108. How to Simplify Marketing to Build A More Peaceful, Unplugged Business w/Addy Lopes

Phylicia Pough: 00:00:00

Welcome to episode 108 of the Mom CEO Suite podcast. How to simplify marketing to build a more peaceful, unplugged business.

If you want to market your business in a way that feels good for both you and your audience, then you're going to want to stick around for this convo.

I'm joined in the Suite today by marketing educator Addy Lopes, who shares her unique approach of cozy marketing and world building strategies that put relationships before transactions. We also get into a rich discussion about remaining rooted in faith while navigating the online business space. Stay tuned and enjoy the episode.

Hey friend. Welcome to the Mom CEO Suite podcast where faith, family and business come together.

I'm your host, Phylicia Pough, Christian wife, mom of two and life and business system strategist for mom entrepreneurs.

With over 10 years of experience working behind the scenes of businesses and ministries and as a work from home mompreneur, I'm here to share my personal journey and practical strategies to help you design systems that bring peace to your work and home life. While many strive for balance, I believe it's harmony, an integrated flow that works for you, that truly sustains.

Together, we'll explore how to grow your service based business in a way that is sustainable and keeps your family at the heart of it all. Plus hear real life stories and expertise from other mompreneurs who are walking the same path. Motherhood gets hard, entrepreneurship gets hard.

But together we can do hard things. Welcome to the Suite. All right. Hey friend. Welcome to another episode. Thank you for being with us here in the Suite. Our guest today is Addy Lopes.

Addy is a marketing educator, website designer and busy toddler mama who lives in Dallas with her family.

Addy has been an entrepreneur for almost 6 years and is passionate about helping women build a long term business that feels easy to show up and share about every day. Her favorite part about being a mom and business owner is the opportunity to be refined each day and seek new ways to glorify God with her business.

This is going to be so good. Hi Addy. Welcome to the suite. How are you?

Addy Lopes: 00:02:17

Hi. I'm good. How are you? I'm so excited to be here.

Phylicia Pough: 00:02:21

Yes. There's so much that we're going to talk about today and I'm excited to dive in.

But let's first start at how you kind of got to this intersection of motherhood and entrepreneurship. What was that journey like for you?

Addy Lopes: 00:02:34

, so I started my business in: 2019

then my daughter was born in: 2022

So I've spent the last two years shifting into more of like an asynchronous productized model so I can be the mom that I want to be. And while still running my business and growing everything but being with her most of the time, I love that.

Phylicia Pough: 00:03:22

And I know it's so relatable for the moms who are listening because we all want to be able to be present with our children, but we do still have this calling for business, but we don't want to have the business kind of take over our lives. I think most of us feel like motherhood is our primary focus, our priority. So I think that's really, really relatable.

And I love how you started talking about asynchronous communication and productizing your business.

Talk to us about your business name though, and kind of the backstory of that and why you're so passionate about the relationship piece of building a business.

Addy Lopes: 00:03:58

Yeah. So my business name is Encontro, which it's a Portuguese word and it means like to uncover, to discover, or to come together.

So it kind of means like encounter, but in the word has like a little bit more depth in Portuguese. And there are two reasons why I chose this name.

The first reason is a nod to my husband, who he was kind of involved in my business when I first started it. So my husband's from Brazil on the Amazon River. It's a city called Manaus, and we lived in Brazil when I first started my business.

So having the Portuguese name, like, made sense because I worked with American and Brazilian clients. And there's a place right outside Manaus where he's from, where two rivers come together and they meet to become the Amazon River.

And it's called the Meaning of the Waters, but in Portuguese it's Encontro das Aguas. And my husband and I actually met on a boat on the Amazon River. So it's a special part of our family's story.

But I also chose Encontro because of the meaning of the word. Like, as I said, it means to come together. And I just have always believed that that's why we all started our business.

We all just really want to connect with other people and serve them and help Them discover their potential and uncover their calling. And all of this is in contro.

And so for relationships over transactions, like all of that is the heart behind prioritizing relationships, because we value connection and we value people.

And relationships versus transactions is also strategic because the goal that we're working towards determines all of our actions and all of our mindsets along the way to achieving that goal.

So if our goal is to form relationships with people in our business, we will focus on people and serving them with empathy in order to achieve that goal. And so transactions are just the byproduct of the goal of forming relationships. So that's kind of all encompassed in contro.

And also has a little personal touch in there too.

Phylicia Pough: 00:06:13

Oh my goodness, I love that personal touch of it. It's so special. Like the fact that you guys met there. Oh my goodness, that's. That needs to be in a book somewhere or.

But like you said, relationships over transactions. And I do feel like, I don't know if it's because of social media or what, but it feels like online business is very transactional.

Like we're posting to get the transaction or we're doing this for the transaction versus putting the person in the relationship first. And then, okay, once this is built, then a transaction may or may not right come out of it.

And so I love that you focus on this relationship building piece. Now in your branding, you talk about cozy marketing and helping women and moms be able to market their business in a way that feels good for them.

And I love the term cozy marketing. So can you kind of dive into that a little bit and tell us how did that even come about and what is cozy marketing?

Addy Lopes: 00:07:09

Yeah, so as you just said, I define cozy marketing as marketing that feels good for us and for our audience.

And it's kind of come through this whole journey of like, becoming a mom and wanting to run my business, like in a way that I truly desire to run my business. You know, it's really easy to be influenced just by all of the voices online.

And it's really easy to subtly start following someone else's dreams, even if you don't intend to. So this is kind of like why I have leaned into cozy marketing.

Because I found that there's a need for people to really connect with and get to the heart of what they truly want to do with their business. So my little phrase that I throw out all the time is marketing is more enjoyable and it's more effective for everyone when brands put people first.

So it feels cozy because when brands are Putting people at the forefront. And when they are prioritizing relationships, their marketing should feel like a breath of fresh air and familiarity for their audience.

So cozy marketing is straightforward. It's honest, it's low pressure, and really deeply rooted in the common values that we share with our audience.

And as I said, not only does it feel good for our audience, but it feels good for us as well. So when we commit to cozy marketing, we are also considering ourselves. So, like, what are my strengths as a business owner?

What are my personal goals? How do I want to show up every single day? Do I want to be showing up on Instagram, or am I just doing that?

Because that's what everyone else is doing, you know?

And so we build our marketing strategy around those things so that we are able to show up with enthusiasm and peace as we market our business instead of, like, stress or struggle. So while cozy marketing can be for anyone who wants it, I really believe that it's best suited for people who have a creative passion.

So if you're not, like, if you're just running a business because you're trying to make money, which is totally fine, but if you're running a business because there's something that except excites you about what you do and you believe it will improve people's lives and you're really passionate about getting it out into the world, that's when I think that this cozy marketing approach that I talk about is such a good fit because it's super rooted in the values and the worldview and the belief. So it's a lot easier to connect with people when you have that passion and that excitement to spread what you're doing to the world.

Phylicia Pough: 00:09:50

That is so good. And I have nailed so many thoughts, so many things I want to ask you.

So, okay, with the cozy marketing piece, is this something that you help your clients or potential clients figure out? Like, what is cozy marketing for them? Is that how you work with individuals?

Addy Lopes: 00:10:05

So as I said, like, a lot of what I do now, it's more productized. So when people reach out to me about it, I like do some one on one stuff.

My focus is really strong on being able to support people in a larger capacity without, you know, like, committing all the time. So I have some courses and workshops. I had some and then I kind of pulled them back because I wanted to reformulate a little bit.

But they're going to be coming out again at the end of the year. But yeah, I really like to help people get to the root of why they do what they do that is not directly related to their offer.

You know, like, maybe you're a copywriter, but you're not just a copywriter because you think that people need high quality copy on your website.

You know, you're a copywriter because you believe that people can have the life that they want and the business that they want if they know how to communicate their message clearly and confidently and connect with other people that resonate with them. You know, there's. There's always something more and there's always something deeper.

And so really, my goal is to help people get back to why they started and help them understand, like, what truly are the underlying reasons why I do what I do, and how can I use this as my superpower to connect with people and bring them in, you know, and help you stand out from everyone else.

Phylicia Pough: 00:11:37

Yeah, and I love that you said get back to kind of what they're rooted in, because, like you mentioned before, it's so easy to get influenced by other people. And it could be coaches, it could just be people, you know, meaning well.

But if you have so many voices coming at you, sometimes it's easy to lose that initial passion that you had or, like, that core deep value that you had because you're listening to so many people and you're being influenced. And so I kind of want to touch on that a little bit for you, especially as a woman of faith.

How are you able to kind of stay rooted or grounded in your faith and having God's voice be the primary influence versus all of the other voices that you may encounter to kind of embody all of the things that you are supposed to embody through your business and keeping your core values, like, what does that look like for you?

Addy Lopes: 00:12:31

It has been a journey. You know, I've.

I have had my business for almost six years, and it took me most of those years to get to a place where I feel confident enough and, like, motivated by my own vision enough to not let those influences sway me. And there have been times when I have just, like, allowed myself to, like, try on someone else's vision. Like, I would try on clothes at a store.

Like, see, like, do I like the way this fits? You know, is this interesting to me, or do I want to kind of put this back where I found it?

And so sometimes, you know, trying on those vision, like, let me just try this out for a month, like, and see, you know, how this feels.

And it allows me to pull elements of what other people dream about or what they share about and kind of come Together to influence, like, what my own dream is and where I truly feel like the Lord is calling me. So, you know, looking at my daughter every day is just, like, such a good motivator, because I'm like, I do not want to get. I have been swayed.

I have been influenced in the past, and every single time, I have to come back and remind myself, and I'm like, oh, I'm kind of starting from scratch again here, you know? And so, yeah, it's just the experience, you know, And I think that is a part of it for some people.

Like, sometimes you do need to go through to, like, have the confidence that you are heading where you want to head. And you do, like, have the discernment and the calling and the motivation to stay focused, you know? Yeah.

Phylicia Pough: 00:14:18

That's so good.

And I think even for me, it's, like, funny we're having this conversation now because I think a lot of people have kind of strayed from their initial vision or been influenced in some kind of way.

And like you said, you kind of just have to go through those things to get to a place where you are firm and what that vision is that God has given you.

And so I was going to do this pitch competition, and as I was thinking about it and preparing for it, I realized that the business that I have now is not what I wanted to actually be pitching. And I'm like, I'm far. Not super far, but I'm not where the initial vision for this was.

And so it literally pulled me back to where I was supposed to be. And so I think, you know, like you said, sometimes we just have to go through those things to know, okay, maybe this does work. This doesn't work.

But eventually we do get to this place where we're confident in, like, the vision that God has given us. So. And I love that you said it was a journey. It wasn't like, oh, I woke up one day and it was.

I had this vision, and I executed it 100% from the beginning. Because that's never how it is. Right. So I want to get into a little bit.

You talk about cozy marketing, but you also talk about this concept of world building. So can you explain to us what is world building? And then also, if it fits into cozy marketing, how does it fit into it?

Addy Lopes: 00:15:39

Yeah. So world building is, like my personal expression of cozy marketing.

So since I say, like, cozy marketing is just what feels good for us, like, that's going to look different for everyone. You know, everyone has different strengths and desires.

So world building is what feels cozy for me as like I'm an introvert, I would consider myself like a highly sensitive person. I'm a mom. So I just showing up every day, like being visible on social media and all of that, it is really draining for me.

And it's hard to keep up the consistency of doing that high visibility, high touch approach to marketing. And so that's kind of where world building came in for me.

It's an approach to business that prioritizes creating an environment where people can just enter and explore at their own pace, they can make decisions on their own time, and they can opt to move forward when they feel ready. So it's very narrative based and as I mentioned, it's very values based and highly relational.

So instead of building funnels where people like enter and leave and move on, and then we find new people to enter and leave and move on, we are attracting an audience around a shared identity and shared values.

And then we build out like an ecosystem of content and offers and spaces where our audience wants to explore and stick around, ideally for the long term.

So it's non linear, which is also different from a funnel, which is very linear, you know, and this allows us to eliminate some of that pressure and urgency from our marketing because we know that every person's kind of going to have their own journey throughout the world.

And there's also really strong focus on customer retention and encouraging people to become advocates for our world and for our brand and to like bring more people in and kind of spread the word.

Phylicia Pough: 00:17:33

Okay, I love how you kind of compared it to the funnel. Right. So the funnel is more linear and this is more, I think you said more of an ecosystem. So can you make it a little bit more tangible?

Like if you have an example of something that like, okay, we, we know what a funnel is, Right. Can you give us an example of like world building in the context of marketing?

Addy Lopes: 00:17:56

Yeah. So if the funnel is kind of, you know, like a upside down triangle, I draw the world as a circle.

And so people can enter from any point around that circle and they just are drawn closer to the center. And I have like a whole model that I've built out for the world just kind of as like a guideline and a visual.

But at the center of the world is our email list and our customer base. And so these are the people that we always have a direct line of access to at all times and they choose to be there. Right.

Like they can leave at any time and so we don't have to rely on any algorithm. Or anything like that to communicate with them. And they have opted to be in that space. So that's the center of the world.

And then outside of that, we're going to have like asset that we own.

So that's going to be like podcast, a website, you know, I would consider a YouTube channel also, you know, like just a library of content like books, anything that you own and that people can explore and navigate and, you know, get to know you and go on their own journey of discovery through your world. And so you kind of build out this ecosystem of ideally evergreen long form content that people can engage with in the way that works best for them.

Phylicia Pough: 00:19:22

Right.

Addy Lopes: 00:19:22

We're not telling them you have to go read this blog post after you read this one and you have to go listen to this podcast episode next. It's really just allowing them to go on that journey of discovery.

But there is like some cool strategy and, you know, like ways to make sure that it is cohesive. And they do have like a very clear customer journey within that ecosystem, which is kind of like what I talk about, you know, in my offers and stuff.

Just getting more into like the nitty gritty and the strategy of it. But hopefully that kind of helps make it a little bit more concrete. Right.

So they enter from social media or threads or what are you, whatever it is, and then they can come in and feel welcome and experience floor.

Phylicia Pough: 00:20:09

Yeah, no, that was a really helpful illustration. And I love how you, you know, talked about the world and then at the center is your email list. So. Yes. And how people are drawn closer.

It makes 100% sense. So thank you for that illustration.

So I want to shift gears a little bit and at the end we'll tell people how they can connect with you, to work with you and all those things. But we started talking about, you know, kind of being centered and influenced by Christ versus all of the other influences.

And so there's also this idea of like ethical marketing. Right. Especially in social media.

So from your perspective, what are some of the ways that business owners, specifically Christian business owners, that they can engage in ethical marketing? Like, and if you want to talk about what that actually is and then kind of get into how, how they can engage in that.

Addy Lopes: 00:21:02

Yeah, I think, you know, ethical it, you know, it's going to be a case by case basis because everyone, you know, we all have different convictions and we all have different standards for what we consider to be ethical. But in general, I really just see it as like seeing people for who they are and allowing them to have agency over their own experience.

You know, there is part of the reason why it is so exhausting to get on anywhere on the Internet, but especially social media, is just because it feels like everyone is trying to pressure you or convince you or sometimes even manipulate you into making a certain decision or buying a certain thing.

And so I really like to focus on just knowing and being confident that people know what they need, and people are going to make a decision when they feel ready.

And if we influence people to make a decision before they feel ready, they might regret it or they might feel icky about it, you know, And I never want to make someone feel that way. And so I honestly think, like, doing ethical marketing, like, there's so many ways that it can manifest, you know, and, like, look.

But I really think that it starts with us and just like, with how much faith we have that the Lord is in control and whether we are truly, truly laying our business down at the feet of Jesus. Because like any marketing tactics that feel unaligned or unethical, I believe it stems from a feeling of a lack of control.

And the answer of that is faith.

So the answer is, like, it's not to be anxious about your life because, you know, the Lord closed the birds and he takes care of the lilies of the field. And we don't need to worry. You know, we don't need to be anxious about our life.

And so a lot of these unethical marketing tactics, I feel, comes from that, you know, just we are broken and we do struggle. And so it really is just about having faith. Like, he knows what we need. He knows we need money in order to survive.

Like, we don't need to try to control that, you know, so we really just have to turn our focus away from what the world calls success, which is like, the metrics and the accolades and even the sales. And we have to shift our gaze toward what the Lord considers successful, which is caring for his people and building his kingdom.

And I have experienced firsthand, and I know a lot of people have experienced firsthand, that honoring God like, is a solid business strategy. You know, it's putting people first.

It's prioritizing relationships with them and connections with them, and trusting that if we seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, he will provide what we need. And it's not always what we want, but it's always what we need.

Phylicia Pough: 00:24:13

That's so good. You made so many good points. It's not always what we want, but it's what we need.

You started mentioning about how we needed to have faith and the control piece, right? And I think that's relatable, at least for me, because it's like, oh, I gotta get on social media. I have to do this.

I have to do all of these things to make this happen. But it's like, no, if this is truly the business, the call that God has given for you, you, yes, you will have work to do.

But it's in a way where you're being led by him, like you are following his instructions versus you trying to create this strategy or have control over what you are supposed to be doing in your business. So, yeah, I love how you frame that. That's really, really good. And so to kind of just wrap up that piece.

Do you have any encouragement for the Christian female entrepreneur who might be in the space where they're struggling with having that faith to trust God with their business? And maybe they're in a season that feels like a dry season, right?

And they feel like they have to do all the things to quote, unquote, make money or have a quote unquote, successful business. What words of encouragement do you have for them?

Addy Lopes: 00:25:30

Yeah, that's a great question.

I would offer something that I wrote in my own journal almost every day for a long time, which is that this is taking as long as it needs to take for me to become the person that God needs me to be so that I can help the people that he needs me to help. And it is just that, every day, reminding and getting back to having faith and measuring what you're doing, not by what other people say is success.

You know, like, there are ways that we think I need to make money in order to provide for my family. But do you need to do it in the way that everyone else is telling you that you need to do it?

You know, or can you go be wise and, you know, maybe a little scrappy, but still in a way that's like honoring the gifts that the Lord has given you.

You know, I think about the Proverbs 31 woman who she, like, considers a field and she buys it and she invests and she, you know, turns it over for a profit. It's like she's using, you know, the gifts that she's given. And it's not like the most, you know, flashy thing ever.

It's just investing in a piece of land, you know, so there are a lot of different ways that we can use our gifts to honor the Lord and provide for our family. And he has given us the opportunity to do that, which is really cool.

Phylicia Pough: 00:27:01

That's a great point that you made. There's a lot of different ways to use our gifts. I think we get stuck on one way and our way and how we want to do it.

But like you said, there are so many different ways that you can, it can happen. So oh my goodness, we could keep this going on for so long. So, so good.

But I want to, just before we wrap up, I want to talk a little bit more about the intersection of motherhood and entrepreneurship.

And so, you know, your child is still young, you're a toddler mom, and so how are you kind of managing the intersection as it relates to your time management? What's some things that's help you kind of be better with your time management at this intersection?

Addy Lopes: 00:27:39

Yeah, good question. I would say probably two things. One is adopting a productivity system and just committing to it.

So I follow the getting things done method and it's been super monumental for my productivity and just like relieving the mental load, moving it all out of my head and keeping it organized, allow space to think and work and be productive. And then also the second thing is just being really intentional with where and how I market my business.

So the key to maximizing my time for me is focusing on long form evergreen content that compounds in results over time. So I know like, if I'm putting in an hour of work today, like it's going to continue to serve me long term, you know.

So I would say those two things for me have probably been like the biggest help in balancing and making everything work.

Phylicia Pough: 00:28:35

And so you mentioned the getting things done method is that's a book, right?

Addy Lopes: 00:28:40

Is that book.

Phylicia Pough: 00:28:41

Can you explain what that method is?

Addy Lopes: 00:28:44

Yeah. So just real quick, in a nutshell, basically anytime a thought or an idea or a task pops into your head, you write it down in a designated place.

And then like once a day you just go through. I do it at the beginning of my work day and I just organize and categorize anything I wrote down the day before.

And then you kind of, you know, go through the rest of the steps. But it the big one is that capture step. Just anytime something comes into the brain, it immediately leads.

And then also the two minute rule, which is if something pops into your brain and it takes less than two minutes to do, I just do it. You know, unless you're in the middle of a task, write it down and then go do it, you know.

Phylicia Pough: 00:29:27

Oh, that's so good. Okay, I'm going to have to get that book because I'm one of those people.

It's like, I feel like I have a lot of stuff in my brain, and then I say, okay, I'm going to write it down. But then I never really get around to it.

So I still have all this stuff that I feel like I need to get out, and then once I actually do it, I feel so much better. So when I have to implement that for myself. So that was really, really good.

Addy Lopes: 00:29:49

Wow.

Phylicia Pough: 00:29:49

So now for you personally, in your journey as a mompreneur, like, what is the thing, you know, one or two things that you're looking forward to most in this next season of your journey as a mompreneur?

Addy Lopes: 00:30:04

Yeah.

So I would say the biggest thing is my husband and I are wanting to have another kid, Lord willing, you know, in God's plan, but hopefully in the next year. So I'm really excited to see how that shapes me and influences my business and how that journey unfolds.

And also, just the Lord has been really gracious to me in my business this year, and I just experienced a lot of growth, like, personal growth, you know, not necessarily like just business growth, but like me, I've grown a lot.

And so I'm really excited to explore that and, like, continue serving people, you know, and it's just been really sweet to see how the last couple years of me working really hard to build my business in a certain way, I'm like, starting to really see the fruits of that and getting to, like, spend more time with my daughter in the way that I desired to. So I'm really grateful for that and I'm excited to just, like, savor that season, you know.

Phylicia Pough: 00:31:06

That is so exciting. I can totally relate to that.

I feel like I'm just now getting to the place where I'm prioritizing some of the things that you mentioned, like long form, evergreen content. And I'm like. Because when I first started my business, I was strictly like, social media. No, no, no. I did it backwards, but it's okay.

And I feel like now I'm leaning into all of those things, you know, podcasting, emailing, and blogging and all that stuff. And so I feel like sometime next year I'll be saying the same thing you're saying. I'm seeing, you know, the fruit of this work that I'm putting in.

So that's exciting for you, excited for you and what is going on with your business. And so let people know how they can connect with you if they want more information about how they can work with you. Just give us all the Details.

Yeah.

Addy Lopes: 00:31:58

So I would say if you are intrigued or wanting to learn more about what I talked about, I have.

If you join my email list, I don't like blast this everywhere but if you do join my email list, you'll receive a seven day welcome series and it kind of gets all into like world building and how it looks and like a little bit more of that concrete application and some of the principles of it. And so if you are interested in learning more, I would just go on my website and subscribe to my email list and you'll be able to receive that.

I don't spend a ton of time on Instagram, but I am a little bit more on threads. But on both places my handle is Incontro Creative so I would love to connect with you there. Feel free to send me a dm.

I don't post a lot, but I do DM a lot so I'd be happy to chat.

Phylicia Pough: 00:32:52

Awesome. And all of that will be linked in the show notes.

So guys, go ahead, get on the email list, find Eddie on threads, send her a DM and just start a relationship, right? We talked about relationship building. Start a conversation right? And if you have any questions, I'm sure she'd be happy to answer them.

Eddie, this has been so, so good. Thank you so much for coming on and sharing your expertise, your experience and just your perspective about marketing. And so thank you for coming on.

It's been such a pleasure guys. Thank you for listening and we'll see you in the next episode. Thank you for listening to the Mom CEO Suite podcast.

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