Does it feel like summer is pulling you away from your business? You don’t have to choose between making memories and making money.
In this episode, I’m sharing the simple marketing routine I rely on when life gets busy, schedules change, and I have less time to devote to my business. As a business owner and homeschooling mom, I know what it’s like to juggle family vacations, changing routines, and the desire to keep bookings coming in without working around the clock.
Instead of trying to do everything, I’m walking you through the three marketing activities that consistently generate leads, conversations, and sales (even during slower seasons). If you only have 30 minutes a day or a couple of focused hours each week, this framework will help you prioritize the work that actually moves your business forward.
Listen to this episode now:
Search for episode 182 of Called to Both on your favorite podcast player!
Summer Marketing Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated
Summer has a way of changing everything. The routines that keep my business running smoothly during the rest of the year suddenly look completely different once summer arrives. My kids are home, our family calendar fills with vacations and activities, and the work hours I normally count on become much less predictable. As a homeschooling mom, summer also marks the transition between school years, which means wrapping up one curriculum while slowly preparing for the next.
If you’re anything like me, you probably feel pulled in two directions this time of year. You want to be present for your family and enjoy the memories you’re making, but you also know your business can’t simply pause for a few months. The work you do today has a direct impact on the inquiries and bookings you’ll receive this fall.
The good news? You don’t need to spend every spare minute creating content or chasing the latest marketing strategy. In fact, when life gets busy, simplifying your marketing is often the smartest thing you can do.
Whenever I have limited time—whether that’s an hour a day or just a couple of focused hours each week—I come back to the same three priorities. They’ve helped me stay visible, continue booking clients, and keep my business moving forward without feeling like I’m constantly working.
If your schedule feels stretched this summer, here’s the routine I’d encourage you to focus on.
Start With Visibility
Every client relationship begins with visibility. Before someone can inquire about working with you, they first have to know you exist. That may sound obvious, but it’s surprisingly easy to forget when your to-do list is overflowing. We often convince ourselves that visibility means creating more content, posting on every platform, or constantly coming up with new ideas. In reality, visibility is simply the practice of consistently showing up where your ideal clients already spend their time.
One mistake I see business owners make is assuming visibility only means reaching new people. While attracting new audiences is certainly important, your existing audience matters just as much. Most people don’t hire the first business they come across. They follow along quietly for weeks—or even months—before they’re ready to make a decision.
That’s why consistency matters more than perfection. So, if you’ve ever wondered why someone suddenly inquired after following you for six months, it’s because your repeated presence built trust over time. They weren’t ignoring your content—they were paying attention until the timing was right.
When your energy is limited, don’t put pressure on yourself to reinvent your marketing every week. Instead, look for ways to repurpose what you’ve already created. Share an older blog post that still provides value. Turn a client question into an Instagram caption. Revisit a topic that performed well a few months ago and give it a fresh perspective.
Marketing becomes much more sustainable when you stop expecting every piece of content to be completely original.
Create a Visibility Plan Instead of Chasing Every New Idea
One of the biggest reasons marketing feels exhausting is because we’re constantly changing directions. One week we’re convinced Instagram Reels are the answer. The next week we’re trying to figure out Pinterest. Then someone tells us email marketing is everything, followed by another expert encouraging podcast guesting, YouTube, SEO, or paid ads.
None of those strategies are inherently wrong, but the problem is trying to do all of them at once.
Without a visibility plan, it’s easy to spend your limited time jumping from one tactic to another without ever building momentum. You end up feeling busy without actually seeing consistent results.
Instead, decide which marketing channels deserve your attention during this season of life. Ask yourself:
- Where are my ideal clients already spending time?
- Which platform feels sustainable for me?
- What can I realistically maintain every week?
Your answers don’t have to match someone else’s business. In fact, one of the most freeing things you can do is decide what you’re not going to focus on right now. Every new marketing trend doesn’t deserve your attention. If it isn’t part of your strategy, give yourself permission to let it go.
A simple plan will always outperform scattered effort.
Turn Visibility Into Conversations
Once you’ve spent time showing up consistently, the next priority is nurturing the conversations that visibility creates. This is where many businesses accidentally lose potential clients.
They’re putting in the work to attract inquiries, but they’re not giving the same level of attention to the people who’ve already expressed interest. Sometimes the issue isn’t getting more leads—it’s taking better care of the leads you already have.
One of the easiest habits you can build is creating intentional follow-up time.
Instead of checking your inbox throughout the day, block out a few focused minutes to move conversations forward. Respond to inquiries, answer questions, follow up with someone who went quiet, or reconnect with someone who reached out a few weeks ago.
Potential clients are busy. Sometimes life gets in the way. Following up is really just a helpful reminder rather than an unwanted interruption.
I also recommend looking beyond your email. Some of the best conversations in my business happen through Instagram direct messages. Others begin after networking events or casual introductions. Just because someone hasn’t filled out your inquiry form doesn’t mean they aren’t a valuable lead.
That’s why I keep a simple spreadsheet of warm leads outside of my CRM. It helps me remember where conversations left off, what someone was interested in, and when it makes sense to check back in. It’s a simple system, but it ensures opportunities don’t slip through the cracks simply because life got busy.
Make Space for Sales Conversations
Visibility brings people into your world, conversations build trust, and then sales conversations turn that trust into bookings.
If you’re a service provider, discovery calls remain one of the most valuable parts of your marketing process. While pricing guides and beautifully designed brochures have their place, they can’t replace an actual conversation with someone who’s considering working with you.
A discovery call allows you to understand what your client is actually looking for instead of making assumptions. Sometimes we convince ourselves that people aren’t booking because our prices are too high. Other times we blame a saturated market or assume clients simply disappeared. But without talking to them, we’re only guessing.
You may discover that your packages are confusing, your messaging isn’t answering their biggest questions, or they simply needed reassurance before making a decision. Those insights rarely come through email alone.
Sales conversations aren’t about convincing someone to buy. They’re about helping someone make the best decision for their needs while giving yourself valuable feedback about your business.
No Leads? Create Your Own Opportunities
There will be seasons when your inbox feels unusually empty. If that happens, don’t spend your energy worrying about why inquiries have slowed down. Instead, ask yourself what opportunities you can create.
- Could you collaborate with another creative?
- Could you plan a styled shoot?
- Could you reach out to a local vendor you’ve been wanting to connect with?
- Could you pitch yourself for a podcast interview or speaking opportunity?
Waiting for business to happen is rarely an effective strategy. Creating opportunities keeps your marketing moving forward, even when inquiries aren’t immediately coming in. It also helps you build the kind of portfolio and relationships that attract the work you ultimately want more of.
Keep It Simple This Summer
When life gets busy, it’s tempting to believe your business needs more complicated strategies to compensate for your limited time.
I’ve found the opposite to be true. The seasons where I make the biggest progress are often the ones where I focus on doing fewer things exceptionally well instead of trying to do everything at once.
If you only remember three things, let them be these:
- Stay visible.
- Nurture conversations.
- Create opportunities to make sales.
Those three habits work together to create a marketing system that continues generating momentum long after summer ends.
Your business doesn’t need you to be online every hour of every day. It doesn’t need you to jump on every new trend or constantly reinvent your strategy.
It simply needs your consistent attention in the areas that matter most.
Summer is meant for making memories with your family, taking vacations, slowing down a little, and embracing a different rhythm. The beautiful thing is that you don’t have to choose between enjoying this season and growing your business.
With a simple, repeatable marketing routine, you can continue serving clients, booking new work, and building a business that supports the life you’re working so hard to create.
Find it quickly:
03:03 – Summer Marketing
04:36 – Visibility First
06:21 – Build a Visibility Plan
09:45 – Conversations and Follow Up
12:41 – Track Leads Simply
13:41 – Sales Calls That Convert
Mentioned in this Episode:
Episode 154: Homeschooling While Building a Business: My Real‑Life Schedule & Curriculum Choices – joymichelle.co/homeschooling-while-building-a-business
Episode 131: 7 Content Ideas to Boost Your Visibility & Brand Authority – joymichelle.co/7-content-ideas-visibility
Episode 34: Creating a Visibility Plan For Your Business Marketing – joymichelle.co/visibility-plan
Episode 167: The Invisible Sales Leak: Why Your Clients Stop Paying Attention After They Inquire – joymichelle.co/why-your-clients-stop-paying-attention-after-they-inquire
Rise Collective: learn.joymichellephotography.com/Rise-collective-Waitlist
Coaching: joymichelle.co/coaching
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