April is Stress Awareness Month — a month-long event to raise awareness of the causes and cures for our modern stress epidemic. As entrepreneurs, there's an enormous pressure to work non-stop and the hustle culture has not made it any easier for us.

We hope that by sharing the stories of three inspiring women entrepreneurs, we inspire you to find your own ways of alleviating stress, establishing boundaries and taking care of yourself.

Completing our guest lineup is Stephanie Gilbert of The Social Media CEO. This last blog post in our Wellness In Business Series is especially dedicated to our fellow social media providers but anyone who is looking to build healthy relationships with social media will find this helpful, too!

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The word "NO" is one of the most powerful words, use it often.
This helps you maintain your autonomy, establish boundaries & keeps your business from becoming a Frankensteined version of itself based on other people's expectations of you.When you start a business, you are not an employee -- you are an entrepreneur, and the mindset is 100% different. No one is going to come and save you, you have to take care of yourself first.

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Maria: Please tell us more about you and what you do.

Stephanie: I am a social media marketing + online business expert, and the founder of The Social Media CEO, a community & educational resource for social media managers. I am also the creator of Social Superlatives | Master Strategist Certification — a year long, hands on certification program that teaches social media managers how to establish themselves as highly sought-after experts in the industry, so they can book premium clients and grow a multiple 6-figure social media management business - without burning out.

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‍M: What's the most challenging or stressful thing about becoming a social media manager?

S: There are so many, it's hard to know where to begin! The very nature of the industry and where we spend most of our time (social media platforms) can be stressful AND challenging. There is always something to react or respond to, and so much of the job requires pivoting or adjusting to ongoing platform updates. Then there's the daily response to comments, direct messages, client emails & other notifications. It's a "noisy" constantly changing gig, which was honestly sort of the initial draw for me because I get bored pretty easily.

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M: How do you manage these situations?

S: Since social media is on 24/7 it can be easy to fall into a trap where you feel like your job responsibilities are never-ending as well. It's so important to establish healthy boundaries between work + personal life. Having great systems & team support helps a ton. Managing social media for even a few clients can be a lot to juggle alone, so having solid operations / workflows & a network of folks to lean on - whether that be contractors or employees, a mentor or coach, or a community of like-minds - is essential for sustainability and quality of life!

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M: What habits or practices do you do to alleviate the stress and pressure of being a social media manager?

S: For me, the most important thing is having healthy boundaries around when I check my notifications. Otherwise, I'll end up mindlessly falling down a never-ending-scroll rabbit hole. I've gone into my phone settings & turned off most of my social media alerts. Instead of my phone pinging randomly throughout the day and pulling my focus, I schedule time each day to check emails and reply to comments & DMs on social platforms. This keeps me from getting distracted and empowers me to use a platform when I want to, not when it "summons" me. It's a proactive versus reactionary measure where I get to be in control of my day. I also love a nice hot bath or a walk in nature (without my phone) to help me completely disconnect and put my life back into perspective.

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M: What one piece of advice can you give to other women who are starting or running their own social media freelance/agency businesses?

S: The word "NO" Is one of the most powerful words, use it often. This helps you maintain your autonomy, establish boundaries & keeps your business from becoming a Frankensteined version of itself based on other people's expectations of you. When you start a business, you are not an employee -- you are an entrepreneur, and the mindset is 100% different. No one is going to come and save you, you have to take care of yourself first.

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Find out more about The Social Media CEO on their website or follow them on Instagram.

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