Building a Business by Building Others Up Donnetta Carter on Consistency, Community, and The Social Butterfly

Sometimes a business begins with a detailed plan. Other times, it grows naturally from doing something you love and realizing how much value it brings to others. In this episode of Women in the Driver Seat, Mary Helen Darah sits down with Donnetta Carter, founder of The Social Butterfly, to talk about how a passion for promoting local businesses grew from a hobby into a thriving business and community platform.

Long before Donnetta was getting paid for her work, she was already doing it. She enjoyed marketing, promoting events, sharing local businesses, and helping entrepreneurs get their names in front of new audiences. Whether it was a boutique, community event, or another small business, Donnetta used her social media presence to help spread the word simply because she enjoyed supporting others.

What started in 2010 with just 10 business owners at her church eventually took on a life of its own. Today, Donnetta says her network has grown to approximately 2,000 people, with demand for her events sometimes exceeding the available space. What began as a hobby became a business she never imagined she would still be growing more than 15 years later.

Consistency Is the Key

For business owners struggling to gain traction on social media, Donnetta believes one mistake stands above the rest: a lack of consistency.

She often sees businesses wait until the last minute to promote an event or disappear from social media for long stretches of time. Her own approach is very different. Donnetta posts regularly, pays attention to engagement, monitors changes to social platforms, and makes sure the businesses and events she supports continue showing up in people's feeds.

That consistency is one reason people regularly tell her they see her content everywhere.

For Donnetta, however, the lesson goes beyond social media. She believes consistency matters in business, finances, communication, relationships, and nearly every other part of life.

Listening to the People You Serve

Another important lesson Donnetta has learned is the value of feedback.

When vendors told her that some of her events started too early, she listened and adjusted the schedule. Rather than viewing feedback as criticism, she sees it as information that can help improve the experience she provides.

That same philosophy influences the way she advocates for entrepreneurs. Through platforms such as her Business and Health Expo, Donnetta works to give small businesses additional exposure while connecting owners with information and resources that can help them grow.

She also encourages entrepreneurs to take advantage of the many organizations and programs already available throughout the Toledo area rather than feeling like they have to figure everything out alone.

Practical Advice for Future Business Owners

For women considering starting a business, Donnetta offers several lessons learned through experience.

First, find your niche. A business needs to align with something you genuinely enjoy and are willing to continue doing even when it becomes difficult. Donnetta has watched entrepreneurs discover that the business they started simply was not the right fit, and she believes recognizing that is part of the process.

She also emphasizes the importance of treating a business like a business from the beginning. That includes keeping personal and business finances separate, maintaining proper records, working with professionals when necessary, and understanding the registrations and certifications available to entrepreneurs.

Most importantly, she encourages women to use the resources around them. Local chambers, business organizations, and women's groups can provide guidance and opportunities that Donnetta largely had to discover on her own when she was getting started.

Helping Local Businesses Get Seen

Although social media platforms and algorithms continue to change, Donnetta's mission has remained remarkably consistent: help people get seen.

Facebook remains her primary platform, and she continues adapting as features and best practices change. While video and reels have become an important part of social media, Donnetta still sees tremendous value in strong photography accompanied by a useful narrative that tells people what happened, where it happened, and how they can get involved in the future.

Her work is ultimately about more than likes, shares, or statistics. It is about using her reach to connect people with businesses, organizations, and events they might otherwise never discover.

Donnetta's journey shows what can happen when passion meets persistence. By consistently showing up, listening to the people around her, and using her platform to lift up others, she has turned something she once did for free into a business and community network that continues to grow.

And after more than 15 years, the energy behind The Social Butterfly does not appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

👉 Watch now to hear how Donnetta Carter turned her passion for promoting others into The Social Butterfly and the lessons she has learned from years of helping Toledo area businesses grow.