You've been told that if your business isn't scaling, you're falling behind. But what if that message was never meant for you—or most of us online business owners—in the first place?

This Talk Copy to Me episode is for anyone who's built a business around their actual life and wondered why all the marketing out there seems to assume you want something completely different.

Jess Freeman, of Jess Creatives, joins me to talk about what it really means to run an ordinary, sustainable, and profitable business on your terms.

We also dig into the 2026 State of Online Business Survey results that Jess just released, and the data is both validating and a little eye-opening. From referrals to AI to why 27% of respondents are struggling with getting clients, this one's full of real talk about what's actually happening behind the scenes of online businesses right now.

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EPISODE 184.
Read the show notes and view the full transcript here: https://erinollila.com/state-of-online-business-jess-freeman/

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Get to know our guest expert, Jess Freeman

Jess Freeman is the award-winning founder of Jess Creatives, where she helps nutrition and fitness pros get found, trusted, and booked with websites that actually match their expertise.

With over a decade of experience in web design and SEO, Jess is all about no-fluff strategies that highlight what makes her clients stand out—so their websites finally reflect the level of excellence they bring to their work. Based in the Atlanta suburbs with her husband and daughter, Jess can often be found sipping Diet Dr. Pepper, reading a murder mystery, or at the gym.

After listening to this episode, grab your tickets to the 2026 Ordinary Business Summit (or get on the waitlist!)

Then, check out the 2026 State of Online Business Survey results here. And don't forget to listen to The Ordinary Business podcast when you're done.

Here's the info on your host, Erin Ollila
Erin Ollila believes in the power of words and how a message can inform—and even transform—its intended audience. She graduated from Fairfield University with an M.F.A. in Creative Writing, and went on to co-found Spry, an award-winning online literary journal.

When Erin’s not helping her clients understand their website data or improve their website copy, you can catch her hosting the Talk Copy to Me podcast and guesting on shows such as ADHD-ish, Mindful Marketing, The Power in Purpose, and Business-First Creatives.

Stay in touch with Erin Ollila, SEO website copywriter:
• Learn more about working with me or just book a strategy session to get started right away
• Visit my website to learn more about my business, services, and products

What if you could write a book without the crushing weight of actually having to sit down and..write the book?

See, many people freeze at the idea of writing a business book because it feels like a massive undertaking. But it doesn't have to be. You can build a book by writing smaller pieces of content—like blog posts. And those blog posts can serve your business right now while you're working toward building something bigger.

In this solo Talk Copy to Me episode, I'm walking you through two methods I've personally used to create books from smaller pieces of content. Both work. And better yet, both let you publish useful content that attracts your audience today while building toward a finished book tomorrow.

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EPISODE 183.
Read the show notes and view the full transcript here: https://erinollila.com/writing-a-book-one-blog-post-at-a-time/

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Here's the info on your host, Erin Ollila
Erin Ollila believes in the power of words and how a message can inform – and even transform – its intended audience. She graduated from Fairfield University with an M.F.A. in Creative Writing, and went on to co-found Spry, an award-winning online literary journal.

When Erin’s not helping her clients understand their website data or improve their website copy, you can catch her hosting the Talk Copy to Me podcast and guesting on shows such as Profit is a Choice, Mindful Marketing, The Power in Purpose, and Business-First Creatives.

Stay in touch with Erin Ollila, SEO website copywriter:
• Learn more about working with me or just book a strategy session to get started right away
• Visit Erin's website to learn more about her business, services, and products

Here's something nobody tells you when you publish your first book: you're probably going to need to update it. Maybe not right away, but at some point, your industry will change, your expertise will evolve, or technology will make entire chapters obsolete—and you'll have a choice to make.

Jodi Brandon from Write Publish Market is back on the podcast today, and this time we're talking about something most authors don't plan for: revising a book after it's already published.

Jodi just released the third edition of her book (also titled Write Publish Market!), and she's getting honest about what prompted each revision, how to decide between updating your existing book versus writing a new one, and why treating your book like a "working document" is actually the smartest business move you can make.

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EPISODE 182.
Read the show notes and view the full transcript here: https://erinollila.com/revise-a-published-book-jodi-brandon/

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Get to know our guest expert, Jodi Brandon

Jodi Brandon is a book publishing strategist and coach for business owners and leaders, and the founder of Jodi Brandon Editorial. Jodi has used her 20+ years experience in book publishing to partner with 850+ business owners, leaders, and CEOs to write, publish, and market a book to use as a marketing asset within their business ecosystem. She is the author of Write.Publish.Market., 3rd Edition and the host of the Write Publish Market podcast.

Want more of this great publishing info we've been talking about? Then buy Jodi's updated book here.

To learn more about working with Jodi, visit her website and listen to her podcast. Then, connect with her on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Here's the info on your host, Erin Ollila
Erin Ollila believes in the power of words and how a message can inform – and even transform – its intended audience. She graduated from Fairfield University with an M.F.A. in Creative Writing, and went on to co-found Spry, an award-winning online literary journal.

When Erin’s not helping her clients understand their website data or improve their website copy, you can catch her hosting the Talk Copy to Me podcast and guesting on shows such as Profit is a Choice, Mindful Marketing, The Power in Purpose, and Business-First Creatives.

Stay in touch with Erin Ollila, SEO website copywriter:
• Learn more about working with me or just book a strategy session to get started right away
• Visit Erin's website to learn more about her business, services, and products