Women to Watch: Sarah Burk, Pinterest Queen
Oh man—do I have a treat for you today! If you’ve ever thought of using Pinterest for your business or considered hiring a Pinterest Manager…you will WANT to read today’s post because I’m interviewing Pinterest Queen, Sarah Burk.
(for the sake of transparency—that’s the title I gave her 😅 She did not ask to be called that, lol)
I found Sarah on Instagram and gobbled up all of her content.
Then I downloaded one of her freebies which pushed me on her email list.
And I was MIND.BLOWN.
The tips that she’s giving away FOR FREE??? Run, do not walk, to follow her.
Anyway—I was THRILLED when she agreed to be interviewed for this Women to Watch series.
So without further adieu, allow me to introduce you to Sarah Burk.
When did you start your business? Why did you start it?
I started my business in September 2020 when I decided to take the whole “freelance” thing a bit more seriously. After graduating from university and moving to a small town without many marketing or publishing opportunities, I picked up a bunch of odd jobs, including resume writing, grading, and even pet-sitting.
It wasn’t until I saw a TikTok about becoming a virtual assistant that I realized I could take charge of my own freelance career and start actively promoting myself instead of applying to every freelance marketplace under the sun.
My background was in editing, writing, and social media, so I started my business as a “content strategist,” but once I got my first Pinterest client, I went all in on the platform.
What do you feel makes your audience special?
I know I’m biased, but I truly feel like I have the best audience out there. Everyone is so kind, encouraging, and supportive. Some of my very best friends have come from the online space, and that’s not something I take for granted!
There’s a lot of bad advice out there and people who just straight up give me the ick, but within the space I’ve curated, I hardly see any of that anymore.
What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about starting their own business?
Do it. Seriously. There are plenty of other articles you can read about how to market yourself or organize your projects, but if you need someone to tell you to get off the fence, let me be that person.
Whether your business lasts for the rest of your life or if it’s only for the next few months, starting a business will teach you something and change your life in at least one way.
If you have the idea, calling, whatever, to start your own business, give it a shot. Give yourself a shot and just see what happens.
It’s not a failure if it doesn’t work out or you discover you don’t actually like the whole self-employed life.
And on a more practical note, yeah, you should probably start using a project management system sooner rather than later, trust me.
How long did it take you to launch your business once you decided to do it?
According to my Google Docs edit timeline, I created my “Business Ideas” doc on June 14, and I posted for the first time on my business Instagram account on September 18, 2021. So, three months!
To be fair, though, I’d already been “self-employed” while freelancing for a while, so the idea had been in the back of my mind for longer, I’m sure!
Did you launch your business while working another job?
Kind of! I was still working occasionally as a marketing assistant and copywriter, and I was nannying for one of our friends 2 days a week. I was lucky enough not to have to balance starting a business with a 9-5 corporate job, though.
How did you promote your website when you first started out? Has anything changed between now and then?
I don’t think I really did! I had a basic website and portfolio that I’d put together in college with some tweaks to a service page, but I hardly ever sent people there. I used my website mostly as a links landing page to use for my Instagram link in bio.
That has definitely changed! I redid my website in February 2023, and now it’s a much bigger part of my overall marketing strategy. I still use it as my links page, but I also blog consistently, have all my freebies and digital products linked there, and so much more.
Even so, my website promotion is a lot more passive. I send my audience there from Instagram and from my email list.
Did you start your email list when you launched? What is the most effective way you have grown your email list?
I didn’t have an email list when I first launched! I knew consistency was important, and I wanted to master one platform (Instagram) first before spending time and energy on another. I first implemented an email list when I offered a downloadable service guide about 6 months into business. I started really using my email list 2 months later, when I launched my first freebie and started sending biweekly newsletters.
By far, the most effective way I’ve grown my email list is through offering free lead magnets. That first freebie, my Pinterest Checklist, has been the main growth driver, but I’ve also released 2 other freebies since then.
It’s also so important to just remember to promote your newsletter every so often! I didn’t do this much at the beginning, but now I try to incorporate some sort of email list call to action in my Instagram stories every week.
What would be your entrance song? You know – the one playing as you walk on stage?
“Never Be the Same” by Gabrielle Aplin
I’ve never given this question a thought before, but that’s what immediately popped up, so we’re going with it!
What does a typical day in the life look like for you?
I typically wake up at 7:30 and do all the typical getting ready things – skincare, change out of PJs, breakfast, coffee, feed the cats.
From there, I head up to my home office and start by taking care of any admin. Any tasks that will take less than 5 minutes, I try to get out of the way ASAP so they don’t linger on the to-do list longer than necessary!
The actual work I do varies a lot day to day. Some days might be all in on creating client pin content, some days are focused more on auditing accounts or creating strategy plans, or some mix of all of the above.
My weeks are mostly blocked out by day. Mondays are for planning, tiny tasks, and client work. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are full-focus days, one for client work, and one for backend business and marketing tasks. Thursday and Friday are when I have the majority of my calls, so I fit in any remaining tasks in between calls!
I tend to work a pretty “typical” 9-5 schedule (ok, more like 10-5) because that’s what works best for my energy levels. But I’m not against a midday errand (hello, empty Target aisles) or coffee break!
One non-negotiable part of every day is some kind of movement after I get done working. Going for a quick walk around our neighborhood always helps me transition from work to relaxation and keeps both my energy levels and mental health stable!
How do you keep track of what you have to do?
ClickUp, mostly, plus a physical weekly planner, reminders on my phone, and a monthly whiteboard calendar I share with my partner. As a business owner who also has ADHD, I have to use a lot of different systems to make sure nothing falls through the cracks. Even so, I’m not perfect. That’s why I’m grateful for friends and clients who are more than ready to give me some grace in the not-so-perfect moments.
All of my client tasks and project workflows go into ClickUp, as do any messages or emails I need to respond to.
My physical planner helps me map out which tasks are getting done on which days, and there’s something about writing things down that I just refuse to give up!
I use my phone to set reminders and alarms for things that are time-dependent or even just messages and affirmations I want to tell myself throughout the day.
The monthly calendar I share with my partner helps us both be aware of each other’s meetings and other events and commitments.
Everything has a purpose and works together pretty well!
What are you currently reading, or what do you recommend?
I’m currently working my way through an overambitious library haul. My Kindle is stacked full of reads that have been on my list forever! Some of the genres I lean towards include literary fiction, fantasy, rom-com (Emily Henry, especially), LGBT+, dark academia, and historical fiction.
And yes, that is essentially every genre available…
As for recent favorites, here are a few I recommend:
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio
Happy Place by Emily Henry
The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Want to connect with Sarah? (you should…)