If you’ve been wondering why your business systems that actually work seem to exist everywhere except your business — you’re not alone, and you’re not doing it wrong.

Having a system and having a working system are two very different things. And this post is going to help you figure out which one you have, then what to do if yours isn’t working.

Common Signs Your System Is Working Against You

Before you can fix something, you have to be honest about whether it’s broken. Here are a few signs that your current setup is quietly working against you:

• You’re still the answer to every question. If your team can’t make a move without checking with you first, the system isn’t doing its job — you are.
• Things are still falling through the cracks. If tasks are being created but not completed, or nobody’s sure who owns what, something is off.
• Onboarding a new team member feels like a mountain to climb. Because you have absolutely no idea how you’re going to explain your processes to someone else. 
• You dread opening your PM platform. This is a surefire sign that something is disconnected in your business. You don’t need to LOVE working on your systems, but it should feel supportive. You should feel relief being able to log in and know exactly what to do. If you don’t, it’s probably not set up in a way that works for YOU.

The Real Reason(s) Your Business Systems Aren’t Working

It Only Lives in Your Head (or in Your Team’s Head)

Systems that only live in your head don’t count. There are about sixteen different ways to draft a blog post. So you can’t just tell your VA “draft the blog post” and expect it to come back the way you want it. 

The same goes for anything else that feels simple to you. Your specific way of doing something does not automatically transfer to someone else just because you said the words out loud. If you want it done your way, the process cannot live in your head.

It Doesn’t Support How Your Team Works

If your team is working around the system instead of inside it, that’s usually one of two things: either they don’t want to, or the system isn’t actually set up in a way that supports how they do the work. 

Both of those mean there’s a disconnect, and the process likely needs to be revised. That’s completely normal and okay! The goal isn’t to get it perfect from the start. The goal is to get it 80 or 90 percent of the way there, put it in place, and then stay open to feedback. 

When your team tells you “this part isn’t working,” listen to them. That feedback is what makes the system stick.

Your Tools Are Doing Too Much (Or Too Little)

Slack + Voxer + email + Asana comments + text messages = chaos. When communication is scattered across too many platforms, things get missed. The fix isn’t adding another tool. It’s deciding where things live and sticking to it.

The opposite problem is just as common. Stretching one tool so far beyond its purpose that it becomes useless.You can’t message your VA in Slack asking them to schedule your newsletter by Thursday. You also can’t store your SOP library throughout 16 Google Drive folders. When tools get used for things they weren’t designed for, the whole system starts to unravel.

What a Working System Looks Like

First and foremost, it’s documented AND followed. Documentation that nobody reads is just a folder collecting digital dust. The system has to be accessible, clear, and used consistently by everyone on the team.

Everyone should also know where things live. If your team members can’t find the assets they need within a minute or two or have no idea where to look, your system is not pulling its weight. Even if YOU know where things are, that doesn’t automatically mean your team does. 

That’s why any good system needs an SOP library, with detailed processes. It removes the daily mental load of figuring out how something gets done. Naming conventions, role clarity, communication norms, documented processes and guidelines — these things exist so you don’t have to make the same decision fifty times.

3 Quick Ways to Fix Your Systems

#1: Audit What You Have vs. What’s Actually Being Used

Start with your P&L. Go through every software you’re paying for and ask yourself honestly whether you’re actually using it. Haven’t recorded a Loom in four months? Remove it. Not using Slack with at least half your team? Stop paying for it. Then ask yourself: how many different ways can your team reach you right now? If the answer is more than two, work on eliminating at least one.

#2: Identify the One or Two Places Things Keep Breaking Down

Pay close attention to what you’re doing throughout the month, and where it’s breaking down.

Put a Post-it note on your desk and every time someone asks you something you feel like they should already know the answer to and write it down. At the end of the week, look at what keeps coming up. Those recurring things are what you fix first, because that’s where you’ll see the biggest impact. You don’t have to fix everything at once. Chip away at it slowly and you’ll see improvement over time.

#3: Fix the Process Before Adding Another Tool

Switching PM tools isn’t always the answer, because likely, you’re bringing all the same broken processes with you. In my experience, the platform is rarely the problem — it’s the system that makes the platform run that’s the problem. Don’t buy a new tool to fix a process problem. Fix the process first. Then decide if what you’re using is no longer serving you and your team.

Honestly, Sometimes You Just Need an Outside Set of Eyes

That’s what working together looks like. If you’re ready to stop putting out fires and start running a business that really, truly, supports you…reach out here to inquire about working with me!

The post Business Systems That Actually Work (& Why Yours Might Not Be One) appeared first on Byte Bodega.

These Asana hacks will help you transform your project management system from a glorified to-do list into the true operational backbone of your business. Because if you’re going to invest in a tool, you may as well use the thing properly, right?

If you want to scale your creative business without losing your mind, mastering these features will save you hours every week (and a hell of a lot of mental energy)!

#1: Create Task Templates for Recurring Processes

Task templates should be created for every simple recurring weekly or monthly process in your business.

Most work isn’t a single step. Publishing a YouTube video, for example, involves recording, editing, writing descriptions, creating thumbnails, scheduling, adding links, and sometimes repurposing into blog content. That’s multiple team members (video editor, copywriter, admin VA), but the process itself is consistent every time.

Templates remove the need to rebuild that structure repeatedly and create clarity around expectations, sequencing, and ownership.

This applies across any business model, and any project. The applications are essentially endless and become an infinite time-saver over time.

#2: Give Every Task a Due Date AND Assignee

This may feel obvious. But it’s a commonly missed fundamental. Many CEOs believe they’re using Asana effectively, but they’re not assigning due dates and assignees to tasks. A task without a due date AND a person responsible isn’t actionable, and likely won’t ever get done. 

Clear deadlines allow both leadership and team members to:

• Plan their days and weeks
• Anticipate workload
• Understand what’s coming next
• Know when to ask questions
• Take ownership

This creates more autonomy for your team and reduces the need for constant follow-ups from you.

#3: Use Project Templates for Live Launches

Live launches are complicated and have what feels like a hundred moving parts. The good news is that the overall structure of most live launches is very similar from one campaign to the next. (Trust me, I’ve seen a lot of them.)

Having a launch framework allows you to pre-build:

• Tasks
• Timelines
• Team assignments
• Recurring deliverables

Each time you launch, you can duplicate the project and simply adjust strategy or messaging rather than recreating the entire workflow from scratch. Which means more time to focus on making it a successful launch (whatever that looks like for your offer/business)!

#4: Use Comments on Tasks for Context and Documentation

Communication should live inside the task whenever possible. If team members ask questions in Slack or email, important context can get lost quickly. 

Commenting directly on the task allows you to store:

• Feedback
• Asset links
• Revision requests
• Decision history

This improves response speed AND creates long-term documentation you can reference, even months later.

#5: Use Forms for Intake

Asana forms can replace simple Google Forms or informal task requests. (Caveat: I still primarily use Google Forms, but Asana forms have their place!)

They help standardize how work enters your system. Use them for:

• Affiliate information collection
• Simple customer ticketing workflows
• Internal task requests

Because they’re native to Asana, they can trigger automations and reduce manual sorting. Even on lower-tier plans, they’re a powerful organizational tool when you want to avoid building out Zapier connections.

#6: Build Out Subtasks for Complex Workflows

Large initiatives should NOT exist as single tasks. Publishing content, launching offers, or optimizing assets often involves multiple stages and contributors. Subtasks let the entire workflow live under one parent task.

Going back to our YouTube example — everyone is working on ONE video, but there are multiple steps with multiple people involved. Building it all under one “video” task with subtasks keeps it clear what everyone is working on.

This makes it easy for everyone to see:

• Where the work currently stands
• Who owns each step (who’s making the thumbnail, the video edits, the blog post from the transcription?)
• What still needs to happen

Visibility is one of the BEST things about Asana.

#7: Use Custom Fields Strategically

Custom fields can significantly improve clarity and efficiency.

One of my favorite use cases? Linking SOP documentation directly in a custom field. This allows work to be reassigned easily without leadership scrambling to gather resources.

For example: Your VA calls out sick. You need someone else to upload and schedule the blog. In 2 clicks, you can reassign that task to your project manager — with the blog copy, SOP, and due date already attached. 

Yeah, it’s seriously THAT easy. 

Custom Fields Can Also Track Status Across Stages

For example, content might move from:

• Needs Recorded
• Ready for Editing
• Ready to Schedule
• Scheduled
• Published

This makes it visually easy for the team to understand progress at a glance.

#8: Set Dependencies to Prevent Bottlenecks

Many workflows rely on sequencing. A video can’t be edited until it’s recorded. A blog can’t be scheduled until copy is written. Dependencies signal when a task is blocked and prevent premature action.

They allow team members to confidently know when they’re waiting on another step rather than constantly asking questions like:

• Is the video ready yet?
• Where can I find the copy?
• Can I move forward with scheduling?
• Did you pull your hair out yet? 😉

Once a dependency is cleared, the next team member knows they have everything they need to proceed. This reduces confusion, protects timelines, and builds smoother collaboration.

#9: Use Rules and Automation to Cut Manual Updates

Rules let you automate repetitive workflow actions. For example, when a content task is moved to a “published” section, Asana can automatically:

• Mark the task complete
• Mark subtasks complete
• Update status fields

This reduces manual clicking and keeps boards clean and accurate. There are tons of automations you can build depending on your workflow, but this is one of the most common AND most impactful I see in client setups.

Ready to Make Asana Work for You?

These Asana hacks are great, but they’re at their most powerful when they’re part of a bigger operational strategy. Templates without clear processes? Automations without intentional workflows? It’s not enough to keep your business moving forward. 

If you’re ready to build the infrastructure behind your Asana setup (so your business can run without you white-knuckling every project), let’s chat.

Click here to learn about working together and let’s get you out of the weeds and back in the visionary seat where you belong. 

The post 9 Asana Hacks to Streamline Your Creative Business appeared first on Byte Bodega.

Many CEOs come to me AFTER hiring someone who was labeled an “OBM” but ended up needing heavy direction or only executing tasks. (Not what you signed up for, right?)

Many of them feel burned and unsure that bringing on another OBM is the right call (9/10 it 100% is, they just didn’t have the right OBM for them). 

Titles are inconsistent, and service structures vary widely, which makes it hard (and a little scary!) to invest significantly when you’re not sure you’ll get the support you need.

This is where it pays to be prepared! There are clear steps you can take to make sure that when you hire an OBM, you get one that knows what they’re doing, and passes the vibe check with flying colors. 

Know What You Need Before You Start Looking

OBMs can support your business in many different ways — long-term strategic retainers, systems builds, launches, consulting, and more. But when you don’t know the root source of your operational chaos, hiring the right fit is harder. 

Before you start your search, get clear on a few things:

• Do you need ongoing leadership and team management?
• Do you need a few processes built and implemented so your team can run with them?
• Do you already have implementers but need strategy and direction to increase sales?

Then consider your business model: Membership? Online course? Agency? E-commerce? It can be helpful to hire someone who understands your model and has worked in similar environments.

Emotional Readiness is Just as Important as Literally Anything Else

Hiring an OBM isn’t just an operational decision. It’s an identity shift as a CEO. You’re moving from being involved in everything to leading at a higher level. And that brings up some real, valid fears:

• Fear of losing control
• Fear someone will see how messy things are behind the scenes
• Fear of trusting someone (let alone a stranger on the internet) with major business decisions

A lot of CEOs delay hiring because they want to “clean things up first.” But that defeats the entire purpose of bringing in operational leadership! You’re hiring an OBM to fix these pain points, not just manage their ongoing success.

What Emotional Readiness Looks Like

Do you think you’re ready to hire an OBM? If you can confidently nod your head to these, I would say so!

• Willingness to be honest about what isn’t working (money, team, content, all the things)
• Willingness to be challenged strategically
• Willingness to stop reviewing every tiny detail
• Willingness to focus more on vision, sales, and growth — and less on the day-to-day

Trust with an OBM develops over time. The goal isn’t to step away completely, you just want more space to fully step into that CEO seat. 

Red Flags to Watch For

Not every “OBM” is actually an OBM. Here’s what to look out for:

• They primarily talk about execution tasks like social scheduling, newsletters, or blog drafting
• They wait for you to assign tasks instead of proactively identifying priorities
• They can’t clearly explain their strategic process or how they manage teams
• They focus heavily on certifications as proof of expertise
• They promise fast fixes without wanting to deeply understand your business

Are you seeing these signs? You’re probably looking at a VA with an upgraded job title — not a true OBM. (And I would hate to see you overpay for it too.)

Green Flags That Signal a Great OBM

On the flip side, here are what I consider strong green flags: 

• They naturally lead conversations about goals, capacity, revenue drivers, and team structure
• They think in strategy, systems, and processes — not just tasks
• They’re comfortable giving honest feedback and challenging you, your timelines, and your ideas when needed
• They have documented experience managing launches, teams, or recurring operations
• They ask thoughtful questions that show they’re already thinking about implementation and outcomes

Need to know for sure? Testimonials from similar business models or growth stages are especially helpful for vetting this info. 

Questions to Ask During Discovery Calls

It’s important that you let your OBM candidate introduce themselves, tell you about their work, and show off their personality. But YOU also need to do some of the talking. 

Come prepared with questions like:

• How many clients do you work with at a time?
• Can you tell me about a time something went critically wrong for a client during a major launch, promotion, or project — and how you handled it?
• Have you worked with [your business model] before?

You’ll get a better feel for how they strategize/tackle their work. And don’t be afraid to be honest about your current fears and frustrations. Capable OBMs are not intimidated by messy realities. (Truly — we’ve seen it all.)

Vetting for Cultural Fit

This is a leadership partnership. Trust and communication style matter deeply. You should feel comfortable talking to them, because you’re going to talk to them A LOT. So ya gotta like ’em! 

This doesn’t mean you need to be besties — but it does mean you have to be comfortable having 1:1 conversations regularly and not feel “heavy” when talking to them.

Alignment on pace, decision-making style, and team values is critical. Look at:

• Their content and messaging
• The types of businesses they’ve supported
• How they talk about leadership and team dynamics

Referrals are often one of the best ways to find strong OBMs because experienced operators tend to know and recommend each other.

What to Watch For During the Trial Period

If you’re still nervous to bring on help, I highly recommend a trial period. The first 30–90 days are crucial because it’s there that you build trust and establish structure.

Positive indicators include:

• Improved team clarity and communication
• Reduced need for you to manage day-to-day details
• You focus more on visibility, selling, and vision — while trusting that implementation is being managed
• Translates your ideas into actionable plans and delegates execution
• Serve as your sounding board and protect the business from reactive or capacity-misaligned decisions

By month three, you should feel increased confidence in your OBM’s ability to lead projects and support strategic decisions. They should also be leading the majority of daily team questions instead of you.

If your OBM is unable to do this? That’s a major red flag.

Ready to Find Your OBM Match?

Hiring an OBM is one of the biggest leadership decisions you’ll make as a creative CEO. Take your time. Ask the hard questions. Trust your gut.

And if you’re thinking we might be a fit, I’d love to chat. Click here to learn more about working together and let’s see if I’m the right integrator for your visionary self!

The post How to Hire an Online Business Manager: A Vetting Guide for Creative CEOs appeared first on Byte Bodega.

It’s a completely fair question, but it’s not the one you should be asking if you want to get to the bottom of that overwhelm. It’s too broad to be helpful. When you ask a vague question, you get vague advice — and vague advice never actually puts the fire out.

So…what should you be asking instead?

“Overwhelmed” Is a Symptom, Not the Diagnosis

Feeling overwhelmed is usually a signal that something deeper is misaligned in how your business operates. Some of the most common root causes I see with my clients:

• You’re the bottleneck. Every decision, deliverable, and deadline has to run through you for approval or direction.
• Your business is growing faster than your backend can support. Revenue is climbing, but your systems were built back when you were a solopreneur.
• You’re putting massive effort into marketing, but nothing is converting. You’re working hard, but the numbers aren’t moving.

The overwhelm itself isn’t the core issue. It’s the emotional experience of unresolved operational and sales friction piling up underneath the surface.

The Harmful Thing About Broad Advice

When the question is broad, the advice you receive is broad too. And in a business context, broad advice is dangerous because it usually means adding more to your plate instead of fixing what’s actually broken.

I see overwhelmed creative entrepreneurs do this constantly:

• “I started a podcast, and my business grew 10X!” → Cool. That doesn’t mean it’ll work for yours.
• “I just need to migrate from Thinkific to Kajabi, and everything will be fine.” → Probably not.
• “Maybe I need a new email funnel, a new coach, or a new platform.” → Maybe. But also probably not.

Throwing generic solutions at a specific problem doesn’t reduce overwhelm. It increases your cognitive load. You’re adding new tools, new strategies, and new content streams to a business that’s already on fire — which is the opposite of pouring water on the source of the flames.

Real relief comes from solving the specific issue creating friction for you.

How to Ask Better Questions About Your Overwhelm

Instead of asking, “How do I stop being overwhelmed?”, try diagnostic questions that actually lead to answers:

• Where do the majority of my sales actually come from? Can I create more of THAT type of content instead of spreading myself thin across five platforms?
• Why does my team feel like they need to come to me for every decision? What’s missing in our SOPs, onboarding, or role clarity?
• Am I making strategic decisions based on data — or emotional decisions based on what I saw on Instagram this morning?

Better questions lead to clearer insight. And clearer insight leads to next steps that actually move the needle (instead of just adding noise).

Diagnose Your Specific Bottleneck First

Overwhelm in your creative business almost always points to one or two specific things going wrong. Not 47.

Some of the most common bottlenecks I see:

• Constantly reviewing and editing every piece of team work before it goes out
• Being pulled into operational decisions you shouldn’t be making
• Spreading effort across too many growth channels with no clear data on what’s actually converting

This is exactly why, when I start working with new clients, one of our first conversations is: “What are the raging fires that are making you want to pull your hair out?”

Because solving those specific fires usually creates a significant sense of relief almost immediately. You’re not trying to fix everything at once. You’re identifying the true constraint and prioritizing what actually needs to be addressed.

Match Solutions to Specific Problems (Not Generic Ones)

Once you’ve actually diagnosed what’s broken, solutions become much more practical and effective.

A Few Examples of What This Looks Like

• If you’re reviewing every blog post, graphic, and email before it goes out → You don’t need a new project management tool. You need clearer content guidelines and better SOPs so your team can execute without your eyes on every single thing.
• If your team lacks autonomy → You don’t need to hire more people. You need better onboarding, training, or role clarity for the team you already have.
• If 80% of your sales come from one channel, but you’re publishing on four → You don’t need a new marketing strategy. You need to double down on what’s converting and let the rest go.

Solving problems one at a time — and matching the solution to the actual diagnosis — is how you reduce overwhelm sustainably. True relief comes from building operational infrastructure that supports your growth instead of fighting it.

Get specific. Get diagnostic. Get clear on the actual fire.

If you’re an overwhelmed creative entrepreneur, the most powerful thing you can do is stop asking how to stop being overwhelmed and start asking what’s actually causing the overwhelm in the first place.

The answer is rarely “everything.” It’s usually one or two specific operational fires that, once handled, create immediate breathing room — and a clearer path forward.

You’re not lazy. You’re not bad at business. You’re not failing. You’re just trying to solve a vague problem with vague advice, and it’s not working because it can’t.

Need Help Figuring Out What’s Actually On Fire?

If you’re tired of throwing generic solutions at specific problems and want help diagnosing what’s actually creating the chaos in your business, that’s exactly what I do.

As an OBM, I help creative CEOs identify the real bottlenecks (not the symptoms), build infrastructure that supports their growth, and stop running their businesses in constant reactive mode.

Learn more about working together here and let’s figure out what your actual fires are — and how to put them out for good.

The post The Wrong Question Every Overwhelmed Creative Entrepreneur Keeps Asking (And What to Ask Instead) appeared first on Byte Bodega.

The vast majority of creative CEOs running online businesses with contractors or employees feel overwhelmed at some point (or, ahem, all the time). They feel stuck, like they’ve hit a cap in what they can do themselves and therefore can’t grow. They’re frustrated with their team, their offers, and sometimes even their entire business model.

But feeling overwhelmed isn’t a sign you should give up on scaling or hiring support (even if you’ve been burned in the past). It’s a signal that you’ve reached the edge of what you can sustainably do on your own.

Let’s break down why it’s happening — and what’s actually causing it – so you can start feeling excited about what you’re building again.

You’re Trained to Create — Not Operate

Most creative entrepreneurs started their businesses to do meaningful work. To write, design, teach, coach, photograph, and build. Not to architect backend systems, create SOPs, or build out an Asana template for every recurring project (unless you’re me, because this is, in fact, what I love to do). 

Expecting yourself to instinctively know how to build efficient infrastructure is unrealistic if that’s not your training. It’s like expecting a graphic designer to prepare your taxes — it’s just not their expertise. You’d never ask them to do it.

So why are you expecting yourself to know how to map out an operations workflow from scratch?

Being great at your craft does not mean you also have to be great at operational leadership. Those are two completely different skill sets.

You’re Wearing Every Single Hat in the Business (Or Just…Too Many)

If you’re acting as the social media strategist, podcast host, operations manager, VA, customer support rep, and graphic designer — of course you feel overwhelmed.

You’re trying to do the job of 26 people at once. I’m tired just thinking about it.

When you’re responsible for both execution AND leadership at the same time, your business literally cannot scale. There’s no time to think strategically about growth when you’re the one resizing the IG graphic at midnight.

This is one of the most common reasons creative entrepreneurs hit a ceiling — they’re holding the whole thing together with their bare hands.

You Are the Bottleneck (Even if You Don’t Want to Admit It)

Do you feel like you need to review and approve everything before it goes out? That alone will make anyone feel overwhelmed.

This usually looks like reviewing:

• Every IG Canva graphic before it gets posted
• Every piece of blog post copy
• Every launch document
• Every sales email going out during a launch

You end up spending your time in constant review mode instead of focusing on growth, vision, and the work only you can do. And be honest…you definitely don’t want to spend what limited time and energy you have combing through every single piece of the puzzle. You just want it done. 

So let your team do it! Building trust with the right experts on your team allows you to step back into your role as visionary instead of “final approver of every comma.”

Your Business Model Rewards Overwork

A lot of creative CEOs feel overwhelmed because they’re trying to do everything the internet says will grow their business. And a lot of the time, they end up being just busy instead of productive. 

For example: You might publish a weekly podcast religiously for six months…only to realize most of your leads are actually coming from Instagram. Overwork usually comes from a lack of prioritization — not a lack of effort.

Start looking at your metrics objectively:

• Where are your sales actually coming from?
• Which activities are directly generating revenue?
• What can you stop doing entirely?

Doing more of what makes you money — and reducing what doesn’t — allows you to work less, reduce overwhelm, and grow more intentionally.

You Have No Real Infrastructure

Infrastructure is one of the most important things you can build to prepare your business to scale. If your team cannot operate independently for at least a week — ideally a month — without you stepping in, your backend is not scalable yet.

What Real Infrastructure Looks Like

• A fully optimized project management system like Asana or ClickUp
• Documented SOPs so work continues even if someone is sick or on PTO
• Clear guidelines for recurring situations like refunds, customer issues, or tech failures
• Templates for anything you do more than once (launch projects, email funnels, client onboarding, etc.)

Without this, you stay involved in every step of execution. With it, your business keeps moving even when you aren’t personally managing every decision. That’s what scaling actually looks like.

You’re Comparing Yourself to Other Creative CEOs

There is no universal formula for success, even though the online business space loves to make it feel that way. People will tell you what worked for them. That doesn’t mean it’ll work for you or your audience.

I had a client who was constantly told to double down on Instagram because she had a large following. She did this for months and got extremely burned out. When we finally reviewed her numbers together, most of her sales were actually coming from her live workshops — where she could actively teach and sell.

Once she shifted focus back to what was converting:

• She simplified her marketing
• She posted less on Instagram
• She made more sales

Growth becomes way easier when you look at your own metrics, get clear on what you want from your business (not what your IG feed tells you you should want), and double down on what’s already working.

Comparison just leads to unnecessary overwork and misaligned strategy.

So What Do You Actually Do About It?

If you’ve nodded along to even three of the above sections, here’s the takeaway: overwhelm isn’t a personality flaw. It’s an operational problem with operational solutions.

You don’t need to grind harder, post more, or “just be more disciplined.” You need:

• Someone (or something) to take execution off your plate so you can lead
• Real backend infrastructure that doesn’t fall apart when you take a day off
• Clarity on what’s actually generating revenue — and the permission to stop doing the rest
• A team that can operate without you being CC’d on every email

This is exactly the kind of work an online business manager helps you build. Not by adding more to your plate, but by taking the operational weight off it entirely so you can get back to the visionary, creative work you started this business to do in the first place.

Click here to learn more about working with me and find out what your day-to-day could look like with real operational support behind you. Because you didn’t start this business to drown in the backend of it — you started it to do the work you love!

The post Why Creative Entrepreneurs Are Overwhelmed (And How to Course Correct Before You Lose Your Mind) appeared first on Byte Bodega.

They allow you to provide ongoing support in ways online courses typically don’t. You show up month after month, creating value, fostering community, and actually being there for your people. It’s incredibly valuable for your community!

The challenge? The work never really “turns off.”

You’re constantly supporting new members while continuing to deliver value to existing ones. Content creation is recurring. Community management is ongoing. Tech issues pop up at the worst times. And if something breaks? Your members notice immediately.
If you’re running a membership and feeling like you’re drowning in the operations of it all, let’s talk about how an online business manager (OBM) can be the difference between sustainable growth and complete burnout.

Launch Management That Helps You Focus on Selling

Even if your membership is evergreen, it’s normal to run live launches several times a year to bring in waves of new members.

And as any creative CEO knows, launches are chaotic. There are a million moving pieces, tight timelines, and zero room for error when you’re opening and closing cart to hundreds (or thousands) of people.

That’s where an OBM steps in. They can help you by: 

• Strategizing your live launch: Will your bonuses speak to your audience’s objections? Is the timeline reasonable for your team to create the assets ahead of time?
• Confirming all the timelines: Open cart, close cart, bonuses, workshop dates, email sequences, etc. 
• Organizing ALL the details: I use one “master doc” on my teams, because this helps reduce questions and time spent searching for materials or documents. 
• Making sure every detail is in place: Delegating tasks to the team, reviewing deliverables, and managing implementation to make sure all the assets are ready before open cart.

This allows you as the CEO to focus on selling and showing up for your audience instead of worrying about logistics like broken links or landing page formats.

Content Operations That Help You Plan Ahead

Friendly reminder that “OMG what the eff am I teaching next month?!” is not a sustainable content strategy.

Memberships require recurring content delivery. And if you’re not planning in advance, that can feel absolutely overwhelming. 
An OBM can help create processes for developing your membership content months ahead of time. This helps you be more intentional about what you’re making for your people so you know it’s what they actually want — and it releases the weight of constant last-minute scrambling.

Once Content Is Created, Your OBM Helps the Team Handle Execution:

This could look like: 

• Creating clear storage systems for member content so it stays organized and the team can access it easily (no more “where’s this month’s video again?” questions)
• Module thumbnail design in Canva
• Uploads to the member portal
• Publishing it on the day it’s promised to members
• Member newsletter writing and scheduling

This helps you avoid last-minute panic before a new month begins and saves you mental energy since you’re just thinking about what you’re teaching. What a relief, right?

Community Management That Keeps Your Members Engaged

You can’t be online 24/7. But your members don’t stop posting questions, sharing wins, or needing support just because you’re offline.

OBMs can help monitor engagement and retention within your community (like in your Facebook group) to ensure:

• Ongoing, meaningful conversations are happening
• Questions or ideas are spotted that speak to members’ needs for future content
• Member wins and testimonials are documented for future use (and of course, celebrated!)

They can also audit new member onboarding experiences to ensure new members:

• Understand how to use the membership
• Get quick wins early on
• Feel validated in their investment (so they stay long-term)

Strong onboarding and engagement support longer retention and happier members. And retention is what makes memberships actually profitable.

Tech Stack Management That Helps Systems Run Smoothly

Nothing kills member trust faster than broken links, missing content, or automations that don’t work. OBMs can audit whether membership content is organized in a way that’s easy for members to navigate.

Something I always help CEOs think about when assessing their memberships: Can members find the content they need quickly and easily? For example, can they find your spring painting tutorials without digging through 47 folders? What about the fall ones? Are your template links still live and easy to access?

These things have to be easy to use and navigate so your members can actually USE the content and get the value they’re paying for.

Platform Migrations and Automations

OBMs can also support migrations between platforms if your current software is no longer serving you. This could look like:

• Hiring a tech VA to lead migration
• Reviewing the content once migrated for accuracy
• Ensuring it’s completed on time

They ensure automations are working properly so:

• New members are tagged and receive community updates
• Canceled members lose access appropriately (to protect your work)
• You have accurate reporting so you actually know how many members you have at any given time

This protects you and improves overall member experience. Because streamlining creative business operations isn’t just about making YOUR life easier — it’s about making your members’ experience better too!

Retention & Metrics: Know What’s Actually Working

You can’t improve what you don’t measure.

OBMs can track key metrics weekly or monthly, and can help you measure:

• Retention rates
• Churn (how many members are leaving)
• Content usage by members
• Monthly recurring revenue (MRR)

They help identify which trainings members engage with most so you can create more of what’s working (and stop wasting time on what isn’t).

They also help develop strategies to improve retention so your membership continues to grow instead of stagnating. Ultimately, most creative entrepreneurs with memberships have a goal of retaining members, not just bringing in new ones. And tracking your numbers can help you figure out how to do that.

Do You Need an OBM for Your Membership?

Who needs an online business manager? Honestly, anyone running a membership who:

• Is working 60-hour weeks just to keep the membership running
• Feels like they’re constantly putting out fires instead of creating content
• Knows they need better systems, but has no idea where to start
• Wants to grow their membership without adding more chaos
• Is tired of being the only person who knows how everything works

If that sounds like you, an OBM isn’t a luxury. It’s the infrastructure you need to scale sustainably.

How can an OBM help creative entrepreneurs scale? 

By building the backend systems that allow growth without burnout. By coordinating the team so you’re not the hub of every single question. By making sure the operations of your membership actually support the vision you have for it.

You didn’t build a membership to become a full-time project manager. You built it to serve your community and create recurring revenue.

And an OBM makes sure the operations side actually supports that vision instead of working against it!

Want to see what this looks like in action?

Read the Southern Adoornments case study to see exactly how I helped a membership-based business streamline operations, improve member experience, and scale sustainably.

The post How an Online Business Manager Turns Membership Chaos Into Recurring Revenue appeared first on Byte Bodega.

Working remotely is amazing. But managing a team from miles away is hard. And trying to do it without micromanaging is even harder. 

Remote leadership requires an entirely different skill set than in-person management. And most creative entrepreneurs? They never signed up to be managers in the first place.

But you can still build a high-performing remote team without micromanaging — you just need the right systems!

Strategy #1: Set Clear Expectations From Day One

Intentional onboarding is the #1 thing you can do to set a remote team member up for success. This applies whether you’re hiring contractors or employees.

And if you don’t onboard properly? You don’t get to be frustrated when someone needs constant hand-holding early on. Nine times out of ten, it’s not a performance issue (assuming you did the hiring work upfront). It’s a clarity issue.

In remote environments, communication is naturally more limited. Team members can’t just pop over to ask a quick question when they get stuck. This makes it CRUCIAL to empower them from day one with:

• Clear expectations around what tasks and responsibilities they own
• Where information lives (Asana, Google Docs, SOPs, client folders, etc.)
• When to communicate or escalate something (Is it actually an emergency? Or can it wait until tomorrow?)
• Why certain processes exist (so they understand why it’s important to follow them)

When team members understand the context behind their work, they can operate more independently, leaving you more breathing room to do what creative CEOs do (whatever that looks like for you!).

Strategy #2: Choose the Right Communication Tools (and Stick to Them)

Remote teams drop balls fast when communication is spread across too many platforms.

I once onboarded with a client who had five communication channels. FIVE. She constantly felt overwhelmed trying to keep up, and the team missed things left and right. 

I recommend no more than 2 communication channels, plus email as a backup.

For this client, we narrowed everything to:

• Asana comments for task-specific communication
• Voxer for deeper conversations and decision-making
• Email for external communication only

This created clear communication lanes and made it much harder to miss things. It also gave us documentation to reference decisions we made months later, which creates accountability.

Over time, the team naturally learned where to communicate about what, which streamlined backend operations significantly.

How to Choose Your Channels

• For task-specific updates: Use your project management tool (Asana, ClickUp, Monday). Keep all context in one place.
• For quick back-and-forth: Slack or Voxer work great. Just set boundaries around response times.
• For anything that needs a paper trail: Email or documented in your PM tool.

Whatever you decide to use, use it consistently. That’s the best way to ensure streamlined communication. 

Strategy #3: Build Trust Through Transparency

CEOs often discuss big-picture strategy with their OBMs, but that context doesn’t always reach the rest of the team. Contractors can end up just getting assigned what feels like random tasks without understanding the why behind them.

Intentionally communicating business goals helps team members take more ownership and share ideas when they understand the bigger picture.

This can look like:

• Simple monthly team newsletters or meetings
• Loom overview explanations from the OBM on larger projects
• Weekly priority updates over Slack
• Quarterly business updates (even if your team is just 2-3 contractors)

When your team understands where the business is going, they can help you get there faster.

Bonus points if you shout out team members who are doing great work or greatly contributed to a project’s success. Recognition goes a long way with remote teams who don’t get the casual “great job!” in the hallway.

Strategy #4: Create Structure Without Micromanaging

Nobody likes micromanagers. Not you. Not your team. Not anyone. So don’t be one. 

A strong project management tool will help you avoid that. Every process should have clear tasks, assignees, and due dates. Because if you have this, you (or your OBM) can see what your team is working on within a few clicks.

How to Implement a Project Management Tool

Here’s a glimpse at what this might look like on your team…

If you’re wondering when your copywriter will have your launch sales emails done, you can peek at their tasks and see that it’s due Thursday. So you know (without bugging them) that you can expect to see them by Friday morning.

Without a PM tool, you’d have to ping them to find out. And that’s annoying for everyone.

Team members can see what’s due now vs. later, which builds accountability AND flexibility so they can plan their week. (Trust me, they love this…and you will too.)

Follow-ups then only become necessary when something is overdue or expectations aren’t met.

What Project Management Tools to Use

Tools like Asana, ClickUp, or Monday make expectations visible without micromanaging. They’re so essential for remote work that I actually have it in my contract that clients have to use one. (I recommend, and use, Asana, but you can use whatever floats your boat!)

Strategy #5: Foster Connection Beyond Work Tasks

Yes, you can build a strong culture even with remote contractors. Simple things like Slack “water cooler” channels help people connect as humans, not just task-doers.

Celebrating wins and sharing life updates (relocations, new babies, pet pics) builds trust and loyalty. Your team will care more about your business when they feel like actual people, not just vendors.

Some teams also benefit from annual in-person retreats for planning and team building. I’ve had several clients do this successfully. (And yes, I can help you plan them if that’s something you want to explore!)

Remote doesn’t mean isolated. It just means you have to be intentional about creating the human moments that happen naturally in an office.

When You Need More Than Just Management Tips

Look, these systems help. But implementing them? That’s a whole different thing.

If you’re reading this thinking, “I know I need this, but I have no idea when I’ll find time to set it all up,” that’s a sign you might need to hire someone to run daily business operations.

An OBM doesn’t just manage your team — they build the infrastructure that makes remote management actually work. They create the onboarding processes. They choose and implement the tools. They train your team. They handle the follow-ups.

You focus on being the CEO. They focus on making sure everything runs smoothly.

Because here’s the truth: You can’t be a visionary AND an operations manager at the same time. If you try, you’ll do both poorly. Just saying.

Your Next Read

Once you’ve got your team structure in place, the next step is documenting your processes, so your team can do their jobs without asking you 47 follow-up questions. Learn how automated SOPs with Tango can save you 15+ hours every time you need to document a process here.

The post 5 Strategies for Leading Remote Teams Without Micromanaging appeared first on Byte Bodega.

As you know, it’s not always easy. You’ve been on the cusp of overwhelm more times than you can count. 

But if that’s how you feel right now, in this moment, these lessons are for you. Because I learned most of them the hard way — by doing the opposite first, crashing and burning, and then (finally) figuring out what actually works.

Here’s what eight years of business have taught me about how to stop being overwhelmed and actually enjoy what you’ve built.

Lesson #1: Your Skills Are Valuable, Even If They Come Easy

I can build a beautifully custom, color-coded Asana board with my eyes closed. For years, I thought that was just “something people did.” (LOL because I now know…it’s not). 

You’re allowed to charge for the things you’re good at, even if they feel effortless to you. Especially if they feel effortless to you! Because what’s easy for you is impossible for someone else.

I can’t write worth a shit, so I hire a copywriter. My clients ask me for spreadsheet help. We all help each other. That’s how this works. Stop devaluing your skills because they come naturally. 

The ease you feel is your expertise showing. 

Lesson #2: Your Business is Not Your Identity

There was a long period where if my business was struggling, I was a failure. Professionally AND personally. If for some reason I’d had to close my business, I would have had a mental breakdown.

Over time, I learned to separate my work from my personal worth. If I closed my business tomorrow because there wasn’t a need for it anymore, or if I wanted to scale back and take a full-time job? I’d do it. (I’m not, to be clear. But I wouldn’t beat myself up about it.)

Your business is not your identity. It’s a thing you do. And you’re allowed to change your mind about how you do it.

Lesson #3: Everyone Knows Everyone. Don’t Burn Bridges.

The online space is a tiny little corner of the internet, even if it feels like our entire world. I’ve always tried to be a person who keeps options open and doesn’t burn bridges. I’m grateful for that because I would have shot myself in the foot multiple times if I hadn’t.

It’s not uncommon for potential clients to see case studies on my website and book a discovery call saying, “I know XYZ that you worked with!” It would be a real bummer (and hella awkward) if I had to say, “Yeah, we don’t talk anymore.”

Be professional. Be kind. Even when it’s hard. The online business world is smaller than you think.

Lesson #4: Everything Takes Longer Than You Think

This is one of the biggest reasons us business owners feel overwhelmed — we consistently underestimate how long things take and then beat ourselves up when we can’t meet impossible deadlines we set for ourselves.

Whatever timeline you have in mind, double it. So stop pushing yourself to get things done in an impossible amount of time. You’re just burning yourself out, and you’re the only person who knows how long it actually took anyway.

(And if someone IS paying that close attention to your timeline? Fuck ’em.)

Lesson #5: If It’s Not a Hell Yes, It’s a Hell No

Every. Single. Time. I’ve said yes to something that didn’t feel like a 1000% YES from the start, it turned into a living hellscape. If I took on a client with a few red flags? I only found 10 more.

If I said yes to a timeline that felt like a squeeze for my capacity? My mental health suffered.

But every time my gut screamed “DO IT” or “FIGURE OUT A WAY TO DO IT”? I’ve never regretted it. Trust your gut. It knows things your brain is trying to rationalize away.

Lesson #6: Ignore the Noise

You don’t have to make $10K working 3 hours a week to be happy. (If you were traumatized by the 2018-2021 online course/coaches internet wave, you’ll understand this.)

I started an online course because I thought that was what you HAD to do to scale. I thought I needed a team so I could work less. I tried both because that’s what the internet told me I needed.

Guess what? I hated both. I don’t want to sell all the time (introvert). I don’t want the responsibility of employees. I want to help creative people grow passion-driven businesses in a strategic way. Staying solo and working 1:1 with clients lets me do that best.

Learning to ignore the noise of what I “should” do and listening to advice from a few trusted people has been one of the best things I’ve done.

Lesson #7: There Will Always Be Something You Could Be Doing. Take the Day Off Anyway.

Having a completed to-do list is not a luxury we get as business owners. It’s important to realize (or learn the hard way… ahem) that you can take a break anyway. The world won’t burn down because you took one day off. 

Give yourself permission to step away even when the to-do list isn’t done. Because it will never be done.

Lesson #8: Authentic Networking Actually Works

I wish I could go back and tell Penn State Student Chynna to go to every career fair and talk to every guest expert she could. My introverted personality kept me from that. Now? I know that jobs, clients, and opportunities come from the people you know.

Looking back at the last eight years, nearly every positive thing that’s happened to me came from someone I had a real, personal connection with:

• Clients who referred their friends
• OBM friends who sent referrals
• Podcast interviews because of the blog posts my copywriter wrote
• Guest speaking invitations because someone shared my name

All because I’ve met new people, gotten on coffee chats, and genuinely tried to help other business owners. Community over competition isn’t just a cute saying. It’s how you scale your creative business systematically — with support, referrals, and relationships.

Lesson #9: No One Is Paying That Close Attention

It’s easy to think “omg what will people think?!?” when you change your mind about something. But either people aren’t paying that close attention, or if they are, they probably don’t care (a hard truth, but a freeing one). 

I once launched a new service, did one project, realized I hated the work, and never offered it again. No one noticed. But I beat myself up for weeks, thinking people would judge me or lose trust in my work. Spoiler alert: They didn’t.

People are too wrapped up in themselves to worry about what you’re doing. So just do it anyway.

Bonus Lesson: Chaos-Proof Your Business Will Save Your Ass More Times Than You Can Count

Here’s what eight years have really taught me: Business chaos is inevitable, but not permanent.

You can build systems that protect your time. You can set boundaries that stick. You can create infrastructure that lets you take a day off without everything falling apart. That’s what chaos-proofing looks like.

You may just need a little guidance and gentle hand-holding as you do it.

If that’s you, go ahead and grab the free Chaos-Proof Guide to learn exactly which systems to build first so you can scale without burning out. I walk you through each step, explain it all in simplified language (no operational jargon here!), and show you a few next steps to take depending on your situation. 

If getting your business organized is on your to-do list this year, this guide is a great place to start!

The post 9 Hard-Won Lessons After 8 Years in Business appeared first on Byte Bodega.

But here’s where most creative entrepreneurs get stuck: They know they need better documentation. They just don’t have time to create it.

So they default to whatever feels fastest in the moment — a Google Doc with vague instructions, a 30-minute Loom video explaining how to do something, or (let’s be honest) do nothing at all.

And then they wonder why their team keeps making mistakes, why onboarding new contractors takes forever, and why they’re still the bottleneck in every single process.

The problem isn’t that you need SOPs. You already know that. The problem is that what business systems creative entrepreneurs need most — clear, usable documentation — is exactly what takes the most time to create.

Unless you use the right tool…

The Hidden Cost of “Free” Documentation Methods

I’m all for finding systems that work for you. If free tools like Google Docs or Loom have helped you, great! But if they were really helping all that much, you probably wouldn’t be reading this. 

Free tools work…until you have a team and more moving parts than you did as a solopreneur. 

Google Docs: The Time Suck You Don’t See Coming

Here’s what goes into creating a single SOP in Google Docs:

1. Write out each step (10-15 minutes depending on complexity)
2. Take screenshots manually for each action (5-10 minutes)
3. Crop and edit each screenshot so it’s actually useful (3-5 minutes per image)
4. Insert images into the doc and format them properly (2-3 minutes per image)
5. Add arrows, highlights, or annotations to show where to click (5-10 minutes)
6. Format the whole thing so it doesn’t look like a mess (10-15 minutes)
7. Review and edit because you forgot a step or the images are out of order (10 minutes)

Total time for ONE SOP: 45-70 minutes

That’s fine if you’re a team of one and don’t have much to document. But multiply that by every process in your business. If you have 20 core processes (which is conservative for most businesses), that’s 15-23 hours of documentation work.

And that’s assuming:

• You don’t lose track of which screenshot goes with which step
• You don’t have to redo screenshots because something changed in your software down the line
• Your formatting doesn’t break when you copy/paste
• Your team can actually follow your instructions without clarification

(Spoiler alert: All of those things will happen.)

Loom Videos: Fast to Record, Terrible to Use

Okay, so what about Loom? You can record your screen, talk through the process, and you have an instant SOP, right? Not quite.

Loom videos FEEL fast because recording is quick. You can knock out a 10-30 minute video explaining a process in one take. But here’s what you’re NOT accounting for:

• Time spent re-recording when you mess up (happens more than you think)
• No way to update just ONE step without re-recording the whole thing
• Your team has to scrub through a 30-minute video to find that one step they forgot

The real cost? Every time your team member needs to reference that SOP, they’re spending 5-10 minutes hunting for information that should take 30 seconds to find. If they reference it twice a week? That’s 10-20 minutes per week per person.

If you have 3 team members referencing various Loom SOPs throughout the month? You’re looking at 2-3 hours of wasted contractor time every month. Big oof. 

How Tango Eliminates SOP Hurdles and Saves You Time and Money

Enter: Tango.

I know what you’re thinking: “Great, another subscription. Another tool to learn. Another thing to manage.”

Fair. But just look at the math before you make a decision. Deal?

Time to Create One SOP:

• Google Docs method: 45-70 minutes 
• Loom method: 15-30 minutes (double that if you need to go back and edit or add a step since you have to re-record)
• Tango method: 10-15 minutes

How Tango does it:

1. You turn on Tango and perform the task once
2. Tango automatically captures screenshots of every action you take
3. It auto-generates written instructions for each step
4. You review, edit any descriptions, and publish
5. Done

No manual screenshots. No cropping. No formatting nightmares. No scrubbing through videos. See why I love it?

And when you want to update an SOP? 

With Tango, you just re-record the changed steps, which usually only takes a few minutes to complete. No need to send out another document, redo entire SOPs, etc. That is literally all you do. 

The ROI of Good Documentation

Let’s do some real math here.

Scenario: You need to create 20 SOPs for your business.

• Google Docs approach:
  • 20 SOPs × 60 minutes average = 20 hours of your time
  • At $100/hour (conservative for creative business owners) = $2,000 in opportunity cost
  • Plus ongoing team inefficiency when using docs

• Tango approach:
  • 20 SOPs × 12 minutes average = 4 hours of your time
  • At $100/hour = $400 in opportunity cost
  • You save 16 hours = $1,600
  • Tango cost: ~$20/month for Pro plan

You’ve already paid for an entire year of Tango just by creating your first 20 SOPs more efficiently.

And that’s BEFORE we factor in:

• Time saved on updates (Tango wins by miles)
• Reduced contractor hours wasted searching for information
• Fewer mistakes because instructions are clearer
• Faster onboarding for new team members

See the difference?

Why Tango Beats Loom for Long-Term Operations

Look, Loom has its place. If you’re in a pinch and need to explain something quickly to one person? Record a Loom. Totally fine. But for systematic documentation that scales your creative business, video SOPs aren’t always the most efficient method. 

Here’s why:

• Findability: Your team can scan Tango steps in 10 seconds. Finding the right timestamp in a Loom takes much longer than that. 
• Updateability: When your software updates or your process changes, you can edit 2 steps in Tango. With Loom, you’re re-recording the whole thing.
• Accessibility: Not everyone processes information the same way. Visual, numbered steps work for more people than video-only.
• Speed: Your contractors aren’t billing you to watch videos. But if they’re spending 10 minutes scrubbing through a Loom to find one answer? You’re paying for that inefficiency.

And as for ChatGPT SOPs?  Proceed With Caution.

More and more clients are messaging me about the SOPs they had ChatGPT create. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing, BUT more so than with Loom or Google Docs, SOPs created with ChatGPT (or other AI platforms) need to be used with caution. 

As I’m sure we’ve all noticed by now, AI makes mistakes CONSTANTLY. If you don’t give it the proper guidance and include enough detail, you’re going to end up with one of two outcomes: 

A.) Your SOPs are full of incorrect information (which will cause huge problems down the road, for obvious reasons)

B.) You have to spend literal hours going back and revising the SOPs until they’re correct

That’s a lot of time (and energy) to waste.

If You Are Going to Use AI to Create SOPs…

If you’re going to use AI to help create SOPs, they need to come from a Loom transcription/recording, or highly detailed notes, that you convert to a step-by-step process with (or something similar). AI cannot create accurate SOPs out of thin air. You have to coach it and tell it exactly what you want.

And you WILL need to go back and review it so your SOPs include enough (accurate) detail for your team members to use them without having loads of questions first. 

Even though AI can create a *seemingly* sound SOP in minutes, remember that everything comes at a cost. And if something sounds too good to be true (like a robot creating your SOPs with zero work on your end *wink wink*), it probably is. 

Stop Wasting Time on Bad Documentation!

You can’t scale systematically with Google Docs and Loom videos alone. What business systems do creative entrepreneurs need? Clear, accessible, visual documentation that your team can actually use without asking you questions.

That’s what Tango gives you. Automated screenshots, clear instructions, easy updates, and team members who can find answers in seconds instead of minutes.

Is it another tool? Yes. Is it another subscription? Yes. Will it save you 15+ hours every time you need to document your processes? Also yes.

The question isn’t whether you can afford Tango. The question is whether you can afford to keep wasting time creating SOPs the hard way — or worse, not creating them at all.

Ready to Build SOPs? Start Here!

Stop the chaos and start building operations that actually work! Grab the free Chaos-Proof Guide to see exactly which systems you need to document first and how to prioritize building infrastructure that scales with your business. (Pssst…it’s free!) 

The post How Automated SOPs Will Save You Time and Money in 2026 appeared first on Byte Bodega.

2026 has the digital marketing world shook.

Earlier this year, Amy Porterfield announced that she was closing her Digital Course Academy, her capstone, money-making, mega course.

This course was huge in the online marketing space. Most of my clients had her templates uploaded into their Kajabi accounts when they started working with me.

Amy’s exit has left lots of course creators questioning everything.

Is the online course space dead?

Should I change my entire strategy?

If Amy is quitting, should I?

In this article, I’m going to break down exactly what I am doing (and not doing) with my clients at Millennial Marketer to help them succeed this year.

Why the old model is breaking

Digital courses aren’t dead, but the old way of doing things is.

I’m not going to lie, I really didn’t like Amy’s course.

I never took it or went through it myself, but it always caused friction between me and my clients.

I’d review the health of their social media, email list, and partnership connections, look at the trends and tactics in their niche and audience, and build a custom launch plan.

And then they’d say, “Well, that’s not how Amy does it.”

They’d walk me through Amy’s methodologies, and here were my gripes:

• They were complicated and overwhelming for an entrepreneur.
• There were a lot of steps and places where a lead could drop, so if you had a smaller audience, very few people would end up getting the pitch.
• They relied on email opens and show rates to get sales.

Because of Amy’s course (and many others in the space), course creators followed suit.

They built complicated multi-step launch plans that worked in 2018 for creators with large email lists but simply don’t work for most people in today’s landscape—especially if they are just starting out.

So what is working now in 2026:

#1 Simpler funnels

I’m seeing the most success for creators who strip their funnels down to what really works.

One free (or low-cost) offer, followed up by one solid paid offer.

You have to apply the 80/20 rule to your course marketing. Twenty percent of your marketing work is already bringing in 80% of your sales, so focus on what is working (and I’d bet it’s the simplest work that is working the best).

This year, I give you permission to:

• Stop using your 20-step funnel if it’s not making you money.
• Stop selling that offer that takes hours of your time but results in very few sales.
• Quit that social platform that is not growing or bringing in new leads.

You don’t need a more complex or broader strategy; you need a focused one.

#2 Using social media as a funnel

People are inundated with emails, and many even have an email address they use to give to companies and then never open that inbox (me, I’m people).

So how are successful creators selling?

Last year, the most fascinating thing happened. I ran three launches just about simultaneously.

In all three launches, the sales directly from social media were greater than the sales from email.

And honestly, I was shocked.

In my 20 years as a marketer, I’ve never seen that happen. Before then, I was frustrated with people’s obsession with their social followers and going viral because email sales won over social sales every time.

But recently, there has been a shift.

Creators who use social as their funnel win every time.

What do I mean by that? It’s actually not that complicated.

On social, you need different types of content to act as a funnel.

Top of Funnel Content: This is content that helps you find new followers. This is content using trending sounds, sharing pain points from your ideal customer, POV content from their perspective, or humorous content that pokes a little fun at the issues people face that you solve.

This content should not sell or take people off the social platform.

But it should make people want to share and comment.

Middle of Funnel Content: This content is meant to nurture the audience you have. This is where you can educate, talk about the problems you solve, talk about your life doing the work, and share thought leadership content around your niche.

Again, this content should not sell or take people off the social platform. But it should help people get to know and trust you more and start to see how you can help them solve a key problem.

You also want people to save this content or engage in your comments.

Bottom of Funnel Content: This is content designed for sales. It’s meant for people who are already following you and have seen other content in your “funnel.” We don’t care if this goes viral or has a huge reach; we just want the right people to see it.

This looks like case studies, transformation stories, your results. It looks like stating the problem and then the solution (which is your product, program, or service).

And instead of sending people to a complicated funnel or sales page, you’re going to do this instead.

#3 DM-driven sales

If you are using the content plan above, DM-driven sales can really work because you are meeting people where they are.

You want to make it as easy as possible for people to buy from you. No hoops. No complications. No having to switch to their computer from their phone to make it happen.

When posting your Bottom of Funnel content, say something like this:

• “Comment ‘Win’ to get the application to join my mastermind.”
• “Comment ‘Audit’ to sign up for my 1-hour business audit.”
• “Comment ‘Grow’ to get my $27 ebook.”

From there, you can manually handle replies by DMing that person the link for their next step, but there are also automation tools that can help you manage it.

If you are a Kajabi user, you can use Kajabi’s Universal Inbox plus Automations to handle this automatically for Instagram and Facebook posts.

If you aren’t a Kajabi user or need a more robust suite of tools, ManyChat works very well for the same thing.

If you want to automate conversations like this on platforms like LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, or others, you can use Zapier alongside ManyChat or other automation tools (but that’s a conversation for another day).

#4 Courses with a live component

I know we all dream about passive income. And I love the idea of creating a gigantic course that costs $2,500 and sells itself.

Unfortunately, I rarely see that work, even for creators with hundreds of thousands of followers.

So what am I seeing work now?

• Creators that weave things into their offers like:
• Live office hours
• Homework submission with real feedback
• Milestones that must be completed before unlocking the next step
• Community connection and motivation

In all of these things, you’re still working on strategies that go beyond trading your time for money—just adding personalization and experiences that make people want to buy.

Your 2026 action plan

If this article got you thinking about what you can do differently, good! That was my goal.

Here’s what I want you to do:

• Review your offers and identify which marketing activities are actually driving sales.
• Focus on optimizing that through simpler funnels and/or building your funnels directly on social media.
• Make it easier to buy. No hoops. No complications.

Plus, if you are ready to create a digital offer built to sell in 2026, check out my free 10-Day Course Creation Challenge.

Here’s to your success in 2026.

Meet the Expert:

Joanna Newton

Co-Founder of Millennial Marketer

Creator of The COOLab

Learn More About Joanna:

I don’t just help people launch courses—I help them build businesses that change their lives.

After 10+ years in EdTech marketing, selling courses at scale, I saw firsthand how founders can grow profitable businesses based on digital product sales. But I also saw something else—most of the success stories looked the same.

The truth? Climbing the corporate ladder isn’t enough to build financial freedom, especially for traditionally underrepresented populations and those who don’t come from wealth. That’s why my Co-Founder and I built Millennial Marketer—an agency that’s helped 200+ business owners turn their knowledge into scalable online businesses. We’ve generated over $1M in revenue, and we’re just getting started.

I’m a top Kajabi Expert who specializes in web development, funnel building, marketing launch strategy, and digital product creation—all with a focus on building in Kajabi. More importantly, I help founders avoid the fluff and focus on what actually works to grow and scale.

So, if you’re serious about building a digital course business (and not just chasing vanity metrics), let’s talk.

The post Why 2026 Is Changing Everything for Digital Course Creators appeared first on Byte Bodega.