The business
Carmel's idea was born out of her own lived experience. Her twin children were diagnosed with additional needs eleven years ago, and in the years since she'd created countless personalised resources just to help her own family through everyday life. It eventually clicked that those same skills could help other families in the same position. That's exactly who she's targeting: families and professionals supporting neurodivergent children and teenagers, and others with additional needs, who need the same tailored approach she'd already built for her own family.
Before the session
She'd spent years in a corporate role before becoming a full-time mum and carer, so marketing wasn't a world she'd ever worked in. The idea for the business was already there. What wasn't there was a plan for getting it off the ground. She was creating resources, trying to land on pricing and offers, and working out what to even put on social media.
She was using ChatGPT to think things through, which helped generate ideas but didn't help narrow them down. More ideas meant more directions, and more directions meant more second-guessing. She was putting in fifteen to twenty hours a week and, by her own account, felt like she was working constantly without getting anywhere.
"I'd start doing one thing and then disappear down another rabbit hole."
The turning point
She made flyers showing off the resources and managed to get some customers straight away, which proved there was real demand. But it also left her wondering how she could scale her business, and what to do first.
Going into the consultation the worries were practical ones: spending the money and coming away no clearer, and wondering whether the business was too small or too early for a marketing consultant to bother with.
"I was worried about spending the money (on a consultant) and then coming away still not really knowing what to do."
What She Needed Answered
Asked what would make the session feel like a genuine win, her list was specific
She wasn't after general marketing theory. She'd never run or marketed a business before, and she wanted practical direction for one that was already real, just not yet visible.
The session
Ahead of the call, hours went into reviewing her questionnaire answers in full and running independent research on competitors in the personalised-resource space, covering price point, messaging and channels. That became a working document built specifically around her list, so the ninety minutes could go straight to answers instead of starting from a blank page.
Booking was straightforward, and sharing some background on the business ahead of time meant the session could get straight into it. What surprised her most was how quickly her own confidence shifted, not because anything about the business changed, but because it became clear she already had a good idea. She just needed a plan for making it work.
Marketing strategy summary
Every item on her list got a direct answer, not a theory. Two plain-language lines to explain the business, one for parents and a more formal version for professional settings. A single offer to lead with, a short, no-obligation conversation that flows naturally into her main service, instead of several offers competing for attention. A simple channel plan built around what she can actually sustain, backed by a bank of content themes so she's never starting from a blank page. And a way to build her pricing from her real time and costs, instead of guessing a number, plus a short, ordered set of next steps to get moving straight away.
Where she landed
She now rates her confidence and clarity around marketing at eight out of ten. She's already working through her plan, ticking things off one at a time instead of trying to do everything at once. She's also noticing a shift in how she reads other businesses' marketing, taking note of what works and why, in a way she wasn't doing before.
"I used to feel a bit overwhelmed and unsure about starting to market my business. Now I feel excited and like I actually know where I'm going. The difference is having a clear direction instead of trying to do everything at once."
What she'd tell you
Her advice for a founder sitting exactly where she was, unsure how to explain their business, unsure what to promote, and a bit overwhelmed by the whole idea of marketing, is simple:
"You don't need to have it all worked out before you ask for help. That's the whole point of getting help."
And on what she wishes she'd known sooner:
"Have a session with a consultant before spending hours on things you think you need to."
Ready for your own plan?
The 1-1 Marketing Session is a focused 90 minutes built around the exact thing you're stuck on. You'll leave with a recording and a clear, prioritised plan within 24 hours.
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