They Left Jobs, Friends, And Security Without A Safety Net
How one family uprooted everything and built a different kind of life from the ground up
Some decisions are loud.
This one was quiet.
And heavy.
Jessica and her family packed up their farmhouse, their animals, and the life they had built.
They walked away from steady jobs.
From friends.
From familiarity.
Not because they wanted more.
But because they needed safety.
Break-ins had become normal.
Crime crept closer every year.
Then an elderly couple was murdered just down the street.
“We knew we would never feel safe raising a family there,” Jessica said.
So they uprooted everything and started over.
The Reality Of Starting From Scratch
The first six months of farm life was not romantic.
They were full of projects.
Unfinished plans.
Learning new land.
Learning seasons.
Jessica was newly pregnant while trying to build something sustainable.
Savings thinned.
Income came slowly.
“The hardest part was wondering where the money was coming from,” she said. “Waiting on seasons is hard when bills don’t wait.”
They reshaped the business more than once.
Her husband returned to steady work at the mill.
Heart Beet Homestead became Jessica’s responsibility to carry.
And she did.
The Skill That Changed Everything
Before farming, Jessica worked in the wine industry.
That trained her nose.
Scent.
Balance.
Memory.
At the same time, she had over a decade of experience formulating clean skincare.
Those two worlds eventually met.
She began making small batch candles and skincare products for people who could not tolerate mass produced ones.
“No artificial fragrance,” she said. “No mystery ingredients. No shortcuts.”
That intersection became Heart Beet Homestead.
What Heart Beet Homestead Actually Is
Heart Beet Homestead is an online only, farm based brand.
Jessica makes and sells:
Hand poured coco beeswax candles
Tallow and goat milk soaps
Face creams, serums, and oil cleansers
Healing salves and balms
Natural deodorant
Perfume rollers and body mists
Every product starts with ingredients she can trace.
Some come from her own land.
Some from her hives.
Some from friends’ farms.
The rest only from suppliers who are fully transparent.
“If they won’t show me where ingredients come from or how they’re made, I won’t work with them,” she said.
Behind the scenes is not polished.
Test candles fill the kitchen.
Unlabeled jars line the bathroom.
Failed experiments sit in bins no one sees.
That is the work.
When It Finally Clicked
The messages came quietly.
“I can finally burn candles again.”
“My skin is healing for the first time in years.”
Those words stacked up.
Then recommendations.
Then repeat customers.
“It’s all of them,” Jessica said. “Those messages are what keep me going.”
Heart Beet Homestead is still growing.
Still evolving.
Five years from now, she hopes for a dedicated space.
A family run operation.
Something her boys can inherit.
Built slowly.
Built honestly.
Follow The Journey
Heart Beet Homestead products are available online in small batch releases.
Follow along for new drops and behind the scenes life, on facebook and instagram.
P.S. > If you know a local business with a story worth telling, reply to this email and I will reach out.
Why Google Does Not Trust Most Small Business Websites
Google does not rank websites.
It ranks trust.
That is the part most small businesses miss.
You can have a beautiful site.
Great photos.
Strong copy.
And still never show up.
Because Google is asking a different question.
Can I trust this business?
What Google Is Actually Looking For
Google looks for signals.
Clear ones.
Does your site have proper structure?
Are pages organized logically?
Is there a clear homepage, service pages, and contact page?
Does your site use HTTPS?
If not, that is an instant red flag.
Is your content thin or helpful?
One paragraph pages do not build trust.
Do you clearly explain who you are, what you do, and where you are located?
Most small business websites fail here.
Trust Is Built From Details
Google checks for consistency.
Your business name.
Your address.
Your phone number.
If these are missing or inconsistent, trust drops.
Google also looks for technical clarity.
Schema markup.
Clean code.
Fast load times.
Without these, Google has to guess.
And when Google guesses, it does not rank you.
“If Google cannot understand your website in seconds, it moves on.”
Why Local Sites Struggle
Most small business websites were built once and forgotten.
No updates.
No structure changes.
No trust signals added over time.
Meanwhile, Google keeps evolving.
What worked three years ago does not work now.
Trust has to be earned continuously.
Action Item You Can Do Today
Pull up your website and answer these questions honestly:
Is your contact info easy to find?
Do you have a dedicated page for each service?
Does your site show reviews or proof?
Is your site secure with HTTPS?
If you hesitate on any of these, Google is hesitating too.
The Bottom Line
Google does not devalue small business websites.
It just needs proof.
The businesses that win are the ones that remove doubt.
Clear pages.
Clear structure.
Clear signals.
P.S. > If you want a trust audit of your website, reply with “trust.” I will tell you exactly why Google is unsure about your site and how to fix it.
Never Miss Another Lead: How Missed-Call Text Back Saves Local Businesses
Most leads are lost silently.
No email.
No complaint.
No second chance.
Just a missed phone call.
And the customer moves on.
The Harsh Reality Of Missed Calls
Local businesses miss calls every day.
You are on a job.
With a customer.
Driving.
Busy.
That is normal.
What is not normal is losing the lead completely.
Studies show most people will not leave a voicemail.
Instead, they will call the next business.
That is how sales disappear.
What Missed-Call Text Back Does
Missed-call text back fixes this instantly.
When someone calls and you cannot answer, they receive an automatic text.
Something simple.
“Sorry we missed your call. How can we help?”
That one message changes everything.
Now the lead stays engaged.
Now they reply.
Now the conversation continues.
You did not lift a finger.
Why This Works So Well
Text feels human.
Fast.
Low pressure.
People respond.
And because most businesses do not use this, it gives you an edge immediately.
You look responsive even when you are busy.
That builds trust.
That saves leads.
The Cost Of Doing Nothing
Every missed call is a missed opportunity.
One job.
One quote.
One repeat customer.
Add that up over a month.
That is real money left on the table.
Action Item You Can Do Today
Check your call logs from last week.
Count how many calls you missed.
Now ask yourself how many of those could have turned into customers.
That number should bother you.
The Bottom Line
You cannot answer every call.
But you can respond to every lead.
Missed-call text back is one of the simplest ways to increase revenue without more ads, more content, or more work.
P.S.> If you want to set up missed-call text back for your business, reply with “leads.” I will show you how to never lose another opportunity.
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One Last Thing Before You Go
If you own a business in Douglas County and you are not getting a steady flow of calls, texts, or online inquiries, you are losing money every single week.
Not because your business is bad.
Because your marketing is broken.
Facebook posts do not create demand.
A website that no one finds does not pay rent.
A phone that goes unanswered does not grow a business.
I fix that.
I build simple systems that:
Capture missed calls
Turn website visitors into leads
Follow up automatically
Show you exactly where your customers come from
If you want more customers, reach out with “Fix My Marketing.”
I will personally look at:
Your website
Your Google listing
Your phone setup
Your lead flow
Then I will tell you, in plain English, what is broken and what it would take to fix it.
No sales pitch.
No fluff.
Just answers.
You do not need more posts.
You need more paying customers.
Talk soon,
Gary