Anyone else exhausted by the ‘perfect business blueprint’ everyone seems to be selling?
That somehow you need to be working toward automation so complete you’re practically irrelevant?
Yeah, me too.
So today, I want to share my approach to strategy through marketing experimentation and the lessons I’ve learned about iteration over the past year.
My Scientific Approach to Business Building
I’ve always approached problems like a scientist – curious, analytical, and ready to test things out.
But lately, I’ve had a bit of a breakthrough. Instead of second-guessing every marketing idea until it wilts from neglect, I’m just treating them all as experiments.
This shift has been seriously insane!
That voice in my head that used to say “but what if it doesn’t work?” or “is this really the right approach?” has been replaced with a much more permission giving “let’s try this and see what happens!“
Perfectionism was keeping me stuck in place – analyzing, overthinking, and ultimately doing nothing. 🫠
Now when I get a marketing idea, I don’t need to be 100% certain it’s going to work.
I just need to be curious enough to test it and see what happens.
This experiment mindset has helped me take action on ideas I would have previously let die in my notes app. ☠️⚰️
And the best part? If something flops, it’s not a failure – it’s just data for the next experiment!
I get to ask myself:
- What worked?
- What didn’t?
- What did I learn?
- What do I want to try differently next time?
What Success Looks Like To Me
I saw someone this week talking about building a business that runs completely without them.
And honestly? That’s not what I want.
I don’t want to build a business that runs without me — I want to build a business that allows me to have a full life, that works with my energy levels and time constraints AND supports my family.
I want to be available and helpful. I want to do work that allows me to hone my skills.
Just not 24/7, every waking minute.
I want to be extremely efficient with the time I spend working on my business, so that I can be “leisurely” in my real life. Time for sewing, gardening, reading, cleaning, and most importantly — rest.
I’ve gotta be honest with you – I haven’t nailed this yet.
Finding focus when my brain wants to sprint in seventeen different directions is a daily battle.
I’m literally experimenting with different ways to make focus happen right now, because what worked last month isn’t working this week. 🥴
Some days I experiment with time blocking.
Other days it’s working in 25-minute sprints.
Sometimes it’s bribing myself with rewards if I can just focus on ONE thing until it’s done.
And on the really rough days? It’s accepting that maybe today isn’t a focused day at all, and that’s okay too.
The experiment that’s working best lately? Lowering my expectations.
Not in a sad way, but in a realistic “I’m one human with multiple priorities” way.
Setting smaller goals and celebrating when I hit them has been surprisingly effective.
And honestly, some experiments flop. (I’m looking at you birthday flash sale)
But that’s what experiments are for – finding what works for YOU in THIS season of your life. Not what worked for someone else, or even what worked for you before things changed.
So if you’re also in that messy middle of trying to build something while living your actual life – I see you.
The Roadmap: Building a Business That Gives Me Space to Breathe
Last year, I wrote in my journal: “In 3 years I’ll have a business that generates a liveable income via automations.”
Saying that out loud is scary AF.
Here’s what this looks like for me, in practice:
I spent the last year focusing on the foundation of my business – refining my offers, getting crystal clear on who I’m speaking to, and honing my core messages. I believe, this is the groundwork that makes everything else possible.
I’ve just switched my focus to the automation phase. Not the “set it and forget it” kind that Chad from the internet promised you 🙄, but intentional systems that create space in my schedule while still delivering real value – meaning things that my audience ACTUALLY want, need, and benefit from.
And that space? It’s not just for more work. It’s for all the parts of life that make me feel human again.
I want my morning coffee on a walk, before I crack open my email.
Afternoons with space to care for my home.
Evenings lost in books that have nothing to do with business strategy.
Weekends at my sewing machine creating something with my hands.
And most importantly, I want the luxury of genuine rest – not the “productive rest” that’s just another task on my to-do list, but actual, guilt-free downtime.
The automation phase is about working smarter because I’m committed to building a business that benefits my life instead of consuming it.
Getting There: What Marketing Experimentation Has Taught Me
To build this kind of business, I’ve had to embrace experimentation – trying things, measuring results, and refining as I go.
And along the way, I’ve learned some valuable lessons about iteration that have completely changed how I approach my marketing.
3 Lessons I’ve Learned About Iteration
1. The First Round Is the Hardest
Each time you try something, it gets easier.
That first email, that first launch, that first piece of content, they’re always the most difficult.
But with each iteration, you try, test, and tweak.
What helps me? Remembering that version one will be messy and doing it anyway.
Perfect is the enemy of done, and done is the only way to get to version two.
Even if it is really uncomfy
2. If No One Buys, You Can Just Try Again
One of the things we don’t hear much about in the online space is how long “overnight success” actually takes.
We’re constantly fed stories about six-figure launches and massive success, but they leave out:
- How large their audience was before that “quick” success
- The connections they already had in the industry
- The financial runway their partner or previous success provided
- The 5+ failed versions that came before the successful one
And I have thoughts about the reasons why the people doing the feeding share these incomplete stories, but that’s a blog post for another day.
I know it can feel like all eyes are on you when you are trying with your whole self, but unfortunately (fortunately?) people aren’t often paying as close of attention as we think they are.
3. You Get to Decide When to Call It Quits
Am I saying you should quit in the middle of a launch?
Absolutely not. (We know most buyers show up at the last minute!)
I’m saying just because you tried v1 and v2, that doesn’t mean you have to try v3 if the data and your gut are telling you something isn’t working.
- Maybe you decided you really don’t like delivering the thing you were working to sell
- Or maybe it needs such significant reworking that it’s not a v3, but actually v1 of something completely different
The Permission to Experiment
Running your business as a series of experiments takes the pressure off.
It allows you to:
- Try new things without the weight of “this HAS to work”
- Learn from what doesn’t pan out
- Double down on what resonates
- Build a business that feels aligned with how you want to live
And ultimately, that’s what I’m after, not a business that fits someone else’s definition of success, but one that supports the life I actually want to live.
Have you been running marketing experiments but struggle to track what’s actually working? I’d love to hear what you’re trying and help you measure the results!
If you’re ready to get more strategic about your marketing experiments, grab my free Marketing Measurement Playbook to learn which metrics actually matter for YOUR business.
Or, if you’re tired of guessing what’s working, let’s chat about setting up a Custom Marketing Analytics Dashboard so you can make confident, data-driven decisions about where to spend your time and energy.
Either way, I’d love to hear what experiments you’re running – drop me a DM on Instagram!
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