Last week of school. You’re already doing the math.

Summer camp schedules. Nap times that might happen if you’re lucky. Maybe 45 minutes on Tuesday to squeeze in some work.

And somewhere between packing snacks and planning activities, you tell yourself what you told yourself last summer: I’ll just scale back. Slow down. Pick it back up in September.

What if you didn’t have to?

I’m Lisbeth. Two summers ago, my husband was deployed and I was solo parenting three kids. I signed more clients in August than I did in May or September.

I didn’t post more. I didn’t work longer. I didn’t hustle harder.

I simplified my business to focus on what actually drives sales.

Most service-based business owners lose momentum in summer because they try to show up the same way they did in September. You can’t work the same when your kids are home all day.

I homeschool three kids. Trust me, I get it. There’s no eight-hour work day between client work, teaching, and keeping tiny humans alive.

Let me show you how I reset my summer to sign clients AND stay present with my kids.

Step One: Pick One Goal

Two summers ago, my kids were three, five, and nine. My husband was deployed. I was solo parenting and trying to keep my business moving.

Something had to give. I couldn’t do everything. I also couldn’t afford to shut down for three months.

So I got intentional. I picked one goal for the summer.

Not ten. One.

Maybe it’s two clients in June. Two in July. Two in August. Pick your number and let that be your North Star.

You can absolutely move your business forward working two to three hours a day.

I’m talking on your business, not in it. Marketing. Content. Outreach. Sales conversations.

When you know exactly who you’re talking to, you don’t need more time. You need a clear message.

Step Two: Simplify Your Content

Most service-based business owners don’t have a content problem. They have a clarity problem.

You don’t know what to post because you’re not sure who you’re talking to. You’re speaking to everyone instead of your people.

Or you’re not sharing your expertise because you don’t want to sound braggy.

Sitting down to create content gets easier when you know your audience and your expertise.

This summer, focus on three types of content.

1. Make Them Aware

Your ideal client has a problem. They might not even know it yet.

Your job? Make them aware.

Example: You do systems and automations for moms. Instead of “I help with systems,” tell that mom you see her decision fatigue. You see her freezing up because she’s already making a thousand decisions for her household and kids.

Make her aware she has a problem. Show her you see her.

2. Show How It Works

Share how your offer works. Your framework. Your process.

Yeah, someone could copy your framework. They can’t execute it the way you do.

Don’t be afraid to show what you do and how you do it.

3. Share the Transformation

Case study. Client win. Your own story.

Share how you helped someone go from Point A to Point B.

This is where people see themselves in your work. Where they start believing what worked for someone else could work for them.

The more you talk to your audience instead of at them, the more leads and sales show up in your DMs.

Step Three: Build Your Plan Around Your Summer

You created this business to be there with your kids. To have a life worth living.

Create a plan that fits around your summer. Not the other way around.

Pick One Platform

Be strategic about where you show up consistently.

For me, it’s Threads. I like to type. I like to engage.

When I create something there, I repurpose it everywhere. Carousel. Reel. Podcast episode. Email.

Pick one based on what’s most natural for you. Video? Audio? Writing? Start there.

Block One to Two Focused Hours

Find one to two hours where you’re most focused. Batch content and do outreach.

I’m big on outreach. Talking to people. How are people going to work with you if they don’t know you exist?

Use that time for connection. Getting to know your audience. Be where they’re at.

Schedule One CEO Hour Per Week

One hour a week for admin. Emails. Finances. Backend stuff.

Real talk: you might not get to all your emails. I have emails sitting there for months. They’re not a priority.

If it’s not urgent, it waits till September.

Not everything is important in summer. The most important thing is keeping your business moving while staying present and not burning out.

Be Realistic

Write down your specific goal. Reverse engineer it.

How many conversations will that take? How many connections? Which offer gets you there? When do you want it by?

Write it down. Keep it visible. June to August.

The Bottom Line

Summer doesn’t mean scaling back. It means simplifying.

Pick one goal. Simplify your message. Build your plan around your summer.

That’s the system I used to sign more clients in August 2024 than I did in May or September.

You don’t need more time. You need a clear message.

When your message speaks directly to your people, it brings in more clients than posting just to post ever could.

Ready to stop guessing what to say?

If you’re tired of reinventing the wheel every time you sit down to create content, join my free 5-day challenge, Spark the Conversation. I’ll walk you through finding your audience’s real language so you always know what to say.

Or if you’re ready to hand this off completely, check out Born to Sell—my done-for-you messaging service where I build your entire foundation for you.

You don’t have to figure this out alone.