be in the photos. Take the photos and the videos.

11. Find comfort in the fact that things will be different with every baby, so something that was disappointing or hard with one postpartum season might be different the next time.

I want you to know, and find comfort in this, that things are going to be different with every baby. Something that felt disappointing, hard, or frustrating in one postpartum season might be completely different the next time.

Basically, my point is: it doesn’t necessarily get harder and harder with each baby. Every child is different. Every season is different. And you are different each time, too.

Just like each child needs something unique, you as a mom will need something different with every baby because you’re evolving, too.

For example, I’ve had three kids now, and even though Sofia is still so little (she’s three months old), I’ve already had a completely different feeding journey with each one.

This time, with my third, nursing has actually been the easiest for me. And that doesn’t mean it came without work. We’ve still seen a lactation consultant, and that was so helpful. (Cannot recommend that enough.)

But with my first, Colin, he had tongue and lip ties and a bunch of other things going on that made nursing really difficult. That was such a struggle for me. We made it work, but we supplemented with formula, I pumped constantly, and I did the whole “triple feeding” routine. Ultimately, though, I nursed him for a really long time (until he was about 20 months old), and then weaning was the hard part. That was our experience with him.

With Ethan, it was totally different. He didn’t have any ties, which was awesome, and feeding started out really smoothly. But we ended up supplementing with formula again, and over time he preferred the bottle. So I did a lot of pumping and bottle feeding with him, and that was hard for me in different ways (mostly the amount of time and work it took, all the washing and prepping, the constant cycle).

So, again, there were challenges with both, but they were different challenges.

And I think as you have more kids, and more experiences, you start to learn what matters most to you: what you want to try for, what feels sustainable, and what fits your family best.

I remember, when Colin was a baby, a lactation consultant asked me, “What’s your feeding goal?” And I just laughed and said, “My goal is to get through today.”

Because that’s honestly how it felt… hard and overwhelming. I couldn’t even think long-term.

But this time around, I went into it with a clearer sense of what I wanted. After experiencing bottle preference and nursing refusal before, I knew how much work that pumping-and-bottle routine was and I realized I really didn’t love it.

I wished I’d been able to nurse more exclusively. That would’ve been my ideal.

So this time, I went in with the goal of exclusively nursing, if possible and that’s what I’ve focused on.

My bigger point is: there have been really hard things and really great things about all three feeding experiences.

I’ve truly done it all — nursing, bottle feeding with formula, pumping — and each one taught me something different.

You figure out what works best for you, what you prefer in that season, and what your baby prefers.

One thing might go beautifully with one baby and be a total struggle with the next or the other way around.

So just remember: every experience is unique.

Whether it’s feeding, sleep, postpartum recovery, anxiety, depression, maternity leave, or how your birth went it will look different every time.

And that’s okay. And yes, there will be some things that stay similar, just because that’s who you are as a mother and how you tend to do things. But overall, things will be different.

So try not to compare. Try not to compare your current season with this baby to your past experiences and definitely don’t compare yourself to friends or what other people are going through.

An extra note about feeding your baby

Even if you’re bottle feeding, whether that’s with pumped milk or formula (both are great options, by the way), you can still be the one feeding your baby.

I think that can be hard sometimes, especially early on, when everyone’s like, “Oh, anyone can feed the baby now!”

But maybe you’re actually thinking, No, I want to be the one feeding my baby.

Even if you’re doing bottles, you can say that.

You can say, “Thank you, but I want to do this feeding.”

That’s just my little tip if that’s how you feel. It’s okay to hold that boundary.

12. To my business owner friends, plan for your maternity leave, then enjoy the plan. Your business will be OK.

I’ve done a couple of episodes on this podcast all about planning a maternity leave:

Those episodes are a great starting point, because figuring out how to plan for a maternity leave is really hard.

But here’s the truth: you will never plan it perfectly.

There’s always more to do in business — always.

Even if you say, “Okay, I’m closing my laptop, unplugging the podcast mic, taking a break, not posting on Instagram,” there will still be something calling your attention.

That’s just the nature of running a business.

So at some point, you have to make the plan, execute the plan, and then actually take the break.

Simple as that.

This time with your baby, this particular season when your body needs you to slow down, it only happens once. It won’t last forever so rest well, take the break, savor the moments, unplug from your business.

Your business will also likely look different post-baby

And I’ll also add: your business and the way you run it will likely never go back to exactly how it was before you had kids or even how it was when you “just” had one child, or two.

Each baby changes things. Each season evolves the way you work and the way you show up.

And when they’re older, things will shift again — maybe when they’re school-aged, you’ll be able to dive deeper into your business in a different way. I’m not there yet, but that’s what I imagine.

But just like how you’re not trying to get your body “back” to how it was before you had a baby, you’re also not trying to run your business the way you did before either.

Becoming a mom changes everything including how you run your business.

And if you’re anything like me, you might have a little existential crisis when that happens. You might find yourself thinking, “What am I even doing? How do I do it all?” It can feel overwhelming to add a baby into a system that was running smoothly before. You can feel divided — pulled between two things you love deeply.

But here’s my best advice: you’ll figure it out.

It’s hard at first. But as time goes on, you’ll settle into a rhythm. You’ll learn how to do both, business and motherhood, in a way that works for you.

But start by taking the break. Really, take the break.

I can’t tell you how many times I see women share later that they wish they’d actually taken a maternity break.

They’ll say things like, “I was in the hospital posting a reel,” or “I launched a client’s website from my hospital bed,” or “I only took one week off before hopping back on Zoom calls.”

You probably see that too.

No one ever says they don’t regret that.

You’ll never hear someone say, “I’m so glad I brought my laptop to the hospital and launched while I was three days postpartum.”

No one says that.

What they do say is that they wish they could go back and do it differently.

So, hear that advice and take the break. Savor the moments. Do a little work if it genuinely feels fun and energizing, but generally speaking, stick to the break you planned to take.

13. Don’t compare your motherhood or your baby to other babies and other moms.

Don’t compare your motherhood or your postpartum journey to anyone else’s.

Talk with other moms, learn from them, use helpful resources like this podcast or others you love, but resist the urge to compare.

Because what makes something feel easier or harder for someone is a mix of a hundred different factors.

And when you compare — especially when you don’t know someone’s full story (or even if you do, but your story is just so different) — it’s never helpful.

I remember this so vividly with my first baby. We had so many feeding struggles, like I mentioned, he had tongue and lip ties, a head preference, and sleep was rough.

And I remember hearing people say things like, “Sleep like a baby,” as if babies just sleep anywhere and everywhere.

Mine did not sleep.

We were doing fully swaddled, held naps in a dark nursery when he was just a week old because he simply wouldn’t sleep out in a bright room.

And that was fine, we got through it. He does sleep better now (though still not a great sleeper at this age). But at the time, it was so hard not to compare.

I had friends whose babies were already sleeping through the night, and I’d think, What am I doing wrong? Do I need to read a different book? Take a different course?

But the truth is, some babies just don’t sleep as well.

And that’s what I mean you can’t compare. There are so many factors that go into every experience.

For me, seeing a mom who looked well-rested with her baby napping peacefully in a stroller while she sipped coffee, that just wasn’t my reality. And that’s okay.

In postpartum especially, social media, Instagram in particular, can be such a tough place for comparison. So if you find it’s making you feel worse, get off. Stop the scroll.

It’s so easy to spend hours scrolling when you’re feeding a baby or awake at night. But ask yourself — is this actually helping me, or is it hurting me?

If it’s hurting, maybe step away.

You’ll still be on your phone some, that’s just part of this season, but try shifting what you do there. Read a book or an article. Read the Bible on your Bible app. Listen to a podcast. There are so many ways to use that time that can actually fill you up instead of drain you.

For me personally, scrolling doesn’t usually leave me feeling good (especially in postpartum).

My Best Tips For The Postpartum Season

Anyway, that’s it, my best tips for the postpartum season.

I could honestly say so much more about this topic, but these are the ones that stood out the most as I reflected on the last three months — especially that first month postpartum.

I really hope something in here is helpful for you.

And if you’re curious about home birth resources, you can visit elizabethmccravy.com/birth: there’s a full blog post there with links to all my favorite home birth and VBAC resources.

Next week on the podcast, we’ll be back to our regularly scheduled, mostly business-related episodes.

But I really hope you’ve enjoyed these more personal reflections on birth and postpartum. I’ve loved recording them, truly, and I hope they bless you in both your life and your business.

Links Mentioned:

If you missed the earlier parts of this series, you can go back to listen to:

Episode 318: My Pregnancy + Home Birth Plans
Episode 319: Sofia’s Home Birth Story
Episode 320: Your Birth Questions Answered

My best home birth and VBAC resources: elizabethmccravy.com/birth

Colin’s birth story: Episode 148

Ethan’s birth story: Episode 265

Maternity Leave Prep Episodes: Episodes 139, 276

BTS of my maternity leaves with Colin and Ethan: Episodes 158, 277, 278

Not sure which template is right for you? Take the quiz!

Thanks to our blog sponsor, Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM)!

CHM is a faith-based alternative to health insurance—at about half the cost. You can enroll at any time and join a proven, faith-based solution that’s both reliable and affordable.

Beyond birth, CHM has helped us through ER visits, surgeries, and procedures. Those bills were shared by other CHM members, leaving us responsible only for our monthly contribution.

I can’t recommend Christian Healthcare Ministries enough! It’s more than financial help—it’s also spiritual support when you need it most.

Learn more here! And if you’d like to hear our full story, check out episode 305 of The Breakthrough Brand Podcast, where Adam and I dive into our experience with CHM.

The post Three Babies Later: My 13 BEST Tips For the Postpartum Season appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

My Birth Story Q&A: 15 Honest Answers To Your Home Birth and VBAC Questions

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 21 Oct 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Reading Time: 4 minutes

In this week’s episode, I’m continuing my birth series by answering your most pressing home birth and VBAC questions: the things that surprised me most, what was hardest, and how I prepared both mentally and physically.

After sharing Sofia’s birth story last week and my VBAC prep the week before, this episode answers the top questions I got from you on Instagram and in my DMs. We talk about everything from overcoming fear and finding a supportive birth team to managing pain naturally and navigating childcare when you’re giving birth at home.

I share what it was really like to have my first home birth after a C-section (from how I organized my birth space to what it felt like to labor and push without medication). I open up about the afterbirth pains that totally caught me off guard (spoiler: they were worse than I expected!) and the mental work I did to release fear leading up to birth.

I also talk through how my husband and I handled the logistics with our two little boys during labor, the role of our midwife and doula, and why I believe prayer and preparation were just as important as any physical work I did before labor.

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:

Subscribe & download the episode to your device: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | iHeartRadio

Search for episode 320!

This episode is part of a four-part birth series, listen to them all here:

Episode 318: All about my pregnancy (the behind-the-scenes of my decision to have a home birth and prepare for a VBAC)
Episode 319: Sofia’s home birth story
Episode 320: A Q&A where I answered 15 questions about all things birth
Episode 321: My 13 best tips for thriving during postpartum season

If you’ve ever been curious about home birth or considering a VBAC, this episode is a real, honest look at both. I share what I loved most about being at home — the peaceful atmosphere, the lack of interventions, and how supported I felt — as well as the mindset shifts that helped me feel confident and calm.

Whether you’re planning a home birth, hospital birth, or just love hearing real birth stories, I think this conversation will encourage you and help you see what’s possible when you’re informed, supported, and trust your body.

Thank you for holding space and caring enough to listen to my answers! Instead of blogging all the details, I'd encourage you to listen to the audio versions of episode 320 of the Breakthrough Brand Podcast!

Tune in to episode 320 of the Breakthrough Brand Podcast to hear me answer your home birth and VBAC questions!

In this episode, I’m answering your biggest home birth and VBAC questions from the first signs of labor to the moments that made Sofia Kate’s birth so special. You’ll hear how I decided to pursue an HBAC, the spiritual preparation that grounded me, and the lessons God taught me through it all. See below for a detailed list on questions answered.

For a complete list of home birth supplies, links to my birthing team, and more birthing resources I found helpful (and mentioned in this episode), click here.

[02:45]: What was the HARDEST part of the labor and birth experience?

[05:41]: How did you mentally get over fears around a home birth? And fears around a VBAC?

[15:13]: What was your favorite part of having a home birth?

[17:59]: What was your least favorite part of having a home birth?

[21:14]: How did you prepare your body for a VBAC?

[24:28]: When did your water break during labor?

[25:51]: Did you involve your kids in the birth? What did you do for child care?

[35:32]: What pain management tools helped the most for unmedicated labor?

[38:52]: Do you think staying home for birth helped things progress faster?

[40:56]: How did you find a HBAC supportive provider? Tips for finding a supportive VBAC provider in general?

[44:56]: What surprised you the most about a home birth?

[46:37]: What surprised Adam the most about the home birth?

[47:57]: Do you have any advice on how to get your husband on board with a home birth?

[50:53]: How did you organize your birth supplies? How did you decide how to set up your birth space?

[53:19]: What was your favorite birth affirmation?

Links Mentioned:

Read my home birth resource guide (with links)

Not sure which template is right for you? Take the quiz!

Thanks to our blog sponsor, Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM)!

CHM is a faith-based alternative to health insurance—at about half the cost. You can enroll at any time and join a proven, faith-based solution that’s both reliable and affordable.

Beyond birth, CHM has helped us through ER visits, surgeries, and procedures. Those bills were shared by other CHM members, leaving us responsible only for our monthly contribution.

I can’t recommend Christian Healthcare Ministries enough! It’s more than financial help—it’s also spiritual support when you need it most.

Learn more here! And if you’d like to hear our full story, check out episode 305 of The Breakthrough Brand Podcast, where Adam and I dive into our experience with CHM.

For a complete list of home birth supplies, links to my birthing team, and more birthing resources I found helpful (and mentioned in this episode), click here.

The post My Birth Story Q&A: 15 Honest Answers To Your Home Birth and VBAC Questions appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

Sofia’s Birth Story: Our Dream Faith-Filled Home Birth After C-Section (HBAC Birth Story)

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Reading Time: 4 minutes

In this episode, I’m sharing the story of Sofia’s birth (our first baby girl and my first home birth after two very different experiences with my boys). If you listened to last week’s episode, you heard about the months of prayer, mindset work, and preparation that led up to this day. In this episode, I take you right into those final days of waiting, the emotional rollercoaster of thinking “is this it?” a dozen times, and the incredible ways God answered every single prayer on my list.

I talk about the tension between faith and fear in those last few weeks: walking through sickness in our home, trusting that labor would begin at the right time, and trying to rest when all I wanted to do was make this first home birth happen. I share how my midwife’s gentle wisdom (and her very specific midwife’s orders ) helped calm my heart the night before everything finally began.

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:

Subscribe & download the episode to your device: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | iHeartRadio

Search for episode 319!

This episode is part of a four-part birth series, listen to them all here:

Episode 318: All about my pregnancy (the behind-the-scenes of my decision to have a home birth and prepare for a VBAC)
Episode 319: Sofia’s home birth story
Episode 320: A Q&A where I answered 15 questions about all things birth
Episode 321: My 13 best tips for thriving during postpartum season

In this episode, I take you through Sofia’s birth hour by hour, from the first contractions in the middle of the night to realizing how quickly things were progressing. You’ll hear how peaceful the early labor felt, how supported I was by my amazing birth team, and the moment I knew it was time to meet our baby girl. This story is full of answered prayers, full circle moments, and the quiet presence of God guiding every part of it.

Thank you for holding space and caring enough to listen to this story! Instead of blogging all the details, I'd encourage you to listen to the audio versions of episode 319 of the Breakthrough Brand Podcast!

Tune in to episode 319 of the Breakthrough Brand Podcast to hear me share Sofia's birth story!

In this episode, I share the story of Sofia Kate’s home birth from the very first signs of pre-labor to the full-circle moments that made this experience so special. You’ll hear how I decided to pursue an HBAC (home birth after cesarean), the spiritual preparation that grounded me, and the parallels I found between preparing for birth and starting my business years ago. See below for a detailed list on topics covered.

For a complete list of home birth supplies, links to my birthing team, and more birthing resources I found helpful (and mentioned in this episode), click here.

[01:20]: Why I love sharing (and listening) to birth stories (here are Colin’s birth story and Ethan’s birth story)

[04:58]: Deciding to try with an HBAC (home birth after cesarean) and how I prepared spiritually (you can also find a list of home birth supplies here)

[10:40]: Signs of pre-labour starting (and why it felt like the worst timing)

[14:31]: Feeling both hopeful and nervous for labor to start

[17:00]: How preparing for a home birth reminded me of starting my business 10 years

[21:22]: The last two days before Sofia was born

[29:59]: When labor started

[38:28]: My advice for mothers planning their birth plan with other kids at home

[39:59]: Feeling like I had delayed my birth team and then having birth be so fast and different this time (with some parallels from my past births)

[51:13]: Setting up my birth space

[54:56]: A shout out to my amazing husband Adam

[56:25]: Affirmations during my first home birth

[59:00]: Sofia Kate McCravy was born and my prayers were so answered

[01:04:55]: After the birth (with the boys napping, after birth food, and Sofia’s weigh-in)

[01:10:39]: What I believe about birth (and conversations I wish more women had/were told)

[01:17:13]: Full circle moments this pregnancy and first home birth

[01:20:26]: My prayer list for my first home birth

Links Mentioned:

Read my home birth resource guide (with links)

Episodes mentioned:

Not sure which template is right for you? Take the quiz!

Thanks to our blog sponsor, Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM)!

CHM is a faith-based alternative to health insurance—at about half the cost. You can enroll at any time and join a proven, faith-based solution that’s both reliable and affordable.

Beyond birth, CHM has helped us through ER visits, surgeries, and procedures. Those bills were shared by other CHM members, leaving us responsible only for our monthly contribution.

I can’t recommend Christian Healthcare Ministries enough! It’s more than financial help—it’s also spiritual support when you need it most.

Learn more here! And if you’d like to hear our full story, check out episode 305 of The Breakthrough Brand Podcast, where Adam and I dive into our experience with CHM.

For a complete list of home birth supplies, links to my birthing team, and more birthing resources I found helpful (and mentioned in this episode), click here.

The post Sofia’s Birth Story: Our Dream Faith-Filled Home Birth After C-Section (HBAC Birth Story) appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

From C-Section to Home Birth: BTS of My Pregnancy, Choosing to Try For a VBAC, Finding an HBAC Supportive Provider, and the Journey to Home Birth

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Reading Time: 4 minutes

In this episode, I’m opening up about the journey that led me from having a C-section with my second baby to experiencing a home birth with my third. First, you’ll hear me share about the surprise of finding out I was pregnant again just seven months postpartum and the swirl of emotions that came with that news. Because of the short gap between pregnancies and my prior C-section, I found myself in the complicated space of navigating VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) versus scheduling another C-section. There were a lot of ups and downs as I navigated going from a c-section to a home birth (and there’s definitely a business lesson or two in this episode).

I also walk through the conflicting advice I received from providers with some encouraging me that I was a strong VBAC candidate, others trying to scare me out of even considering it. That contrast really forced me into deep research, lots of journaling, and long conversations with friends, podcasts, and faith reflections. If you take nothing else from this episode, I hope you can hear how much I believe in YOUR right to be an active participant in the birthing plan you choose to pursue.

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:

Subscribe & download the episode to your device: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | iHeartRadio

Search for episode 318!

This episode is part of a four-part birth series, listen to them all here:

Episode 318: All about my pregnancy (the behind-the-scenes of my decision to have a home birth and prepare for a VBAC)
Episode 319: Sofia's home birth story
Episode 320: A Q&A where I answered 15 questions about all things birth
Episode 321: My 13 best tips for thriving during postpartum season

In this episode, you'll hear me talk about the early pull I felt toward home birth, even though it seemed so out of reach at first. Many midwives flat-out rejected me because of my prior C-section and the 16-month age gap between my babies. For a time, I thought home birth was impossible, and I grieved that. But as I kept seeking, praying, and pushing forward, clarity began to form that I not only wanted a VBAC but specifically a home birth after cesarean.

I also share the very real fear I had of whether my body could handle it, and how I wrestled with thoughts of “who am I to think I could do this?” At the same time, I began to see how faith, persistence, and taking massive action worked together—I contacted 17 different midwives before finally finding the right one, someone who believed in me and also had the caution and wisdom I wanted in a provider

Throughout the episode, you’ll also hear me make it clear that my story isn’t about prescribing one “right” path for birth. I make it clear that I believe all birth is beautiful (whether by C-section, hospital VBAC, or home birth), and that the real key is being informed and supported in your choices. And ultimately, I share why I chose to pursue a home birth after cesarean, how I prepared mentally and physically, and the role faith played in carrying me through what became my dream birth story.

For a complete list of home birth supplies, links to my birthing team, and more birthing resources I found helpful (and mentioned in this episode), click here.

Timestamps & Topics Discussed:

In this episode, I share how I moved from processing my C-section and learning about VBACs to finding a supportive midwife. Then I walk through the preparation side: the differences in prenatal care, the faith and mindset work, and how I found peace heading into a home birth after C-section. See below for a detailed list on topics covered.

[02:58]: Finding out I was pregnant with baby Sofia just 7 months after a C-section (and learning more about C-section recovery and VBAC options which I hadn’t been aware of prior to having one).

[07:10]: Feeling the desire of a home birth and quickly getting discouraged after reaching out to a few providers that it might be harder to try for than I initially realized (and prematurely grieving over the idea this would be my last baby and I was never going to have a home birth).

[09:11]: A bad experience with a nurse practitioner that spawned my research into VBACs, HBACs, and repeat c-sections (and the risks of both) and feeling undecided what the right birthing plan would be.

[13:11]: Core beliefs I have around birth (after having three very different birth experiences)

[16:38]: Some of the resources that helped my research whether or not a c-section, VBAC, or HBAC (which you can find here) and discussing with my doctor whether I personally would be a good (or bad) candidate for different options.

[23:40]: Getting clarity on the birthing plan I wanted (which was a VBAC at home) and also how clarity looked different than I expected.

[27:06]: Why I wanted to pursue a VBAC at home (HBAC) - 6 Reasons

[34:03]: Finding and assembling my birth team (there’s a business lesson in here). While it wasn’t without challenges, it was absolutely worth the effort assembling the best team possible. If you’re looking for a Nashville birth team, you can find who I worked with here.

[46:02]: What prenatal care looked like (and why I think this was my healthiest pregnancy yet)

[52:42]: Why I always recommend hiring a Doula regardless of your birthing plan

[55:00]: Preparing my body for birth (this does not get talked about enough!)

[01:09:03]: Nesting for a home birth (you can see some of the home birth supplies here)

Links Mentioned:

Read my home birth resource guide (with links)

Episodes mentioned:

Not sure which template is right for you? Take the quiz!

Thanks to our blog sponsor, Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM)!

CHM is a faith-based alternative to health insurance—at about half the cost. You can enroll at any time and join a proven, faith-based solution that’s both reliable and affordable.

Beyond birth, CHM has helped us through ER visits, surgeries, and procedures. Those bills were shared by other CHM members, leaving us responsible only for our monthly contribution.

I can’t recommend Christian Healthcare Ministries enough! It’s more than financial help—it’s also spiritual support when you need it most.

Learn more here! And if you’d like to hear our full story, check out episode 305 of The Breakthrough Brand Podcast, where Adam and I dive into our experience with CHM.

For a complete list of home birth supplies, links to my birthing team, and more birthing resources I found helpful (and mentioned in this episode), click here.

The post From C-Section to Home Birth: BTS of My Pregnancy, Choosing to Try For a VBAC, Finding an HBAC Supportive Provider, and the Journey to Home Birth appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

Home Birth Resource Guide (Supplements, Birth Space Set Up, Birth Prep, VBAC/HBAC, and More!)

Elizabeth McCravy — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 14:43:24 +0000

Reading Time: 5 minutes

I just had a home birth VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) with my 3rd baby, also called an HBAC (home birth after cesarean), and I had my precious baby girl in a birth pool! I am so grateful for how wonderful the experience was. I truly felt God's presence and my prayers were answered. In this blog post, I'm linking resources that helped me prepare for an HBAC and home birth in general, supplements I took, what I used for pain management in an unmedicated labor, and things I used in my birth space like fairy lights. I'm also sharing my birth team, so if you're local to the Nashville, TN area and looking for a midwife, chiropractic care, doula, a birth photographer, etc. I'm sharing my team here.

Supplements I Took to Prepare for My HBAC:

Obviously, consult your midwife/doctor before taking anything new during pregnancy! I'm just sharing what worked for me.

Happy Birth-Day Homeopathic Tincture
Dr. Christopher’s Birth Prep
Iron Repair Supplement by Three Arrows
Jarrow Formulas Fem-Dophilus - Probiotic Supplement that helped me not be GBS+
Evening Primrose + Red Raspberry Leaf Tea Supplement
Earth Mama Third Trimester Tea

My birth team - for home birth and birth prep:

If you're local to the greater Nashville area, these are people worth reaching out to! I truly believe a supportive birth team who believes in you and who you TRUST is such a vital part of a great home birth experience. I found my amazing midwife, Aubrey, when I was over halfway through my pregnancy and had decided to try for an HBAC (more on that here) and I received the BEST prenatal care — better than either of my hospital births. I believe that my time working with Dr. Ashley at Plus One Pelvic Health was HUGE for helping me have a faster labor and not tearing during the pushing phase. She also was just the SWEETEST encourager each week as my pregnancy progressed. You can hear the whole story of how I prepared for an HBAC and how my birth team played into this on episode 318 of the Breakthrough Brand Podcast.

Aubrey McMillan of Oak and Clove Midwifery - My amazing midwife
Viergeni White- My amazing doula
Plus One Pelvic Health (I see Dr. Ashley Carley)
Tennessee Alternative Medicine (I see Dr. Molly Stevens)
Elizabeth Nord Photography - Our birth photographer
Blessed Beginnings Lactation Consulting - My IBCLC team for breastfeeding help

Home Birth Room Set Up:

Battery-Operated Fairy Lights - I put 2 sets of these in my birth tub between the tub and the liner! (I have “warm white”)
Twinkle Lights for hanging affirmations/photos onthe wall (I have “warm white”)
Black Maternity Swimsuit for water birth - I loved this swimsuit during pregnancy, and then wore the top for my water birth. The buttons are functional too, which was great!
Pretty flower claw clips for birth
Portable Bluetooth Speaker - This is great for playing music or your hypnobirthing tracks during labor.
Essential Oils Diffuser - I had this white diffuser on our bedroom shelf during labor! I used Heart Harmony, Peppermint Oil, and Clary Sage. Heart Harmony is my favorite essential oil blend.
I did have a water birth! My birth pool was from Birth Pool in a Box, and it was provided by my midwife.

I bought my midwife's birth kit as well plus her birth list of things to purchase. I had everything organized on a shelf in our bedroom for easy access! I loved having it set up on a shelf versus bins in the bedroom. I also had a hospital bag packed with a printed list of what else needed to go in the hospital bag in case of a transfer.

Podcasts and YouTube Channels I Enjoyed for Birth Prep:

Happy Homebirth Podcast
VBAC Link
Peaceful Homebirth Podcast
Pregnancy and Postpartum TV on YouTube
MamastFit Podcast
Pregnancy and Birth Made Easy Podcast
MamasteFit YouTube
Some specific videos/episodes that were helpful for me:
- 8-Minute Pelvic Floor Release
- 9-Minute Hip Mobility for Birth Prep
- VBAC Versus Repeat C-Section Podcast Episode - This episode was such a helpful starting point for me to get knowledgeable about risks/benefits of both options.

Additionally, if you're having a home birth, I cannot recommend enough just getting on YouTube and WATCHING clips of babies being born at home. Listening to birth stories on podcasts is really helpful, but visually SEEING how home birth is different from hospital birth will help you know what to expect!

Pain Management Tools in an Unmedicated Birth:

Wooden Birth Combs - This set of 3 combs was my #1 tool for pain management in my homebirth. I would squeeze the comb during contractions, and basically had one in my hand at all times. This is not the same as a regular hair comb. It is wooden, sharper, and meant for birth.
TENS machine - I actually did not use this during my home birth, but did use it with my first baby. I had it on hand for my home birth!
Hypnobirthing Tracks by Built to Birth - I love these from Built to Birth. I purchased the set and added them to my Spotify account, but you can also listen to them free on Youtube.
Warmies Neck Wrap - I used this during birth like a portable heating pad. You microwave it, and then it stays warm for a while! I actually put it in the back of my shorts (lol) and it stayed put!
A bonus pain management "tool" - having a birth doula! Truly that support person IS such a resource for strength and comfort during the pain of labor. I love my doula, Viergeni White, if you're local to greater Nashville area.
Additionally, having a spouse who knows how to do hip squeezes, knows what you need, and knows how to comfort YOU specifically during labor is huge! My husband has been an amazing support in all 3 of my births. I've tried to help him be supportive ahead of time by telling him specific ways he can encourage me during labor. He also knew where everything was on the birth shelf, he prepped our sheets for birth once labor started, and he set up the birth tub and hose! He was busy in early labor getting things set up which was so helpful!

Random Home Birth Prep Things:

This book, “Mommy’s Having a Homebirth”, was really helpful to help my boys understand home birth. This would be GREAT if you plan to have young kids in your birth space, but is also a great book even if your kids won’t be at the birth, but will just be at birth appointments.
For snacking during labor, I recommend the foods you like when you're sick or thirsty. That's how I think about it! I specifically love having honey sticks (a great easy source of energy), electrolyte popsicles, granola bars, and Body Armour drinks.

More Birth/Pregnancy Resources:

I have so many pregnancy and birth related content on my blog and podcast — from birth stories to advice for moms in postpartum!

You can see all birth/pregnancy posts here!

And, check out the Breakthrough Brand Podcast to download episodes. Click here for Breakthrough Brand on Apple Podcasts and click here for Breakthrough Brand on Spotify.

Here are some specific blogs and podcast episodes where I share more pregnancy, birth and postpartum things:

Sofia's birth story - coming soon!
Ethan's c-section birth story
Colin's hospital birth story
How I planned and executed a 3 month maternity leave with my 2nd baby
Freezer meals to prep for postpartum
BTS of my maternity leave and c-section recovery
Maternity studio photoshoot at 34 weeks

All photo are by my AMAZING birth photographer, Elizabeth Nord Photography!

The post Home Birth Resource Guide (Supplements, Birth Space Set Up, Birth Prep, VBAC/HBAC, and More!) appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

3 Business Strategies For Moms Who Want To Run a Successful Business While Staying Home With Kids

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Reading Time: 15 minutes

If you’re someone who wants to be with your kids more—maybe even have entire days where you’re fully in “stay-at-home mom” mode and still running a successful business—this episode is for you. I want to share three ways to optimize your business.

As I record this, I’ve got two very young kids at home, and I’m about to be doing it all with three. (By the time you hear this, baby number three will have arrived!)

In this episode, I’ll start by giving a little context on what life looks like for me right now because I know we’re all in different seasons, with different circumstances. Then, I’ll walk you through the three key strategies that have helped me optimize my business so I can spend more intentional time with my kids.

Let’s dive in.

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:

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Search for episode 317!

Let’s start with a little context before I get into the tips.

I’ve actually had my business longer than I’ve been a mom. I’ve been in business for over nine years now. My oldest son turns four in September, and at the time I’m recording this, my youngest is 15 months old. By the time you’re hearing this episode, baby number three will be here, and I’ll be back in that newborn phase.

So I’m recording this from the perspective of being a mom to two little ones: one who’s almost four and one who’s a young toddler. With both of them, and even when I just had one, my husband and I have always chosen to do part-time childcare through a local preschool. I like being able to have focused work time, but also be with them in that stay-at-home mom role, either just as much or sometimes even more, depending on the week.

Why do we do it that way? Simply because it’s what we want. It’s not necessarily the most financially strategic setup, and it’s definitely not the easiest from a productivity standpoint. But it’s a very intentional choice for this season of life—for both me and my husband.

And I want to pause here to say: this is so personal. This may not be what you want or what your situation allows for, and that’s totally okay. But if you’re someone who is trying to figure out how to spend more time with your kids without stepping away from your business, I hope this episode helps. This is the kind of conversation I wish I could’ve found when I was first navigating motherhood after already being a few years into entrepreneurship.

You Can Have It All, Just Not All At Once

I’m trying to build a life where I can do both: raise my kids and run a business I love. And I don’t believe “balance” is always realistic. I’m more aligned with that phrase you hear sometimes: you can have it all, just not all at once. That really resonates with me.

Right now, I do have my business but my kids are my number one priority. And because of that, there are things I intentionally don’t do in my business, even if they could lead to more growth or more income. I’ve had to be okay with what I call “leaving money on the table.”

Five years ago, that would’ve been hard for me. I had a different mindset back then—I wanted to maximize every opportunity, grow as fast as possible, say yes to everything. But now, I see things differently. I know what I value most, and I’ve adjusted my business accordingly.

In terms of my actual working hours, it varies a lot depending on the season. I recently added another day of childcare for my youngest, which has shifted things a bit. But since he was born, I’ve typically worked anywhere from 5 to 15 hours per week, outside of maternity leave, and my business continues to do really well financially.

That said, let’s be real: I would make more money if I worked full-time. But everything is a trade-off, and for me, this trade-off is absolutely worth it.

My husband and I both really like the decision we’ve made for this season. So if you’re a mom who wants to be with your kids more, work fewer hours, and still run a growing business, without burning out, these tips are for you.

I’ve got a mix of practical strategies and mindset shifts to share because both have been incredibly important in helping me figure this out. And again, I know we’re all in different seasons. I can’t speak to what it’s like to have school-aged kids yet, but I can speak to what it’s like in these early years—with toddlers, preschool, daycare, part-time childcare, or a nanny in the mix.

Tip #1: Decide what you want this season to look like and then take action, reevaluate, and adjust.

Okay, now that might sound a little confusing, so let me explain.

When you decide what you want work and motherhood to look like for you right now, it gives you something to strive for. Otherwise, you’re left disappointed, running around, feeling like nothing’s working, because there’s no actual plan in place. There’s nothing you’re aiming toward. You haven’t declared, “This is what I want motherhood to look like in this season, and this is what I want work to look like in this season.” Too often, we don’t actually name that specific goal.

So we might say in our planning: “I want my business to hit this revenue number,” or “I want to spend more time with my kids,” or “Being a working mom feels really hard right now.” But there’s no real action, decision, or direction tied to those statements.

For example, if you feel like you want to spend more time with your family, maybe that means reducing childcare and making changes in your business to test how that feels. Or if you feel like you don’t have time for your business at all, maybe that also means reworking your childcare.

I’ve personally been in those moments of indecision, and it really stinks. You feel stuck, almost like a victim of the situation—you can’t give your all to everyone, you can’t decide where to spend your time and energy, and you end up feeling like you’re not serving your business well or your family well. And it’s all because you haven’t declared what the actual goal is.

These decisions aren’t permanent (even if they feel that way)

I’ve been there, but I’ve also gotten out of that place. What I’ve realized is that we often think these decisions are more permanent than they actually are. But kids’ schedules are always changing, especially when they’re under two or three years old. So it can actually make sense to set goals in smaller chunks: “Here’s what I’m doing for work and motherhood this month,” or “for quarter one,” or “while my baby is under six months.” Then you can reevaluate.

That shift makes it easier. Instead of saying, “This is how my business and motherhood balance will look forever,” you’re saying, “This is what it looks like right now.” You can even set reevaluation dates on your calendar.

Here’s how I do it: I make a decision for right now, I try it, and I make that decision really clear. I’ll say, “Here’s what I’m dedicating to work, here’s what I’m dedicating to childcare, and here’s how I want to show up on days when I’m with my kids instead of working.” Then I mark a date to reevaluate and make a new decision if needed.

Instead of saying, “This is how it’ll be for the whole year,” try something like:

“This is what I’m doing while my baby is under six months old.”
“This is my plan for Q1.”
“This is how I’ll structure things for the next eight weeks, then I’ll reassess.”

That way, the decision has a container. It’s not forever. You test it, and then you intentionally reevaluate.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

Make a clear decision. Write it down. For example:
These are the hours I’m dedicating to work.
This is what our childcare plan looks like.
This is how I want to show up on days I’m not working when I’m fully in “mom mode.”
Then, set a date on your calendar to re-decide. Literally block off time to sit down and ask yourself: Is this still working? What needs to shift?

Let me give you a made-up example first, then I’ll share one from my life.

Let’s say you’re a mom of two (a newborn and a two-year-old). You want to take a longer maternity leave this time and really soak up the newborn phase, especially if you felt like you rushed back to work after your first.

So, you decide: Until the baby is five months old, you’ll be the primary caregiver for the newborn. Because your business allows for flexibility, you’re going to scale things back temporarily. Meanwhile, your two-year-old will attend a preschool program three days a week, giving you a bit of margin.

That’s a clear, seasonal decision. You know what to expect, and you know when you’ll reevaluate.

So let’s go back to that example. During your baby’s nap times on those three preschool days, you plan to focus on work (as you have the energy and feel up for it). That’s the plan you’ve mapped out.

You also decide that, for those first five months, you won’t take on any podcast interviews, speaking engagements, or meetings. Why? Because let’s be honest—scheduling a meeting during a baby’s nap is stressful. You never know when they’re going to wake up, and having that flexibility makes a huge difference.

You also decide that, in your service-based business, you’re only going to take on one client a month. That way, things feel manageable, and you’re able to clearly project your revenue without overcommitting.

And here’s the key: you put a reevaluation date on the calendar for the week your baby turns five months old. That’s when you’ll check in with yourself and decide: do I want to keep this plan going, or is it time to shift?

See how powerful that is? It may not sound like a traditional business optimization tip—but I promise you, it is. Because when you have a clear plan and realistic expectations for your work life, it empowers you to make other decisions more confidently and with less mental load.

Trying things for a season in my own life

We recently changed our childcare setup for our youngest, Ethan, and it was a really emotional decision for me. Honestly, I struggled with it. Part of me just wanted to keep him home with me forever. I cried about it—it wasn’t easy. It was this back-and-forth of:

I want more time with him... but I also want (and need) time to focus on my business... and I also just need a break sometimes. All of those feelings are real, and valid, and can coexist.

Anyway, we ended up moving from two to three days of childcare—and even though that might not sound like a huge shift, it felt so different. Ironically, since making the change, we’ve barely had all three days due to holiday closures and sickness, but still—in theory, I now have three days of childcare per week, and that extra day has opened up a bit more breathing room.

At first, the decision felt huge and permanent. But then I reminded myself: this doesn’t have to be forever. If we want to go back to two days, we can. I even talked to the school, and it’s totally an option.

So here’s what I did: I picked four reevaluation dates, spaced about a month apart, and added them to our shared family calendar. Each one includes a little note about why we might want to reassess. I also set reminders so both my husband and I see them and can talk about it that week.

That simple act, putting it on the calendar, was such a mental shift for me. It reminded me that I have the freedom to adjust anytime. One of those reevaluation points is in December, as we head into the new year. I already noted that by then, the new baby will be a certain age, and it might be a great time to ask: Do we want to go back to two days of childcare? Is this current rhythm still working? What am I feeling?

So again, just to recap:

Make a decision that fits your current season.
Put a reevaluation date on the calendar.
Be open to changing things based on what’s working or not.

Decide when you’ll be fully in mom mode

I’d also say—decide for yourself what the time looks like. Maybe it’s entire days, maybe half days, or just afternoons that are fully dedicated to being with your kids. The key is stepping into that role of, “I’m not doing the business thing right now, I’m doing the mom thing.” Deciding what you want that to look like is so powerful and meaningful.

For me, just to give a real example: in this season, I’ve decided that on days I’m with my kids, I don’t work during nap time. It’s just too stressful. You never know when someone will wake up early, and it leaves you frustrated if you’re in the middle of something. So instead, I’ve chosen not to use that time for laptop work—unless it’s something really quick, like a social media post. I won’t try to dive into a big project. Instead, I’ll do things around the house or rest myself.

That’s a decision I’ve made: no working during nap time. I also like having a loose structure for our full days together. That might look like:

A plan for where we’re going by 9:00 AM
What we’re having for lunch
How I’ll use rest time
What I’d like the afternoon to look like

Of course, you have to hold it all loosely, but it’s still so helpful to have a plan. It’s the same idea as when I’m working on my business—I start with a plan for what I want to get done and when. You can do the same for days with your kids, so you’re showing up deliberately and with intention.

Tip #2: Consider shifting from a cart open/cart closed model to evergreen offers.

My second tip, and these last two are much more business-focused than parenting-focused, is to set up your products and offers in an evergreen model instead of only doing live launches, and then layer in occasional promotional periods. This is huge, and you can adapt it to fit your own business, whatever that looks like.

The big idea here is to make your business work for the version of motherhood you want right now—not what some online business expert says you “have to” do to make money, and not even necessarily what worked for you before you had kids. If your goal in this season is to spend more time with your kids and less time behind a laptop, then having products that are always available can be much better for your time and your finances.

When your offers are evergreen, you can consistently promote them and see regular sales come in, instead of relying on a cart-open, cart-close model where you make money only during those launch windows. Launching often leads to a huge month followed by a really slow month, and that rollercoaster can be stressful. Evergreen sales take a lot of that pressure off while still allowing you to make significant income.

To clarify what I mean: some business owners run their products in a cart-open, cart-close model. That means the product—whether it’s a course, a membership, or even a done-for-you service—is only available during a set window. You go hard during those five or so days with live webinars, Facebook ads, social media pushes, lots of planning and energy, and you might make a big chunk of revenue. But then the cart closes, and people can’t buy until you open it again months later. So if someone emails you saying, “Hey, I saw your program—can I join?” you have to tell them no until the next launch.

Evergreen means your offer is always for sale. You can still run promotions—like a 15% off sale on your course—but the product is always available. That’s how I’ve run my business with my website templates from the start, and it’s how I’ve handled my courses since becoming a mom. Everything in my business is always for sale through funnels that sell to people directly. Anytime I post on social media, I’m thinking about promoting my products as if someone could buy right then. And yes, when I create something brand new, I’ll do a live launch—but otherwise, everything stays available.

This leads to moments like yesterday, when I made a sale of my course Podcast Success Blueprint completely randomly—on a day when I never even opened my laptop because I was with my kids. That’s the kind of thing evergreen creates: sales that come in at any time, as people discover your product and decide they’re ready to buy.

I personally love this approach because it avoids the feast-or-famine cycle and makes work more flexible. On top of that, you can still run periodic promotions or discounts to boost sales and give yourself a chance to talk more deliberately about your offers. You can schedule those around your life—maybe when you know you’ll have more energy, or when it aligns with your family schedule.

Of course, you might decide something else works better for you. Maybe in your season of motherhood, you prefer cart open, cart close. That’s okay—you have to choose what fits your life. But for me, I’ve been running my business this way for about four years, and it’s worked really well. Honestly, I don’t have the capacity in my current schedule to put everything into a huge launch and depend on one week financially. That doesn’t feel good to me—especially now, being pregnant and expecting my third.

So my second tip is this: consider setting your products and offers up as evergreen. Let people buy when it makes sense for them, and create a business that works for your season of life.

Tip #3: Delegate and let go of things you used to obsess over

Alright, my third and final tip, and then I’ll share some other thoughts and a recap, is this: learn how to delegate and let some things slide that you used to obsess over.

I actually think moms can be incredibly efficient business owners because motherhood forces you to develop time management. It pushes you to cut out the things that don’t matter, avoid wasting time, and figure out how to delegate. Now, that doesn’t mean every mom automatically does those things well, but I’d say motherhood naturally tries to teach you flexibility. And if you let it, that lesson can really help you in your business. If you don’t, the reality of having less time to obsess over everything, whether in your work or at home, can drive you crazy.

This is especially true if you’re running your business without full-time childcare. In that case, I’d encourage you to look at everything you do daily, weekly, and monthly in both your business and your home life.

Ask yourself:

What’s unnecessary? Something you started doing before kids, or when you only had one kid, that might not actually matter anymore. Or maybe it’s outdated: something your business needed five years ago, but doesn’t today.
What can be automated? Often, the tools you already use (or could invest in) can handle repetitive tasks for you.
What can be delegated? Either to an existing team member or to someone new you hire.

And don’t forget, you can apply this same approach to your household. For example, maybe you realize you don’t want or need weekly cleaners but hiring someone to deep clean once a month could make a huge difference. That’s what we do: once-a-month cleaning, and then we handle the in-between. Sure, the house feels crazy sometimes, but it works.

Being more efficient as a business owner

So those are the three areas I’d encourage you to evaluate: what can be cut completely, what can be automated, and what can be delegated. Beyond that, also look at what can simply be done more efficiently, either by you or by a team member, when cutting isn’t an option. Sometimes you’ll realize the task just doesn’t need as much attention as you thought.

This has definitely been my experience. Every time I’ve prepared for maternity leave, I’ve gone through the process of delegating, systematizing, automating, or just quitting certain things.

With my first maternity leave, I had been doing everything myself, and I had to sort through: What could I hand off to a team member? What did we need to stop doing altogether because it was just a waste of time? What needed better systems? I repeated that process with my second baby, and now, gearing up for my third maternity leave, I’m doing it again. Each time, it’s gotten easier because I’ve removed more bottlenecks, cut more fluff, and made my business run leaner.

Of course, what this looks like will vary for everyone because your business isn’t the same as mine. But I encourage you to start exploring it for yourself, in both your work and your home life. Ask:

What am I doing that I could simply stop doing?
What can I automate with tools I already have (or could invest in)?
What can I delegate to a team member, a contractor, or even to my spouse or kids at home?
And finally, what can I do more efficiently myself?

It can be so helpful to start capturing these ideas, maybe just as notes on your phone, and then intentionally make a plan to act on them.

Avoiding losing momentum in your business while spending less time on your business

If your goal is to avoid losing momentum in your business while also being present with your kids, and without overworking yourself, know that it is possible. I’m living proof of that. But it does require being very deliberate and intentional.

In fact, I’ve even started outlining another episode I want to record that’s connected to this idea but focused more on childcare. It’s about making decisions to find the right childcare setup for you—so you have reliable coverage when you need it, but not necessarily full-time, five-days-a-week if that’s not what you want. That’s one of the most beautiful things about owning your own business: you’re not locked into a 9-to-5 schedule. You can decide, “I’m going to make this work in two days,” or, “I’ll structure it over three days,” and spend the rest of the time with your kids. The fact that we get to make those choices as business owners is so powerful and amazing.

When I think about starting my business nine-and-a-half years ago, I’m so grateful for how it set me up for motherhood years later—both in ways I couldn’t have predicted and in ways I was deliberately planning for.

If this is on your heart, I just want to say: it’s worth doing. Time with your children is never time you’ll regret… even when it’s hard. Sometimes a full day solo with your kids can feel harder than sitting behind a laptop (it certainly can for me), but it’s so joy-filled and so worth it. I’m constantly trying to optimize my business to have more days and more time with my kids while they’re little and all at home.

3 Strategies To Optimize Your Business Without Overworking

I know many of you relate. It’s worth pursuing, even when it feels hard or complicated and you’re wondering how to do both and balance it all. My encouragement: you can’t have everything all at once, but you can have it all across time—just not all at the same time.

Decide what you want your current season to look like—and then take action. Define your timeline (a quarter, six months, until your baby reaches a certain age, etc.), and set reevaluation dates to reassess what’s working.
Shift to evergreen offers instead of live launches. This creates consistency in your income and more flexibility in your schedule, letting you make sales while spending time with your family.
Learn how to delegate, automate, and let go of the things that you used to obsess over. Look for what’s unnecessary, what can be handled by someone else, and what you can systematize so your business runs more efficiently (often allowing you to work less and earn more).

I truly believe this is possible for you. I’m living proof that you don’t have to choose between motherhood and entrepreneurship. You can do both: intentionally, sustainably, and in a way that aligns with your values.

Links Mentioned:

Not sure which template is right for you? Take the quiz!

The post 3 Business Strategies For Moms Who Want To Run a Successful Business While Staying Home With Kids appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

How To Run Your Business Like God Pays You with Natania Creates

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Reading Time: 12 minutes

Today’s episode is a solo guest training with the lovely Natania from Natania Creates. I’ve loved following her for years and really value her perspective on combining business building and faith (and how to build a business like God pays you). A lot of you have told me you want more people to follow who speak about faith and business together—Natania is definitely one of those voices.

In this episode, she really preaches. You’ll hear her talk about experiencing a forced season of rest after becoming a first-time mom, and how she wrestled with ambition, identity, and control. She also shares her thoughts on comparison with other business owners, which I found so powerful. If you’ve ever struggled with feeling like you should be further along, or with constantly looking at what others are doing, you’ll love her scripture-based way of approaching it.

She also talks about how to build a business that will actually last. I especially love her point about how we can unintentionally tell God we’re going to build our business without Him—and instead how to shift toward building with Him. And she unpacks what that practically looks like.

She also ends with some really practical tips you can apply right now. So even though we’re talking scripture and big-picture faith, you’ll walk away with tangible steps for your life and business.

Honestly, this is one of those episodes I wanted to re-listen to as soon as it airs. It feels almost impossible to pick a title because there’s just so much beautiful, God-led wisdom in here. My hope is that it speaks to you right where you are whether you’re in a tough season or celebrating a big win. It’s one I think you’ll come back to again and again, almost like a little sermon about God’s plan for you and your business.

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:

Subscribe & download the episode to your device: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | iHeartRadio

Search for episode 316!

I am so excited to be on the Breakthrough Brand podcast. My name is Natania. I’m a business coach, digital marketer, and the founder of Natania Creates, where I teach women how to start, launch, and scale their businesses so they can build lives of financial freedom doing the work they love in this world.

I’ve recently expanded my vision into a digital marketing agency called Studio by N, where we offer done-for-you video content and marketing support, from strategy to full execution, helping both local and global brands show up powerfully online.

But personally, I’m a brand-new mom. I’m also a happily married wife, a dog mom, and someone who knows firsthand what it’s like to navigate the tension of trusting God while building a business especially during a major life transition like giving birth, walking through six weeks postpartum, and stepping into this new identity called “mom.”

Trusting God Through Uncertain Seasons

In this season that has felt uncertain, quiet, and slower than I expected, I’ve been on an amazing journey of trusting God. I’m so excited to share in today’s episode some of the lessons I’ve learned, sometimes the hard way, that I know will help you too.

Today I want to talk to the woman who says with her mouth, “God is my provider,” but in action, is hustling like she’s on her own. And listen, I’ve been there—running a business while burning out, overworking, obsessing over the details, the results, the success. Even though I knew better in those moments, I still tried to take everything into my own hands. So if you’re listening right now thinking, “She’s talking to me”… sis, I am.

The truth is, I know what it’s like to build a business that looks successful on paper. But after entering motherhood, I could see that God was gently but firmly leading me into a forced season of rest. And even though I wanted to keep pushing forward, I fought it. I fought the rest, I fought the Sabbath, I fought the pause. But God, so loving, patient, and kind, was taking me on a sabbatical.

And here’s the thing: this sabbatical had no end date. It was open-ended. No deadline, no certainty, no timeline for when it would be “over.” I simply had to trust that God would speak to me and provide. That’s what we’re going to talk about today in this episode: Living Like God Pays You.

So I want you to get cozy, grab your journal, and lean in. I’m going to share with you what I’ve learned in that season of wrestling—with ambition, yes, but also with identity, control, and provision.

Have You Been Eating The Bread of Anxious Labor?

During that season of rest, God brought me to Psalm 127:1–2. I want to read it for you here, but I encourage you to go back and sit with it in your own quiet time with the Lord:

“Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman keeps awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise early, to retire late, to eat the bread of anxious labors; for He gives blessings to His beloved even in his sleep.”

And I want us to really sit with that: have you been eating the bread of anxious labor? Another translation simply calls it the bread of anxiety. And I’ll be honest—I was eating that bread for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack time. I was that person.

The thing about this bread is—it doesn’t last. That’s why you keep filling yourself up with a false sense of hope, a false sense of security, and a false sense of satisfaction. You’ve already eaten it before. You’ve already partaken of it. And yet, it didn’t last. So what do you do? You go back to it again, and again, and again—hoping that somehow this bread, this anxious bread of labor, will finally satisfy the anxiety in your heart. But it doesn’t.

What I’ve learned is that this bread is restlessness. This bread is anxiety. This bread is filled with fear. This bread is striving. It’s rooted in self-effort, self-dependency, being “self-made.” It’s you trying to do it on your own, without trusting God. And when you’re eating this bread, you don’t even realize it doesn’t last.

For me, this bread showed up in a very practical business sense. It sounded like:

If I don’t post today, I’ll miss the algorithm
If I don’t post today, I won’t stay top of mind
If I don’t show up today, I won’t make a sale
If I don’t send that email, no one will buy
If I’m not visible on social media, my business will tank
If I don’t launch this program, I won’t hit my income goals
If I slow down, the money will stop

God Is Your Source Of Provision

But let me remind you: God is your source of provision. Not your schedule. Not the algorithm. Not going viral. Not your systems. Not your strategies. Not your educators. Not your coaches. Not even your clients.

Even if you get a sale, even if that Stripe notification goes off, even if someone purchases—at the end of the day, the bottom line is this: God is your source of provision.

So, grab your journal and ask yourself: Where have I been relying on hustle instead of God’s help? Sit with that. Really sit with it.

As I was meditating on this, while God was leading me into a season of rest (yes, I went in kicking and screaming), I had to admit: I know I’m eating this bread of anxious labor. And if that’s true, then the question becomes… what should I be eating instead?

That’s why Jesus says:

“I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” - John 6:35

That’s why He also says, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” - Isaiah 26:3

I’ve learned that when you find yourself eating the bread of anxious labor—feeling like your business runs solely on your actions and best efforts—that’s when you slip into the dangerous mindset of: “I’m in this alone. I’m building my business by myself. I am the beginning, the middle, and the end.”

When you operate from that anxious, self-dependent position, you’re showing God that you don’t actually need Him. You’re communicating, through your actions, that you’re going to rely on your best efforts over His help.

Don’t Build Your Business Without God

And that leads me to my next point: don’t build your business without God.

Let’s go deeper here. In Psalm 127:1–2. it says: “Unless the Lord builds the house…” Let’s put a pin in that. Because if you are running a business that God is not in, you are laboring in vain.

When I first read that verse, it wrecked me in the most beautiful way. I felt like Jesus was speaking directly to me: “I’m talking to you. I’m talking to you. Unless I build your business, you’re building in vain. Unless I sanction this part of your business, your posting is futile.”

Without God, it’s almost as if you’re fighting His hand, almost as if your actions are saying, “I’m more powerful than the God of the universe.” Of course, we’d never say that out loud. But sometimes, that’s exactly what our actions communicate.

Are You Laboring in Vain?

This verse shows us something important: it’s possible to build something great, to plan something impressive, to even see success and still be laboring in vain. That’s where it gets tricky. Because yes, it’s possible to build a profitable, even wildly successful, business and still be out of alignment.

Real talk: you can be booked and burnt out. You can be booked and busy and out of alignment. You can be growing a profitable business on paper and still grinding, hustling, toiling, and eating the bread of anxious labor without the grace portion God has appointed for you in this season.

If you’ve ever felt like you were forcing something in your business, that could be a red flag that it’s not God-led in the first place.

That was a truth I had to face myself. Because on paper, I’ve seen incredible success: I’ve gone from zero to six figures in six months. From six figures to multi–six figures. I’ve had profit, clients, opportunities, global speaking engagements. But I’ve also been burnt out. I’ve also operated out of alignment. I’ve missed the grace that God had for me in a season because I went ahead of Him, thinking I knew best.

Avoiding the Comparison Trap As An Online Business Owner

And here’s where it gets good. Maybe you can relate to this: you log online and see people at the pinnacle of their business on cloud 10, soaring, going viral. They’ve got a team, systems, speaking gigs, celebrity connections. And in your quiet moments, you’re scrolling and wondering: “But God, what about me? What about me?”

I’ve had those moments especially in seasons of comparison, or in times when I’ve felt overlooked by God. When my business slowed down. When I took a year of maternity leave and everything ran at a much slower pace because I was focusing on nurturing and raising my son.

That’s when Proverbs 13:22 speaks to me: “The wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.”

It reminds me that not all success is sustainable. Not all fruit is godly fruit. And right now, yes, right now, there are people you might be comparing yourself to. People you think are ahead of you, because they’re further along in their business. They’re going viral, hitting milestones, gaining clout, visibility, fame. Maybe those are things you desire too and it’s not wrong to desire them. But here’s the truth: not everyone is building something that will last.

And that’s why I love Psalm 127:1–2.: “Unless the Lord builds…” Unless the Lord builds their business, they build in vain.

Could it be that right now you’re comparing yourself to people who are building businesses that are futile? Businesses that are in vain? People who look like they’re killing it online, attaining levels of wealth, just like Proverbs 13 says, they have wealth. But could it be that they are building something that won’t last because it’s not built on the Rock?

Let me remind you: never compare. Comparison is a distraction from the construction site God has placed in front of you, and the blank canvas full of unlimited possibilities He’s outlined for your business. You have to remind yourself: I am building something eternal. Something that will last. Something backed by heaven. Not something built in vanity, not something that won’t stand in the long run.

Not All Wealth Is Built Equally

That was something I had to come to terms with myself. Because in the midst of everyone else scaling, going viral, bringing in revenue, it’s easy to think, Wow, everybody else is building. But not all wealth is built equally. And you don’t have to compromise to succeed.

If you remain in alignment with God, if you don’t move ahead of Him, if you don’t step outside of His plan or beyond the grace He’s allotted for you in this season then you’ll learn contentment and satisfaction with what He’s given you. And that’s when you’ll realize you are building something that will last. Something that will stand to the very end.

At the end of the day, God isn’t impressed with the accolades we chase here on earth. God is after what will last into eternity. That’s another reminder I want to give you.

Choosing Faith Over Fear When It Comes To Your Finances

And before we wrap up, I want to leave you with one more point: choose faith over fear when it comes to your finances.

There were times in my business when fear crept in. Times when I didn’t believe God would come through for me. Times when I doubted that He would let my business reach certain financial milestones—or that I could take months off and still be provided for.

One of my favorite parts of our anchoring text, Psalm 127:2, says: “For He gives blessings to His beloved even in his sleep.”

I want us to sit with that even more. Did you know God can do more with your business while you’re sleeping than you can do while you’re awake and working?

I had to meditate on this during my season of rest. I’d read those verses, but deep down I didn’t believe they applied to me. And I know some of you hear this and think the same thing: “That’s not for me.” But I want to challenge that voice of doubt.

God’s Word is true. His promises are “Yes and Amen.” His words don’t fall to the ground. They don’t change, they don’t falter.

So when Scripture says God gives blessings to His beloved even in their sleep, that means you can go to bed at night without striving. You don’t have to wake early and stay up late eating the bread of anxious labor. God provides.

God blesses. God increases. God allows success. God opens doors. God gives opportunities even while you’re fast asleep. Even when you’re on maternity leave. Even when you’re sick. Even when you can’t work. Even when you’re at church. Even when you’re serving someone else. Even when you’re focused on other things.

God promises to provide.

So even in the middle of a launch, an event, a book deadline, or a major life transition, this is your permission slip: you can take a break.

Because I know the thoughts that creep in: “What if I don’t make enough? What if no one buys? What if I lose momentum while I’m on maternity leave?”

God Will Provide For You

That was something I struggled with too.

What if I become irrelevant? What if I’m forgotten while I’m taking a year off for maternity leave? Let me tell you: God provides in and out of peak seasons. God doesn’t just bless the launch and the mountaintop moments. He blesses you in your sleep. He blesses you in the valley. He blesses you in the slow seasons.

God doesn’t only provide when you’re posting. He provides when you’re not posting. He provides when you don’t send the email. He provides when you take a sabbatical because rest is biblical. God gives blessings even while you are asleep. His provision does not slow down or stop when you take a break. If He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, He has promised to provide for you.

Even if you’re in a crazy busy season, I want you to give yourself permission to rest because it takes faith to rest.

Did you know it actually takes faith to close your laptop? To log out of Instagram? To shut down those apps? To put your phone in another room so you can sleep in peace? It takes faith to step away from the algorithm and declare: You don’t control me. You’re not my source of provision, God Almighty is.

And so you say, “God, I trust that whatever efforts I put in today, however many hours I worked, that is enough. You will bless it. You will expand it. And that is enough for today.”

So if you’ve ever been scared to rest, sis, this is your permission slip.

Now, I want to end with some practical, hands-on ways to actually live like God pays you.

Rest on purpose.

Don’t wait until you crash. Schedule Sabbaths. Build rest days, weeks, even months into your calendar. Plan your business around seasons of rest.

Trust God with your finances

Take His Word seriously. For me, that was Psalm 127. Don’t just skim over verses like that and think, Wow, that’s nice. I hope one day I see that in my life. Pray it. Say, “God, this is Your Word. Help my unbelief. Let me see this verse manifest in my life.” And He will be faithful to respond.

Steward the slow seasons

Don’t rush out of them. Let me tell you, God put me in a season of rest. He told me to take a month off, and I went in kicking and screaming. But after a couple weeks, I thought, This is amazing. I feel like I’m on a long vacation. I get to slow down and savor this season with my son.

And when I finally felt ready to come back, God gave me the green light. Within 48 hours of ending that sabbatical, opportunities flooded in… brand partnerships, speaking engagements, a new business idea. My schedule filled up more in those two days than it had all year. All because I trusted God at His Word.

Connect with Natania

So if this episode blessed you, I want you to share it with another sister who might be in a season of uncertainty whether she’s going through a life transition, heading into maternity leave, or right in the thick of building her business. Share it with her. Screenshot this episode and tag me, @NataniaCreates, and let me know your biggest takeaway.

I am cheering for you. I am wishing you all the success in your business, and I pray you will steward every single season God places you in this year. And remember this: you are not self-funded. You are not self-made. You are backed by heaven. You were created by God with a purpose. You are living on purpose. God has a plan for you and for your business. And He is not short of any dollar amount. He is faithful to provide.

No matter what season you find yourself in… He is with you.

Links Mentioned:

Scriptures mentioned: Psalm 127: 1-2, John 6:35, Isaiah 26:3, Proverbs 13:22

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