Student Stories

Charlotte

“I loved the program. I found it to be so great, super helpful. I loved the strategy part." - Charlotte

A former fashion-marketing manager turned agency co-founder, Charlotte’s issue was charging just $200 p/m for full social management despite running $200 K advertising budgets in her corporate life.

Ellen guided her through a confident price lift (now $700–$2 500 p/m) and a mindset switch: bigger budgets usually equal easier, more trusting clients.

She’s since signed a 2.5 K retainer, niched Buttered Branding into health & beauty and embraced the “mum-preneur super-power” of getting things done on four hours’ sleep

Stenya

“It was like the guiding compass in the beginning of my journey. And I think it was a big part of what allowed me to grow with confidence. And like in the beginning, when you feel like you're just in the dark room and you can't see, you were like the guiding light” - Stenya

After running a wellness clinic for 10 years, Stenya was ready for more flexibility and less burnout. She joined the Dishing Up Digital School while juggling three kids and traveling through Europe (superwoman, much?). What started as helping one client with Instagram turned into a thriving business, supporting multiple clients in the health and wellness space with social media, funnels, and launches. Within months, she doubled her income, signed her biggest contract ever, and stepped into CEO mode, complete with outsourcing and boundaries.

Her secret? Backing herself, taking messy action, and always keeping family at the heart of her success.

Jade

““I still had a client on $400 a month, but after going through Ellen’s pricing module I started quoting $1K and even booked a US $2K international retainer within three weeks. That push from the Dishing Up Digital School was exactly what I needed.”

Jade joined the School while juggling a full-time teaching contract and a side-hustle as a TikTok “done-for-you” strategist. In her chat with Ellen she admitted she’d never actually paid herself from the business.

By mapping her price to the hours she truly spent plus a profit margin, Jade replaced her teacher’s salary within five months. Her proudest win is launching a digital-product funnel that now covers school-holiday income so she can choose supply teaching days instead of scrambling for them.

Christine

“It was hands down the best investment I could have made as a new business owner. And I think it really is differentiated from other courses on the market because it is such a comprehensive course.” - Christine

Christine came from a background in mechanical engineering and made the bold leap into social media management after discovering Ellen’s content. With no prior experience in the industry, she took messy action - signing up for Ellen’s course and landing her first client before even finishing the program. Ellen’s guidance helped Christine build her confidence, develop her outreach strategy, and transition from a draining corporate job to a fulfilling, full-time business with six clients.

Christine’s journey highlights the power of taking imperfect action and the impact of mentorship in accelerating growth and mindset shifts.

Kelly

“I've enjoyed the videos. I feel like you are down to earth and relatable because you don't hide the mistakes that you've made or the negative side of things or the challenges. You know, you don't hide it. You kind of put it out there for everyone."

Kelly was stuck delivering hourly “Instagram clean-ups” that brought quick cash but no stability. Ellen encouraged her to productise those audits into a three-phase Instagram Glow-Up package and upsell ongoing management at the end. The first beta client converted, turning a $250 audit into a $1 200 monthly retainer. Kelly’s next goal is to automate her onboarding with Dubsado—something she first heard Ellen mention in the School slack.

Abbey

“Ellen gave me the guts to pitch - and win - contracts with dream clients.” - Abbey

Abbey came into her call with Ellen feeling fried and under-charging after letting “friendly” rates lock her into $300-a-month social-media packages that swallowed her evenings.

The conversation helped her see a pattern of over-delivering, under-pricing and never pausing to celebrate wins. With Ellen’s nudge she stripped her service list back to one signature package, raised the price to match the value and set strict boundaries around weekend work. The result? Two long-term clients happily renewed at the new rate, Abbey now blocks Friday afternoons for content planning and has reclaimed her Sundays for family brunch.