How Gentle Marketing Gave Me Back My Peace (2 Trips, One Year Apart)

Taking a more gentle approach to marketing gives introverted small business owners the freedom to focus more time and energy on their lives offline whilst their business grows sustainably in the background.

Summer 2026

This week I spent a couple of days away with my fiancé in Oban, a beautiful harbour town in Scotland. We took slow walks on the beach, ate lovely seafood, and had cocktails as the sun set over the water. 

As we sat watching small boats come and go, there was nothing to do and nowhere to be - just the sound of the water and the warmth of the evening.

Summer 2025

It struck me that exactly a year ago, Harry and I had taken a trip to London for a few days (right before I made the decision to quit social media for my business). Instead of being present and soaking up our time together, I felt anxious and guilty for not showing up online.

I remember the relief of a few days away from social media, but it was overshadowed by worry that I should have been documenting the trip, turning it into content. Every day I didn't open Instagram felt like a day the algorithm was pushing me further behind. 

Every trip felt this way back then - spa days spent posting from my lounger, beach walks turned into teaching moments, dinners out accompanied by guilt because my phone was in the hotel room and I'd missed a "content opportunity."

The Realisation

Sitting in Oban 12 months later, none of that noise was there. Just the boats, the water, and the quiet realisation that this - the calm and presence -  is what living actually feels like to me. In fact, I came home feeling very inspired, my creative cup truly refilled.

Freedom has always been a core value for me, and since quitting social media a year ago to focus on gentler marketing channels, I've finally been able to experience that freedom in my business too. 

How Gentle Marketing Changed Everything

Gentle marketing, for me, is about doing less but doing it well. No chasing trends, no need to go viral, no prizes for how many ideas you can churn out in a day. Instead, it's creating valuable, evergreen content and sharing it somewhere your audience can discover and benefit from it, without you needing to show up constantly. 

In other words, your content works hard in the background while you live your life offline.

If you're an introverted solopreneur looking for a gentler way to grow your business, perhaps some of this feels familiar - the sense of always needing to be "on," the guilt of a quiet week offline. 

I know from my own experience, and from the women I've connected with through my work, that as introverts we need time and space to recharge, create, and pour into the things that light us up. A way of growing a business that protects that space, rather than swallowing it up is essential.

Final Thoughts

The sense of calm I felt on that beach in Oban was a far more valuable marker of success to me than any follower count ever was. If you crave more calm in your own business and are looking for a simple place to start with exploring what gentle marketing could look like for you, my free 5-day Gentle Marketing Email Series is here.