5 Ways to Book Clients—But Only One's Ideal

May 19

TL;DR (Because #MomLife)

Tried & Tired:

Social Media = constant content treadmill
Networking = draining and hard to maintain
Cold Outreach = soul-sucking and awkward
SEO = long game with inconsistent results

Tried & True:
5. Lead Generation Funnels = hands-down winner for time-strapped moms who need clients on autopilot

If you’ve ever Googled “how to get clients online” and instantly felt like you fell into a black hole of bro marketers yelling about lead magnets, cold DMs, and 10k months while juggling a toddler and a lukewarm coffee… same, girl. Same.

Back when I launched my first business, I didn’t have a strategy—I had sheer desperation, a Canva account, and an internet connection. So, like any overwhelmed mom with big dreams and zero free time, I tried everything.

(Spoiler alert: most of it sucked.)

I chased algorithms, awkwardly networked during naptime, and sent cringey DMs that made me want to throw my phone into a vat of apple sauce.

Here’s what actually worked—and what absolutely didn’t—so you can skip the burnout, dodge the BS, and get straight to the one client-getting method that doesn’t require you to be online 24/7 or sell your soul.

1. Social Media Marketing

The idea: Show up consistently, build trust, and your dream clients will find you.
The reality: I turned into a content-creating zombie.

I was:

Posting daily.
Making Reels while cooking dinner.
Writing captions during midnight feeds.

Why I thought it would work:
Everyone said, “You need to show up every day and give value!” So I did. Relentlessly.

What went wrong:

I was glued to my phone 24/7.
I couldn’t keep up with trends and algorithm shifts.
And even when I did, my reach tanked for no reason.

The worst part? I resented social media. I didn’t want to be an influencer—I just wanted clients.

Lesson learned:
If you’re a busy mom with 10 minutes of quiet time a day, the last thing you need is a strategy that eats up all of it for uncertain returns.

“Social media can be a visibility tool—but not a lead generation system.”

2. Networking (Online & In-Person)

The idea: Build relationships, attend events, and referrals will follow.
The reality: Chaos and cold coffee.

There was one time I was trying to pitch myself during a virtual networking meeting and my son ran in, his leg covered in tomato paste, yelling “I’M BLEEDING!” while my daughter screamed in horror behind him.

Needless to say, I didn’t get the client.

Why I thought it would work:
Real relationships = real results, right?

What went wrong:

Every event required prep, presence, and follow-up.
I couldn’t commit to regular meetups.
I was constantly “on,” and it drained me.

Lesson learned:
You can’t network effectively when you’re interrupted 27 times per hour.

“Networking can work—but only if you have consistent time and childcare.”

3. Cold Outreach (Emails & DMs)

The idea: Get proactive and pitch your services directly to ideal clients.
The reality: Emotional whiplash.

Every time I hit "send," I felt like a walking spam folder. I hated writing cold messages. I hated receiving them. And now, I was the one sending them.

Why I thought it would work:
Everyone said I needed to “put myself out there” and “get uncomfortable.”

What went wrong:

Every message made me cringe.
Rejections stung.
Half the people never even opened them.

Confession:
I still have unopened cold emails from last year sitting in my inbox. And I never, ever respond to cold DMs.

Lesson learned:
Just because something works for a 22-year-old in sales doesn’t mean it’ll work for a 35-year-old mom with three kids and five minutes of silence a day.

“If you hate cold outreach, your ideal client probably does too.”

4. SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

The idea: Rank on Google, get traffic, convert leads.
The reality: A whole lot of waiting, Googling, and guessing.

I hired a freelancer. I keyword-optimized. I blogged. And then Google changed everything. Again.

Why I thought it would work:
SEO is evergreen, scalable, and “free,” right?

What went wrong:

Results took forever.
Updates kept changing the rules.
I never knew if what I was doing was even working.

Lesson learned:
SEO is like planting a garden with seeds you’re not even sure will grow.

“SEO is powerful—but not ideal when you need clients this month.”

5. Lead Generation Funnels (Spoiler: This is the one.)

The idea: Build a system that brings people to you while you do other things—like napping, cooking, or yelling, “For the last time, we do not eat the pillow stuffing!”
The reality: It finally worked.

I avoided funnels for years. Thought they were “too techy.” Too complicated. Too much work.

But when I finally set one up?

✨ I offered a freebie my ideal client actually wanted.
📧 I followed it up with simple, heartfelt emails.
🚀 And I watched my list—and bookings—grow. On autopilot.

Why it worked:

Gave value up front
Nurtured trust automatically
Converted leads while I focused on life

Lesson learned:
Funnels don’t replace relationships—they build them, just without the burnout.

“Funnels are like a digital assistant who works 24/7 but doesn’t drain your bank account.”

**So, Which One Should You Focus On?**

Let’s be real: you’re a mom first. You can’t afford to spend hours every day trying to “do all the things.” That’s a one-way ticket to burnout.

And if you're anything like I was, you're wondering...

Which method is actually worth my time? What will work without draining me?

Here’s the truth:
You don’t need 5 strategies. You need one good system that:

Works in the background
Attracts your ideal clients
Lets you be a present mom and a profitable business owner

That’s what a funnel does.

**Want your first freebie done for you (for free)?**

If you’re reading this like, “Okay cool, funnels sound great but I don’t even know what to give away yet…” — that’s where I come in.

For a limited time, I’m offering First Freebie, Free — a custom-curated lead magnet written just for you (yes, you — the brilliant, busy woman wondering how to start a funnel when you barely have time to shower).

I’ll write your first lead magnet for free so you can finally:

Stop second-guessing what to create
Start building your email list with something actually valuable
And move from “I should start a funnel someday” to “Look at me, funneling like a boss.”