Etched Marketing Academy

05/27/2025

05/23/2025

The kind of day I used to only dream about.
Today, we hosted an end-of-school-year pool party for my kiddo and his friends.

Loud laughter, splashing, music, snacks. A dozen happy kids soaking up the start of summer. It was pure joy.

And now that the towels are drying and the last popsicle wrapper has been tossed, I’m back at my desk. Getting a little work done while the house is quiet again.

This is the life I built on purpose.

I wanted to be the mom who could say yes to things like pool parties on a Friday afternoon. And I also wanted to keep building a business I love.

Being able to do both is something I never take for granted.

It wasn’t always like this. But with time, intention, and systems that support my work and my life, here we are.
Summer’s officially here. How are you kicking it off?

💬 Tell me what you’re most excited for this summer season.

Rachel

05/22/2025

From Corporate Rush to Morning Notes: Why I Built My Business This Way

This morning, I packed the last lunch of 4th grade. A heart-shaped sandwich, a yogurt tube, a few M&Ms… and a little note that said, “Woo hoo, kiddo!”

And I got to sit with him at the kitchen island and talk about his last full day of school.

It wasn’t always like this.

In my corporate days, mornings were silent, rushed, and dark. I was out the door by 6 a.m. while the house was still sleeping. I missed breakfast chats. I missed packing notes. I missed a lot.

That’s why I started this business not just for freedom, but for presence.

Now, I get to work during school hours. I get to volunteer, host epic end of the school year pool parties, and still show up for my students.

And yes, I know not everyone would choose Cheetos over carrots. But that was the first thing he mentioned when he got home from school today. He felt loved. That’s a win in my book.

Building a business that gives you life back isn’t always easy. But it is possible. I’ve spent the last 8 years building one.

Are you planning a slower summer too? I’d love to hear what you’re most looking forward to.

💬 Let’s chat in the comments.

Rachel

PS - I totally had Cheetos with my lunch today too (if I buy the “healthy” ones it’s OK, right? ;) )

05/06/2025

10 years. A whole decade. It’s gone in an instant and also felt like it took forever some days.

10 years ago today, I became a mama.

I quickly realized that my corporate career that I loved so much didn’t love the version of me who had a baby at home. Juggling was hard. Traveling was even harder. I remember crying all the way to the airport on my way out of town the first time I had to leave for a business trip. I thought I was ready but the reality of leaving my 4 month old baby behind proved me wrong.

It quickly became clear to me that I was going to have to choose and about a year later, I chose my family.

I started this business because I couldn’t find a job that offered me the flexibility I craved.

And today, because of that decision 8 years ago, I got to meet my boy for lunch on his birthday at school and then come home and continue to work until he got home.

I’m thankful he doesn’t remember the early days when mama was gone a lot. In his world, mama has worked from home for his entire life and been there to drop him off and pick him up every day.

I’m so thankful for that. Because I know I made the right choice all those years ago.
Thanks for being here and part of this journey.
Rachel

05/06/2025

10 years. A whole decade. It’s gone in an instant and also felt like it took forever some days.

10 years ago today, I became a mama.

I quickly realized that my corporate career that I loved so much didn’t love the version of me who had a baby at home. Juggling was hard. Traveling was even harder. I remember crying all the way to the airport on my way out of town the first time I had to leave for a business trip. I thought I was ready but the reality of leaving my 4 month old baby behind proved me wrong.

It quickly became clear to me that I was going to have to choose and about a year later, I chose my family.

I started this business because I couldn’t find a job that offered me the flexibility I craved.

And today, because of that decision 8 years ago, I got to meet my boy for lunch on his birthday at school and then come home and continue to work until he got home.

I’m thankful he doesn’t remember the early days when mama was gone a lot. In his world, mama has worked from home for his entire life and been there to drop him off and pick him up every day.

I’m so thankful for that. Because I know I made the right choice all those years ago.

Rachel

05/01/2025

Is SEO dead?

I get this question a lot, especially now that AI is everywhere.
The truth? SEO isn’t dead, but it is changing, and we need to keep up. SEO used to mean Google only, but that’s changed. Today, we need to think about other places our ideal customer searches.

SEO is more important than ever if you want people to find your website through Google, Bing, ChatGPT, in Google’s AI Overviews or AI Mode, or whatever AI search tool comes out next.

If you’re creating content and not getting much traffic, it’s time to review your strategy and make sure you have the right SEO strategy in place. Are you optimizing for Google and AI search? If not, now’s the time to get started.

The good news is that what we do for Google SEO works well for AI search. We simply need to format our content for AI search. But in most cases, I’m seeing students and clients who rank high on Google also rank in AI search and get traffic from both.

Are you working on AI search yet? If not, get my Beginner’s Guide to SEO and get started.

Have questions? Ask them in the comments.

Rachel

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