358 From Mom of 6 to Label Queen: Julie Cole Shares The Inside Scoop on Mabel's Labels Success
Julie Cole
Co-founder of Mabel's Labels
This week, we have an extraordinary conversation with Julie Cole, the co-founder of Mabel's Labels.
Not familiar with Mabel's Labels?
Mabel's Labels story begins in 2003 when four busy moms noticed a huge gap in the market for durable kids' labels.They are the original waterproof name label for kids. Julie shares her incredible journey from starting a basement business to creating an international marketplace leader, all while being a mom of 6.
We dig into:
Balancing entrepreneurship with motherhood,
How Mabel's Labels grew to massive success (which marketing strategies they used) and how that has evolved over the past decade
The importance of personal branding,
Knowing When to Abandon a Business Idea
How to navigate challenges like self-doubt and imposter syndrome as you grow
Business and life hacks for 'doing it all' (one of which is to do a Time Study to see where you can find more time in your day)
The (sometimes) Unromantic Reality of Entrepreneurship (like needing to stay up to date on the ever changing landscape... like AI!)
And more!
With her infectious energy and wealth of experience, Julie's story will motivate you to embrace the chaos and the beauty of entrepreneurship.
Plus, if you've ever felt the push and pull of raising a family while growing a business, Julie is here to tell you how it's done!
Don't miss out on Julie Cole's tips for marketing, managing time, and making impactful business decisions.
Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting your journey, this conversation is packed with practical advice and genuine inspiration. So, let's dive into this visionary episode with the incredible Julie Cole!
Episode Time Stamps:
[04:28] The importance of prioritizing personal brand
[07:02] How introverted leaders set connection goals
[11:31] How they overcame the initial business challenges
[13:05] The power of Mom-Driven Marketing Success
[20:48] Unromantic reality of entrepreneurship
[26:13] Myth of Solo Online Business
[35:02] Understanding when to abandon ideas
To connect with Kelsey:
To connect with Julie Cole:
Access the transcript for this episode:
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You're listening to the Visionary Life Podcast. I'm your host, Kelsey Reidl.
Each week I'll bring you conversations with the most visionary humans on this earth in hopes that you'll be able to absorb their wisdom, avoid their failures, and feel less alone on the roller coaster ride that is entrepreneurship. This season I'll be chatting with creative thinkers, masterful marketers, brick and mortar shop owners, brand builders, and people just like you who have a story to share or a vision that inspires. If I can share one quick secret with you before we get into the episode, it's that we all have a little bit of visionary inside of us. You know, that spark that nudges us to pursue our full potential in this lifetime. But perhaps somewhere along the line it got covered up. I'm here to tell you that it's never too late to explore that inner voice and access the brilliance deep down inside of you. It's in you. It's in all of us. Let's dive in. Hey visionaries. Welcome back to the show. I have a super special episode for. You today because Julie Cole, the founder of Mabel's labels or actually co founder is on the show now. Right up top. If you like this episode. If you are familiar with Maple's labels. Maybe you use their products because you have small children and they are always losing things. Then you will definitely want to grab. A ticket to our upcoming event because Julie Cole is one of our featured guest speakers. Yes, we were all meeting up live in real life in Paris, Ontario on Friday, March 28th. If you go to kelseyridle.com paris-2025 so paris-2025 then you are going to hear all about the upcoming event or rather read about it and you can grab a ticket as well. Now who is Julie Cole? If you're not familiar with her, she. Is a mom of six. Like I mentioned, she's the co founder of Mabel's Labels which grew from a basement startup into an award winning celebrity. Endorsed international marketplace leader. Julie is the spokesperson. So she is super bubbly, she's fun, she's a digital influencer, she speaks on stages, she does a lot of podcast interviews because she has so much to. Share around raising little humans into amazing adults while running a business while wearing so many hats. She's appeared in the Globe and Me. Globe and Mail, Chicken Soup for the Soul Power Moms. She speaks at Mom 2.0, the Canadian marketing associ. And she is living in Burlington, Ontario with her family. So I think you guys are really. Going to love this episode, we dive into the business lessons she's learned over. The last 20 years. We talk about how she balances being a mother and running the company, why personal branding is so important. She shares what she's currently upskilling in because of the changes happening in marketing and in entrepreneurship, how she navigates self doubt, why you need to have a mentor or a coach, and so much more. I think you guys are going to love it. Again, if you want to come to an event that I am hosting in Paris, Ontario, you get to hang out. With a room full of amazing female. Entrepreneurs and high performers. Then go to kelseyridle.comparis-2025 and grab your ticket and see all of our amazing guest speakers. All right, so without further ado, guys. Let'S get into this episode with Julie Cole, the co founder of Mabel's Labels. Julie, welcome to the Visionary Life podcast. We are so lucky to sit down with you today and to learn the entire origin story of Mabel's Labels and what keeps you fired up as an entrepreneur. You are such an epic content creator. Every time you speak, there's almost like this magnetism to you. You seem like you always have a smile on your face, but we also know that it's not always sunshine and rainbows when you're a business owner and. Wearing all these hats. So first off, welcome to the show, Kelsey. Thanks so much for having me. I'm so happy to be here. So as I was reading your book, you have these really fun closing tips at the end of each chapter, and you have a biz hack, you have a mom hack, you have a life hack. So I want to first throw some rapid fire at you and I want to share little hacks that are currently exciting to you. So what is one business hack or even just business ritual that you feel really excited about? Currently. One business hack or business ritual? Okay, I think one. I mean, it's kind of a little bit more broad, but I'm really, really jacked up on and I feel like all your entrepreneurs who are listening is not to lose sight of how important your personal brand is and how important it is to be visible. I think in these times of AI and we know, I know particularly the way moms make purchasing decisions, they want to feel connected to the brands they' buying from. So that means you got to get out there. Visibility creates credibility creates loyalty creates business. So make sure that you're turning up, that you're showing up in real life, that you're showing up on social, so that that face is. Is Being seen by your audience and by your customers. Oh, that is such a juicy tip and something I've been thinking a lot about as well. In the marketing world, a lot of people are using this term called founder led growth, and it's actually bringing the founder back into the business to be the spokesper. I think over the last decade, it was almost like every founder wanted to exit and avoid being on camera. But like you said, humans connect with humans and when they see your face, they're like, oh yeah, I want to watch and hear what she's saying. And then they learn about all of the amazing things that you're doing to make an impact in this world and then they support you. So you're so right. Having that personal connection is unmeasurable at this point. And there is like, you know, there is that thing about credibility too, right? Because you even find. I was recently reading a study about producers and media and they would much rather have a founder come on to talk about their story. Unless you're like an A list celebrity. Like for instance, if Taylor Swift wanted to come and talk about Mabel's labels, I'd be, I'd step away and be like, you go girl. But other than that, 80% of producers want to see the founder's face. They want the pitch to come from the founder. So just something to bear in mind. Great. No hiding. No hiding, people, you got to get out there. Visibility is scary for so many people, but I think just putting one foot in front of the other, doing little things each day, it doesn't have to be a camera on yourself, but like, you know, make a connection with someone. I, I agree. And I know that, you know, for people like me, it's easy because it is actually my personality. I am extroverted. I do like getting out there. That's the best thing about my job. I'm the company spokesperson. I'm the senior director of public relations. So basically I just get to go my zone of genius and do it. I get to talk to people, I get to connect with moms, I speak, I do media, I write. Like, I, I'm just out there. But you know what? That is not the case for everyone. And it is tough if you're that founder and you're more a behind the scenes guy, which happens. Right? So I would suggest in those situations that maybe just put some goals around that. So because you will find even if you're, you know, the introverted leader, you have a lot of incredible qualities that are very important and are very good for your business. But you might want to put some goals around. Okay. I'm going to go to two events a month. I'm going to ask to be on three podcasts a month. I'm going to. So you will find the more you do it, the easier it gets. It's like any skill, it takes practice. I do things all the time that I'm not naturally good at, but I practice them and I get better. So. Because the visibility piece and the personal brand as a founder is so very important. If it's not your comfort different zone, you know, you've got to get a little bit comfortable being uncomfortable and put some goals around it, and you'll see that it does get easier. Great tip. What about a life hack? Is there anything that you figured out as it relates to managing your life, whether it's your time or your health or relationships, anything like that that you've currently started to figure out and feel really good about? Yeah, I think something that I've always done well and it's been that thing that's never kind of gone away, is that I'm. I'm pretty good. You know what? No, I wasn't great at it at the beginning. Getting help. I did. You know, I joke in the book about how I got a nanny when my fifth kid turned one that was three kids too late. But I. I am. I am good about getting help in that. You know, if I'm hosting an event and somebody says, can I do something? Can I bring something? I always say, yes. I always am like, yes, if you brought a veggie tray, that would be fantastic. If somebody's like, how can I help? I always give them a way to help. For a couple of reasons. I can't do it all. You know, like chief label maker and mom of six. Like, you can't do all the things. And I am not. I have not got this, like, false modesty that I can do all the things. I am more than willing to say, you know, it would be great if you could do this for me. And I think, you know, delegating and getting help are the same thing. Delegating at work, delegating at home, you don't have to do all the things. And I think as women, it's not always our strong suit. I think we try to do all the things. And. And we don't have to. I'm not going to die a martyr. Absolutely not. I don't have to do all the things. And I. And in fact, it's really good for me not to. And it's good for other people, for me not to. It's good for my kids to have to pull their weight around the house, to have chores, to be able to. It's good for AS from a leadership perspective. It's good for you to hand the reins over to create more leaders, pass on things so that you're not doing them and micromanaging your staff. So I think accepting help and delegating are two life hacks, both at work and at home, that are beneficial for everyone. Everyone. So interesting, because as you were sharing that story, I was reflecting back on something that I often do. Anytime somebody, like you said, offers to bring something to a party or even if I'm out for coffee with a friend, and they're like, do you want to try some of my cookie? I always just say, no, no, I'm good. No, I'm good. And I've actually started to recently retrain my brain to accept, like, when somebody makes an offer, instead of just saying, no, you. You eat your cookie or, no, I got it. I got the whole meal. Say yes. Thank you so much for asking. Whatever you want to bring is helpful. Just let me know. And yes, I would love to try that delicious chocolate chip cookie that you just offered me instead of always feeling like, no, I got this. But why? Why? I don't want to do it. All right. Exactly. Exactly. And I think another sort of, like, life hack. And I think for entrepreneurs, it's really important, both, you know, in. In business and in. In life in general. And it's something I say to my kids. No's are free, so you might as well ask, you know, you might as well be like, I'm gonna ask Arlene Dickinson to be on my podcast. Guess what? What's the worst that's gonna happen? She's gonna say no. Is that so bad? You know, so whenever. If you ever want an opportunity, if you ever want to do something, be cheeky, Be bold. You know, have a little grit. I. I love cheeky people. I get a kick out of them. And, like, they can say, no big deal. Yeah. And I mean to double tap on that concept of hearing no. I know that so many people, when they start their businesses, whether they are inviting people to come to a workshop or they're putting content out on social media, we don't always get this immediate gratification. Like, it takes so much time and so many reps before people are like, I saw what you posted and it was amazing. Or, yes, I want to buy a ticket to your workshop. So thinking back to the early days of Mabel's labels. I'm curious, what were some of those things that you did as a company to begin getting the word out there to make your first few sales? Like can you rewind back and let us know what were some of those things that worked back? I think it was 20 years ago. Right. So yeah, rewind the clock and just share a little bit about that early time where you had to put yourself out there in numerous ways and what worked in those days. And it was like, you're right, it was those days like we are going to the way back machine. You got to remember there was no social media. There was no like influencer marketing. There was nothing. But we did figure out very early on that word of mom, word of mouth was key. That connecting with our mom audience and also creating a product that actually like the secret sauce, it did what it said it would do. And knowing our market, because we were our market, we wanted, you know, we started this company because we were tired of losing stuff. We were tired of masking tape and permanent, permanent marker. So you know, we had a good idea and we knew it resonate with moms because it resonated with us. So once the project really we wanted to get it out there and in people's hands. And then moms are brilliant because they talk about products they love like it's their full time job. So you know, they're talking about it at daycare, they're talking about it at school, they're talking about it at ballet lessons. One mom sees it on somebody's sippy cup or bottle and it's like, what is that magical, beautiful thing, right? And parents love seeing their name, their children's name imprint. So it was very. We really tried to encourage word of mouth those early days. Like our first marketing effort was like writing a letter to all of our friends and like putting, you know, like a letter in the mail that said we've started this company. Please go to our website. And also back in the day, people weren't necessarily that comfortable putting the credit card into the computer machine. Like we, we were an e commerce company kind of at the beginning of things. So there were a lot of those early challenges. But we did know that word of mouth was key. So when social media did come along, not too much long after first it was like the vintage mommy bloggers like me, like I was blogging 20 years ago, right. So we would connect with. Because again that whole credibility people, moms, they don't trust traditional advertising per se, but they do Trust what other moms do. Like, people were asking me, hey, Julie, what triple stroller are you pushing around? Right. They're not going to trust an ad. They want to know, like, from the mom who's actually been pushing a triple stroller around for 10 years. So we knew that. So we connected with a lot of these, you know, early mom bloggers. And we would be like, hey, we're setting some labels for Jack. Let's do a giveaway. And then we would be able to infiltrate their communities. Right. And their moms. And so that was really important. That's why we've been so involved. I'm heading off to, like, Mom 2.0 next or in April, and that I think it's like my 17th one. I've been to. I've been to blog her back in the day. You know, I go to Alt Summit. I go to all these things where we connect, you know, with the. With the influencers, with other brands that, you know, we can align with. So really from the start, it was just about recognizing and honoring your community, letting them do a lot of the work for you by just providing a great product and connecting with them. And then, yeah, social media just became such a vehicle for word of mouth because, you know, the moms were owning Facebook, they were owning that blog space. And then, of course, as. As things move along and transition, you have to go where your customers are. So, you know, our. Our original customers are like my age and we were all on Facebook. So where are our customers now? They're all on Instagram. So we' More, they're on Tik Tok. We're there more. So go where they are. That's. But it's been a journey. It's interesting how, like, it's such a great question because, you know, it was 22 years ago that we started and obviously so much has changed in marketing over the years and we have to stay current. But, you know, that, that sense of community and that word of mouth that is always remained consistent. Yeah. And I love that you say so much has changed, but also so much hasn't because word of mouth is still one of the most effective forms of marketing. I know when I'm asking a friend, hey, what crib should I buy? Or hey, which daycare did you send your kid to? Right. I trust that more than. Especially with mom forums. Yeah. Word of mouth, especially with moms. The moms and moms are making the purchasing decisions in families. They're, you know, over 80% like, of household decisions around purchasing are the moms particularly when it comes to kids. So, you know, obviously the number one thing, the more you know about who you're selling to, the better off you are. Yeah. Such a good reminder. And like you said, having an amazing product that does what it says it's going to do. Because when a product is remarkable, people remark on it. Right? So for anyone thinking like, oh, my marketing isn't working, maybe ask yourself, well, how can I make a small tweak to what I'm selling to make it so good that people feel compelled to talk about it and to share it? And I think that's exactly what happened with Mabel's labels, which is really, really cool. We also, Kelsey, it's funny because we did also do kind of that bold thing. Like we were writing, you know, we're sending out press releases and we did get some of that. We couldn't afford, like, ads in today's parent or parenting magazine. You know, at that time we were, we were a startup. Like, we were making labels in a basement. But we could send out, like, we could send out labels to editors for their kids. We could, like, we did a lot of that really grassroots stuff. And then, you know, I know our first kind of media hit, we did get a product announcement in Canadian Living. And then, you know, somebody bought some labels and sent them to her cousin in la and then that cousin had submitted us to Daily Candy Kids, which really was huge. It was this early news E newsletter. Daily Candy would give a, you know, a hit on something cool. And then once a week they would do a kids product, but they'd only do a kids product if. If somebody, because we didn't submit it, somebody had to submit it. So we didn't even know. We were that small business who went in one day and we're like, what the heck is Daily Katie Kids? And why are we getting all these orders? So again, it was about that, you know, knows are free. Just be bold, put it out there, write to editors. Like we just did. We just did all those things. We were, we were just shameless, honestly. Yeah, the word that keeps coming to mind for me is scrappy. Like, you just gotta be scrappy early days and not make excuses like, well, we don't have the money to run Facebook ads or nobody knows us and is going to feature us. It's like, no, I'm just going to send the pitch, ask for everything that we want and just know that eventually something will work out. And. And it was funny too, because then what happened was when social media, we were very early Adopters of Twitter. I was on Twitter like all the time because it leveled the playing field, right? Like, yeah, we couldn't afford big ads, but there's no reason why I can't engage with like the editor of Parenting magazine on Twitter. And I can remember one time there was a big, there's this woman in New York who had a big parenting site and she was coming to Toronto and I just, you know, messaged her on Twitter and I was like, hey, I can't, you know, I can't come to Toronto that day, but if you're another day, can I take you for a coffee? And then she's like, oh my gosh, no, I have to go back. But you're that crazy lady with all the kids who started that label company. I want to profile you, I want to profile my website. And I'm like, okay, yeah, right? So, I mean, that cost me nothing. That was just about engaging, right? So it really did. We felt at Mabel's. And I know when social media came, it really did feel like it leveled the playing field for marketing efforts for startups. How much do you resonate with the words disciplined consistency? Like you appear to be somebody who, when you started your blog, for example, 20 years ago, I feel like even if you didn't get early traction on it or you didn't have thousands of visitors to the blog, like you just kept going, is that discipline? Is that something you learned as a lawyer? Or is that just like you having such a zest for what you do that you would create even if nobody was reading? Like, what is that about you? Because there's definitely a trait there that I want to pull to the forefront to have a conversation about. Well, I, I think, you know, it is something that I talk a lot about how people romanticize entrepreneurship, right? They think it's all going to be TED talks and, and book deals and that sort of thing. And it really looks a lot like making labels in a basement till 2am when you play on the fourth kid. But you know, I, I think that kind of goes along with it and I think you just have to be consistent, right? You have to leave your ego at the door and you have to keep turning up. When I think about, you know, our, our relationships with influencers or any, our brand partnerships with our, like blogging, anything we do, it's not a one night stand, right? This is, I always think of it all as dating. It's the long term. So yeah, nobody's going to read your first blog. That's when you ask Your mother and your sisters and your friends. Hey, read my blog and make a comment and share it, right? Don't again, no's are free. You ask, you know, you ask, you, you put it out there and then you just keep going, just keep turn. Because eventually you know, you will, you will get the following. As long as you, I mean at the end of the day, as long as you're creating good content. I mean, if you're writing crap, nobody's going to come and nobody should come. I still think content is king. Always have said that, you know, like you, you have to produce good stuff if people are going to turn up. But yeah, it's going to take a while for all the eyeballs to land on you. And don't think that, you know, as you just start producing content or turning up that right away people are going to get it. It's going to take a little to be consistent and it's a long game play. So I think that is, you know, h. Going into it with that knowledge. There's you, you can't be going into it for the overnight success. And, and I think when you have that and then you can, you can allow yourself to be scrappy, you can allow yourself not to get frustrated, you can allow yourself a little bit of grace and be like, oh well, okay, that one. Some stuff's going to stick, some things you're going to throw against the wall. You're gonna be like, okay, that landed. Sometimes you're not gonna stick the landing, but you just gotta be keep at it. And yeah, be a little determined. Right? Do you have any rituals or just advice for people who hold on to their failures? So maybe they start the blog, don't get any initial results, or they go on YouTube, they post two videos and they're like, this isn't working. And they just want to go crawl into a cave and they feel so much doubt on can I actually be successful in this marketing strategy or in this, like when you encounter moments like that, if you still do, how do you get yourself out of them and how do you encourage yourself to stay the course? Because this is a long game. It is the long game. I think there's a couple things you need to do. I think you need to put a plan around it, right? Like a marketing plan. And it's going to be like, I still do it now. I'm like, okay, I'm going to grow my audience by this much every year. I'm going to grow my engagement by this much. Like, you have to have some data around it. And if, and if it's not working, you got to figure out why. Why, like, how am I going to get there? So you can't just be like, well, I want so many YouTube, you know, or I want to grow my revenue by, you know, 3% this year. How, like, what are your pillars for growth? How are you going to do it? Hope is not a strategy, right? So I think, you know, you can't expect into, you know, into YouTube videos, for YouTube. So you need to have a plan, figure out what the strategy is around it and then, and then stay the course and do the check ins. And honestly, Kelsey, if it's not working, you can. Quitting is for winners. It's okay to be like, this strategy isn't working. If I was still in a basement making labels, that's a colossal fail. I don't know how to make a label, I shouldn't know how to make a label, right? If I could make a label, there's a problem. Because you know what, that's somebody else's job. I've got a whole production facility full of people whose job it is to make labels. And it's that whole. If you're so busy working in the business and putting out the brush fires, who's working on the business? So you know, if you start a business and you have a plan and you're still in the basement after so many years, it's okay to do the pivot. It's okay to be like, okay, maybe this isn't working. Maybe this isn't a product that speaks to the market. So I do think having plans and check ins and data points is, that's really going to help you. The other thing too, I mean, you gotta be talking to other people. It's so isolating. You know, entrepreneurship is such an isolating place. For me, it was awesome because I had co founders. If I felt like throwing in the towel, they'd be like, don't be ridiculous. We're great. We've got this. Or if they felt like it, we'd be like, no, we're okay. So we had our own little community at Mabel's. But I saw it a lot, particularly in those days when there wasn't like a Facebook group or, you know, there was nothing like people. I had, you know, solo entrepreneur friends who were like alone in their house with their crying babies trying to make it work. And it was so they're isolated in their parenting, they were isolated in their business. So you've got to make sure that you're getting out there again, connecting. Find a mentor, find a peer mentor, find a coach, do all those things and just find community so that you're not isolated. And then you will have people saying, you know what? That happened to me too. And this is how I got out of it. So important. And I think that there's this myth of starting an online business in particular. I see a lot of people start a business, and they're like, I'm just gonna go work from my hammock, and I have a laptop on my lap, and I'm not gonna leave my house, and I'm just gonna punch out work, but not make connections and not really get down to the heart of. Of what the business is, which is building relationships and getting yourself out there. And I don't know if it's just what was being shared on social media the last 10 years, but I'm like, wait, if you look up and you don't have any peers or mentors or people to lean on in good times and bad, or even when I think about if you were to write a book and you had to ask people to write the forward, or all of the testimonials, meals, imagine not having anyone to say, hey, I wrote this book. Could you read it? Because, like, you always see that a celebrity writes a book, and then there's all these other celebrities who have commented on it, or someone in Canada who's a successful entrepreneur, and then there's all these other Canadian entrepreneurs who write the forward. And it's like, sometimes we forget that it's about so much more than just being on our computer putting up an Instagram post. It's like, no, no, no, no, no. That's not what it's about. The biggest milestones that you will reach and the biggest leaps you will have come through putting yourself in the communities where somebody can, like, unlock the door and say, yeah, come on through. Like, I've got the answer over here, versus scouring forums for, like, 40 hours to find that same answer, you know, Exactly. And I think, you know, I. I feel like for me now, kind of more seasoned and been around for a while, like, I feel a real obligation to share what I've learned. And, you know, that's why the book came about. Because I'm. I mean, I. Why would I make people reinvent the wheel if they can learn a few things from me? I'm here for it. I feel like it's. It's my duty. People, you know, help me along the way. Like, that's. That's how community Works and without community. What we got. What have we got? Yeah. And I think one of the things you mentioned in the book, or maybe it was on one of your blogs, you say sharing what you're learning makes it all that much more enjoyable. Like it's not just about so make more money in the company, but also like, come along on this ride with me. You share not just like the big successes, but you also share a lot of the. The realness behind it all. And I truly think people are craving that. They want to know that others have gone through the trenches and can relate. So I really appreciate that you do that in your book and, and still do that today, even 20 years into your journey. Oh, thank you. Yeah, I mean, those are the things too. Again, a lot of it is personality that you got to think about what fills your cup, right? Like if. If I'm making labels every day, like, that's great. Like I. I'm so passionate about the product we created that we're helping make parents lives easier. Like, there's so much good that comes from that, but there's so much good that comes from other things too. So for me, you know, it's. It's got to be. There's. There's a bunch of things that have to happen for my cup to feel full. So giving back is one of those. I love that. I love that. And I mean, shameless plug for your book. For anyone who hasn't read it, here, like a mother, I think you released this a couple years ago, right? Yeah, yeah. Birthing businesses, babies, and a life beyond labels. And for me, as a new mama, I find a lot of it very, very relatable. So, yeah, I will plug your book in the show notes so that people who haven't read it can go grab it. I'm so glad. And you know what? It has been. It launched two years ago and it was kind of that, you know, a lot of women particularly were launching businesses or, you know, starting side hustles during the COVID times and the lockdown. And for me, that's when I wrote the book because it was always on the list of things I've got to do. I got to write this book. It's. I got a book in me. Let's get it out there. And then suddenly I'm not flying anywhere. I'm not going to conferences, I'm not speaking. I'm not like, we're all home, right? I was like, okay, if I don't get this book done now, I don't know when I'M going to. So that was something good that came out of it for me. So let's shift gears into just some quick tactical tips for entrepreneurs and let's assume that a lot of our listeners are in those early stages. Either they have the idea for the business or they've just started to put themselves out there. They have the product created and they're building that community, trying to find those first few clients. But they're looking at someone like you going, oh my gosh, she's got all of the success secrets. She's got it all figured out. We have a few minutes with Julie Cole, so let's pick her brain. So first question, how do you think about managing your time as an entrepreneur? If you can even rewind, like, are you very strict with time blocking? Do you just have a focus for the week thinking about the person who's like, I don't know, I'm still working a full time job, I'm trying to start the side hustle. What are some tips you would give them around managing their time as it relates to planning their work week? Yeah, I have, you know, I really respect my time and my productivity and I find as a result other people do as well. That goes with work and that goes with family. I, you know, I don't do everything. I actually have a 10 point checklist before I accept going to an event or, you know, because I can't, I can't go to events every day. I get invited to things all the time and I'm, and now the stage I'm in, the number one thing is do I want to. Right like that, that registers pretty high when you're at this age and stage. So I do, I do time chunk. I do. I would recommend that for anyone who is doing the kid thing. If you can just get up early and get some stuff done before everybody's up and about, that is, is really important. Make sure. One thing I would suggest actually is really know how you're using your time. So I recommend spending two weeks a year writing down everything you do. Like, I mean, you woke up at this time, you dropped the kids at daycare this time. Like, I want to see every, I scrolled for half an hour on Instagram here. Let's have a little look at what you actually do. Because I know the last time that I did that I discovered a couple of things where I'm like, ah, I'm losing some time there. I don't need to be losing time there. So if you do this exercise, this kind of time Study for a couple of weeks. You will figure out where you're wasting time and what you could be doing instead. So that will help you shed some sort of perspective on, on your time. I try to do things like when I'm, I'm working on a project, I turn my notifications off. I don't need to hear ding, ding, ding on my Instagram or my emails. And I am protective around my time at the office too. If people want to see me, they can book a time with me, right? Because I found in the early days particularly, we had a, we started a no drive by policy. So that's like when you're sitting in your office working, somebody pops their head in, is like, hey, Julie, got a question for you. So you look up and you're like, you solve their problem and then you get back to what you were doing and then somebody else walks in, hey, quick question for you. And then you would finish your day and nothing's done. So a no drive by policy is a good one. And it doesn't mean people can't see you or spend time with you, but they can book you, you know, so they can email you and be like, hey, I noticed you're in the office today. Can I, you know, pop down this afternoon and have a chat? And then I, when I turn my notifications back on or if I'm done working on my project, I'm spending 10 minutes that hour to look at email. I can be like, you bet. Pop down at 3 o'clock. So it is really about, you know, using your time wisely and often been for me, it's, it's not about no's, it's more about boundaries. So, you know, I get a lot of people. Julie, can I take you for a coffee? Can I pick your brain? And I felt like for a long time I was like, oh, I'm not a consultant. I gotta make labels and raise humans. So I did start a thing where, you know, I'll spend half a day every six weeks where somebody can book half an hour with me. And then I, and then if they can't, they're like, oh, that day I'm not available. I don't say, okay, that's fine, I'll meet you the next day. I say, that's fine. I have another session coming up in six weeks. You can book that. So I'm still able to give back, I'm still able to share, but I can do it in a time where I have allotted that time so I can be productive in other ways. So I would just really look at, you know, do that time study, do the time chunking, turn your notifications off, respect your time and other people will as well. That is honestly just like such a mic drop tip. Because I feel like there's this, this expression that says we all have the same 24 hours in a day or Beyonce has 24 hours a day and so do you. But what I've realized lately is like we don't all use them the same. And something that I've started thinking a lot about is living three days in one day. And so for me, my first day is usually from 7am until 9am until Freddie goes to daycare. So that's day one where I am fully a present, mama, and I'm not checking my phone. Day two is, is like nine until one when I have my first work block and I can get so much stuff done and I just like kill it in those hours. Then I have my, my lunch break and then I live day number three where I'll get my workout in and I'll do a little bit more work. And then day number four and by the end of the day I'm like, I've done everything I wanted to do. But that took time and a lot of discipline around getting rid of distraction and doing time studies and knowing that I don't have to work an eight hour workday or a nine hour workday every day if I'm able to compress my outputs and my desired outcomes into three hours or into four hours. Yeah, if you can be productive. Like that's why even at Mabel's, like I don't, like you don't have to come and sit at your desk for eight hours, get your work done. Like, you know, if you get your work done, if you're meeting goal, fill your boots, right? Like that's the important thing. I know better than anyone that, you know, people can be highly productive at weird times and weird places. I mean that's how Maple's labels was born, right? So you know, it doesn't have to be look this traditional way. But I like how you said that because I found in my early days I, I couldn't take it one day at a time. I was taking it 20 minute chunks, right? Like I had six babies around here. There was the, the business that there was a lot of kid on Spectrum. I was managing his program like there was a lot going on and taking it a day at time was too overwhelming. So yeah, you definitely, for me it was like 20 minute chunks. A lot Happens. A lot can happen in a day. But it is funny because it's that there's that expression, if you want to get something done, you ask a busy person to do it. And I do buy it because I'm that person. And it's because, you know, we're effective with our time. We're, you know, we, we value our productivity, we use that time wisely, all of that stuff. So you, you manage to be able to, you know, fit in a little bit more because you're not. You not wasting time. Exactly. Yeah. Okay, let's shift into question number two. So the name of this podcast is Visionary Life, and the word visionary, I think you probably are someone who identifies with that word. Like, we're always getting ideas and we're always thinking about what's next and what else we can create. And there's so much possibility in this life. So I'm curious when you get ideas, whether it's like an idea of something you want to buy at the grocery store or an idea of a book you want to read or something you want to do for Mabel's labels or something you want to do with the kids. Kids. How do you take all the ideas that circulate in your brain every day and actually execute on some of them? Do you have any systems to take ideas and sort them or just input them somewhere so they lose your brain? Right. So I'd say there's a couple of things here. I do, I am a, I am a note taker. I'm a paper agenda guy. So I am constantly writing things down. And then I do quickly delegate it out. If I've had some product ID ideas, then I shoot it off to our production manager and it's out of my head. Then it's done. Amazing. Or if I have some ideas for some, like, fun, trending content, I'll shoot to our social media manager. Then it's done, out of my hands. And then you know what, she'll circle back and say, julie, I need you to be in the office on this day to shoot some content. And I, I'll go in and I'll forget what. And it may have been something I sent to her. So I do, I quickly just delegate it out. But I do think it's really important, important for entrepreneurs, particularly because entrepreneurs are very like, you know, I, I have a theory about the add the entrepreneurs. So, you know, it can be a superpower because, you know, ideas. But sometimes we're not as great with the follow through. And I think it's really important that if you're the ideas person, you're very entrepreneurial. If you have, if you're doing a hire or you have a virtual assistant or you have a co founder or something, you make sure that there's somebody who's the process person, or you make sure you put things in place that you follow through. Because it's one thing to have a bunch of ideas, but if nothing gets completed, then they're useless. So. So you need processes in place to deal with all those crazy ideas. And then sometimes you need to just, you know, you just need to say goodbye to some of the ideas. I remember in the early days we had, you know, we would sit down and talk sometimes about the same ideas over and over. Yeah. And I remember one of our coaches saying, okay, hey you guys, we've been talking about this idea forever. Think of ideas as a horse and horses in the barn. Sometimes they come out and they parade in front of you and then you put them back in the barn, then you revisit them. Sometimes you have to put a hole in the head of that horse and just be done with it. Like there's a reason you have not done that idea or followed through. We keep talking about it. Let's let it die a peaceful death and move on from it. So, you know, sometimes that also needs, you need to be talking about these ideas with people. Because I've had ideas where I'm like, I think this is brilliant. People are like, what are you? There's no way. And then I'll be like, oh, I've kind of got this stupid idea. And they're like, it's brilliant. So again, using your network, using your connections, other entrepreneurs to, to be workshopping those ideas. Because you never know. I love it now when I get to sit down with someone like you, I'm always very curious and I know our listeners are too. What is like a podcast you're loving, a book that you have read that you would recommend to others, or a book you're currently reading, a resource, whether it's like a blog you read. What is Julie Cole consuming right now? Ah, right now, That's a really good question. I do, I, I do a lot of sort of. Right now I'm doing, I feel like I'm doing a lot of kind of boring things like webinars on artificial intelligence and trying to keep up on. Because I'm just trying like, you know, and things I'm trying to do some like, professional development around that, around, you know, changing trends, obviously, you know, things like Google Adwords are always changing. We have people on staff. But I do like to try and keep a finger on the pulse of like, you know, everything that's going on all the time. So that, that, you know, that's, that's tough. Right. Because there's so much changing all the time. As soon as you think you know what you're doing, something changes and you don't. Like you need a PhD in Google and then tomorrow I'll need a new PhD in Google again. We have, we have, have experts at Mabel's labels who, this is their job. But I do find like as the person who's kind of out there, I do need to kind of be in touch with everything. Like obviously like tariffs are huge. So my whole like we got sidetracked with the tariff discussion and, and being up on that, you know, doing LinkedIn, lives around that and attending. So, you know, so there it feels like I, I really also try to be up on, you know, what's current, what's in the news because a lot of that stuff is very relevant to, to business. Yeah. And I think that's such a great reminder that when we step into this path of entrepreneurship, we are also committing to a journey of lifelong learning, of lifelong personal development and professional development. It's like we have to always be asking ourselves tough questions about like where are there some leaks in my own knowledge? Where do I need to up level myself skill in order to be a better leader who understands the jobs of my team and my staff. So yeah, it's not like we just get to sit back and be like, I'm done learning, like no. Which is why I always say get comfortable being uncomfortable because as soon as you think you know what you're doing, you're not. You don't. Yeah. You gotta learn something new. Well, Julie, we so appreciate having you on the show today. I'm sure we could talk for, for so long and pick your brain. But I think the best thing to do from here is to recommend, recommend that people go grab your book, read through it. It is packed with so much just like fun stories of the early days of Mabel's labels as well as a lot of your personal success tips and very, very inspiring stories. So aside from the book, Julie, where are the best places for people to connect with you? Where can they go grab their Mabel's labels for all their kiddos who are running around losing things all of the time? Where should we stay connected to you for sure? Well, I'm on all the socials, so like LinkedIn and Instagram and those places. But probably the best spot to find General is mabelabels.com Julie Cole there on our website you can find, you know, things I've written, appearances, where I'm at, media Kit, all that jazz. And then of course while you're there you'll want to hop over and look at all our cool products. Amazing. And we have you coming to our Wave event in Paris, Ontario on Friday, March 28th. These events have been life changing for female entrepreneurs here in Ontario so we cannot wait to have you on our panel discussion. And if people enjoyed this conversation we'd encourage them to click in the show notes and come meet you in person. So thank you so much Julie. This has been an absolute blast and we wish you all of the best. Thanks Kelsey. Really looking forward to seeing you IRL at the event. Yes, thanks Julie Hey Visionary, I want to interrupt this episode to share a little bit more about one on one coaching. I work with clients who want to stay on top of the latest marketing trends, who want to bring more ease into their marketing funnel or just build a marketing funnel in the first place because maybe you don't have one yet and ultimately take the effort and overwhelm out of your marketing plan. I know your energy is limited and you just want someone to tell you what to do. Should you be on threads? Should you be creating on TikTok? How do you grow an e email list? What does SEO mean? Anyways, this is why I offer private one on one business and marketing coaching for business owners like you who need help with their marketing strategy. You can head to kelseyridle.com private coaching to learn exactly what it's going to look like if we decide to work together. And I'm excited because I can give you the precise strategies that will take your business to the next level level this year. So if you want to learn more KelseyRidle.com Private coaching of course it is a bit more of an investment than any of my other courses or offerings, but my private clients are seeing crazy results. Christina landed a six figure consulting contract. Emily signed six clients in one day. Barb had a Black Friday sale that generated a lot of money. And these are all based on the strategies that we've implemented. So kelseyridle.com private coaching you can learn all about it. You can see all of the amazing visionary businesses that I've worked with and supported over the last decade and I can't wait to see your application come through. Kelseyridle.com PrivateCoaching now back to the episode. Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Visionary Life. I love bringing you these conversations on. 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