Hope launched an incredible social media and branding business that gives her the freedom to work from anywhere in the world. Today we’re sitting down to chat with her about her journey from corporate America to self sustaining girl boss.

How One Twenty Something Ditched Corporate America to Launch Her Own Epic Social Media Biz

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REAL TALK & ADVICE

It’s time for the latest installment of our Student Spotlight Series! We’re so dang excited here at BB headquarters today, because this months student is seriously so dang inspiring, and is totally killin’ it out there in the #girlboss world!

Want to know a bit more about our Student Spotlight Series?

Each month, we sit down with one of our incredible Bucketlist Bombshells Academy graduates, who have successfully chased their dreams with a fierce fire, taken the solopreneur world by storm, and are now totally rockin’ the online biz world.

Wanna get to know our next dream chasin’, go-gettin’, inspiring #girlboss? Let’s get to it, chica!

Meet Hope Linker

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Hey you… Happy Friday ????????‍♀️????

A post shared by Hope✨Marketing & Branding (@hope_linker) on

Name: Hope Linker

Age: 25

Hometown: Lanark, Illinois

Business: Hope Linker Creative Studio

Services she offers: Branding & Social Media Management

We had the chance to sit down with Hope and chat about her own personal girl boss journey, what she’s learned as her business has evolved, how she dealt with totally changing careers, and her epic advice for aspiring Bucketlist Bombshells!

What inspired you to take the courses inside the BB Academy?

The desire to have FREEDOM with my career, time, life. 🙂

What was the moment that you decided to ditch your 9-5?

Did you have an “aha” moment? I worked my business as a side gig for about 1 year as I continued to learn how to navigate the entrepreneurship space. However, for about 6 months out of that year, I was TRULY INTENTIONAL about getting more clients, promoting my services, and putting myself out there more often. That’s when I saw huge growth. When I signed on 4 new clients (on top of others I was already working with) within a month of each other, I figured, “this is it!”. This is my chance to give 100% of my time and energy to my business.

Another “aha” moment was when I was working so much (45-50 hours per week at my full-time job, and 20-25 hours per week on my business) that my health started to deteriorate. I was exhausted, worn out, unmotivated, and uninspired – very unlike me. That was another PUSH to go full-time with the career of my dreams. I put my notice in at my 9-5 (which was a fantastic job, btw), and never looked back. I’ve never been happier.

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When I was little, I wanted to be a scientist. 〰️ Then, I wanted to be a salon owner. 〰️ Then, a magazine editor. 〰️ Then, I went through many phases of having NO CLUE what I wanted to be. 〰️ I still feel that way to an extent. I have many things I’m passionate about, and I used to think that was a bad thing. Like it was a bad thing to be multi-passionate, instead of just being passionate about one thing. 〰️ What I’ve learned is that as long as you’re passionate about SOMETHING, you’ll be just fine, my friend. 〰️ Over the years, my passions have changed quite a bit. But the thing that fuels those passions has always stayed the same. 〰️ If you’re having trouble dialing in on one passion, one focus of your business, etc… Just ask yourself, “what makes you most happy?”. 〰️ And if that’s not something that’s directly business/career-related (it’s not for me!), then just find out what you can do in business or career that will indirectly fuel that passion. 〰️ Find out what can help provide the freedom that will allow you to do what you’re most passionate about in LIFE, not just business. 〰️ Because… life is way too short to not go after exactly what you want. ???? Are you a multi-passionate, too?!

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How long did it take you to transition out of your 9-5, and how much time did you dedicate a week in order to make it happen?

I was at my 9-5 while working my business on the side for about 1 year. I worked on my business anywhere from 5-25 hours per week. During the last few months of my 9-5 job, I was working 15-25 hours per week on my business and that truly became exhausting. A few months of that caused me to flip the switch.

What does a “day in the life” look like for you now that you’re running your online biz?

Every day is different! Some days, I’m working at a coffee shop creating social media and blog content for a variety of clients. I also love doing graphic design work when I’m at a coffee shop or a different environment that can inspire creativity. Other days, I’m in my cozy home office, spending time with clients on the phone or on a Zoom meeting to help them tell their brand story authentically and organically! Though every day is different, and some days are more difficult than others, EVERY DAY is extremely enjoyable knowing I’m my own “boss”!

Has the BB Academy helped you on your girl boss journey?

The BB courses gave me that initial realization that a career with freedom was possible. Nothing else ever gave me 100% confidence that I could freelance full-time and make enough money to fit my lifestyle. The BB courses made me realize that freelancing can be sooo much more than a “side gig” if you want it to be!

What’s the most challenging part of runnin’ your own online biz?

The most challenging part about running my online business is organization! Keeping my finances, contracts, proposals, and schedules is difficult for me because I’m a creative soul and I tend to fly by the seat of my pants. 🙂

I hope to hire this aspect of my business out someday! I also find it challenging to organize all of my ideas and goals. I have a new idea for a project or service almost every day, and it’s sometimes hard to prioritize new projects because I have so many flying around in my head!

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“Should I still market my business on social media if I’m fully booked?” ❔ YEP. Why? Because it’s still TOTALLY valuable for the future of your business to build relationships with as many people as possible. Even if they aren’t a customer right now, they could be in 3 months when you either lose a client, have an opening in your schedule, or have a new offer. ✨ Your social media audience (customers or not) Can still sign up for your email list Can still read your blog posts Can still buy your e-book Can still join your Facebook group Can still build TRUST with you ✨ …and if you don’t have any of those products/offers yet ^, you may in the future! Building your audience can give you a larger customer base when you DO launch something new. ✨ When you have an offer that could allow you to scale your business and add passive income (goals) you want as many people as possibleeeee to know, like, and trust you. ✨ Keep sharing and keep educating even if you’re fully booked or making your “goal income”. ✨

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What was the one thing that kept you going when you felt like giving up?

Advice from my mom (a self-employed boss lady:)), friends in business, and other solopreneurs I look up to…

If a potential client fell through or decided to go with someone cheaper, she would say things like, “Their loss!” 😉 and “There are so many people out there who will value you, your services, and they won’t question you or try to negotiate your prices. Keep going.”

Sounds simple – but having confidence instilled in you is all it takes to stay fearless and keep going.

What was your biggest setback and how did you overcome it?

I would say my biggest setback so far was not getting a client I was super excited to work with. After my proposal, they chose to go with someone who was “cheaper”. I just stayed positive and told myself that there would be sooo many other clients in the future who would value my services and wouldn’t question my prices. Staying confident and persevering is everything!!!

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Post with purpose ✨ Instead of just posting what YOU want to post every day (dogs ????????‍♀️), think about what your ideal customer/follower actually wants or needs from you. ✨ What do they have questions about? Where do their frustrations lie? What do they need your help with? ✨ Provide value to them (fo free) and build their trust over time. It’s okay to post about your other hobbies and passions every now and then (cause they can connect to you through those, too!) but if you’re serious about growing your business, you should be mostly focused on what will build a relationship with the person who will eventually buy your product or service. ✨ What questions do you have about social media for business? Let me know if I can help ya ????????

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Why did you choose the Bucketlist Bombshell lifestyle and what does it mean to you?

It means everything to me. For my whole life, I have desired freedom. Freedom with what I create, who I work with, what I wear, what my schedule looks like, etc. This is the only type of career that made me feel like I would have true freedom. I wake up excited to “go to work” every day! I never experienced that in any other job I’ve had.

Now that you can work anywhere, what is your fave travel destination to work from?

My cozy home office! 🙂 I haven’t done any major traveling yet, but I’m so excited that I have the freedom to work from wherever I want.

What’s the best part about being your own girl boss?

The best part about being your own boss is having total freedom with the choices you make. You get to choose what you offer, what you charge, who you work with, when you work, and where you work!

What’s your go-to favorite podcasts that you’d recommend to other girl bosses?

I love Amy Porterfield’s Online Marketing Made Easy, Jenna Kutcher’s Goal Digger Podcast, Christy Wright’s Business Boutique, and The Skinny Confidential. They are all very different but they each provide tips on different areas of business and life!

How do you stay inspired and motivated to run your online biz?

I listen to podcasts. I read personal development books. I stay clear on my goals and what I want for my life in future years to come. I try to CREATE more content than I consume. Being super intentional with my time on social media has been a game changer. I only follow people who inspire me in some way or another. I don’t spend hours scrolling. I truly believe that podcasts, books, and spending time with YOURSELF are some of the best ways “consume” and create content and get inspired even though I’m such a huge social media fan.

Okay, and our absolute favorite question: What is your #1 piece of advice to aspiring Bucketlist Bombshells?

Put yourself out there CONSISTENTLY. Don’t be afraid to promote yourself and your services! Fellow introverts, I’m looking at you! 🙂

CONNECT WITH HOPE!

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                              the path isn’t always easy to navigate — and it’s difficult to be certain and confident along the way — so we created a step-by-step roadmap for your journey!

WE KNOW THAT...

                                many women believe that the corporate path is the only way to maintain our financial stability — meaning we have to give up on our dreams to prioritize our other goals in life. 

We believe passion and purpose can go hand-in-hand with financial stability, time-flexibility & location-freedom: whether you want to travel the world or simply work from home & be your own boss, it’s possible. 

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We’re Cassie & Shay, best friends & co-founders of the Bucketlist Bombshells. We help women like you create a career full of passion and purpose, because showing up to work every day in the same cubicle to tackle a monotonous to-do list is enough to make some of us miserable...

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