How this mom of five grew her social media agency to 7-figures and saved 10 hours a week on HoneyBook

The systems and automations that helped one mom scale her business to seven figures without sacrificing family time. 

When Michelle Gifford first started her agency, she had one simple goal: help women turn their social media success into real business growth. 

At the time, she had been a solopreneur for 18 years—doing everything from photography, to dress making, to business strategy—all while she and her husband were starting their family. 

For Michelle, each venture became a stepping stone to her growth as an entrepreneur and eventually led her to her true calling—social media consulting. 

“My clients were very Instagram savvy, but had no idea how to make that a part of their business,” said Michelle. “These women had so much to offer—I knew I had to help them.”

And that intuition paid off. Over six years, Michelle built a seven-figure business with a 17-person team. She established herself as an Instagram and social media educator and expert, growing her following from 18,000 to nearly 250,000 followers. 

But perhaps most impressively, she’s done it all while never compromising on what matters most to her: family.

Here’s her story. 

Finding balance as a working mom

As Michelle’s business flourished, she began to see the full impact of her work. “My business was allowing women to keep their marketing going so they could step back and take care of their families,” Michelle explained. “As a mom myself, it felt like my mission and calling to help them thrive.”

This mentality and deep belief in supporting female entrepreneurs set Michelle’s business apart. Women flocked to her for help with marketing, creative strategy, and social media. But success brought an unexpected challenge: as a solopreneur, more clients meant exponentially more administrative work—and overwhelming demands on her time.

“Business was booming, and I was getting more and more clients, but I began to feel completely overwhelmed,” Michelle recalled. “I had this pivotal moment where I looked at myself and thought, ‘I should be at my daughter’s music class right now, but instead I’m dealing with clients who are texting and calling at all hours.’”

As a mother of five, Michelle knew this pace was unsustainable. “I told myself I needed a better system to manage my clients,” she said. “That’s where HoneyBook came in. It was the only tool I found in my search that helped me support my clients while actually being present for both my business and my family.”

Here’s how.

Building time-saving systems that scale with HoneyBook 

What Michelle loves most about HoneyBook is her ability to build systems that took work off of her plate as a solopreneur and helped her scale as her business grew. On top of all of this, Michelle has an active family life, while growing her business. “The scaling would have been impossible without HoneyBook,” said Michelle. Here are some of the most impactful features driving Michelle’s business growth. 

“Set it and forget it” reminders and automations

One of the biggest difference-makers in saving Michelle time has been the ability to automate critical parts of her workflow.

 Among the most helpful features has been one of the simplest: HoneyBook’s automated payment reminders, which sends invoices and collects payments from clients without any manual work. 

“It’s my favorite feature because I don’t have to manually send emails to follow up with my clients,” Michelle said. “I just have peace of mind knowing it’s all taken care of.” 

Additionally, as her client base has grown, Michelle has set up automations for the entire client intake and management process. From the initial questionnaire to contract signing to offboarding, every step runs without her. “We’ve even automated communications that prompt clients to the next step and schedule calls,” said Michelle. “It creates a consistent experience whether I have one client or 10.”

Perhaps most importantly, these features have given her 10 hours a week back to spend time on her family. “I can onboard clients whether I’m with my kids or coaching softball or at my desk,” said Michelle

For Michelle, automation isn’t just about efficiency—it’s about creating the freedom to scale her business and give her critical time back so she can focus on what matters most. And she knows she can lean on HoneyBook to do the work—so she doesn’t have to.

Centralized information at everyone’s fingertips

Now that Michelle’s business includes 10 team members, having a centralized place to collaborate, communicate, and receive client and business information has been key in ensuring everyone is on the same page and can work efficiently across all of their clients and projects.

Before HoneyBook, client information was scattered across emails and different systems. “Each team member often held just one piece of the puzzle, which meant constant meetings and back-and-forth communication to stay aligned,” said Michelle. “Now, with HoneyBook, everything is centralized.” 

Team members are easily added to accounts to give them full visibility into contracts, communications, and project details. This keeps everyone on Michelle’s team on the same page, prevents crossed wires, and saves valuable time.

“Simply having the HoneyBook dashboard view of ‘how much money have we made this last year,’ or ‘what payments are coming up,’ or ‘what client projects are we working on right now,’ has been so important to the growth of the business,” said Michelle.  “We couldn’t have achieved everything we’ve done without it.” 

The HoneyBook difference

• 10 hours saved per week
• Seven figures in revenue—a growth of 1400% in six years
• From solopreneur to 10 team members 

For Michelle, HoneyBook became the backbone that made scaling from a solopreneur to a seven-figure agency possible. What started as a simple need to streamline invoicing evolved into a comprehensive CRM that grew alongside her team. 

“HoneyBook didn’t just solve one problem—it became our entire operational foundation,” Michelle explained. Automations freed her from the endless cycle of manual tasks, and the  centralized dashboard gave her team real-time visibility into finances, project timelines, and client communications. 

Perhaps most importantly, HoneyBook enabled Michelle to maintain her commitment to family while building her empire. Instead of having to constantly manage administrative work, she can volunteer for her kid’s school activities and spend summers visiting family in Utah. 

This flexibility wasn’t just a nice-to-have—it was essential for a mom of five who refused to sacrifice family time for business growth. And the results speak for themselves: a 1400% growth trajectory that would have been impossible without the systems and efficiencies that HoneyBook provided.

What’s next: Doubling down on growing her business

For Michelle, success has never been just about growing her own business—it’s about creating a ripple effect that lifts up other female entrepreneurs. As she looks toward the future, her vision extends far beyond revenue goals.

“I’m a mom, I’ve got five kids, and I’m running a seven-figure agency. And I’m doing it all while coaching softball too,” said Michelle. “I want to show other women they can do the same.”

Michelle is doubling down on her business growth and mission by scaling her agency revenue, launching a podcast that speaks directly to her audience, and expanding her presence on speaking stages across the country. But perhaps most importantly, she’s building educational offerings that give other mom entrepreneurs the tools and confidence they need to succeed.

For Michelle, the future isn’t just about building a bigger business—it’s about proving that moms can build thriving enterprises without sacrificing what matters most.