Have you ever downloaded a marketing template, promised yourself this is the one, and then… quietly abandoned it two weeks later?

This week on the Faith Fueled Mompreneur Podcast, I sat down with Erin Davis, wife, mom of four (two grown sons, two still at home), dog-mom to many, and founder of Matchbox Women. She’s been in brand and marketing for over 20 years and helps women attach their real, rooted, divine identity to their business. Our conversation is a refreshing look at why templates fail, what actually creates marketing consistency, and how to build a brand from the inside out.

Whether you’re spinning your wheels with strategies that don’t stick, battling perfectionism, or wondering if you even need to be on social media, this episode will give you clarity and permission to do business differently.

From Templates to Truth: Why We Keep Starting Over

I came into this conversation ready to talk tactics. But Erin redirected me immediately:

“We start at the very beginning. Like where, what are your gifts? What’s your purpose? What are the natural abilities that you have? What’s your experience? What’s your story?”

Wait, what? Shouldn’t we be talking about posting schedules and content pillars?

Nope. Because here’s what Erin has learned after two decades in this industry: “Plans and templates and even strategies, they last for a while. But if they’re not rooted in something more authentic, more real, more seated inside of who you are, they just don’t last very long.”

That’s why we keep starting over. We’re building from the outside in, copying what works for someone else instead of starting with who God designed us to be.

What We Learned (and Lived)

• Foundation First, Tactics Second. Erin doesn’t help you execute on someone else’s strategy. She helps you define your gifts, values, and story so your marketing flows naturally from who you already are.

• Your Real Block Isn’t Discipline. When I asked about consistency, Erin said: “What are the stumbling blocks that are going to keep me from being consistent? Is it perfectionism? Okay. What do we need to clear out of the way?” The problem isn’t willpower. It’s not removing what’s actually in your way.

• Values Become Your Filter. Erin walks clients through choosing 3-5 core values that inform everything. “We make the decision, we define them, and we live into them.” No more reinventing the wheel with every post.

The Consistency Breakthrough: Erin’s Story

Erin shared how she finally cracked the consistency code with her email newsletter. She didn’t create an editorial calendar. She didn’t map out SEO keywords. She asked herself one question: What’s going to block me from showing up weekly?

For her, rigid planning was the stumbling block. So she stripped it away and focused solely on showing up. Now she’s published over 200 weekly newsletters and rarely misses one.

The lesson? Start with one thing. Remove the blocks. Be consistent there. Then add the next thing.

Core Values in Action

We talked about values, not as fluffy words on your website, but as the actual filter for how you show up and serve.

For Erin, two core values are non-judgment and relationships. These aren’t aspirational. They’re how she operates. “I like to get in with clients and hear everything, like tell me all of it. I have no judgment… That vulnerability helps me not only connect with them, but then put words to it so that they can share more authentically.”

When you define your 3-5 core values and let them guide your decisions, marketing gets simpler. You’re not constantly asking “What should I do?” You’ve already decided.

Redeeming Social Media

I loved this part of our conversation. Erin and I both have complicated relationships with social media, but we’re both choosing to lean in differently.

“I use it really as a relationship building tool,” Erin explained. “I have found so many wonderful friendships, business colleagues from social media.” Some of her deepest connections, including ours, started online and grew into real community.

The shift? Deciding how you want to use it. “When we build our brand and we put our whole self into it and we decide where it is we want to market, we are the ones making the decision. It’s not coming from the outside in, it’s coming from the inside out.”

And here’s permission you might need: You don’t even have to be on social media. Erin helps clients choose 1-3 marketing channels that fit who they are. For some, that’s email and in-person events. For others, it’s social media used intentionally. There’s no one-size-fits-all.

Speed vs. Sustainability (A Lesson I’m Still Learning)

God keeps whispering this to me: It’s not about speed, it’s about sustainability.

I shared this with Erin: “If you’re not content where you are right now today, you’re not going to be content where you’re going.”

Erin agreed. “There’s this lie that we can quickly believe that I don’t look like them on social media or I have this urgent sense of needing to get somewhere quickly. That’s the lie. And we have to recognize it and say, no, I’m good. I don’t need to believe that.”

And then she said this (which made me laugh and exhale at the same time): “Rarely are any of us dismantling bombs or saving babies in the moment.”

Translation: If you miss a post, pause a strategy, or need to slow down, nothing’s going to crumble. God’s in charge of the timing, the results, and the abundance. Your job is to show up faithfully with what He’s given you.

Inside the Message Mastery Workbook: Building Your Core Messages

Erin created a free resource to help you do this foundational work. The Message Mastery Workbook walks you through:

• Define Your Differentiators — What makes you, you? This often reveals your why.

• Clarify Your Values — Not just what you believe, but how those beliefs show up in practice.

• Articulate Your Services — What you actually offer and who it’s for.

• Build Your Messaging Map — Connect it all into 3-5 core messages you can use everywhere.

“I recommend three to five core messages for your business, not 10, not seven, not 20, but just three to five,” Erin explained. “We make the decision, we define them, and we live into them.”

This isn’t about crafting captions. It’s about making decisions once so you’re not starting from scratch every time you sit down to create.

Quotes to Remember

“Plans and templates and even strategies, they last for a while. But if they’re not rooted in something more authentic, more real, more seated inside of who you are, they just don’t last very long.” – Erin

“What are the stumbling blocks that are going to keep me from being consistent? Because that’s the thing. Is it perfectionism? Okay. What do we need to clear out of the way?” – Erin

“Rarely are any of us dismantling bombs or saving babies in the moment.” – Erin

“It’s not about speed, it’s about sustainability. And if you’re not content where you are right now today, you’re not going to be content where you’re going.” – Ashley

“When we build our brand and we put our whole self into it and we decide where it is we want to market, we are the ones making the decision. It’s not coming from the outside in, it’s coming from the inside out.” – Erin

Connect with Erin

• Website: matchboxwomen.com
• Instagram & Facebook: @matchboxwomen
• Free Gift: Message Mastery Workbook
• Weekly Email Newsletter: Sign up on her site, she personally responds to every reply

Keep Going: Next Steps

• Grab Erin’s free Message Mastery Workbook and work through the exercises.
• Identify one stumbling block keeping you from consistency, then clear it out.
• Choose 1-3 marketing channels that fit who you actually are.
• Define your 3-5 core values and how they show up in your business.
• Connect with Erin on Instagram or sign up for her newsletter for ongoing encouragement.

Friend, you don’t need another template. You need to build from who you already are.

Related Podcast Episodes: 

1. Ep 178. Simplifying Marketing & Blogging with Danielle Blewitt
2. Ep 143. Maximize Your Marketing in 1 Hour per Week with Elizabeth Henson
3. Ep 128. Ditching Perfectionism in Your Marketing with Natalie Blenkush
4. Ep 105. Creative Video Marketing Ideas with Joy Michelle
5. Ep 75. Marketing your Business with Relationship Marketing
6. Ep 30. Marketing Doesn’t Have to Be So Hard

Resources:

1. Purpose Gathering Workshop Rested and Rooted (Waitlist) – A Spirit-led morning to refocus, reconnect & recharge in Downtown Gilbert, AZ. Live worship, speaker sessions, guided reflection, and intentional connection with faith-driven moms in business. Grab your ticket
2. Learn more about the Collective Mastermind – A Christ-centered space for ambitious mompreneurs who are ready to align their life and business with the Lord.
3. Join the Faith-Fueled Fireside on December 16th at 10AM (AZ Time) – This virtual gathering is an opportunity to connect with like minded mamas who are ready to trade hustle for peace this season.
4. Join the Free Purpose Gathering Community – A welcoming space for Christian mompreneurs to connect, grow, and be encouraged in both life and business.
5. Have a question for me? Or a specific struggle you’re dealing with? I’ll address your question on the podcast. Submit your ‘Ask Ashley’ question here.
6. Please connect with me on Instagram @thepurposegathering.