Stop the Scroll: A social Media podcast with Heidi Schmidt - Social Media and Content Marketing Advice for small business owners and solopreneurs looking to win online

What if the numbers you’ve been obsessing over are the ones that matter the least?

In this episode of Stop the Scroll, I’m breaking down the truth about vanity metrics and why more followers, more likes, and more comments do not automatically mean more leads or more revenue. 

We’re taking a candid look at the comparison trap that so many business owners fall into and explains why follower count is often a misle...

Everyone wants more views, and more followers in the social media space. 

So many business owners have said to me, “I want to go viral.”

Hard stop y’all. Going viral is nice, sure, but it’s not a part of a well-rounded social media strategy. 

In this episode, we’re talking about the obsession with going viral on social media and why it shouldn’t be a primary goal in your social media strat...

If you’ve been staring at your content calendar like… “I literally cannot today,” this episode is for you.

Because sometimes the world feels heavy, routines fall apart, motivation disappears, and marketing starts to feel pointless…or impossible. In this honest, real-time conversation, I’m sharing what I’m navigating too: the pressure to keep showing up, the exhaustion of trying to separate...

Happy 2026! Heidi’s kicking off the year a little later than planned (because the end of 2025 was, in her words, a “complete and utter Schmidt show”)—but with a message every overwhelmed business owner needs to hear:

You don’t need to do more this year. You need to do what you can repeat.

In this episode, we’re breaking down the three anchors guiding our year: consistency, courage, and balance and ...

This year stretched me—in the best and hardest ways. And, if you know what’s to come, this is only the beginning, right?

In this unfiltered end of year recap, I’m pulling back the curtain on the wins I didn’t expect, the misses I’d repeat differently, and the pivots that changed our momentum in Q4.

You’ll hear why “diversify” became my lifeline, how I navigated client churn and capacity...

Can you believe we’re less than a month away from 2026? We’ve talked a lot about marketing strategy going into the new year – but today, we’re talking about what to expect in the year ahead from social media marketing.

We’ve all felt a bit like we’re screaming into the void on social media and well, it’s not just you. You’re not imagining it. But what do we do about it? We’re bre...

Feeling stretched thin as the year wraps up? You are NOT alone. 

In this life-and-business update, we’re talking about why Stop the Scroll is moving to a biweekly cadence and how I’m simplifying my own marketing to finish the year strong. You’ll hear real talk about bandwidth, capacity, and what to do when your pipeline needs love because you’ve been head-down serving clients.

Then we get practical. I wal...

Feeling chained to the algorithm? You’re not alone, and it’s not just in your head. This is a challenge I face every day and every week with my clients. Algorithms are increasingly challenging, and the competition to stay ahead and keep up with app features can be exhausting. 

 In this episode, Heidi makes a bold case: your business can grow without social media, and sometimes, it’ll grow faster when you ...

If you’ve got 10 seconds, you’ve got a clip: the door opening, a notebook flip, keys on the desk, a client thank-you email.

String a few together, add a “how I” voiceover or a strong on-screen hook, and you’ve got a reel…without blocking your calendar or your creativity.

In this podcast episode, If you’ve been overthinking reels, try this: film life as it’s happening—eight 3&ndas...

If checking your follower count is the first thing you do when you open Instagram… we need to talk.

Obsessing over followers and unfollows isn’t “staying on top of your metrics”, it’s a toxic habit that triggers anxiety, imposter syndrome, emotional exhaustion, and desperate content. Even worse? It pulls your focus away from the metrics that actually grow your business.

In this episode, I’m sharin...

If it feels like the rules of social media change the moment you find your groove, you’re not wrong. Social media is ALWAYS changing. 

In this Quarterly Updates episode, I’m pulling together what actually shifted on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn, what it means for small businesses, and translating those changes into simple actions you can try this week. 

No panic, just perspective and a reminder to ...

Are you treating social media like another task on your to-do list? Do you treat it as a tool to genuinely connect with your audience? For many small business owners, the difference between feeling overwhelmed and seizing an opportunity comes down to one thing: mindset.

This week, I’m exploring what it means to adopt a creator mindset in your marketing. This shift isn’t about becoming an influencer or oversharing. It&rsq...

Ever feel like your Instagram content deserves way more views than it gets? The truth is, it might not be your content at all…it’s your hook(s). Without a scroll-stopping first impression, even your most valuable posts will get ignored.

In this episode of Stop the Scroll, we’re breaking down the three types of hooks —visual, verbal, and caption —and why they’re key to grabbing attention and keepi...

Scrambling to pull together holiday promotions at the last minute? Let’s fix that.

Marketing during this time of year can feel incredibly overwhelming, but with the right plan in place, it can also be your most profitable season. 

In this episode of Stop the Scroll, we’re walking you through a practical approach to small business marketing strategy for the final 90 days of the year. From tying your revenue goals dire...

What really happens when you commit to 30 days of Reels?

I tested it for myself, and while I didn’t hit all 30, I still walked away with higher reach, more engagement, and some surprising takeaways about what actually works on Instagram.

In this episode of Stop the Scroll, I’m talking about my 30-day Reels experiment – from what I posted, what the analytics showed, and the lessons I’ll carry into my strategy m...

If your answer to “Who’s your audience?” is something broad like “women” or “business owners,” it’s time to dig deeper. If you’re marketing to everyone generally, you’re really marketing to no one. 

In this episode of Stop the Scroll, we’re breaking down the questions you need to ask yourself to get clear on who you really serve; and how that clarity can transfor...

What’s really holding you back from showing up online? For most business owners, it isn’t lack of strategy—it’s mindset. 

In this episode of Stop the Scroll, we’re getting real about the fear of rejection, imposter syndrome, and the pressure to “look perfect” that keeps so many of us from sharing our stories.

We’re talking about how authenticity and resilience go hand-in-hand, and ...

Instagram just dropped a wave of new updates, and if you’re feeling a little overwhelmed (or wondering which ones are actually worth your time), this episode is for you.

From three-minute Reels to reposting, new editing tools, location tracking (yikes), and DM upgrades, you’ll walk away knowing exactly which features to test, which to skip, and how to use them strategically without burning out.

As always, we’re brea...

Running a local business means your marketing needs to do more than just “look good” online. It has to bring real people through the door.

In this episode of Stop the Scroll, we’re sharing strategies that actually work for small, local businesses that want to stand out in their communities, connect with the right audience, and turn online followers into loyal, in-person customers.

Whether you’re a bout...