As you might know, Moxie Assist has a business partnership with The Woven Agency, so it felt fitting to have my very first co-host or guest to be the one and only Lacy Estelle from An ADD Woman / The Woven Agency to discuss her work as a web developer. Lacy has a unique platform where she is able to work directly with women who deal with ADHD in their personal lives, whether it be their own diagnosis or someone in their close family, her platform serves as a great resource for those who are in the thick of it. And as you might guess, having ADHD as a business owner can present it’s own challenges, especially as a freelancer! Go with me as we talk about the things you might never have known about web development and ADHD with Lacy Estelle.
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What You Might Not Know About Web Development… and ADHD with Special Guest: Lacy Estelle
Emily
Okay, so thank you guys for joining the no mercy, business coaching and consulting podcast. My name is Emily Woodruff. I’m your host. And today I have Lacey Estelle joining us. She is from the woven agency. Hi, Lacey.
Lacy
Why don’t you? Why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started with woven. So I started woven from a need that I saw in the web development side of things for women. So originally, I actually was a blogger. And I still have my blog. And actually now I also have a podcast as well. And I started out talking about mental health.
And when I started, I was bootstrapping. You know, I was doing everything myself. So I had to learn the back end of WordPress, I had to learn marketing, using a Google search bar. And as I went along, I fell for a lot of really sleazy salesy pitches from what I like to call bro marketers. And I think that’s actually a fairly common term. Now, a lot of the Russell Brunson followers, people that swear they’ll help you make a million dollars and all this other stuff. And what really bothered me is how out of touch, they were with the feminine side of business, most of the women that I meet, who are wanting to do any sort of business, they have bigger dreams in mind than just making money for themselves or for their families, a lot of times, they want to make a difference in their communities, or they want to give back in other ways. And I saw a lot of these male marketers, and nothing against I’m not trying to be sexist or anything along those lines. But I just noticed that a lot of them were out of touch with the feminine aesthetic and the feminine mission of, you know, women who are in business. And so as I went along, I started to offer doing marketing consulting for female small business owners. And then it kind of evolved into mainly doing web development, because what I noticed a lot of them had were issues of their, their sites weren’t set up on a good foundation. So I would go in, and a lot of times, I would say, okay, I can help you with this, this and this, but sometimes I get on their back end, and I’d be like, wait, I can’t actually do that yet for you, because not going to work, because we don’t have a good foundation set up. So that’s when I kind of niched into just doing website development and helping people to optimize their sites for conversions. Andso that’s how woven was born. And woven was named out of the idea that God is weaving together our journeys. And I integrate my faith directly with my business. So I wanted the idea to come across that, you know, your business doesn’t have to be separate from your journey. A lot of times people relate to brands best by understanding their story. And so their story needs to come through in their their sight. And so yeah, so that’s what I do. And thank goodness I found you to because you are so helpful to me with all the things that I’m not very good at. So
Emily
awesome. I love that I love the story of the name of your business. I think it’s really neat. And that it’s like that it’s not so in your face, about your faith, but it’s there. It’s definitely there and you don’t have to dig too far for it but To the average person, they might not catch on to it right away. And I just love it. So, thanks.
Lacy
You’re welcome.
Emily
So what are what are some things? I know I sent you some things ahead of time, but I’m going to kind of just jump around. Okay. What are some stereotypes? Like, what’s a number one stereotype that you get for your line of work? And how? Why don’t you take it and break it down?
Lacy
I think there’s kind of there’s two, one, if I tell it that if I tell somebody that I’m a web developer, a lot of times they assume that I can do any sort of coding possible. And that’s just not really true.
Lacy
I work mainly in WordPress, and there’s actually three different code languages in WordPress. And to work in on the development side of WordPress, you don’t even have to know all of those code languages. So, you know, where are you people imagine that I’m like the guy in a chair for like a superhero, you know, and I’m doing all of the coding and the back end, I like to think of like Felicity with the arrow from the CW series, but I’m really, it’s really not like that as much as I wish it kind of was because that sounds way cooler than what I actually do.
Lacy
The other stereotype
Lacy
the, the other stereotype, I think, that I get a lot is that anybody can do what I do. And people make a lot of big promises these days, and they, they don’t deliver on them, or, you know, they sometimes it’s hard as a website developer to convey the value in having somebody that can make your site not just
Lacy
run fast, and not just, you know, have the name your business where
Lacy
you have a lot of a lot of overlap with people saying, Oh, well, I can help you do this. And I can help you convert. And
Lacy
it just doesn’t, it’s not as simple as people will think that it is because quality really does matter. And so I know that a lot of people will sometimes be like, Oh, well, I hired this company from, you know, out of the country. And they did this and this and this, and they only charged me this much. And I think it looks okay. But then they’ll come to me because they’re like, but it’s not converting or I’m not getting sales, and I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. And I’m like, well, and I mean, this in the nicest way is, is the people who are creating the stuff for you, they really have to be in touch with who your end customer is.
Lacy
It’s not something that just anybody can do, even if they understand, you know, you’re even if they understand how you design a website and things along those lines, it’s it really matters that they actually understand your entire customer journey and the mission that you’re trying to accomplish. Because that’s conveyed in your brand throughout absolutely everything you’re doing, including your site. So I know that doesn’t exactly like, pin down specific stereotypes. But I think those are the two ones that those are the two mentalities that when I meet with clients that I really have to try to break them away from, that this is not something that just anybody can do. And then it’s also that I’m not a whiz, I can’t do absolutely everything I’ve had a lot of people ask me, like, can you make my Google listing number one, and I’m like, I can do everything I can to help you get higher up on the Google list. But Google juice is like still a mystery to most developers that I know. So it’s not a complete mystery. We know, for the most part, what it likes, but there’s no magic button that I know of, that you don’t know of, that just magically pops you right up there at the top, except for paper clicks, basically. So and I think I think a lot of people are misunderstood about that, that they can just pay somebody to say, Hey, get me number one, instead of realizing that they have work that they have to do on their end to it’s not all just about how you code their website, or how you create a certain ad, it all it all is connected. And if they pay you to do it, they still have to run their page, they still have to run their social media accounts, they still are an active partner. And I think that’s the missing link that a lot of small business owners are missing out on Yes, and I think me and you kind of been talking about this a little bit about how a lot of people get into business thinking that you know, just having the knowledge of what they can do you know, say like say it’s a skilled trades for instance, say it’s a plumber contractor or something along those lines, somebody who totally is assuming that their their business is not online, right because they work hands on they’re doing something
Lacy
you know, out in, you know, they’re they’re working one on one with people and they’re working with their hands.
Lacy
But actually every business these days with online
Lacy
every single business is online. And, and it’s so much more about making sure that you’re connecting with your customers first, I mean, the first thing you do, when you’re like, oh, I need a plumber, you Google it,
UnLacy
you Google it. And if you’re having, you know, it’s one thing to have just your Google listing is like, populating high. But it’s a whole nother thing that if somebody gets to your website, they actually feel a connection with you, and feel like I can trust this person, I think this, this is the person we should use. And then it actually is all stuff you need for them to have or experience way before they even get to writing their check. Because the fact that pricing for most people these days, as much as they will say it matters, it doesn’t matter, as long as the solution that you’re giving them is they they can trust, you’re going to be able to give it to them. And the only way for them to build that trust with you is word of mouth, or other people’s trusted resources like Google reviews, or a website that conveys your branding really, really well and relates to your ideal customer in a way that makes them say, Yeah, I think I can buy from this person because I trust them.
Emily
Totally agree. So that kind of leads into my next question, what, what would you say is the biggest challenge that you’re facing in your day to day work right now.
Lacy
You know, I really struggle with conveying my value
Lacy
to people, especially right now, with the economy being so wonky and weird on explaining to people why it’s so important for them to have a great website, and a website that
Lacy
you know, that will work for them is it’s become a little bit harder, if people are just, they’re just not, they’re not willing to spend the money to get what they need. And hang on one second. You want a new shirt?
Lacy
Okay, sorry. Um, so, that’s been a difficult part of things.
Lacy
Just, you know, I can get somebody on the phone, I can tell them all the things I can do for them. And a lot of times, they’re like, I don’t think I need all of that, when really, they do, they do need it, and they don’t realize it, or they just don’t see the value in it. Because a lot of times, they’ve already been doing things just fine. You know, either. So one of the things one of the primary clients that I have is like ecommerce clients who are wanting people to purchase things online.
Lacy
But at the same time, there’s they seem to be doing just fine by, you know, just selling on Facebook marketplace, lifting, lifting things, piece by piece, or they seem to be doing okay, just having a store shelf and their best friend’s boutique, they, they start to feel like well, I’ll wait, I don’t need to spend the extra money to have my site really doing things for me. But ultimately, that is the trick or that is I say trick, it’s really not a trick. But that’s the key to having success, even in a really volatile market like we have right now. Because if your website is already doing a lot of the grunt work for you, as far as getting in touch and talking to people, then it has ample value that you can’t even fathom right now. And it’s gonna, there’s gonna come a point where you’re going to realize that that is the case. So that is definitely the biggest challenge I’m facing right now is just helping people to understand the value of what I’m doing for them, or what I can offer for them. And having them understand why it’s, it’s a worthy expense. But otherwise.
Lacy
Otherwise, that’s it. That’s it. I mean, also juggling, because, you know, I have four kids. So I trying to manage my time with all of my businesses has been a definite difficulty. And that’s something that I think I just
Lacy
has an ongoing challenge.
Emily
So sure. Well, and just like that, having to deal with a kid who needs a shirt, we totally welcome that sort of thing here. You know, I tried to treat it like it’s kind of a church, like, your kid’s gonna scream in the middle of the sermon. They’re gonna throw on the floor, life’s gonna happen. We welcome them because we welcome you and we want other people to be comfortable in that same situation. So tell your kids Hi.
Lacy
I will. I will top five for sure.
Emily
So what, what inspires you the most to keep doing what you’re doing and keep at it every single day, despite the challenges that you’re facing?
Lacy
You know, I and I know I talked briefly about how I got started and doing blogging and podcasting and everything else. And right now, what I’ve actually been doing is kind of just going back to my roots of why I started everything that I started in the first place, and that was originally to help women I wanted to do help women who had had the mental struggle that I have had for years of just not feeling valuable, and not understanding my worth, and, and not understanding my capabilities.
Lacy
So, you know, doing my podcast right now, that I do that has absolutely nothing to do with, but does have to do with like mental health on specifically ADHD, that’s really been something that helps me to align myself with everything that I’m doing. So it’s definitely
Lacy
gives me that feeling of, you know, I know that I am made to help women in whatever capacity they come to me as whether they come to me for my content that I originally started with, or whether they come to me for business.
Lacy
And, and then seeing that, you know, come to life, I know, I sent you a message this morning, and kind of just telling you that somebody had reached out to me and told me that they really enjoyed what I what I’m talking about. And then but I also will hear from my also hear from my clients, my my business owner, clients who are like, really, really happy with the things that can supply them, or they’ll tell me, you know, oh, this this, we I launched a, a membership portal for one of my clients two weeks ago, where that membership portal actually gave them some passive income that didn’t require for them to create more products. But it also helped to curate a better relationship for, you know, their brand, with their ideal customers, you know, the customers that are wanting to spend money with them that can see the value in a paying membership. And, you know, when we, when we settled from all that they were like, Thank you, thank you so much, because this was so
Lacy
helpful, and it wasn’t something they would have thought of. And, you know, for, for me, that really, that really inspires me to keep going and to know that I’m actually helping people to impact, you know, the things that they want to do. And that client of mine has a, she has a zest for wanting to create some sort of manufacturing job in her community, because there’s everywhere around her the nearest place that has like Steady, steady work like that, for people that want to, you know, punch in a nine to five clock is hours away. So that’s her dream. And I think that she’s, I think she’s well on her way to that.
Lacy
But it’s just the small things that, you know, they come back to me and they say, thank you. And when you do that, you’re kind of like, okay, this is this is worth, you know, worth worth canceling vacation for or this is worth, you know, not getting to go to every little thing right now, just because of the change that it can help people to create.
Emily
That’s great. It’s so exciting.
Emily
So on a related note, I guess you would mention that your podcast is about it relates to mental health. And I know you personally, so I know some of your daily struggles. But how? How do you show up for yourself every single day to get the job done? And if you have any advice for our listeners on how to do that themselves?
Lacy
I take medication
Lacy
but no, but but genuinely, they will say
Lacy
because they and you know me? And because like you said we do we know each other personally.
Lacy
I’m still in the middle of like a bunch of medical findings, I guess. But I can say like, showing up for myself looks different for me in every phase of my life.
Lacy
I have a really big,
Lacy
really, I know you’ve seen it because you’ve been at my house. But I have a really big I like framed
Lacy
Sinai in my living room that says the most important work you will ever do is within the walls of your home. And I feel like I’m not home right now. But for me, the best way for me to show up for myself, or for my goals or for anything else is to always realign myself with that. Because I have to remember that I didn’t get into doing these things because I wanted to work all the time or because I
Lacy
wanted to feel like I was working for somebody else. Again. I got into it because I wanted to not only impact change for the women that I work with, but also for my own family to be able to see that hard work pays off. But then also that,
Lacy
that if you if you ever
Lacy
value your work more than you value, you know your family or the legacy that you’re leaving behind.
Lacy
You miss the point
Lacy
So, I think for me, showing up for myself,
Lacy
probably looks differently than it does for others. Because for me, showing up for myself actually means showing up for my family, and showing up for the goals that we have. And reminding myself that they’re actually the most important thing. And so I do kind of, I asked myself, you know, if I’m doing this now, what am I sacrificing in the long term.
Lacy
And it helps, it helps me because sometimes, I get bogged down with so many tasks that I’m like, This just feels never ending. And this wasn’t what I wanted. When I decided to work for myself, I didn’t want to be working, you know, 12 hour days instead of eight hour days.
Lacy
But my mental health definitely requires that I work certain hours. So I have to make myself work during those hours when my mental health throughout the day is the best. And I also, I read my Bible, I try, I strive to read my Bible every day before I work, because for me, that’s like telling myself that I’m going to make sure I put the not put the cart before the horse, right, because I want to be in alignment with God’s plan for my life. And so I always try to read my Bible before I start my work for the day. That helps me keep that perspective.
Lacy
And then, I also I tried to eat decent. And most recently, I’ve tried to start at least hitting 10,000 steps every day.
Lacy
I don’t do it, like, Oh, I gotta go, I gotta go for a walk or anything along those lines. I just, I just take note on my smartwatch when you know when I’ve been sitting for a long period of time, and I get up and walk around, helps me to stay focused. So the primary thing that I talk about on my podcast is mainly like I said, ADHD, but with that also comes, you know, anxiety. And in my case, I have PTSD as well. So.
Lacy
So doing all of those things combined, trying to eat decent, does not always happen. But I try
Lacy
and just trying to be aware of the things my body needs. And also reminding myself that if I if I put the cart before the horse, and if I’m if I’m throwing myself into work, it actually creates more stress for me, because I know that’s not my ultimate goal. Oh,
Emily
that’s great. I think we are about out of time here. Is there anything else that you would want to share?
Emily
With our listeners before we kind of tell them where? Where to find you? Hmm, um
Lacy
you know, kind of surprised me with that one. I talked your ear off. So
Lacy
I’m not so sure. But I will tell you, I will tell you this if you came to Emily’s podcasts, because you’re wondering if, if you need more guidance on your business. Emily is in valuable. I get lucky because she’s just like one of my best friends. So I get to get her guidance because I pester her and I bug the crap out of her and make her deal with me. Right? Ultimately,
Lacy
every you know, if you’re a creative, and you’re thinking to yourself, like, Oh, I just, I just want to do this. And I want to do that. But like in your mind you’re like, but I can’t figure out how to get from point A to point B. Emily, is that person for you? So I know, that’s just my shameless plug. Because the fact that like, I genuinely genuinely think that this is your calling, because of the fact that you can fill in all of those gaps for somebody who, you know, has these really great ideas, but just doesn’t always know how to bring them to fruition. So I guess that’s my last little tidbit to drop there that if you listen to this podcast, and you’re thinking, okay, maybe I want to talk more to Emily, you do? Because she’s phenomenal. And she really knows her stuff. So
Emily
well, thanks. I was hoping for something about your business, but that’s fine.
Lacy
Well, you know me, so I just, well, in my business.
Lacy
My main thing right now is I really just want I want to help in whatever capacity I can. So if you’re listening to this, and you’re thinking maybe I have ADHD, that’s really where I would love to connect with you. And if you if your ADHD actually makes you think that maybe you want to start a business, I’ll totally happily connect with you again on that aspect of helping you create a website and build a brand and all that stuff. But obviously, I usually work closely alongside Emily for all that stuff, too. So So I guess you have that too. But ultimately, if they’re listening to this, I would hope that they’re thinking, yeah, maybe I need more business help. And that’s not me. That’s you. So
Emily
you, you mentioned earlier about having somebody message you today and tell you how, how much your podcast is really impacting them. And I think that this is a good shameless plug for me to mention the
Emily
girls and the girls, oh my gosh, the girls in business Facebook group, I think that would be a great place because today we’re talking about what wins you’ve had in your business in the last week. And I think that’s super relevant. So if you’re not part of that group, Lacy is also an administrator. And it for me,
Emily
it’s just our networking group, a way to link arms with one another and kind of encourage each other throughout the week. Or if you have issues that you’re facing in your business, and you, you can’t necessarily do it yourself, it’s a way to network and find some other people who might have different skills than you. And to do it for free. And to potentially, you know, work with one another and share our client lists and things along those not share a client list, but partner, partner on things with our clients is what I’m trying to say.
Emily
So if you get a chance to take a minute and check that out, Lacey, I think you put that there. And then if you just want to tell everybody where they can connect with you online, that would be great. Yeah, so if you are wanting to connect with me for my podcast, you can find that at an add woman.com But then you can also find my blog, which is more geared about about me and my parenting journey and that’s at Lacey estelle.com Lacey with no E because I don’t have any in my name. And then if you’re also needing to connect with me for website design or development it’s an unfinished because I’m a procrastinator, but I do have somewhat of a website up at the woven agency.com I’m usually just too busy doing everybody else’s websites to finish my own. So
Emily
awesome. Well, thank you so much for joining me today and for all your support thus far and I’m sure in the future
Emily
and just for your friendship and for being here. So thank you guys for being here.
Show Links
Transcribed by https://otter.ai/referrals/94MUP1Y7
Find Lacy at www.anaddwoman.com or www.thewovenagency.com and on Instagram, Facebook and Tik Tok.
Connect with Emily at www.emilyawoodruff.com or by email at hello@emilyawoodruff.com and on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest
