Case Study
FROM BURNOUT TO BREAKTHROUGH:
How an Agency Owner Grew to $300K While Reclaiming Her Freedom
Company Summary
Peapod Marketing and PR Consulting, led by Melissa Ripp, is a thought leadership and ghostwriting agency specializing in helping female entrepreneurs and executives uncover their big ideas and share their unique perspectives and expertise through written content.
Challenges
Earning $190K annual revenue but suffering burnout in the process
Struggling to delegate client work effectively
Unable to take real vacations or time away from business
Feeling overwhelmed by business operations and client management
Results
On track to close out the year with $300K annual revenue
Successfully delegated client work without losing quality
Able to take multiple international trips in a year without a revenue hit
Transformed from white-glove service provider to strategic business owner
Achieved better work-life balance while increasing revenue
The Problem
Success, but at what cost?
"Despite running a business that was successful in anybody’s eyes, Mel Ripp found herself trapped in a cycle of overdelivering and micromanaging. Her belief that she needed to personally service all aspects of client delivery meant she struggled to delegate effectively, leaving her unable to scale without burning out.
"I was suffering for that $190K" Mel recalls. "I was overworking myself. I had contractors, but I felt like I was just out of sorts with everything."
The Solution
From Hesitation to Transformation: Finding the Right Guide
Mel had observed an entrepreneur friend go through a remarkable transformation. “She knew her ideal client, she knew what she was doing, she knew what she wasn't doing. She knew what her branding was and her marketing and her messaging and everything just seemed so clear for her.” Mel wanted to know how she’d got there… and it turned out that she’d got there with the help of Laura Khalil.
Mel was curious about her friend’s new confidence and clarity, so had an initial conversation with Laura.
Mel wasn’t mentally ready to invest at that point. “I hadn't really learned that whole investing in yourself and spending money to make money kind of thing. So I got a little freaked out.”
She did follow Laura on social media, and "just loved her whole approach, her anti-bro marketing, a little bit of ‘smash the patriarchy’. I loved her whole vibe."
After a while, Mel knew it was time to take the leap. And once she did start working with Laura, Mel found exactly what she needed: clear guidance and permission to transform her business model.
“It was like she had showed me that I had been telling myself a story in my head around what I thought my clients needed versus what they actually needed.”
A pathway (and permission) to delegate and grow
Mel had been aware that she needed to grow her team and learn to be comfortable delegating, but she was resistant to it. "Laura just said, 'Mel, as long as you let your clients know what's going on and as long as you get the work done and you continue to do it well, I don't think that your clients are necessarily going to care who's getting them their content’. And that really gave me permission. It was like she had showed me that I had been telling myself a story in my head around what I thought my clients needed versus what they actually needed.”
This insight changed everything. "When she said that, it gave me so much permission to funnel things through to my VA. I hired a writer. I now have hired a social media strategist also. They have really taken some of that soul-crushing-for-me-yet-high-impact stuff off my plate."
Stepping away from Elevate (then coming back)
After her initial Elevate experience and six months of private coaching with Laura, Mel stepped away to free up headspace to implement what she'd learned.
During this time, she experienced a disappointing mastermind program with another coach—an experience that ultimately highlighted the unique value of Elevate.
"I had a really horrible experience with another business coach," Mel admits. "This woman promised me expertise that she ultimately did not deliver. For some reason, instead of implementing what Laura taught me, I thought going to somebody else and doing it differently was going to be better."
After attending an Elevate retreat as a former member, Mel realized she wanted back in. "Something happened at the retreat... I just remember looking at Laura and looking at the community she had created. I knew I needed to be part of this again. It feels like this is what I’d been missing. So I rejoined."
“I just remember looking at Laura and looking at the community she had created. I knew I needed to be part of this again. It feels like this is what I’d been missing.”
The power of genuine community
What sets Elevate apart, according to Mel, is the carefully curated community of established business owners who provide valuable perspectives beyond just Laura's expertise.
"If you're only in a community to get access to the person leading the community, it's really not a true community," Mel explains. "When I think about Elevate, I think about not only getting Laura's take, but potentially 20 other people's take."
The support extends beyond business strategy to create a safe space for vulnerability, growth and friendship. "There isn't one person in that group that I wouldn't share my deepest, darkest business secrets with. I've never experienced this level of insight and expertise combined with this level of empathy and care."
The Results
The lasting impact of Laura's guidance
Even during the time she wasn't actively part of Elevate, Mel found Laura's influence continuing to shape her business decisions. "There are so many things that Laura has done both directly and indirectly for me. I hear Laura's voice when I do things!"
Laura’s ongoing influence has been crucial to Mel's success. "I give her a lot of credit because she helped me shift my mindset and shift my brain in a way that nobody has ever been able to do and I’ve never been able to do myself."
The ultimate payoff - freedom, travel, and business growth
The impact of working with Laura has been profound, both financially and personally.
“Prior to working with Laura, I was making a decent amount of money. Because of everything that Laura taught me and what I've implemented and just part of being with the group for the past couple of months, I'm on track to meet my goal for the year, which is $300,000. There's not very many people like Laura out there. You think of her advice and the things that she says to you and they resonate for months and years after you stop working with her.”
Most importantly, Mel has created a business that allows her to pursue her passion for travel.
"This year alone, I was able to take a two-week vacation to Spain. I just got back from a week in Mexico City, I'll be going to Cuba in January, and I'll be going to the Cotswolds in September," Mel shares. "Travel fills my cup like nothing else, and all of that is possible because I was able to delegate based on Laura helping me dismantle that story about what my clients actually need from me. It just was such an incredible experience that I never thought I'd be able to do."
To anyone considering joining Elevate, Mel offers this perspective: "I know that the investment can seem intense right now, but if you fast forward six months, nine months, a year, it will absolutely be worth your while. I can almost positively tell you that the information and expertise that you are going to get as part of this group is going to get you to your financial goal. If you just want to have more time and more ease in your work weeks and figure out a business model that works the best for you, we'll help you figure that out too. My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner."