The Story Behind Niching Down to Marketing for Maternity Leave Prep

If you're a business owner who is no stranger to pivoting, hey hi hello. Welcome. I think you'll feel right at home as you read through my journey of niching down and shaking things up (for what feels like the 100th time since 2019), and finally settling into a space where I was meant to be all along.

My Longtime Challenge With Niching Down...and Why I Always Avoided It

I'll be honest, I never wanted to niche down. I was the person who wanted to help everyone and do everything, and whenever I received the advice to "pick a niche", I smiled and said that wasn't for me. I wasn't just stubborn though; I had a reason.

I've always looked at the entire marketing ecosystem—not just one platform or strategy, and not just for one type of business. I've done social media, email marketing, blogging, SEO, launch management, and system buildouts, for service-based, brick-and-mortar, and product-based businesses. Choosing one platform and ignoring the rest did my clients a disservice, because they wouldn't get the best results that I knew they could.

Here was the problem though: my clients loved working with me, got results, and called me a "unicorn team member". But no one could describe what I did...including me.

Referrals came only from people who directly had worked with me—not from coffee chats, Threads tags, or networking groups. I didn't feel settled in a space I could really own and make a difference in.

Something had to change. I had that feeling for years, and establishing my positioning and finally niching down would make a massive difference in my confidence, content, and business mission. I knew I needed an outsider's perspective on this, so I partnered with a business consultant to figure out my positioning and more aligned offers.

The Lightbulb Moment

I'll be honest, I was slightly skeptical that we'd figure out how to position myself and my business. I was pretty darn stubborn in that I didn't want to avoid looking at the full marketing picture. But, the lightbulb moment happened almost immediately.

During our first conversation, she asked me, "What are you the most proud of?". Some things I could have answered, but didn't, were:

• overseeing the strategy and execution for a $60K client launch (with an additional 5-figures of guaranteed MRR)

• 6x client website clicks from Google

• 11x the signup goal for a client's challenge

• doubling client Instagram account from 15K to 30K+ followers

Instead, what immediately came to mind was that I've had multiple clients who were able to step away and take a maternity leave while we were working together. I helped them prepare for maternity leave, and then kept things running while they were out of office.

We dug a little deeper into this realization. I tend to attract women who value being present for their families among anything else. I want my work to directly give them more mental capacity and more time to spend with those they love. It's important to me that my work isn't just about the numbers; it's about what the numbers represent and allow space for.

Turning the "Niching Down" Concept on Its Head

Turns out, I was thinking about "niching down" all wrong. I don't need to just focus on email marketing, or just Instagram, or just systems.

Instead, I'm niching down the end result: a worry-free maternity leave. I'm niching down to one specific group of people: business owners who are currently pregnant or who are wanting to build a babyproof business so they can take a real maternity leave.

Reasons Marketing for Maternity Leave Prep Just Made Sense

Now that you know the backstory, here are some reasons why this is actually the perfect niche to find myself in, after all this time.

I care deeply for mamas and their littles.

This is probably obvious to you, but I have a big heart for moms and their families. I'm a very involved (re: obsessed) aunt to two, soon-to-be three.

Watching my best friend and sister become moms was the most beautiful and special thing. I can't put into words how much they inspire me and how much I love them and their little ones.

I stand up for those who don't have support.

Unfortunately, it's pretty well known that moms don't receive enough support. They do everything for everyone and are often putting their own healing and recovery on the back burner, so they can care for their newborn. On top of that, paid maternity leave isn't mandatory in the United States—and virtually nonexistent for business owners. That's just not right.

While I'm not a mom myself, I've always stood up for those who don't have enough support. I was the kid wanting to make friends with the person sitting by themselves in the lunch room. I dedicated countless volunteer hours in high school towards Key Club, serving and raising money for those who needed it most. You don't have to experience something firsthand to show empathy and make a difference.

Working ahead has always been engrained in my approach.

You might think it's proactive, but really I'm just self-aware enough to know procrastination is my base state—so I need to work ahead. For as long as I can remember in my business, I've always worked ahead for clients. Content is batched weeks (sometimes even months) in advance.

This approach serves me very well as I guide moms through preparing their marketing materials for maternity leave...working ahead is kind of the name of the game.

I'm known to "hold down the fort".

Considering I'm an ex-engineer who taught herself marketing and how to run a successful online business, I'm confident I can solve most problems that arise. Holding down the fort while my clients are out of office doesn't worry, stress, or bother me at all—in fact, I love it. It means they're unplugging and taking the time to be with family, travel, or enjoy a break.

Business is personal to me.

Some people believe business is just business; it's not personal. For better or for worse, that ain't my belief. Business is about as personal as it gets, because someone specifically chose me to work with out of all the other people or agencies they could have hired.

Now, I work with moms during the most transformative time in their lives, and that's pretty darn personal. I treat people like people, encourage my clients to come as they are to calls, and enjoy really getting to know them.

I Niched Down...Then This Happened.

So, here we are! Fully niched down helping mompreneurs prepare their marketing for maternity leave, and I have to admit that niching down really did solve all my problems. Here's what I've noticed:

• I don't have to explain myself. I used to get asked a ton of follow-up questions after giving my spiel, and now it's easy to articulate what I do and who I serve.

• Content is easier. When you know exactly who you're talking to, creating content becomes more targeted, effective, and fun. Not to mention, my engagement has gone way up!

• Threads tags happen—a lot. Whenever a post about preparing for maternity leave pops up, I usually get tagged in it by multiple people. Helloooo referrals!

• I know where my time should and shouldn't go. I'm able to make smarter, more intentional decisions about which networking groups and events to join. I recently joined Made for Mothers, and it's the most aligned community for me to participate in.

Get Involved with the Bud to Bloom Mission

If you're still here reading this super long, word-vomit-esque post, I hope that's because you believe in my mission to make maternity leave possible for business owners. If that's the case, here's your invitation.

If You Want More Mompreneurs to Take Maternity Leave:

The Bud to Bloom Referral Program is a way you can help get the word out about the maternity leave prep support I offer moms, and in turn, earn a commission if they choose to work with me. Click here to apply to become a referral partner!

If You're Pregnant Or Considering Growing Your Family Soon:

If you are a business owner wondering how the heck you'll be able to take a maternity leave, click here to book a free consult call with me. We'll discuss your business, timeline, goals, and what it could look like to work together. It's never to early to start baby-proofing your business.