Marketing with Purpose

If you've been watching your blog traffic drop and wondering if blogging is dead—this episode is for you. Short answer: blogging still works. But the 2015 playbook (publish 4+ posts a month, chase keywords, watch the traffic roll in) is dead. The goal changed. It's not about driving massive traffic anymore. It's about proof—proving you know what you're doing, getting cited by AI, and building credibility that compounds over time. In this episode: What blogging actually does NOW (and why traffic volume doesn't matter anymore) The new metrics that tell you if it's working When you should quit blogging entirely and do something else instead Whether you need a new strategy or permission to stop, this episode will help you figure out what blogging should actually be doing for your business in 2026. Read the fully formatted blog post to accompany this episode at: https://mayecreate.com/blog/is-blogging-still-worth-it/

So... have you heard about these new ADA web accessibility rules yet? If your first reaction was "Oh great, another thing I need to worry about," we totally get it. But honestly? This stuff isn't as scary as it sounds, and in the end it's actually going to make your website better for everyone. Here's the deal, the Department of Justice finally gave us actual deadlines (April 2026 and 2027, depending on the number of people you serve), and a lot of government entities and nonprofits are scrambling to figure out what this means for them. But before you schedule a task to “Panic About Google ADA Compliance” at 2 AM, hit pause. Monica geeked out reading through all the official ADA documents (yes, she’s that person), and you know what? They actually make sense! The government followed their own accessibility rules when writing these guidelines. Who knew? She broke down everything you need to know to get started: Who actually needs to comply (spoiler: it's way more than just city websites!) Those blessed exceptions that mean you don't have to fix EVERYTHING from the past 20 years Real deadlines so you know if you're in the 2026 or 2027 group What happens if you ignore this (hint: it involves dollar signs with lots of zeros) The actual standards explained without all the government-speak How to get started without losing your mind or your budget The best part? These rules aren't about making your life harder—they're about making sure everyone in your community can actually use your website. And trust us, when you follow these guidelines, your site becomes easier for EVERYONE to navigate. Read the fully formatted blog post to accompany this episode at: https://mayecreate.com/blog/ada-title-ii-website-accessibility-rules-exceptions/ And hey, if you listen to this and still have questions, feel free to send Monica an email to monica@mayecreate.com. She loves talking about this stuff (maybe a little too much, according to her family ).

Well, we're almost 2 years into our 4-day experiment now. Which probably makes it more of a permanent fixture than an experiment. There's not really a manual though, so...things ebb and flow and we're navigating the bumps as they come. When we started sharing about our four-day work week adventure, we quickly realized not everyone wanted a four-day week. Some people were downright opposed - one even asked us if we were trying to retire! But EVERYONE wants to figure out how to get more work done in less time. People all over are looking for ways to feel less overwhelmed, scoot out of work earlier, or get more done without losing their minds. So much so that Stacy and Monica were even invited to give a talk about how we ventured into our four-day workweek to a national association. As content recyclers, we looked at that beautiful talk slide deck and thought, "Geez, I bet other people would want to hear this too." Hence, the birth of this new podcast/blog post combo. In this episode Stacy and Monica will give you an update on the current challenges we're trying to fix to maintain our four-day week and, from our recent presentation, we'll share: The 4 game-changing questions that helped us identify what to cut, automate, or lean into That one simple automation that saves Monica 20 minutes EVERY time she creates a podcast (and how you can do something similar) How tracking the right metrics completely changed our marketing strategy (and saved Monica hours of blog writing) Our actual list of productivity tools that made this all possible (we're not sponsored, we just love 'em!) The biggest mindset shifts that had to happen before any of this worked Whether you're dreaming of a shorter work week, trying to leave the office in time for your kid's soccer game, or just want to stop feeling like your hair's on fire every day - there's something in here for you. Read the fully formatted blog post to accompany this episode at: https://mayecreate.com/blog/4-day-work-week-update/ Small changes, big results. That's been our secret sauce. You can do it too.

Just like the other remaining humans on planet earth, us MayeCreaters survived this last year. And we like to think we’re humans who learn from the past and can use it with a heap of diligence and sprinkle old fashioned grit to chart our way forward to better things. Fortunately, and unfortunately, last year was a little itchy so we learned a lot. Like how to make stuff load faster and look prettier at the same time. How hackers like to hack things and ways to keep stuff away from those derelicts. And how AI is shaping the way we work, from streamlining processes so we can skip work on Fridays, to offering us another choice on how we use the internet on a daily basis. Now, not everyone eats, sleeps, lives, and breathes the internet. So, we organized our thoughts, predictions, and lessons learned into this week’s podcast/blog post combo as a present for all non-net-dwellers. We’re documenting our itchy lessons learned in the hopes of helping you craft your own path forward. Because, let’s be real, you can’t afford to ignore the darn beast. And it’s a big ‘un. Read the fully formatted blog post to accompany this episode at: [link to episode on MayeCreate.com]

This time of year Monica always feels like marketing is like wrestling an octopus. She sits at her desk, neck deep in spreadsheets attempting to befriend and calm the octopi - emails, social media, website updates… It’s a lot. That’s why she’s always looking for ways to pin that marketing mollusk. She went to Shelly Niehaus, her guest on this week’s podcast, for answers. Shelly is a business coach who works with entrepreneurs over 40, who sometimes feel like online marketing was designed by aliens. So her tips are practical, down-to-earth, and easy to implement. Think less overwhelm, more “I’ve got this!” They talked about everything from repurposing content (because no one has time to start from scratch every week) to the magic of time-blocking. Here’s a quick preview of what you’ll get from this episode: Shelly shares how to simplify your marketing and focus on what works. Learn how to repurpose content and save yourself hours every month. Build an email list and stop relying on social media algorithms to get noticed. Time-blocking tips will make you feel like the boss you are. Shelly’s advice is just what you need to kick off this new year, take a deep breath, and tackle your marketing like the octopus conquering ninja you are! Get the full transcript and episode summary on our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/simplifying-marketing-strategies-with-shelly-niehaus/

Monica gets asked more and more frequently about how to get customers to leave reviews or make positive social posts for business. Which makes sense because marketing through user generated content is a powerful marketing tool. You don’t have to brag about your awesomeness because other folks do it for you Your raving fans create your marketing content for you PLUS Google and social algorithms LOVE it So why isn’t everyone doing it? To be fair, Monica feels like they just don’t know how. That’s why in this week’s podcast, Monica sat down with Lorraine Ball—entrepreneur, author, professional speaker, and host of More Than a Few Words. She’s been around the block (a few times) and leverages user generated content to market for her clients. They’re talking: How to get your customers to leave amazing social media reviews (no begging required). What to do when someone leaves a not-so-glowing review (hint: don’t panic). Using AI tools for marketing to save time without losing your personal touch. With multiple stories and examples to get your wheels turning. Trust us, it’s good stuff. Tag along with Monica for this week’s episode all about user generated content! Get the full transcript and episode summary on our website: mayecreate.com

At lunch the other day a group of business people were complaining about how annoying their Google Business Profile is to use. Aaaaand they’re not wrong. But managing your profile is a necessary evil…like going to the dentist - you don’t have to love it but you do have to do it. You want to show up when people search for you on Google, right? Your Google Business Profile determines 9% of your organic search ranking. Ever wondered how to get your business show up on the search results map? Your Google Business Profile determines 32% of the factors that get you on that map. And just like everything else Google there’s a trick to getting your profile set up correctly so you can use it to it’s fullest potential. So in this episode Monica welcomes Marilyn Jenkins, CEO of MJ Media Group, to crack the code and teach us how to maximize our Google Business Profiles. Marilyn shares some super simple ways to: Get more real reviews without feeling like a pest (we’ve all been there, right? ) Show up in Google’s “Map Pack” (the top 3 spots that customers actually look at) Keep your profile updated so people trust you, click on you, and, oh yeah, buy from you And the best part? It's easier than you think, once you know the tricks. So, give it a listen! You’ll be glad you did. Get the full transcript and episode summary on our website: [link to episode]

A few weeks ago, Monica gave some tips on what to include on a business card and briefly mentioned QR codes, promising to dive deeper later. In this podcast/blog, Monica does just that! Recording and writing this felt a bit like QR code therapy to Monica. Turns out she has some strong feelings about where, when and how to use them (I’m sure you’re super surprised ). So…in this week's episode Monica’s sharing her QR tips and pet peeves including: What a QR code is and how it works When and where to use a QR code effectively Tips for selecting the right QR code generator A comparison of popular QR code tools Best practices for implementing QR codes Read the fully formatted blog post to accompany this episode at: [MayeCreate.com]