How Julia Bocchese Built an 8-Year SEO & Pinterest Marketing Business

Please share a brief introduction and your business:

I am Julia Bocchese and I offer SEO and Pinterest services for small businesses to help them rank higher on Google and Pinterest and reach more of their ideal clients. I focus on holistic and practical strategies to help my clients be found for the right keywords. I've been running my business since 2017, and I'm based in the Philadelphia area.

Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

No, I had no idea it was an option! I did always follow my own path and pursue things I was interested in, so I'm not surprised that I started my own business. In college, I created my own major and had 5 minors because I was interested in so many different things. I love being an entrepreneur because I get to learn about new things all the time and it never gets boring.

Are you a mamaprenista?

Get all the help you can and add more time to projects than you think you need! I don't have any family in the area and my husband works 12+ hours most days, so I am the default parent. I wouldn't be able to get any work done without childcare, and even with childcare, things pop up with kids getting sick (or kids getting you sick), holidays, or childcare getting canceled at the last minute. I always pad extra time for my projects in case things happen so I never deliver anything late. And if nothing happens, then you can deliver the project "early" and your clients will be extra happy!

Take us back to when you launched? What was your marketing strategy?

I really had no plan! I didn't even have a website for the first year (and as an SEO Consultant, I don't recommend that!). All the freelance jobs I got in the first year were from word-of-mouth by telling people I was available for whatever work they needed help with.

What accomplishments are you the most proud of to date in your business?

Just maintaining steady business for over 8 years is my proudest accomplishment. My business has survived Covid, fluctuations in the economy, job loss scares with AI, and two maternity leaves and I've still come out on top.

What is one thing you wish you had known when you started your Entreprenista journey?

Don't be afraid to sell! I used to only share educational content on social media and would never tell people how they could work with me, and then I was confused why I wasn't getting clients from social media. So make sure you're telling people about your services or products!

What did you go before starting your own business?

I'm entirely self-taught! I learned SEO and Pinterest marketing strategies for a travel photography site that I started, and I was working a corporate job in editing for a business publishing company.

What made you take the leap to start your own business?

I both had a toxic manager at work and wanted to have a more flexible schedule to go to grad school and get my Master's in History with a focus on the Viking Age. I started off as a typical freelancer because I had no idea that I could build a business online. It started to take off while I was in grad school, and I had to choose between continuing for my PhD or really focusing on growing my business, and I chose my business and never looked back!

Do you have any recent wins?

I got my first paid speaking engagement for an in-person presentation!

What's one app on your phone that you cannot live without?

Todoist. It's a super simple daily checklist, and it's how I keep track of everything I need to work on each day. I've tried tools that have more bells and whistles, but I love the simplicity of Todoist.

Who are your customers?

Creative and holistic small businesses

What's your top productivity tip?

Get out of the house if you need to really focus on something. Sometimes there are too many distractions at home, so going to a coffee shop and turning on classical music helps me focus on more intense projects.

What's your favorite business tool?

For keyword research, I always recommend Keysearch. It has lots of data without being overwhelming, and it's a more affordable option for small businesses.

What's your approach to work-life balance?

I can't work when I'm with my kids (they're 3 and 1 so they need to be monitored at all times!), so I totally focus on work when I have childcare and then I can focus on my kids without work when business hours are over. I definitely still think about things I need to for work when I'm with my kids so it's never a perfect balance, but mostly keeping work and home life separate helps.

How do you avoid burn-out?

Now that I have kids, I have much more strict business hours so I can't work too much. I also schedule in going to the gym and sometimes meeting a business friend for coffee during my business hours so I make sure I'm taking some fun breaks.

What advice do you have for aspiring Entreprenistas?

Just start! I had no idea what I was doing when I first started and never would have dreamed that my freelancing work would turn into the business I have today.

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