Ep: 22 How Long-Form Content Builds Trust and Authority for Solopreneurs with Rebecca Stanisic

Nov 27

“People forget that a website is history you’re building. Two years from now, that becomes your authority.”

Rebecca Stanisic

If you’ve ever felt behind because you “didn’t start early enough,” or overwhelmed by all the noise telling you to scale faster, post more, chase virality, or build a digital product empire, this episode is going to feel like a warm cup of coffee. I sat down with Rebecca Stanisic, a writer, strategist, and long-time creator who’s been building on the internet since 2009. And this conversation is basically a masterclass in longevity, trust-building, and building a service-based business that actually fits your life.

Rebecca and I go all the way back to the days of mommy blogs, Twitter communities, 250-by-250 sidebar ads, and the “is blogging dead?” eras. We both built our businesses brick by brick, platform by platform, door by door. And the themes that kept popping up in our conversation are the things today’s service providers desperately need to hear. Things like:
You don’t have to scale with a funnel.
You don’t have to be everywhere.
You don’t have to chase every shiny tactic.
You can build a sustainable service business rooted in what works for you.

This episode is for every service provider who’s craving steadiness, alignment, and honest conversations about the work we do.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

The wild early days of blogging and how it became Rebecca’s resume
Why owning your digital home matters more than ever
The difference between visibility and virality
How to decide what opportunities actually deserve your energy
Why creative hobbies matter for entrepreneurs
Building long-game trust through content
What Rebecca’s letting go of in 2026
How she stays flexible in her schedule without losing momentum

The Early Blog Era and the Power of Owning Your Space

Rebecca has been writing online since 2009. Back when blogs were the internet. Back when Twitter was community-driven, before Instagram, before TikTok, before every marketing bro on earth declared “blogging is dead” every six weeks.

Her blog wasn’t built as a business plan. It was built as a place to write. A place to share. A place to have something that was hers during the stay-at-home-mom season.

And I think that’s part of why it became so powerful. When you show up to your own platform consistently over time, the body of work compounds. The trust compounds. The visibility compounds. Even now, 16 years later, that blog is still the thing driving media requests and speaking gigs for her.

This is what today’s service providers forget when they try to build a business entirely on rented platforms. Yes, you can start a business without a website. But should you? That’s a different conversation.

Because when you own your digital storefront, you own the credibility. You own the longevity. You own the Google footprint that no social app can take away from you.

Your Website Is Still Your Home Base

We got into this hard, because I’ve seen it over and over again. People build million-dollar businesses on Instagram and then act shocked when their reach tanks. Or their account gets flagged. Or their audience shifts because Meta decides to force a new content format on everybody.

Rebecca’s point (and mine) is simple:
Your website is your anchor.
Your about page is trust.
Your media page is proof.
Your body of work lives there long after an algorithm pivots.

And yes, she totally called me out — lovingly — about the fact that I’ve been featured in a ton of places this year and still haven’t put half of it on my own site. So, fine. I’m doing that.

Following the Open Doors, Not the Internet’s Urgency

One thing I adore about Rebecca’s story is that nothing she did was reactive. She didn’t wake up one day and decide to build a giant agency. She didn’t chase shiny objects to keep up. She followed the open doors. Slowly, intentionally, flexibly.

She started writing.
Then came sponsorships.
Then came local ads.
Then came paid campaigns.
Then came social media management.
Then came content strategy.
All because she paid attention to what felt aligned and followed the next open opportunity.

That’s the move service providers forget:
You don’t have to architect your entire business in one sitting. You just need to pay attention to what’s working.

The Ask That Most People Avoid

A theme that kept coming up was the audacity we had when we were newer. We just… asked. Asked for opportunities. Asked for brand partnerships. Asked for rates. Asked for ads. Asked for collaborations.

Somewhere along the way, entrepreneurs start overthinking every ask. They convince themselves they have to earn the right to pitch. When really? You just need to use your voice.

Rebecca said it perfectly: get in rooms with new business owners. Their energy is pure delusion in the best way. They haven’t talked themselves out of anything yet. Their creativity and audacity are contagious.

Creativity Feeds Your Business

One of my favorite parts of this conversation was how much we talked about creativity outside of business.

Hobbies that aren’t monetized.
Hands-on making.
Cooking, painting, crocheting, reading.
All the things that don’t earn money but somehow fuel the work that does.

I talked about running a handmade earring business after bedtime because I was bored in my seven-figure business. Rebecca talked about writing fiction. We both talked about giving ourselves permission to have creative outlets that aren’t monetized.

Not everything needs to become a side hustle. Some things just need to spark joy so your brain can fire on all cylinders again.

What Rebecca Is Letting Go Of in 2026

This was such a grounding conversation. Rebecca’s focus for next year is simple:
Let go of the noise.
Let go of the “shoulds.”
Let go of the pressure to scale like the online world tells service providers to scale.

And instead, double down on flexibility, alignment, asynchronous client support, and the work that actually lights her up.

That’s what sustainable service businesses are built on. Not funnels. Not virality. Not pressure. But clarity.

Chapters

00:00 Cozy intro and plushie distractions
03:05 Starting a business in 2009
07:40 Why your website still matters
10:30 Longevity, Google authority, and trust
14:50 Personal brands, multiple audiences, and separating your work
18:35 Maintaining flexibility in your offers
23:40 The audacity of early creators
28:55 Creativity as fuel for entrepreneurship
33:50 What Rebecca is letting go of in 2026
52:30 How to connect with Rebecca

Resources & Mentions

Bit of Mom Sense - blog

About the Guest: Rebecca Stanisic

Rebecca Stanisic is a writer, speaker and content strategist. She helps busy solopreneurs create intentional content in a sustainable way to help them meet their goals. She's been writing on her parenting blog, A Little Bit of Momsense, since 2009. She's the proud mom of two and is fuelled by fiction and coffee

Connect with Rebecca Stanisic

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Emylee Williams