May Check-In: Summer Planning

summer post challenge & more

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Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

For many of us, school is wrapping up and summer is already underway. It’s #Maycember and calendars are overflowing with parties and catch ups before everyone slips into summer mode.

We love welcoming a slower pace, but the summer also has a way of throwing off routines thanks to travel, kids home from school, and less structured schedules. This is often a time of year when we are tempted to hit pause before regrouping in September for the busy fall and holiday season, but it’s important to stay top of mind with your audience/customers and not lose momentum. A little planning ahead over the next couple of weeks will allow you to put some structure into place so you can stay top of mind and still take time off.

To help you put together a plan, we’ll be sharing planning guidance, seasonal ideas, and content and pitch inspo over the next couple of weeks. Be sure to check your inbox and follow us on Instagram for timely tips!

Whether you’re feeling energized heading into summer or trying to regain momentum, we’re here to help you. Read on below to join our Summer Post Challenge, get initial ideas going for your summer content, and take note of some fun book and podcast recs.

Kathryn & Carla

p.s. Please “Heart” this post! It helps other small business owners and creators find it.

Join Our Summer Post Challenge

Our annual Summer Post Challenge is back!

This is for anyone feeling like they’ve neglected their Instagram (or Substack, TikTok, LinkedIn — whichever platform you’re currently focusing on).

We know how busy everyone is this month and we want to help you get back on track before the summer.

Our Summer Post Challenge is designed to make social media feel simple and manageable, especially during the summer months when routines shift for both you and your audience/customers. Whether you’re traveling, juggling kids home from school, or trying to unplug more often, the goal is to help you stay consistent and top of mind without overthinking it.

If you’re already crushing it with your content, keep doing what you’re doing!

For those of you looking to get back on track, here is the challenge:

Post 1x a week between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

There are 15 weeks between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

15 weeks = 15 posts total

And we’re going to help you map out your 15 posts before Memorial Day Weekend.

We’re sharing 15 post ideas for the 15 weeks of summer here.

Tap Into Seasonal Themes & Batch Your Content

You do not have to completely reinvent your content in the summer. Tap into seasonal themes that are relevant to you/your business, such as:

• Summer travel

• Summer style / decor

• Summer entertaining

• Health & wellness

• Family activities

• Holidays (Father’s Day, July 4th, Labor Day)

• Seasonal events and celebrations such as Pride Month, World Cup, back to school, etc.

There are also a few themes already trending for summer across social media if you’re looking for inspiration:

• “Life lately” content: casual photo dumps, slower routines, work/life moments, summer weekends, behind the scenes

• Nostalgic content: old travel photos, “this time X years ago,” scrapbook-style carousels, memory lane moments

• Summer POVs & observations: relatable thoughts about summer schedules, routines, productivity, motherhood, travel, etc.

• Cozy summer moments: outdoor dinners, gardening, farmers market finds, beach reads, cooking at home, simple rituals

• Underproduced content: less polished, more conversational posts that feel personal and real

• “Little luxuries”: favorite summer products, routines, recipes, beauty products, outfits, playlists, or things making life feel easier lately

Once you have your 15 post ideas outlined, set aside a day or two to batch your content — take photos, film videos, create Reels, and write copy. Then drop everything into a calendar and schedule a much-deserved vacation when you can unplug because you already know exactly what you need to post.

We love seeing our members land press, partnerships, and exciting opportunities.

Here are just a few wins from the past month. Don’t forget to sign up for the Membership waitlist — doors are opening soon!

Erin Reddan of ECR Vintners is hosting a pop up in New York next week with Clare V.

Artist Charlotte Pottieger was featured in Virginia Living magazine

Curated Coupe was featured in Southern Lady Magazine

Milicent Johnson, founder of The Rested Life Substack, hosted a workshop for welcoming spring with intention.

A Practice For Welcoming Spring

Alison Lewis secured a placement for her designer client Kristen Fegale in the May/June issue of House Beautiful

Reading:

Start with Yourself: A New Vision for Work & Life by Emma Grede is on our list to read next. There has been a lot of buzz - and controversy - and we’re curious to dive in and see for ourselves.

We just finished listening to Lena Dunham narrate her memoir Famesick, and really enjoyed it. If you were a fan of Girls, it’s nostalgic and funny, but it’s also heartfelt and heavy, diving into her challenges with illness, addiction, and navigating fame in her early twenties.

Listening:

AYN’s Kathryn Worsham Humphries was recently on Ellie - A Day In Her Life podcast and shared her daily routine, career journey and thoughts on balancing work/motherhood. Listen here!

Following:

Jessie Randall’s Substack Jessie Loves — a light, fun newsletter from the founder of fashion brand Loeffler Randall, and a great example of how to show up as a founder on Substack.