We recently connected with Elise Daly Parker and have shared our conversation below.

Elise , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

Elise , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I believe I went into a lot of this on the former question about my editing work in particular. If I go back even further than when I first was hired as an editor during a couple of college summers…I had a friend in high school I greatly admired. She was brilliant, so smart! When it was time to write our college essays, she asked me to help her with hers. I was so flattered. I was like, “Me? Work with you? You’re so much smarter than I!” She said, “I’m not a very good writer, and you are.” Those words were gold. Then in Freshman English in college, the teacher had a very clear curriculum all mapped out. But she said to us, “If you have a story burning in your heart that you want to tell, you can pass that in as one of your assignments.” My beloved grandmother who lived with us from the time I was seven to fourteen years old had died a few years earlier. I wanted to write about that loss. It was the first time I ever wrote anything like that – a personal narrative. Writing that story, I felt empowered, excited, and thrilled with its reception by my teacher, friends, and family. I felt like I had a voice and a story people wanted to hear. Before that, I had wanted to be a psychologist. After that I added English to my majors because I knew I wanted to write and be involved with stories – other people’s and mine.

I have written a lot over the years – blogs, guest posts, copywriting, articles, and I co-ran a contributor site Circles of Faith – Where Faith, Life, and Community Intersect. We also ran a few women’s conferences through Circles. But I’ve gotten paid more through editing. I love to speak publicly. It’s all related to communicating I suppose. Over 25 years ago, I went to an inspiring women’s conference. There were at least a thousand women there. During a quiet moment, I closed my eyes and saw myself standing on that stage speaking. I was embarrassed that I would have such an audacious thought and kept it to myself. Years later, I traveled up and down the Northeast speaking and sharing my story for the organization Moms In Prayer. I’ve run several conferences myself. And now I speak mostly through MomCo, formerly MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers). I’ve also been part of several podcasts – The Mom Mentor, Slices of Life, MomVision, Build Your Best Family – the Friends Talking Family series.

While I never used my degree in psychology formally, I’ve always been fascinated with human behavior. I’m a good listener. I love connecting. And I’m a natural-born helper and nurturer. In the early days of life coaching, I was intrigued. And then about nine years ago, I got certified. I wanted to help women chart out the path to a life they truly love.

Simply put, as I life coach I help women go from where they are to where they want to be. I work with women individually, in group settings, and through workshops. My approach bridges the gap between a person’s current reality and the life they envision, cultivating confidence in their ability to shape a life they genuinely love through intentional steps. Most often, I work one on one with women who have an area of dissatisfaction – career, personal development, marriage – where they feel stuck or overwhelmed. They know there’s something more or better, but they’re having trouble pinpointing what it is. I help them identify areas of low satisfaction. Then, I help them determine action steps and serve as an accountability partner. I also work with moms who are in a stage of transition (and the reality is motherhood is a series of transitions!) – wanting to add or change a job, finding themselves again after years of putting everyone else first, navigating different stages of childrearing, releasing kids from the nest, figuring out what’s next. I use powerful assessment tools for determining what’s out of balance, what’s most important, purpose, identity. And then we map out steps toward change.

One tool I’ve really enjoyed utilizing in coaching is Vision Boards. In fact, I’ve run dozens of workshops (some virtually but most in-person) for women’s, business, and ministry groups, teachers, realtors, college students, and individuals who host a group of friends. These boards may look like just a pretty collage, but I lead attendees through a process of Assessment, Articulation, and Activation that results in a visual that can be life-changing. I love watching women light up as they see their potential and possibilities. My favorite moment is when they share their visions, dreams, and goals with the group. That’s a moving and powerful moment.

Because women wanted to continue the work they started with their Vision Boards, I began Seasons of Change. This is a small coaching group. We meet quarterly to go over our boards. We discuss progress they’re celebrating, new goals that may have surfaced, and even what needs to be taken off the board because it’s no longer relevant. We do a couple of visualizations that help identify obstacles, where they’re stuck, have limiting beliefs (“I could never…”), struggling with overwhelm or comparison. And we determine action steps.

I don’t know if pride is the right word. I am humbled and thankful for my life – I truly love it. And it’s not because all has gone smoothly. My difficulties have shaped my life and informed my work, especially coaching. I’ve had a lot of experiences that make me who I am and make me relatable in specific ways. I am honest and authentic, willing to share my struggles. Among the challenges I’ve faced – more dramatic circumstances like losing twins when I was five months pregnant, blending a family (both as a child of divorce and as a stepmom), being derailed by unexpected circumstances (my husband was hit by a car and suffered severe traumatic brain injury) to dealing with more “garden variety” hurdles like low self-esteem, mindset, saying yes too much, people-pleasing, comparison, etc. I am willing to “go there” and share my experience if it will help others. I will add that faith has been a huge component of my life as well.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I have pivoted a few times. Sometimes it just feels like part of the journey, especially if you’re a multi-passionate. Because of that, I’ve chosen to do different jobs at different times and for different reasons, from “oh that sounds fun” to “we need money now!” Laced throughout my many years of editing and writing were gigs that matched my stage of life – a gourmet shop owner as a side gig when I was young, had no kids, and had loads of energy, a birth educator when I was having babies, a college essay coach when I had college age kids.

One of the things I’ve found is many of the women I talk to tend to undervalue something that comes fairly easy to them. It’s as though if there’s not enough struggle, our work isn’t valuable. That was the case for me.

I have found it is easier to make money as an editor. This is a skill and talent that seems to come somewhat naturally to me. I just have an innate sense of language. I honestly couldn’t tell you all the rules of grammar, but I. know by sound when something isn’t right. This has been true of me since I was very young. But I valued writing above editing. And so I didn’t really consider myself successful because I was “just an editor,” even though that part of my business had developed well and was lucrative.

The pivot was mental. It stemmed from the fact that my biggest client – due to some corporate shifts and in an effort to make the whole production of materials easier – was using a new service that provided writers. They no longer had to hire individual freelance writers. This service provided writers and project management. My role would be to edit most of the materials that came from the writers. The decision came from the fact that the team I worked for valued my editing skills and wanted my “eagle eye” (as they put it) on most of the materials that came from their department.

I was lamenting the shift in my work from more of a mix of editing and writing to almost exclusively writing. Then, suddenly, I had a lightbulb moment. What was I complaining (to myself) about? I loved the material I got to work with. I found the editing work easier than the writing. And I got paid well for my editing because I was highly valued and respected for what specifically I brought to the team. That pivot has made my work far more rewarding!

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I mean my social presence isn’t that big but it’s grown consistently. There is so much one can do and I do not make it a huge focus of mine, but I have learned some things along the way. One thing I would say is don’t listen to too many voices or follow too many mentors. Ask me how I know! I’ve gotten confused by taking too many courses or getting into too many groups designed to help you grow your platform. Everyone I’ve worked with is well-meaning but it can get noisy. I now focus my efforts on a regular newsletter, instagram, and I copy to Facebook. Ideally, I have a theme each week that I create a reel for, on Monday, then do a quote on Wednesday, then a light reel or reflection on Friday (there are seasons where I’ve been better at this but I’ve been focused on new website. There is so much more I could be doing, particularly Pinterest, but what I’m doing will have to be enough for now.

1. Decide what your purpose is with social media. Are you trying to grow your audience or sell a product or just having fun?
2. While I’ve dabbled in niches (and there is the adage “You’ve got to niche to get rich”), I tend to focus my message on a broad range of moms. Ideally, create an avatar who represents your ideal reader or customer and always gear your message to her. It helps to name her and know her – what she cares about, pain points, what groups she may follow on social, her age, interests, etc.
3. People want to know who you are, so share the more personal stuff in your stories – a day in the life of, celebrations, quotes, passions (your dog, baking, orchid whisperer) as well as sharing posts from your feed.
4. Listen to Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray https://authenticonlinemarketing.com/authentic-online-marketing-with-ruthie-gray/ She’s the real deal, down to earth, and smart!!
5. Generally go slow and steady. Learn one platform and do it well before you move onto another.
6. Develop online relationships more often than you’re asking people to “buy my thing.” This means offering valuable content, engaging with those who comment, and commenting on others who are talking about what you’re talking about or who are your avatar.
7. Post consistently (3 times a week), at regular times if possible, and when you have time to engage. Reels seem to rule, so if you’re a video person, go for it.
8. Put together a posting calendar so you’re not constantly playing catch up. Unless you’re a natural planner, this is easier said than done, but it will save you lots of headaches.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.elisedalyparker.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elisedalyparker/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elise.dalyparker/
• Other: My free download A Path to Possibilities A Step-by-Step Guide to Crafting a Vision for a Life You Love https://unique-originator-551.ck.page/14576d88c5