The Mindful Marketing Podcast

Episode: The Business Shift I Didn’t Expect

Host: Andréa Jones
Date: August 26, 2025

Episode Overview

In this intimate and candid solo episode, Andréa Jones shares a deeply personal reflection on unexpected changes in her business and life following the birth of her two children. She details the realities of running a business through pregnancy, postpartum challenges, evolving family support, and adapting her marketing approach in a shifting economic and digital landscape. This episode combines vulnerability, behind-the-scenes business insights, and a renewed sense of purpose as Andréa embarks on a new chapter both professionally and personally.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Reality of Balancing Business & Motherhood

• Pregnancy Experiences:

  • Baby 1: Easier, both physically and logistically; business had its highest revenue year (almost $1M in 2022).
  • Baby 2: Much harder physically and emotionally; pregnancies were close together, which Andréa advises against. Less family support and more physical recovery needed (00:54–08:20).
  • "Basically only ate pickles, which y’all, I never liked pickles before." (05:06, Andréa)

• Child Differences:

  • First baby: "Very easy baby." (02:45)
  • Second baby: "Colicky ... she was crying all day for the first three months." (10:59)
  • Realization: Colicky is often a catch-all diagnosis when doctors don’t know the cause (11:15).

2. Business Shifts and Market Adaptation

• Economic and Technological Changes:

  • Revenue decline in 2024 attributed to "an economic downturn," loss of some staff, and the rise of AI automating previously billable tasks (14:21–16:48).
  • "The rise of AI means some of the menial tasks we were doing no longer needed." (15:52)

• Decision to Sell the Agency:

  • Sold her agency to two team members in October 2024 due to both personal and market changes (17:30).
  • Shifted focus to the Mindful Marketing Lab, podcast, courses, and consulting.

• Emotional Journey:

  • Experienced postpartum depression and anxiety, with support from her husband leading to diagnosis and treatment (Lexapro), improving her well-being and clarifying the extent of her struggle (23:40–25:35).

• Navigating Community Changes:

  • Observed that people are less "chronically online" post-pandemic and seek more in-person connections, but have tighter budgets (26:29).
  • A failed retreat highlighted the need to revisit pricing and adjust offers.

3. Lessons in Optimism and Sustainable Business Design

• Self-Discovery:

  • Recognizes her "pathological optimism" and how it affects planning versus reality (20:48).
  • "I jump into everything with two feet and I'm like, it's going to work out. It's going to be great." (20:55)

• New Business Model:

  • Embraced flexible models—batch content, adjustable schedules, and self-paced work—aligning with family life (22:12).
  • Creation of resources like a custom-trained GPT for content ideas to help members (33:29).

4. Current Focus and What’s Next

• Mindful Marketing Lab:

  • Ongoing commitment to membership-based model ($97/month), providing strategy support, and developing resources (32:40).
  • "I post in there almost every day. I have tons of resources that I give my members." (32:53)

• Accessibility & Free Content:

  • Plans to create more free resources via YouTube for small business owners who can't afford the membership (34:47).
  • Living the tagline: "Simpler, smarter marketing for busy people." (35:45)

• Workshops and Consulting:

  • Offering workshops, especially for businesses managing multiple locations (38:10).
  • Leveraging grants and affiliate partnerships to subsidize and diversify income (37:20).

• Slower, Intention-Driven Growth:

  • Consciously refusing to fill her schedule to full-time, prioritizing family and flexibility (39:10).
  • “I’m not actually going to work full time. Gasp.” (39:20)

• Creative Ventures:

  • Started writing spicy, queer romance novels under a secret pen name, using her marketing lab as a real-world testing ground for new platforms and strategies (43:13–44:40).
  • "I'm having so much fun doing it. It's essentially creating a second business." (43:41)

5. Reflections and Core Lessons

• Adapting to Change:

  • Accepting that business and growth look different in every season of life; there’s value in adjusting, pausing, or rewriting the rules (47:13).
  • “You don’t have to grow in the same way in every season of your life.” (47:46)

• Transparency Fosters Trust:

  • Embracing vulnerability and real-time sharing as a way to build deeper trust with her audience (53:05).
  • “People trust me more because I'm able to be this transparent in the way that I share things.” (53:09)

6. Looking Ahead

• Embracing a new chapter as both children enter daycare and committing to a season of “playfulness, fun, experimentation, and creativity.”
• “I'm turning a page, I'm turning a chapter, and I'm really freaking excited about it.” (54:15)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Second Baby Experience:

  “With the first baby, my body wasn't recovered. I was literally, y'all, taping my belly with reinforcement tape to hold it up because my muscles couldn't hold up my belly.” (10:09, Andréa Jones)

• On Agency Sale & Career Pivot:

  “I went through the stages of grief when I sold my agency ... I positioned it as my Tom Brady moment where I said this is a goodbye for now, maybe not forever.” (18:48)

• On Mindful Business:

  "I've taught myself the shortcuts, like, how can I still run a business with this marketing level of marketing? And it has been phenomenal, like life changing. I don't think I'll go back to doing it a different way." (36:19)

• Core Takeaway:

  “This is not about failing. It is about adjusting and adapting to what’s actually happening, the circumstances around you.” (46:40)

Important Timestamps

• Pregnancy & Baby Contrasts: 02:45–11:45
• Business Highs and Lows: 13:40 (record agency year), 14:21 (2024 decline)
• Postpartum Struggles & Realizations: 23:40–25:35
• Agency Sale and Rebrand: 17:30 (decision), 27:00 (Mindful Marketing Lab focus)
• Membership and AI Content Tools: 32:53, 33:29
• Creative Writing Side Hustle: 43:13–44:40
• Core Lesson & Reflections: 47:13–54:15

Summary

This episode offers a raw and relatable look at navigating business transformation amidst massive changes in both personal life and the marketplace. Andréa Jones openly discusses physical, emotional, and strategic pivots post-motherhood and in response to broader economic and technological trends. Through transparent storytelling, she models resilience, adaptability, and a values-aligned approach to mindful marketing. This is an essential listen for anyone balancing personal upheaval with entrepreneurial dreams and seeking both inspiration and pragmatic strategies for evolving with life’s inevitable shifts.