We recently connected with Sarah Gleason and have shared our conversation below.

Sarah, appreciate you joining us today. Do you think folks should manage their own social media or hire a professional? What do you do?

Social media is the number one driving force for profitability for TheGleasonCo. When I created the 52 Week Meal Planner, I really believed that it could help others but I didn’t know how to reach them. Insert social media. Not knowing what I was doing, I created social media accounts for TheGleasonCo to show people not only how to use the meal planner itself, but also kid and budget friendly meals to fill it with. TheGleasonCo is still a very small business and am lucky enough to continue to manage my own social media accounts. I think people can feel that through my socials. It’s just me, a busy, working mom of four that struggles to figure out what to feed the tiny humans every day. Once that relationship is established through socials, the profit aspect naturally follows.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I have never loved cooking. The idea of having to feed my family of 6 everyday was getting overwhelming and adding to the already heavy mental load. To relieve some of the stress of the every day “What’s for dinner?” I began meal planning. I created my own meal planner just in Microsoft Word that had a space for my to jot down groceries needed for each meal. I couldn’t believe how such a simple act once a week really did relieve the already stress weeknights. I continued to print out my page every week for years and really got good at it. In March of 2021, I saw on TikTok that I could create my own book using Amazon. I was excited at the idea to turn my loose meal planner pages into a journal that I could use all year. I didn’t originally think of it as a business or that anyone else would purchase it. I was just happy to have my own journal! After receiving positive feedback from friends and family, I decided to pursue attempting to sell to others and thus, TheGleasonCo was born.
TheGleasonCo is definitely a small family business which I look at two ways. First in that my kids enjoy helping me in the design process for the meal planners. They are always happy to lend an opinion on a color or design choice. Secondly, I realize that family businesses also mean sacrificing time away from family to pursue something I believed in. Both my husband and kids have been so supportive throughout the last few years.
TheGleasonCo now has physical meal planners available on Amazon, printable PDF versions, and even a Notion template. This way, people can use whichever means work best for them to streamline the meal planning process. People can then follow on social media where I show them not only how to utilize the products but also tips on recipes and budgeting.

We’d love to hear your thoughts about selling platforms like Amazon/Etsy vs selling on your own site.

I would have never been able to create TheGleasonCo 52 Week Meal Planner had it not been for Amazon. The idea that I could actually make money from it did not occur until after the product had been created. I would not have had the capital to fund and publish a journal out of pocket. The amount of resources available on the internet are infinite if you know where to look for them. Selling via Amazon has really been the best option for this small business. Not having to deal with production, storage or shipping makes selling on Amazon a really great option for those just starting out. And there really is no feeling quite like seeing your own creation published on Amazon.com.

Do you have multiple revenue streams – if so, can you talk to us about those streams and how your developed them?

TheGleasonCo brand has come to mean more than just meal planners. Along with the physical and PDF version of the meal planners, additional income sources have been added along the way. TheGleasonCo’s presence on social media has led to affiliate income and brand deals. That being said, I am very careful on what products I am willing to share with followers. They come to our socials looking for recipes, budgeting and time saving ideas so I am careful to share affiliate items that fall within those scopes. I never want people to think I’m just trying to make money. Because honestly, I’m not. TheGleasonCo began and continues to be cathartic for me, a creative outlet for me to share with others. I’m not trying to make a million dollars but any extra money coming in is always helpful. Same goes for brand deals. I’m not going to try to promote something that I don’t actually use, or that doesn’t fall into one of the previous categories mentioned. Some things are just a good “fit” like when I was able to work with Kroger on their home delivery service. Saves time and money? Check! Decreases stress of grocery shopping? Check! It was a win/win for both parties.

Contact Info:

• Website: thegleasonco.com
• Instagram: thegleasonco
• Facebook: TheGleasonCo
• Youtube: thegleasonco.com
• TikTok: thegleasonco.mealplan