2025 has been a wild, weird, and wonderful year — especially in the world of marketing. As someone who’s been in business for nearly a decade (shoutout to MKM for celebrating our 8th birthday back in March!), I felt a shift coming. And instead of pushing through with outdated strategies, I chose to follow what felt aligned…and it has paid off, for me and more importantly, for my clients.

Here’s what I’ve learned, what I’ve left behind, and what you can borrow for your own biz.

Back to Basics — But With a Twist

I didn’t set a bunch of goals or resolutions this year. I came in without rigid expectations and let myself respond to what felt good and true in the moment. Privilege? Sure. But also hard-earned trust in myself and my business.

What did that look like?

• Less pressure to be on every platform
• More focus on deep (what I call LEGACY) content: podcasting + email
• A commitment to helping ambitious women through real, not performative, leadership

1. Doubling Down on Legacy Marketing

I went all in on the things that have served me for years:

• Podcasting weekly again
• Long-form, personal emails with my Founder’s Field Notes
• In-person connections with real people and embracing speaking events

These are the things that build trust, not just visibility. They’re slower, sure, but the impact is deeper and longer lasting.

Lesson for You: Know what’s already working, and do more of it. Especially if it builds trust.

2. Letting Go of the Social Media Hustle

Look, I love a good Reel, but this year I let myself step back. Short-form video creation felt exhausting and out of sync with how I wanted to show up.

So I stopped recording exclusively short-form video for MKM. And guess what? The business didn’t fall apart.

I now use social media to:

• Share when I want to, not when I “should”
• Direct people to my podcast, email, or events by repurposing the legacy content I’ve already created
• Play and connect with followers, not just sell

Lesson for You: Social media is a tool, not the whole toolbox.

3. ChatGPT Is My Co-Pilot

AI has saved me so much time this year. I use it to:

• Outline podcast episodes
• Frame outlines of blogs and emails
• Generate content ideas
• Identify where I have gaps in my thinking
• Repurpose content for different formats

ChatGPT is not a copy/paste solution for your marketing — it’s at its best when you use it as a jumpstart. And it’s changed how I create.

Lesson for You: Don’t fear AI. Use it to get out of your own way.

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How to Audit & Improve Your Marketing

Here’s what I recommend:

• Look at the data: Where are your people engaging? What’s actually converting?
• Notice what feels good: What types of content light you up?
• Test & tweak: You’re allowed to evolve. In fact, you should.

Biggest Lesson of 2025 (so far)?

Do what feels good.

It doesn’t have to be flashy or complicated. It just has to be aligned.

Want more behind-the-scenes goodness? Join my Founder’s Field Notes weekly email series for long-form letters packed with marketing insights, honest leadership stories, and a little Midwestern magic for ambitious women founding businesses and finding themselves along the way. Subscribe here.

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An Invitation to Come Together in Real-Life Community: Hey Sister!

If this conversation stirred something in you, Molly wants you to know there’s a place for you to experience this kind of connection and community in real life. Hey Sister!, a one-day event for rural women, is happening on Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Washington, Iowa — and it’s all about building meaningful relationships, finding your people, and creating a fulfilling life right where you are.

It’s not a stuffy conference or networking luncheon. It’s a gathering for women who are juggling big dreams alongside small-town life, and who want to learn, laugh, and leave with practical tools for both their business and personal lives.

Speakers include Katrina Klooster on creating the culture you crave, Crystal Blin on embracing growth and evolution, Malia Gudenkauf of Little Miss Finance on financial empowerment, and event founder Lexie Marek Beeler on time management for the rural woman. Plus — there’s a flower arranging workshop, incredible conversation, and the kind of fresh inspiration we all need this time of year.

I’ll be there too, and I’d love for you to join in. Grab your ticket at heysisterevent.com and let them know Molly sent you.