Welcome to The Side Business Momentum Newsletter!

Hi, I’m Kristina—if you’re an ambitious woman ready to get clear, build momentum, and finally shape your side business into something that truly fits your life, you’re in the right place.

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Hey Girl, Welcome Back!

Last year I hit a wall.

Everything in my business looked fine on paper… but nothing was landing.

No new clients. No new subscribers.

My offers were solid. My systems were technically working.

But it felt like I was moving in slow motion while everyone else was gaining traction.

So I tried something I hadn’t done in a long time:

I stopped looking at my business through my lens… and started looking at it through theirs.

My potential clients. The people I actually wanted to help.

→ What would it feel like to find me?

→ What would it take to trust me?

→ What would they need to say yes?

That shift changed everything. It’s why Side Business Momentum exists now.

Because momentum for the sake of momentum doesn’t help.

What we actually need is clarity. Options. Breathing room.

If you’ve been tweaking things nonstop and still wondering what’s missing—this one’s for you.

TL;DR

If your business feels off, it’s probably not your effort—it’s your vantage point. Mapping your customer’s journey creates messaging that clicks and sales that follow.

What's Worth Your Time Right Now

Some resources to help you stop second-guessing and start seeing your business from their side:

• ​Customer Journey Mapping- A clear breakdown so that you can use mapping to design a better experience.
• ​Customer Journey Maps: How to Create Really Good Ones - Real-life examples and templates you can steal and adapt. (No shame in the copy/paste game.)

Deep Dive: The Reset Most Side Business Owners Skip

You’ve probably heard “map your customer journey” a dozen times.

And if you’re like I was, you’ve smiled, nodded, and thought, Cool, I’ll do that later.

Because between content planning, client work, and actually having a life…

You don’t need another thing on your to-do list.

Especially not one that feels vague or theoretical.

But here’s the thing:

Most of us think we’ve mapped our customer journey—but what we’ve actually done is fill out a template once and call it good.

We haven’t slowed down enough to see:

→ What does it feel like to find you?

→ What’s missing when they don’t take action?

→ What do they actually need before they’re ready to say yes?

This isn’t about perfection.

It’s about clarity.

Let’s Break It Down: 6 Stages of the Customer Journey

1. Attract – They discover you. Something sparked curiosity—a post, a referral, a conversation.
2. Engage—They poke around, scroll, binge, and maybe join your list. They’re asking, "Do you get me?"
3. Convert – They consider, weigh the offer, the risk, and the timing. They want to say yes—are you helping them get there?
4. Deliver – They buy. Now what? Does the experience match the promise? Do they feel taken care of?
5. Retain – They stick around. Or they don’t. Are you following up? Staying visible? Being real?
6. Refer – They tell a friend. Because you helped. Because it worked. Because they want others to win too.

Each one is a moment that either builds momentum or blocks it.

And if things feel off in your business, it’s probably tied to one of these stages.

What Shifted for Me

I stopped guessing.

And I started listening.

I dove into Reddit threads.

I stalked comments in Facebook groups.

I had awkward but honest conversations.

And the question that opened everything up?

“What were you Googling before you found a solution?”

That one insight? Game changer.

Because this isn’t about building a flawless funnel.

It’s about building something real—something that reflects where your people actually are.

Let’s Keep the Momentum Going

If you’ve been saying, I’ve tried everything and nothing’s working…

Hey—you’re not alone.

You’re not late. You’re not doing it wrong.

You’re just building something that lasts.

And sometimes that means pressing pause long enough to ask:

“What’s really going on here?”

Here’s your move this week:

→ Take 15 minutes.

→ Walk through the 6 stages above.

→ Ask yourself:

• Where are people ghosting you?
• Where are you feeling unclear or scattered?
• Where could a little more clarity or support make all the difference?

Then hit reply and tell me:

What part of the journey feels unclear right now?

You’ve got this. I’m cheering you on every step of the way.

Customer journey mapping isn’t extra. It’s essential.

It’s how you clarify your message and pave the way to sales that feel aligned.

Yours truly, ​ ​ ​ Kristina Portella, Business Strategist ​ Founder of Side Business Momentum​ ​ Where clarity meets momentum-for a business that truly fits your life.

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