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The Nugget with Michelle Martello

run a client-based business? this is for you

Published 3 months ago • 2 min read

I started my web design business in the mid aughts - long before social media existed.
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There were no specialty conferences, no fancy co-working spots, and definitely no long-winded existential crisis Voxer notes to my crew of trusted friends.
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I remember going to one local Adobe users meetup where I met a bunch of corporate advertising dudes who worked for insurance-selling geckos with multi-million dollar budgets. Not exactly the peer group I needed when I was designing yoga studio websites.
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​There's so many things I would've changed way earlier if I had mentors who understood the business I was in - like raising my rates way earlier and declining projects from red-flag-waving nightmare clients.
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​So now when I get asked to speak to other service providers, I leap at the chance to help them build smarter businesses and avoid the early mistakes I made - like adding "Inc." to my website footer just because it "looked business-y." My lawyer had a fit over that one.
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My biggest regret? Not starting this newsletter earlier - and knowing how to use it to get more work. ​
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Which is why I recorded a brand-new special training for the WOW (Women of Web Design) Summit.*

If you’re still ghosting your email list (or haven’t started one), it’s time to change that. Give me 17 minutes and I'll share the 6 essential emails every service provider should have in their back pocket so you’re never stuck wondering what to send.
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Learn how to use your newsletter to book clients, pitch your services and sell your products without feeling scummy. I share real examples from my own list— from subject lines to email formats that make your inbox do the heavy lifting.
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Not a web designer, but work with clients? Join the summit and get insight on how to land larger projects, get more qualified leads, learn how to avoid scope creep and find out what smart SEO shifts you need to make now in the age of AI search.
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​Grab your free ticket here - the WOW summit starts next week.
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you've got this,
Michelle
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p.s. need more clients right now? Here's what to focus on to get more work.​

what's coming up + pick my brain​
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​StarterKit - Need to get your newsletter up and running fast? Get on the waitlist for my upcoming quick course.
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​Minima Sessions: Want to generate new ideas, clarify your offerings, dream up your next digital product, or look over your launch plans with a fine tooth comb? Looking to work less, but generate more revenue with your service business? Grab a custom Minima Session and get in-the-trenches knowledge and actionable strategies. Now booking - inquire here.
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​tech I love​
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​Kit* - my favorite easy email marketing service (you're reading it right now!)
​Kajabi* - what I use to host my programs and digital courses.
​Envato Elements* - where I source stock templates and design elements.

Did this email end up in your promo, junk or spam folder? Do me a solid and drag it to your primary inbox - this tells your inbox you like me, like really like me. ​
*denotes affiliate link. I only promote and recommend products and services I use for myself or my clients.

People who read the fine print are my kind of people. You rock Reader. ​
Did a friend send you this email? Grab your own copy here.

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106 N. Boulevard, Richmond, VA 23220
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The Nugget with Michelle Martello

Digital Product Design + Online Business Strategy

Build an online business that loves you back. Nugget filled newsletter drops on Fridays - get the latest tech tutorials, behind-the-scenes breakdowns and done-for-you strategic guidance from someone who's actually doing the work (and makes you laugh to boot).

Read more from The Nugget with Michelle Martello

If you're new here—or if you’re like me and can’t remember what you did last week—read the previous email in this series: does Google know who you are?Curious how to get your own Google Knowledge panel (the overview that shows up when someone Googles your name?) Step 1. Use a tool like https://kalicube.pro/tools/knowledge-graph-explorer to search for your name. You should see a list of results like this image below. Click the "see on Google" link to see if it matches your info. (In my case,...

about 2 months ago • 3 min read

Reviewing a new site design with one of my favorite clients this week, she asked me a question.Why don't I show up the same way in Google as other dudes in her field?And by "that way" she meant the following format when she Googles her name. (I'm showing my client Laura Belgray's panel as an example above - go ahead, google her name and see what shows up!) This block of info at the top of the search results is called a Google Knowledge Panel. The display is generated based on info stored and...

about 2 months ago • 2 min read

One of my best friends like to surprise me in the best ways.We got in late Monday night from a quick trip to NYC to celebrate my nephew's 21st (and to hang with really cool clients over the best, longest brunch ever - thanks VV)! I went to water my plants and saw that Monty, my mini monstera, was missing from his perch on the kitchen windowsill.Now Monty's needed some TLC for a minute - he'd outgrown his pot but I haven't had the energy (or frankly the knowhow) to properly rehome him. I knew...

2 months ago • 2 min read