A Day in the Life of OBM Gillian Edwards: From Layoff to Accredited Online Business Manager

What does it really take to go from corporate employment to OBM business ownership—and actually own your time, income, and expertise?

In this episode of The OBM Show (also available as a video), I’m joined by Gillian Edwards, an Accredited OBM and marketing strategist who took a leap during the pandemic and never looked back. After being laid off, Gillian joined OBM School (shoutout to OBM Week + winning the Accelerator!) and slowly but surely built a business that works on her terms.

Now, she blends marketing strategy, implementation, and project management into a unique OBM offering—serving clients she loves and choosing work that aligns with her strengths.

🎧 Inside the episode, we cover:

• How Gillian landed her first retainer client by sending a bold email to 400+ people
• Why she skipped the VA phase and trusted her strengths from day one
• What a typical OBM day looks like—complete with tea, to-do lists, and client check-ins
• The types of projects she’s taken on (including Amazon product launches + optician training platforms!)
• Her advice for new OBMs still stuck in indecision

“Starve fear by making quick decisions. You have to go all in.”

Whether you’re pivoting out of corporate or still figuring out how your skills fit in the online space, Gillian’s story will inspire you to take action and lead with what you’re great at.

Thanks for tuning in to The OBM Show - your go-to podcast for Online Business Managers and entrepreneurs who want to scale strategically and sustainably.

If this episode resonated with you, be sure to follow the show and leave a review. It helps more aspiring and established Online Business Managers find this content and grow their businesses with confidence.

✨ Ready to take the next step?

Grab your free OBM Starter Kit → obmschool.com/starter
Explore more tools and trainings → obmschool.com/resources
Learn about becoming a CPD-certified Accredited Online Business Manager → obmaccreditation.com

🧭 Not sure where to start?
Find out your OBM Archetype and get personalized next steps → obmschool.com/quiz

📺 Prefer to watch?
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel and hit the bell icon to get notified when we drop a new video → youtube.com/@SarahNokedOBM

Until next time, keep building the business behind the business.