We were lucky to catch up with Lindsay May recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Lindsay thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Often outsiders look at a successful business and think it became a success overnight. Even media and especially movies love to gloss over nitty, gritty details that went into that middle phase of your business – after you started but before you got to where you are today. In our experience, overnight success is usually the result of years of hard work laying the foundation for success, but unfortunately, it’s exactly this part of the story that most of the media ignores. Can you talk to us about your scaling up story – what are some of the nitty, gritty details folks should know about?

My growth journey is definitely not what you see on Instagram, and I’m proud of that. So no, I didn’t make $100k in my first month of business…but I did make six figures in my first year. I started by business, The Happy Marketing Co., in February 2023. At the time, I was offering every type of marketing service out there — I just needed clients. But I felt like I went from having one boss in corporate to five bosses in entrepreneurship. I became burned out pretty quickly, and I was concerned I made the wrong choice. I was grateful for the business, don’t get me wrong. But I knew something had to change.

After about six months in business, I made the scary decision to niche down. Rather than offering all marketing services, I niched down to only offer SEO services for small businesses and custom Squarespace website design for entrepreneurs. This is what helped me scale from $2k-4k months to $10k+ months. I was now known for something — SEO and websites — and that changed everything for my business.

Another thing that helped my business grow was getting out of my head. I struggled with imposter syndrome for so long…almost my entire first year of business. I was watching what everyone else was doing, rather than being creative and doing what I wanted to do on social media and in business. Becoming myself and stepping into my power gave me the permission and uniqueness to truly scale.

Lindsay, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I started out as a journalist right out of college and loved it. I was traveling the world to interview celebrities, tour resorts, and attend concerts. It was a dream job in my early 20s. But then I realized I need a “real job” to make enough money for all my expenses and goals. That’s when I started out in content marketing. I climbed the ladder and had every type of marketing job until my final couple of years when I was a director and CMO.

I loved my career, but I started feeling very burned out, overwhelmed, and struggling with my mental health. I was working about 60 hours a week, but it was never enough. That’s when I knew I was meant for something more. And I also knew it was time to stop sacrificing my happiness and health for a paycheck.

I launched The Happy Marketing Co. in February 2023 and now offer SEO services and custom Squarespace website design. What sets me apart is that if I design a website, it’s intentional from the start. Many website designers design a website for the aesthetic and brand, rather than designing it for humans who are looking for that type of business on Google. I’m an experienced SEO consultant, so I do everything from website audits, website optimization, adding essential SEO elements, and designing for SEO.

I’m really proud that I niched down and only offering services I’m in love with. It makes my “job” less like the toxic work that encouraged me to leave corporate in the first place.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

I am an SEO expert, so I always thought I would solely rely on Google for clients. I do get clients from Google Search, but my number one source of new clients is referrals. This is huge for every business and something you should definitely consider in your own business. I am very specific about the clients I work with and only want to work with those who I know I’m a fit for, as well as those who are a fit for me.

When you treat your clients with respect, you communicate heavily with them, and you provide quality work, they will want to refer their network to you. It’s incredible the amount of clients I’ve been connected with by people I know.

Another way I get referrals is by partnering with other business owners who don’t offer the same services as me. If they have a client who needs SEO services, they always refer them my way. I also go to many networking events where I know I’ll meet people. Getting in the room is essential, and you never know who you’re going to meet.

Have you ever had to pivot?

One of the things I struggled with at the start of entrepreneurship was comparing myself and my business to everything else out there. It’s hard to not get in your head when you are watching everyone on social media. Now, I have a time check on social media every day. If I’m endlessly scrolling or comparing myself, I’ll take a break from social the rest of the day.

Because of that, I was trying to be like so many other businesses on social media. I had a personal brand, plus my business page on Instagram. And I was getting so burned out. Creating content for one business per week is a lot, but I was trying to post several times on two different pages.

I totally understand that potential clients and your community want to see the human behind your brand. But that doesn’t mean you have to become a full-time content creator in your business. Rather than running two pages, I now just do everything through my business Instagram for The Happy Marketing Co. I give behind-the-scenes content, while also providing value every single day. I show up and show my face, but I no longer post on two different profiles. Commit to one thing, and go all in on that. Otherwise, you’ll show up only 50% in two places, and no one wants to follow that.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thehappymarketing.co/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehappymarketingco/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lmmaynard/