How I Built a 7-Figure Business Without a Marketing Budget

No fluff. No gatekeeping. Just what worked.

Let’s get one thing out of the way first:
I didn’t go viral.
I didn’t raise venture capital.
And I sure as hell didn’t throw money at Meta ads hoping for magic.

I built my first company from the ground up—on a $500 personal investment. I grew it to reach 3MM people per month, and generate seven figures in annual revenue… all without a marketing budget.

In 2010, I was making a nice six-figure salary as the Director of Ad Sales at Good Housekeeping magazine, when I accidentally became an entrepreneur. With the birth of my first daughter I left it all behind and never looked back.

My first company was a community for expectant and new parents. It was the community I myself was looking for when I got pregnant while living in a city far away from my family and closest friends. I loved my job in advertising—and while I was pregnant I worked both my full time job and my side hustle.

But what I loved more than my job was the feeling I got when I helped connect women with the best resources and each other through my business.

When I started my first company, Bump Club and Beyond, I didn’t have a marketing budget. It was 2010, and social media didn’t even really exist.

I had no ad spend.
I had no employees.
And because this was during a time when iPhones were becoming normalized, there was no social media manager and certainly no influencer campaigns.

What I did have? A mission. A quickly growing and engaged community. And a scrappy, resourceful mindset.

Fast forward: That business eventually reached 3 million people per month and generated seven figures in revenue for six years before it was acquired. We had six-figure partnership deals with brands like Target, Nordstrom, Seventh Generation, Maison Battat, Huggies, Abbott Laboratories, and more.

And no — I didn’t “go viral.” At least not in the first five years. I built this business one real connection at a time.

Here’s how I did it—and how you can apply the same principles, even now:

1. I showed up as myself from day one.

   I was pregnant, just like my target community. And so from the very start, I showed up and shared. I too had an itchy belly and swollen ankles. I too didn’t know the first thing about breastfeeding or diaper rash. I too just wanted someone to talk to about all of this.

   And that was WHY I started Bump Club and Beyond. To find a community for myself, to find friends who were pregnant like me. As an events-based company, that’s exactly what I did. And while this was 2010—-before social media was even really a thing—I simply showed up and went along for the ride as an expectant mom on a mission to find the best products, resources, and community.

   My authenticity from the start was what drove the brand from day one, until the day I sold the company.

2. I Built a Community Instead of Chasing an Audience

   At the time, there was no such thing as going viral. But the truth is: I don’t think I would have cared if there was.
   

   I cared about showing up for the people who were already there. I built Bump Club and Beyond by showing up, serving and inviting others into the story. Bump Club started as an events-based company, which in turn was a space for real connection. Real connections drive word-of-mouth growth faster than any ad ever could.

   

3. The Community Came First, Long Before the Business

   In the early days, my goal wasn’t revenue. It was connection. I was building the community so I could find mom friends—and guess what? Many of the women who came in 2010 are still my friends today. Our kids are friends. When people talk about success, they rarely mention the people behind it. But for me, it was everything. The moms who came to my first events. The brands that took a chance on me. The partners who co-created. That was the fuel. That was the magic.

   I showed up where my people were, brought in experts to answer their questions, hosted relevant events, and genuinely listened. Our first few events were free, and the community was hooked. Once that trust was in place, we introduced a paid ticketed dinner. Selling was never a problem—because I wasn’t selling to strangers. I was offering solutions to a community that already knew, liked, and trusted me.

   With time, the revenue came, and it came quicker than I ever anticipated because from the start, the community was the priority.

4. I Focused on Value

   Instead of obsessing over sales goals, I focused on solving real problems for my community. Our events were filled with information, the chance to win products, and everyone went home with a gift bag worth more than the price of admission. By showing up consistently, delivering value and building trust, revenue came as a natural byproduct. When your community feels seen and supported, they stick around. The best part was that Bump Club and Beyond had such an engaged community, that brands wanted to be a part of it—-and they started to pay for sponsorships.

5. I Leveraged Trade Partnerships—And Never Paid for Ads

   In the beginning, I couldn’t pay for exposure, so I borrowed it, through aligned partnerships.
   Event space? I traded for sponsorship recognition.

   Expert speakers? I offered them a platform to sell their products. (Eventually once we were generating revenue we of course paid them, BUT they also ALL got a ton of referrals from our network.)
   Newsletter mentions? I swapped with peers who served the same target community.

   Lesson: When you create true value, people want to partner with you. In the ten years that I owned Bump Club, I don’t ever remember a time when we paid for exposure. We leveraged partnerships until the day I left.

   If you’re not tapping into partnerships, you’re likely missing the fastest path to growth — without spending a dime.

6. I Showed Up Imperfectly, But Consistently

   Keep in mind, I started my business in 2010, so I’m not only referring to social media here. In the beginning, Bump Club was just events. I never hosted an event without knowing when and what the next event would be—even if it wasn’t yet planned. Later, the lesson of consistency applied to our blog, emails and our social media. Whatever we did, it was consistent so that our community was never left hanging.

   Perfection might impress people — but consistency builds trust. And trust is what converts. PRO TIP: If you’re hesitating to post because it’s not “ready,” post it anyway.

   

7. I Leaned on Feedback and Iterated in Real Time

   Because I built a community around my business, I had a constant stream of insight. The parents and parents-to-be who came to my events told me what they needed—I just had to listen. Instead of overbuilding or perfecting behind the scenes, I co-created with them, saving time and money. My community was a constant lifeline to the feedback that made my brand and company a wild success.

8. Email Was My Secret Weapon

   Even before social media became mainstream, I used email to build a direct relationship with my audience. I talked to them like real people, not leads—and I still do. Email converted, created loyal followers, and made it that much easier (and cheaper) to sell tickets to our events, workshops and programs. (NOTE: This is still a marketing strategy I hold on close to, even with the rise of social media.)

9. I Was Scrappy

   Was I cutting corners? Absolutely not. But as someone who was bootstrapping their business, I had to be resourceful. Every dollar mattered. I leveraged free tools, asked for trades, and only spent on what moved the needle. I didn’t chase perfection—I prioritized momentum. I reinvested what I earned into things that mattered.

10. I Never Compromised My Integrity

    As a business reaching millions of people in one of the most desirable demographics, many companies wanted to sponsor our events, our social media, even leverage me as a spokesperson. But there was one value that I ALWAYS held on to: If I wouldn’t use the product/service myself as a parent, then we would not take money from the brand. You have ONE CHANCE with your target community, once you lose their trust, it can be next to impossible to gain it back.

11. I Didn’t Rush—Because Real Businesses Take Time

    This didn’t happen in 6 months. It took years of iteration, trust-building, and relationship nurturing. I didn’t go into debt trying to go viral—I focused on doing the right things for long enough. There were MANY wins, and also MANY losses. We changed course when things didn’t work. When we failed, we picked ourselves up and tried again. This allowed me to eventually sell a business that was reaching 3MM people, was working with every baby brand in the industry, and had the trust of millions of parents across North America. Building a business that lasts is a marathon, not a sprint.

After I sold the company, the acquiring company didn’t follow many of these ideals here. They prioritized revenue, budget and margin over integrity, community and trust. And the company was never the same. I left and eventually, sadly, Bump Club and Beyond went out of business.

Which just shows, that you can be backed by a billion dollar business, but if you’re not following the basic principles of human integrity and connection, it simply won’t matter.

Here’s what I want you to know when growing your business:
You don’t need a massive following.
You don’t need a big budget.
You need community, consistency, and collaboration.

Have a question about partnerships or building without a budget? Comment below or in the chat.

Because you don’t need more noise.
You need the right strategy — and the right support.

For more on how I built my first 7-figure business, check out today’s episode of our podcast, Dear FoundHer…

And don’t forget to check out these other recent stories from the podcast:

Jennifer Meyer, Founder of Jen Meyer Jewelry

Julie Wainright, Founder of The Real Real

Rebecca Minkoff, Founder of Rebecca Minkoff Designs