How I Built a Multi-Six-Figure Business with Instagram & Canva (Without Burning Out!)

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Show Notes

Struggling to create content consistently? You’re not alone! In this episode of The Creative Bodega, I’m sharing my journey from gym owner to content marketing expert and how I built a six-figure business using Instagram and Canva—without burning out. Learn how I found time to grow my business while juggling motherhood, the three key strategies that helped me scale, and why authenticity is your biggest asset online.

Things I cover inside the episode:

✨ How I built my business from scratch using Instagram & Canva—and why I started before I had an offer.
✨ The mindset shifts and strategies that helped me go from overwhelmed to profitable.
✨ How I created a content system that allowed me to post consistently without stress.
✨ The biggest mistakes new solopreneurs make when growing their brand—and how to avoid them.
✨ My top tips for staying authentic, building trust, and turning followers into loyal customers.

• 00:00 Introduction and Podcast Beginnings

• 00:43 Overcoming Initial Hesitations

• 01:28 Journey to Becoming the Main Earner

• 02:06 From Gym Owner to Social Media Mentor

• 02:59 Discovering Canva and Content Creation

• 04:29 Challenges and Burnout

• 06:50 The Start of The Creative Bodega

• 07:33 Building a Business with No Offer

• 11:14 Key Strategies for Business Growth

• 15:31 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

Hey there! I’m Em Connors from The Creative Bodega, and if you’re reading this, that means I finally stopped dragging my feet and launched my podcast—something I’ve been avoiding for over a year. 🙈

Why? Because I like to keep things simple. For the past four years, my business has thrived on two main things:

✅ A weekly newsletter
✅ Posting on Instagram six times a week

That’s it. No podcast. No YouTube. Nothing extra. And it worked—untillllll it didn’t.

I realized I love talking, I love helping people, and I consume podcasts constantly because, as a busy mom and business owner, I don’t always have time to sit and watch videos. So, if I prefer podcasts, maybe my audience does too? 🤯

I'll be writing blog posts to announce and summarize all of my podcasts for all my readers out there!

So here we are. Let’s dive into my journey, how I built a six-figure business with zero offers, and the three things that helped me grow fast.

🎢 From Gym Owner to Instagram Mentor

Believe it or not, my journey into content creation started at a CrossFit gym. My husband and I owned one, and I was the one posting on social media. I didn’t have a plan, and every night at 9 PM, I’d panic:

"What in the heck am I going to post tomorrow?"

It was stressful and exhausting. But instead of staying stuck, I did what I always do: I created a solid system.

I studied what worked. I built a content framework that helped me post consistently without overthinking. And guess what? It worked. Our gym started getting more clients.

One day, a business mentor noticed what I was doing and asked if I could teach other gym owners and nutrition coaches how to show up on Instagram. And just like that, I became a mentor.

I loved teaching. But there was a problem...

😩 Trading Time for Money Was Literally Draining Me of Life

At first, mentoring felt like a dream. I got to help people and made more money than our gym was making us at the time. But there was a huge downside:

👉 I was on 6-7 calls per day, each lasting 45 minutes.
👉 I had two toddlers at the time who needed their mama
👉 I was exhausted at the end of each day
👉 I had no way of making more or moving up w/o taking on MORE calls

I remember getting off those calls, lying on the floor, and wanting to not talk for 48 hours. But I felt like I had to keep going. Other mentors were taking even more calls than me—why couldn’t I handle it?

Then, I listened to a Jenna Kutcher podcast featuring Amy Porterfield, and she said something that hit me hard:

"Stop trading time for money. Make money in your sleep by building an online course."

💡 That was my true hit-me-where-it-hurts (genius marking by Amy P) lightbulb moment.

🎯 My First Attempt at a Course (And Why It Flopped)

I immediately decided to create an online course. I spent money I didn’t have on an expensive course about course creation. And my first idea? Meal prepping.

It made sense—I was a nutrition coach, we had a gym—but I hated it. The topic drained me. One day, I told my husband, "I don’t care if people meal prep. I don’t want to teach this."

So he asked, "If you could create a course on anything, what would it be?"

Without hesitation, I said, "Canva and branding." 🎨

And just like that, The Creative Bodega was born—over margaritas in our kitchen. 🍹

🚀 How I Built My Business With No Offer (Yet Still Made Sales)

Here’s the crazy part: When I started my Instagram page, I had NO offer. Nothing to sell.

But I did two things:

✅ I showed up consistently and gave tons of value for free.
✅ I started an email list before I had anything to sell.

I positioned myself as THEE Canva expert. My goal was simple: Make my audience trust me so that when I had something to sell, they’d be ready to buy.

Six months later, I launched my Canva Crash Course to Branding Your Business and made $12,000 in five days. 🤯

💡 Three Things That Helped Me Grow FAST as an Online Business Owner

If you’re building your own business, here are the three things that helped me scale quickly:

1️⃣ I Invested Before I Made a Dime 💰

I hear this all the time: "I can’t invest in a course because I haven’t made money yet."

But that’s backward thinking.

I spent $2,000 on a course before I made a single dollar in my business. And it fast-tracked everything. Instead of wasting months trying to figure things out, I followed a proven roadmap.

LESSON: If you want to grow faster, invest in learning from someone who’s already done it.

2️⃣ I Did Things That Scared the 💩 Out of Me

A friend recently told me, "Emily, you climbed Cringe Mountain."

At first, I had no idea what that meant. But she explained:

Cringe Mountain = Doing uncomfortable things that make you grow.

Showing up on video? TERRIFYING.
Recording this podcast? SWEATING THROUGH MY PANTS. 😅
But I did it anyway.

The only way to get better is to put in the reps. Now, showing up on video is second nature.

LESSON: If something scares you, it’s probably the thing that will move your business forward the fastest.

3️⃣ I Was 100% Transparent With My Audience 🎭

I didn’t try to act like I had it all figured out. I took my audience behind the scenes of building my first course. I shared my struggles, asked for feedback, and was real.

And you know what? People LOVED it.

I still get messages like: "You don’t know me, but I feel like you’re my best friend." And that? That’s the best compliment ever. 💛

LESSON: The more you you are, the more your audience will connect with you.

🌟 The Freedom That Makes It All Worth It

Why did I do all this? Why did I climb Cringe Mountain? Because my goal was clear:

🚫 No more rigid 9-to-5.
🚫 No more asking for permission to pick up my sick kids.
🚫 No more trading time for money.

I wanted time, freedom, and financial freedom—and I was willing to push through the fear to get there.

So, if you’re struggling with self-doubt or fear, hear this:

Do. It. Scared. 💪

I started this podcast scared. I started my Instagram, scared. I launched my first course scared. And here I am launching a podcast AND a blog, scared.

You can do it too.

🎧 Let’s Keep the Conversation Goinggg!

If this resonates with you, come find me on Instagram @the.creative.bodega. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

And if you liked this blog or episode, share it with a friend who needs the push to start their dream business.

Until next time—keep creating, keep showing up, and keep doing it scared. ✨

Resources & Links Mentioned in this episode:

🔗 Follow me on Instagram
🔗 Join my 321 Create Newsletter for weekly content tips