As a mum herself, Jo Martin understands how busy parenting can be – juggling all the tasks on your to-do list whilst wrangling a needy toddler. She also understands that parent-facing brands really need to hit the spot to grab the attention of those busy mums and dads. A passionate copy and content writer, she specialises in helping mums in business produce engaging and empathetic content – bringing your words to life on the page. Here Jo talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about the inspiration behind The Grammar Mamma, her biggest breakthrough, and the pros and cons of running her own business.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
I loved the idea of running my own business – not having to book a day off to go to my eldest daughter’s sports day or my youngest daughter’s nativity – but I didn’t have the finances to quit my job. I set up a content writing business as a side hustle, but then I got made redundant in August 2022 and decided it was the perfect time to give it a go full time.
I decided to specialise in helping mums in business, because as a mum in business myself, I know how hard it is to build a business while raising kids. From doing some research, I found lots of female business owners don’t have the confidence to write their own content to promote themselves and their business. They also don’t have the time because they’re busy with their clients and family, so their own marketing gets pushed down the list of priorities.
That’s why I decided to focus on working with mums in business, because they’re superheroes who sometimes just need a little help to make them fly.
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
I had a dream start to self-employment. I started posting regularly on LinkedIn and had people messaging me that they loved my posts and wanted me to write for them. That gave me a huge confidence boost and the motivation that I could find success as a self-employed content writer.
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
Realising that LinkedIn was more than just a job searching tool. I’d only ever used LinkedIn to upload my CV to and look for jobs. I’d never posted anything myself and the only people I was connected to were past and present work colleagues.
Once I became self-employed, I started posting regularly on LinkedIn and grew my network to include more of my ideal clients.
Not only did 75% of my business come from LinkedIn in my first year, I also became part of the incredible freelance writer community that exists on LinkedIn. They’re the most supportive bunch of people I could have hoped to meet. I’ve even worked in collaboration with some fellow freelance writers, and some have referred work to me.
I’m a huge advocate of LinkedIn and I think it’s often overlooked as a marketing tool because there’s a stereotype that it’s just for corporate businesspeople who wear suits! It’s not at all like that anymore – it’s where I hang out most days, and I haven’t worn a suit since 2011!
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
I’ve become an expert juggler! Planning ahead and scheduling my social media posts is key for me. My youngest goes to nursery four days a week throughout the year, which certainly helps. It’s about setting boundaries and sticking to them. For instance, I make sure my clients know I don’t work Mondays, because that’s my day with her. I also make sure I don’t work weekends because that’s for quality family time. When the school holidays hit, I try to ensure a good balance of quiet days at home, where my eldest daughter can do her crafts while I work, mixed with exciting days out to the zoo or the beach, where I forget about work for the day.
