The Creative Bodega | Content Marketing and Instagram Growth for Solopreneurs

Em Connors
  • 5.0 (103)
  • Marketing
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to The Creative Bodega, a podcast about content marketing, Instagram growth, and personal branding designed specifically for female service-based solopreneurs.  Here, we believe you can confidently create engaging content, connect authentically with your audience, and convert followers into loyal customers — all without the burnout. Each week, host Em Connors shares actionable tips and expert advice to help YOU grow your business without letting it take over your life.  From how to spend less time on content creation and more time being strategic to overcoming the overwhelm of navigating tech updates and ever-changing trends, Em answers your toughest questions so you can serve your clients and show up as your best self. Life happens, so Em doesn’t hold back from sharing the unfiltered truth of what it’s like to run a multi-six-figure business and raise a family. In addition to sharing proven strategies straight from her own business, Em spotlights other successful female service providers to find out how they balance family and run a business while staying sane and prioritizing themselves in this crazy season of life.  If you’re ready to turn your content into clients alongside a community of women who understand the struggle, you’re in the right place. 

  1. 2d ago

    77: Ep3: Nobody Told Me I'd Have To Share My Life Online With Strangers

    You know you're supposed to share parts of your life online. But what, exactly? You're private. Your kids don't want to be content. And you have zero interest in crying on camera for engagement. I hear some version of this from the women I work with every single week, so if that's you, you're not alone. In this episode of The Creative Bodega, I'm introducing you to a concept I call your core story bank: the 4 to 5 stories and personal themes that make you relatable without making you an open book. If you're the private one, the introvert, the one who cringes at performed vulnerability, this episode is especially for you. Check out the full show notes for this episode CLICK HERE. Things I cover inside this episode: Why "be authentic online" has spiraled into performing pain for viewsThe "share your scars, not your wounds" rule and how I apply itWhat a core story bank is and why 4 to 5 stories is plentyMy own core stories and themes (the CrossFit gym era, NYC, Blitzy the pit bull)How to find the bridges between your life and your ideal client'sWhy I pulled back from showing my kids online, even though those views spikeThe private-person path to a personal brand (dog walks and morning coffee count)Resources & Links mentioned in the episode: EP 13 - The past episode where I tell my NYC-to-meeting-Rob story (referenced when discussing core stories)Connect with me: 🫶🏼 Follow me on Instagram for daily insights 🫶🏼 Join my 321 Create Newsletter for weekly content tips  🫶🏼 Check out The Content Coven Membership Be sure to hit "Subscribe" or "Follow" so you never miss an episode!

  2. Jul 13

    76: Ep2: Nobody Told Me My Camera Energy Was Part Of My Brand Visuals

    Your Canva templates are perfectly on-brand. Your color palette is locked. So why does your content still feel a little cold when you hit record? You're not imagining it, and you're definitely not alone in wondering why the visuals aren't translating to connection. In this episode of The Creative Bodega, I'm getting into the part of visual branding nobody talks about: the energy you bring to camera, and why it might matter more than any font pairing you've ever agonized over. If your branding feels done on paper but flat on video, this episode is for you. Check out the full show notes for this episode CLICK HERE. Things I cover inside this episode: Why my own visual branding started with a color I borrowed from another creatorHow my palette evolved from muted and safe to bold as my confidence grewThe 2017 video I almost couldn't watch back, and the one shift that changed itWhy smiling before you hit record changes how your content actually feelsWhat "done" really means for your visual brand, and why it doesn't existWhy your energy on camera matters more than your font choices right nowConnect with me: 🫶🏼 Follow me on Instagram for daily insights 🫶🏼 Join my 321 Create Newsletter for weekly content tips  🫶🏼 Check out The Content Coven Membership Be sure to hit "Subscribe" or "Follow" so you never miss an episode!

  3. Jul 6

    75: Ep1: Nobody Told Me How Long Building a Personal Brand Actually Takes

    Do you ever wonder if the discomfort of putting yourself out there is ever going to go away? You post, you wait, you check the numbers, and some days it still feels like nobody's out there. In this episode of The Creative Bodega, I'm kicking off a new series called Nobody Told Me, six honest truths about what it actually takes to build a personal brand. We're starting with the one nobody warns you about: how long everything really takes. If you're deep in the reps and wondering when it starts feeling easier, this episode is for you. Check out the full show notes for this episode CLICK HERE. Things I cover inside this episode: Why I still cringe when someone tells me they watch my Instagram stories, even five years inWhat building an audience from zero at my CrossFit gym in 2017 actually taught meWhy posting into a void with 12 story views is where everyone starts, no exceptionsThe 3 non-negotiables for showing up consistently without burning out or overcomplicating itWhy sporadic brilliance always loses to small, sustainable systems repeated for 90 daysWhy I talked a close friend out of chasing $1,000 a month as an influencerWhat's changing with The Content Coven, and why now is the time to joinConnect with me: 🫶🏼 Follow me on Instagram for daily insights 🫶🏼 Join my 321 Create Newsletter for weekly content tips  🫶🏼 Check out The Content Coven Membership Be sure to hit "Subscribe" or "Follow" so you never miss an episode!

  4. Jun 29

    74: The Ultimate Canva Organization Episode with Canva Verified Expert Brenda Cadman

    If your Canva account is a complete disaster — designs floating in space, uploads you've had since 2017, and templates you used once and can never find again — you are not alone. Most solopreneurs are working inside a cluttered Canva account without realizing how much time and mental energy it's costing them. The good news? Getting organized doesn't have to be a full weekend project. In this episode of The Creative Bodega, I'm joined by fellow Canva Verified Expert Brenda Cadman, whose entire expertise is Canva organization. She breaks down where to start, what to delete, how to structure your folders, and the one navigation trick most people don't know about. If you've ever re-uploaded the same brand photo six times because it was faster than finding it, this episode is for you. Check out the full show notes for this episode CLICK HERE. Things I cover inside this episode: Why your uploads folder is probably a dumping ground, and how to fix itThe purge-first approach: why creating folders before deleting is the wrong orderHow to use Canva's "Your Projects" view to actually see what still needs to be filedThe star folder trick for projects you're accessing constantlyThe difference between designs and templates, and why mixing them up is costing you timeWhy naming your files matters more than you think (and what to name them)How to make progress in small chunks without overhauling everything at onceResources & Links mentioned in the episode: Brenda Cadman's website (where to find her and learn more)Brenda's Canva organization course, evergreen and updated when Canva changesConnect with me: 🫶🏼 Follow me on Instagram for daily insights 🫶🏼 Join my 321 Create Newsletter for weekly content tips  🫶🏼 Check out The Content Coven Membership Be sure to hit "Subscribe" or "Follow" so you never miss an episode!

  5. Jun 22

    73: Instagram Followers Don't Pay Your Bills: What I Should've Been Tracking Instead

    Have you ever posted something, checked back an hour later, and felt your stomach drop? You poured real energy into it. And the response was...crickets. If you've been using your follower count, your likes, or your email list growth as proof that you're good at this, I want you to know you are so not alone. In this episode of The Creative Bodega, I get more vulnerable than usual. I share what happened when I finally got on a call with my business coach and therapist, Ash McDonald, what she said that stopped me cold, and why I'd been white-knuckling the completely wrong numbers for months while ignoring the one that actually tells you the truth about your business. Check out the full show notes for this episode CLICK HERE. Things I cover inside this episode: Why follower count and likes are the easiest numbers to track, not the most important onesThe question Ash McDonald asked me that I couldn't answer (and why that was the real wake-up call)How I'd been avoiding my revenue check-ins and what that avoidance was actually costing meWhy someone else's massive launch triggered a spiral, and what was really going on underneath itThe difference between vanity metrics and the numbers that tell you if your business is actually healthyWhy leadership isn't about having it all together, it's about being relatableWhat I'm doing differently now, including restarting monthly check-ins with my husband RobResources & Links mentioned in the episode: Ash McDonald, therapist and business strategist (therpist/biz coach referenced throughout the episode that I love & have worked with a number of times).Ash McDonald's podcast (how Em originally found her and built trust before hiring her).EP 13: Em's episode with her husband Rob (referenced as one of her most-listened episodes).Connect with me: 🫶🏼 Follow me on Instagram for daily insights 🫶🏼 Join my 321 Create Newsletter for weekly content tips  🫶🏼 Check out The Content Coven Membership Be sure to hit "Subscribe" or "Follow" so you never miss an episode!

  6. Jun 15

    72: How I Went From Dreading My Newsletter to Writing It in 30 Minutes

    If the thought of writing a newsletter every week makes you want to close your laptop and never come back, this one's for you. I get it. I've felt that exact dread, staring at a blank screen, deleting what I wrote, and deciding I just wasn't a "newsletter person." In this episode of The Creative Bodega, I'm sharing how I went from avoiding my newsletter completely to sending my 285th consecutive issue, and the simple format that made it possible. If you've started a list and let it go quiet, or you haven't started one yet because the whole thing feels too big, this episode is for you. Check out the full show notes for this episode CLICK HERE Things I cover inside this episode: Why I avoided writing a newsletter for so long, even knowing I needed oneThe exact 3-2-1 Create format that takes me 20 to 30 minutes every weekWhat goes in each of the three sections, including my favorite oneWhy a smaller, engaged email list beats a big unengaged oneHow I track open rates and clicks with a simple spreadsheetWhy and how I regularly delete inactive subscribersWhat to do if you're starting your list completely from scratchResources & Links mentioned in the episode: 25% OFF Flodesk: my email platform of choice, and what I use for both sending the newsletter and cleaning out inactive subscribersStart & Grow Your Email List from Scratch my self-paced course for anyone starting completely from zero. We cover building a freebie people actually want, getting set up on Flodesk without wanting to throw your laptop, writing a newsletter you don't dread, and using your list to actually make sales!Connect with me: 🫶🏼 Follow me on Instagram for daily insights 🫶🏼 Join my 321 Create Newsletter for weekly content tips  🫶🏼 Check out The Content Coven Membership Be sure to hit "Subscribe" or "Follow" so you never miss an episode!

  7. Jun 8

    71: You Can't Sell What People Can't See: How I Fixed My Own Visibility Gap

    Have you been showing up consistently, posting tips, sharing your face, doing all the things, and still wondering why your offer isn't getting signups? You're not doing it wrong. You're just not showing it. There's a real difference between posting about your niche and showing people what it's actually like inside your world. And that gap is exactly where signups disappear. I know because I found myself in it, weeks into a stretch of almost zero new Coven signups, before I realized I hadn't shared a single piece of content about what was happening inside the membership. In this episode of The Creative Bodega, I'm walking you through the 5-post rotation I built to fix that, complete with reusable Canva templates, a simple Google Form for collecting member stories, and a weekly cadence that makes showing your offer feel way less like selling. Check out the full show notes for this episode HERE: [link placeholder] Things I cover inside this episode: Why consistent posting doesn't equal visible offer, and what to do insteadThe exact moment I realized I was making the same mistake I coach others onA 5-post weekly rotation that makes showing your membership feel sustainable, not salesyHow a simple Google Form solved the hardest part of sharing member winsWhy monthly challenge results make more compelling content than anything you could write yourselfThe "make it with me" post type that shows your offer delivering in real timeHow to apply this system even if you don't have a membership Connect with me: 🫶🏼 Follow me on Instagram for daily insights 🫶🏼 Join my 321 Create Newsletter for weekly content tips  🫶🏼 Check out The Content Coven Membership Be sure to hit "Subscribe" or "Follow" so you never miss an episode!

  8. Jun 1

    70: My Summer Bare Minimum Content Plan (& Why Maintenance Mode IS a Strategy)

    If you've been staring down July thinking you have two choices: keep the exact same pace you've been keeping all year, or go completely dark and hope your audience forgives you in September, this episode is for you. You don't have to choose between burning out and disappearing. There's a middle ground, and I call it maintenance mode. It's where you stay visible, keep nurturing your people, and maintain some momentum without pretending you have the same capacity in July as in October. Because you don't. And honestly, neither do I. In this episode of The Creative Bodega, I'm walking you through my actual summer content rhythm: what I keep, what I simplify, and how I use one podcast episode as my content anchor to feed everything else without starting from scratch every week. Check out the full show notes for this episode HERE. Things I cover inside this episode: Why "maintenance mode" is a real strategy, not a cop-out, and what it actually looks like in practiceMy summer content rhythm: podcast, newsletter, Instagram, and one blog post, all from one core piece of contentHow I use my podcast as a content anchor to feed everything else without reinventing the wheel each weekWhy summer is the perfect time to lean on content that already worked, and how to find it fastThe backend cleanup I do in slower seasons: website, funnels, bios, and automations that have been sitting in the junk drawerHow I'm using this summer to prepare for round two of The Messaging Edit in September without running hot all summerWhat I've learned about taking real time off, including why my Coven members basically threatened to boycott my calls if I tried to host them from vacationResources & Links mentioned in the episode: Em's Content Trifecta podcast episode 16 (referenced as the full system breakdown for repurposing)Em's Analytics Tracker ($9, mentioned as the tool for identifying top-performing content to repurpose)The Messaging Edit Fall '26 waitlist (round two, September, limited to 30 women)Connect with me: 🫶🏼 Follow me on Instagram for daily insights 🫶🏼 Join my 321 Create Newsletter for weekly content tips  🫶🏼 Check out The Content Coven Membership Be sure to hit "Subscribe" or "Follow" so you never miss an episode!

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About

Welcome to The Creative Bodega, a podcast about content marketing, Instagram growth, and personal branding designed specifically for female service-based solopreneurs.  Here, we believe you can confidently create engaging content, connect authentically with your audience, and convert followers into loyal customers — all without the burnout. Each week, host Em Connors shares actionable tips and expert advice to help YOU grow your business without letting it take over your life.  From how to spend less time on content creation and more time being strategic to overcoming the overwhelm of navigating tech updates and ever-changing trends, Em answers your toughest questions so you can serve your clients and show up as your best self. Life happens, so Em doesn’t hold back from sharing the unfiltered truth of what it’s like to run a multi-six-figure business and raise a family. In addition to sharing proven strategies straight from her own business, Em spotlights other successful female service providers to find out how they balance family and run a business while staying sane and prioritizing themselves in this crazy season of life.  If you’re ready to turn your content into clients alongside a community of women who understand the struggle, you’re in the right place. 

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