Branding Won’t Pay Your Bills But Here’s What Will

By Krista Smith | March 13, 2025

Are you making starting a business harder than it needs to be? If you’ve spent hours in Canva, tweaking your website, or telling yourself you need one more course before you’re ready—this episode is for you.

Krista breaks down why so many women over 40 fall into the “Good Girl Trap” of doing everything right—except the one thing that actually makes money: selling. She shares how her own early mistakes cost her time, money, and energy, and why branding should never come before testing an offer.

You’ll also hear how a childhood coloring contest convinced her she wasn’t creative (spoiler: she was wrong), how perfectionism and imposter syndrome sneak in to keep you stuck, and why comparing yourself to someone else’s Year 5 is a recipe for quitting before you even start.

If you’ve been waiting for permission to launch messy, this is it.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ Why spending hours on branding, colors, and logos won’t get you clients
✅ The real reason women over 40 overthink their business decisions
✅ How to move past perfectionism and imposter syndrome (and actually start selling)
✅ Why action—not overthinking—creates clarity and momentum
✅ How to stop comparing yourself to others and stay in your own lane

Links & Resources:

👉 Join Activate Her Awesome Academy – The place for women 40+ to build a business without overwhelm. Get the step-by-step support you need to finally make it happen.
👉 Follow Krista on Instagram: @activateherawesome
👉 Need help making Reels fast? Check out CapCut 101

Are you subscribed to the podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to subscribe today so you don’t miss any future episodes! I have so many amazing guests and topics lined up, I would hate for you to miss a single one! Click here to subscribe on Apple Podcasts.

Could I ask you for a favor? If you are enjoying the show, I would LOVE it if you would leave me a review on Apple Podcasts. I read each and every one. Never done a review before? It’s CRAZY easy. Click here to review, then select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review”. It really is easy to do and I appreciate every single review!