Stop the Scroll: A social Media podcast with Heidi Schmidt - Social Media and Content Marketing Advice for small business owners and solopreneurs looking to win online

It’s July friends! How’s business? Now that we’re either midway through 2025, we’re all either coasting, growing, or drowning in overwhelm.  This week, we’re hitting pause and asking the questions every business owner needs to answer mid-year: What’s working? What’s draining you? And how do you shift now so you’re not scrambling come Q4? In this honest, behind-the-scenes episode, Heidi shares some...

Feel like you’re throwing content at the wall and hoping something sticks?  You’re not alone. This quarter’s social media updates might explain why.  In this episode, we’re discussing what actually changed across Meta, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok in Q2 and how those shifts affect your strategy, your reach, and your sanity.  From Meta’s all-video strategy to Instagram’s new “Trial Reels,” impro...

Let’s be real, if you’ve ever opened Instagram, stared at the caption box, and closed the app without posting, OR if you have half a dozen unposted drafts of reels that you’re not sure you love enough to post. You, my friend, are not alone. And you’re definitely not lazy. In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on what’s really going on when we feel stuck or inconsistent with our content. Fr...

Ever feel like your Instagram Stories are just... there? No engagement, no leads, and definitely no conversions? It’s time to change that. In this episode of Stop the Scroll , Heidi breaks down a simple, actionable Instagram Stories strategy that goes beyond mindless posting and into true connection-building. If you’ve ever wondered how to actually use Stories to generate leads or promote your ser...

Think LinkedIn is just for job seekers? Think again. In this episode, I’m chatting with digital marketing leader and corporate storyteller Lara Ziobro to talk about why LinkedIn is the platform for employee-driven brand awareness, B2B storytelling, and executive visibility. Lara brings over two decades of marketing and communications experience at major companies like Citigroup and Weber Shandwick...

Feel like you're playing small, even when you know you’re capable of more? This episode is your reminder (and your permission slip) to stop second-guessing your big ideas and start showing up with the boldness your business deserves. Whether you’re afraid to raise your prices, hesitant to launch that new offer, or stuck in the weeds of client work, wondering, “Is this all there is?” I’ve been...

What do you do when you’re fully booked and burned out, but still want to grow your business? In this episode of Stop the Scroll , I’m joined by strategist and Kajabi expert Jen Howat to talk about what it really looks like to scale your business with purpose. Whether you’re building a course, considering a membership, or testing out a group program, Jen breaks down the real strategy behind turnin...

If Instagram disappeared tomorrow, how would you connect with your audience? 😬 It’s a question more business owners need to ask themselves — because relying solely on rented platforms like social media is risky. In this episode of Stop the Scroll , I’m diving into the one platform you actually own — and the one that consistently delivers the highest ROI in marketing: your email list. I’m breaking...

Let’s be real: for many small business owners, bookkeeping feels like a necessary evil - a box to check for taxes, a task to avoid until it's urgent. But what if your financials could actually become your secret weapon to business growth? This week, I’m joined by Gala McCray, founder of Two Arrows, a boutique financial services firm that supports creative and service-based entrepreneurs. We’r...

Feeling overwhelmed with content creation? You’re not alone, and that’s exactly where AI can step in (without making your brand sound like a robot). In this episode of Stop the Scroll , I’m pulling back the curtain on how I actually use AI tools like ChatGPT, CastMagic, and Descript to save hours in my weekly workflow, without losing the authentic voice that connects with my audience. From batchin...

Tired of pouring hours into Instagram with minimal return? Wondering why your social posts aren’t turning into paying clients? Here’s the truth most digital marketers won’t tell you: social media can’t be your only strategy. In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on how I’ve actually grown my business. Hint: it’s through in-person connections, referrals, and showing up offline just as much...

What if you could skip the most common mistakes new business owners make—and fast-track your growth with real, hard-earned lessons? In this episode, I’m sharing what five years of running Heidi Schmidt Creative has taught me about pricing, systems, scaling, marketing, and mindset. Whether you're in year one or year ten, this episode is packed with practical takeaways to help you run your busi...

One year. 53 episodes. Countless lessons. This episode is a raw and honest reflection on what I’ve learned after a full year of showing up consistently to record Stop the Scroll . It’s personal, it’s practical, and it’s exactly what I wish someone had told me before I started. If you’ve ever thought about launching a podcast (or blog, YouTube channel, newsletter…whatever your version of showing up...

Think you’ve got a handle on your social media strategy? Think again. In this episode, we're breaking down the biggest social media platform shifts from Q1—and spoiler alert: things are changing faster than ever. Instagram wants you using music on everything (yes, even carousels), Threads is creeping into Twitter’s old territory, and LinkedIn? It’s quietly becoming the place for video content...

How is it already the end of Q1? It seems like just yesterday that we were setting our January intentions!   This week, we’re chatting about assessing our Q1 marketing efforts and planning strategically for Q2. It’s time to outline plans and set goals. Remember, even when we have big goals, it’s so important to remain flexible when it comes to your strategy and aligning your marketing efforts with...

Are you on the brink of growing your business but unsure how to juggle all those responsibilities?  Hiring a marketer can feel overwhelming—how do you know who to trust with your brand? Whether you’re outsourcing social media, email marketing, or overall strategy, choosing the right person makes all the difference. In this episode, I’m sharing the lessons I’ve learned from hiring (and sometimes hi...

Does social media feel daunting? Like a chore you just don’t want to do? My kiddo often says he doesn’t want to do things that he knows he SHOULD do because they’re boring.  I don’t think social media is boring but I do think for many entrepreneurs it can feel like a chore, like they don’t get anything out of it. But with that attitude, of course , you’re going to feel that way.  If you’ve ever fe...

How many of you feel overwhelmed by social media marketing?  Chances are… 90% of you listening are and are looking for strategies to grow. Right? Let’s talk about the powerhouse of online marketing that’s probably being neglected – your engagement. We downplay the power of authentic interactions and so many business owners think that they can just post and ghost without building relationships with...

If there is one social network we’re all ignoring, it’s LinkedIn.  I’ve had so many people ask about the value of LinkedIn and well, if it’s done thoughtfully and strategically, there’s a LOT of opportunity there.  Fun fact: LinkedIn has over a billion users and less than 1% of them post regularly so there’s opportunity for reach and engagement abound. In comparison to other platforms that feel li...

What’s in your business tool box? What I mean by that is what do you use to promote your business?  In this episode of Stop the Scroll, we’re sharing our essential marketing tools to enhance your strategy without the overwhelm. We’re also talking about the importance of not just using what works best for you but also the importance of regular audits to optimize tool usage and financial efficiency....

How do you show up when it feels like your life is a dumpster fire?  Legit, it’s a question I hear often from clients who just…sometimes don’t want to show up because they feel like it’s hard to “sell” themselves when they may be dealing with other ish in their lives. I get that.  That was my January. In this episode of "Stop the Scroll," we’re chatting about navigating authenticity onli...

Tired of the content hamster wheel? You're not alone! As entrepreneurs, we often find ourselves overwhelmed by the constant demand to create new content. In this episode, we’re talking about how to work smarter, not harder, by revitalizing our existing content.  When we repurpose our content, we maximize our marketing efforts without continuously churning out brand-new material. I’ve had many...

Are you relying too much on social media to grow your business? What would you do if your favorite platform disappeared overnight? This year, a big theme among businesses - large and small alike - is how to diversify our marketing strategies. One of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to do this is by having a robust email marketing strategy. This week, we’re talking about how to build and gr...

Y’all, we gotta talk about the ish that’s been happening lately. Facebook is removing fact checkers, TikTok…whatever, and we’re not even touching the Instagram changes yet.  Social media can feel like a dumpster fire lately. I’ve been saying it for a while, but lately, it feels more accurate than ever.  So what do we do? How do we move our business forward and market ourselves when it feels like t...

You’ve seen the “ins and outs” trend right?  This week, we’re doing a spin on that for our 2025 marketing tactics.  This week, we’re sharing which tactics to keep and what to leave behind to stay ahead of the always-evolving digital landscape. From the nuanced use of hashtags to quality-driven content and AI-powered automation, this episode is full of insights to help you enhance your online prese...