Cheers to five years: the stories that shaped JPD!

September marks five years of Just Peachy Digital! And a whole lot has happened in that time. Let me see…there was a global pandemic, I got engaged and married, I adopted a dog, I moved houses four times, and moved to an entirely new city. And in amongst all of that, I’ve navigated the highs and lows of growing a business. In this blog, I wanted to reflect and share some of the stories from the past five years. I hope you enjoy reading about my biggest wins, fumbles and what’s next for Just Peachy.

how I started just peachy digital

Most people are surprised to discover that I actually studied Food Science and Nutrition with the intention of becoming a dietitian. I was a big foodie and interested in health, but mostly I studied something safe that I thought would give me a “real job.”

But I was a blogger for years (first about food, then health, then simple living). And in that time, I learned all about creating a website, writing blog content, SEO, and driving website traffic with social media.

It was this love for storytelling and creating content drew me to pursue a diploma in Digital Marketing.

Honestly, I didn’t intend to start a business but a family friend knew someone who needed help with their social media and they became my first client…

In the early days I took all my photos with a self timer and tripod

my first client

The first client I worked with was The Little Big Tiny House Co based in Rotorua. They were one of a few companies in New Zealand making tiny homes (and I’m thrilled to see they’re still at it today!)

I remember feeling SO out of place with my camera snapping pics on a dusty construction site. But it gave me a taste of the freedom and flexibility of working for yourself and I loved it instantly.

My biggest business fail

In my first year of business, I thought I needed to have a full suite of services to offer clients right away. I was already offering social media management so I decided to introduce a course (as I saw so many other people doing!)

The trouble was, at that stage I didn’t know my target audience well enough to know what they needed from a course.

I spent hours of time filming videos, thousands of dollars on learning about launching courses and I made a total of zero dollars. Ouch!

It did however teach me a valuable lesson: create services based on the gaps you see and the support you’re clients are asking for. Sometimes it just takes time to figure out what that is!

The post I made to announce my first course, ‘Instagram Explained.’

How my business has evolved over the past five years

I made a lot of mistakes in my first few years in business because I didn’t know better.

I worked with any and every kind of business that approached me because I didn’t have a niche.
Whatever service someone needed, I did it for them. I dabbled in all sorts including: copy writing, web design, paid ads, and product photography.
And I seriously undercharged for the work I was doing. Oops! Thanks to Natalie I quickly learned that it’s important to track your time, and charge for all the little tasks that go into supporting clients.

The biggest difference between then and now is:

I finally figured out my niche! I work specifically with female service providers who are purpose-led and people focused.
I specialise in creating social media strategies and content (with a sprinkling of email and blog content.)
I have three services that I’ve worked hard to improve over the years and I’m so proud of each of them.

The biggest challenges I faced, and how I overcame them

The first thing that came to mind is: self doubt.

Unfortunately, I’m not sure that I have overcome this. In my experience, self doubt seems to show up for every entrepreneur, at every level. When you’re growing a business, you are always trying new things which naturally brings up fear and doubt.

What’s helped me: talking to other people about it. Self doubt gets worse the longer you sit and stew with it on your own. The second you share the burden, you realise you’re not alone in it and while it doesn’t go away entirely, it does feel lighter.

The second biggest struggle for me has been the financial stress of working for yourself.

Not having a regular, consistent paycheck is tough. I found that some months were crazy busy and others were dead quiet. It’s scary not knowing when and if you’ll get paid again.

Something I do want to mention (that’s not talked about enough) is the huge privilege I’ve experienced with my husband supporting my dreams. He’s always had a full time job and steady income and throughout the years we’ve relied heavily on that to survive. I wouldn’t be where I am today without him and I’m so grateful!

What’s helped me is: working with a business coach who encouraged me to prioritise client experience, recurring revenue, and longer term contracts. All of which have allowed me to plan ahead and have more financial stability.

The most rewarding moments and milestones

Oh I have so many, it’s hard to choose!

Sending out my first invoice – it was the first time I got paid to do something I truly loved. I couldn’t believe I could actually make money doing work that’s fun. It was such an exciting feeling!

Getting the opportunity to work with DREAM clients: some of my favourite clients have been women’s health/wellness experts. When you work in marketing, especially social media, it can feel like your job is quite frivolous and silly. But with these clients, the knowledge I helped them to share was empowering and actually life changing for other women. And that was so rewarding!

Seeing the results of our work: client’s getting better engagement, more web traffic, and increased inquiries and sales because of our work together never gets old.

Getting professional branding done: this felt like such a meaningful step for me. It was one of the biggest moments of investing in myself and taking my business seriously. And it’s one of the best decisions I ever made. It gave me a huge boost in confidence because I’m so proud of my brand. A huge thanks to Studio Monday for capturing my vision.

Meeting online business friends in real life: since moving to Auckland I’ve had the opportunity to grab coffee with so many incredible business women. Sitting down face-to-face and hearing their stories is so inspiring and uplifting. I always walk away with renewed energy and enthusiasm for growing my business.

The personal growth I’ve experienced as an entrepreneur

The biggest change I’ve noticed in myself is in my capacity for setting boundaries and standing up for myself (especially as a people pleaser.)

When I started my business, I let clients take advantage of me (whether they meant to or not!) I wasn’t great at turning down red flag clients, staying firm on our agreed scope of work or listening to my gut instinct. I got myself into several sticky situations because of that.

Luckily, I’ve learned the delicate art of politely but firmly saying no.

Maybe it’s because I’m 5 years older, but I’m proud of the confident, strong person I am today.