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How many people got hit with nostalgia when they saw the AI Barbie meme campaign come out in April? Our team hopped on it instantly, along with many brands, celebrities, and social media users. Below is a list of a few things they’ve done with their marketing that stood out to me and what you can do for your brand. Yes, their budget seems like it’s a bajillion dollars, but you can get crafty!

Meme/UGC

The infamous meme/UGC. Ah, yes. We are all Barbie Girls living in a Barbie meme world. And THRIVING. The way Barbie activated their audience and drove engagement across social media was genius. This was a great way to activate your brand using AI because the internet took this trend by storm when cast members dropped their versions. They increased their reach and brand awareness by tapping into their cast and their influence. If you can, reach out to influencers, your community, team, to share your product or service! This is usually overlooked or people overthink it. There are numerous different ways to collaborate with people for your brand than just paid promotions.

What you can do: reach out to your community and influencers to collaborate in ways (paid or other), to get your products or services in front of your ideal target audience. UGC content is a great way to get your audience involved in your brand. By sharing their content across your channels, it can act as reviews as well!

Nostalgia

Nothing like a good nostalgic hit to the brain and what better brand to do that than Barbie?! It took me back to my childhood and how excited I got when I got a new Barbie or added one to my collection. It then got personal! Nostalgia has been used in marketing time and time again. Barbie took the concept and incorporated 2023 marketing concepts: UGC with the meme generator. I was the Barbie I didn’t know I could dream of being – a marketing Barbie!

What you can do: If you are planning on playing up nostalgia within your marketing, incorporate it in a way that will not only take people back to a memory activated for them, but do it in a way that they would be excited for it to be a part of their lives somehow now.

Influencer/Celebrity Integration for Reach

Dropping an epic cast lineup of big names outside of Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie. Up until now, we have no idea what to expect with this movie. We might think we can assume the plot, but from the other cast members to the storyline, everything has been kept on the down-low. The curiosity is REAL.

They have kept their audience engaged and interested. Who else saw that photo of Ryan Gosling (let’s be real, we all screamed out loud and our Notebook hearts fluttered a bit quicker) and Margot Robbie and instantly wanted to know more? Yeah, me too! Since then, they’ve continuously kept their audience wanting more and more by sharing bits at a time. It grabbed everyone’s attention and the Barbie girl in me has been hooked ever since.

What you can do: tease your new product or services in creative ways! Get the audience to guess what’s dropping and drive engagement, along with brand awareness at the same time!

Brand Recognition

Undeniable brand recognition. This didn’t happen overnight, it’s been happening over the last few decades. Barbie has continuously done a great job at developing their brand and evolving overtime. The moment you see their font, you instantly recognize the brand it is associated with. Between storytelling, collaborations, licensing it’s name to different brands and their products, they got in front of their ideal target audience however they could. They evolve their brand and their products as the times change, which includes listening to their consumers and what they want.

What you can do: Building a brand takes time, don’t give up. Tell your brands story, the why, the who, how will it help people, how can they incorporate it into their lives. People should picture your brand incorporated in their lives through your marketing messaging.

All in all, hitting on nostalgia, trends, leveraging a massively influential cast, and continuously strengthening it’s brand identity, Barbie (and their undeniable massive marketing budget) has us anticipating the release on July 21st!

Also, this Barbie Malibu Dreamhouse Airbnb has me singing “come on, Barbie! Let’s go party!”

One thing I have continuously done is invested in myself, especially when I started a business. Whether it was a coach, group program, or a mastermind, the entrepreneur life gets lonely. That is a fact. Masterminds are where I get to not only learn and grow my skills, but also network and build community with like-minded individuals. I recently invested in a mastermind, lead by Hannah Nieves, with other multi-six figure entrepreneurs for a year. It includes 2 retreats – one was in NYC back in September 2022, and we just got back from Arizona. When I tell you that this retreat changed the game for me as a business owner and human, I cannot exaggerate that enough.

Walking into the retreat, I was excited but also didn’t really know what I needed for my business, the retreat and speakers were going to tell me. It’s like going to Target, you don’t tell Target what you need, Target tells you when you get there. The speakers were multi-six and seven figure business owners and you SHOULD’VE BEEN IN THAT ROOM! But because you weren’t, your girl has you covered with some key takeaways.

The main theme for me on day one was: Ego Death.

Letting go of my ego to step into the next version of me. What I have been hiding behind and scared of was my ego. The questions of “what will people think of me” with my agency and my most current podcast or because I don’t look like other entrepreneurs and not a certain size, I wouldn’t possibly be able to be successful. I had to let go of all of that and replace it with the main character energy I need. While I consider myself to be fairly self-aware, I needed this reality check to realize what I really need to work through in order to grow and continue building the brands I am.

Day one included a session with Gabriella Laura, learn about her special gifts on my podcast episode with her here, breathwork with the sweet soul ever, Erin Nicole, and also breaking plates with Victoria Franca to release anything that was holding us back – cue ego death theme for me the whole day. 

Day 2: Remember who you are and why you’re doing what you are doing

Venessa Kaufman – She’s an icon. No, really, go follow her. Venessa reminded me to go back to my values and my why when making decisions – I know exactly who I am and there is room for me here as an entrepreneur. While we are seeing overnight success like never before *insert Overnight Celebrity by Twista here, iykyk*, the truth is that we only see the tiniest bit of their success online, you don’t see the other stuff most of the time. Wait for it though, she said something that I drew stars around and it was “not knowing what you’re doing is actually you creating something no one has seen before” MIC DROP. Read that again. That stuck with me the rest of the retreat and set the tone for how I have to approach business and my brand. 

Lauren Boyd – Reminded me to protect what I am building and figuring out what my exit will look like. Along with delegating to others so I can run the agency like the CEO I want to be. Make sure the right systems are in place for your business to function without you. It made me think about how I would like to take a vacation without having to worry about things because the team has it under control. If this is you as well, set expectations with your team.

Kacia Ghetmiri – Quite possibly one of the biggest things I took away from the whole retreat and something I have reminded myself of every single day was what Kacia said. She said “if you don’t see something being represented, it’s because it’s your job to do it”. And that in itself brought me back to the why of this whole agency and my personal brand. The fact that I want to push for more women to have seats at executive level position in marketing or be part of the agency and be in rooms where it;s mostly men or the fact that as a Pacific Islander, my podcast touches on subjects that may be taboo to most to talk about, even though he conversation are happening behind closed doors.

Aisha – “Clutter around you is clutter of the mind”. I know, that one hit you hard, because same. Aisha also brought the heat while chatting about accomplishments and what we were all putting our worth in. What happens when we remove that thing? Watch her clip from her session here.

Day 3: Wrapping it all up

Rebecca Fiero – She is serious GOALS! Rebecca brought it home. She reminded us that when you understand exactly who you are and build a foundation around that, you won’t get tired of it. Want to hire sales people on your team? She suggested hiring an enneagram 3 or 7 – look into enneagrams here. Rebecca also mentioned that people buy execution and processes – they want to buy the result. What does that mean for your marketing and sales? What do you need to start sharing to your audience and what conversations need to be had during sales calls? 

There is nothing like being part of a community and mastermind. These are women who are incredible and truly want to see you succeed. I look forward to every single call with them. Listen, no one said this life path was easy, but they make it worth it. I get to conclude this mastermind with growth in my business and life. My circle of amazing human beings continues to expand. If you’ve been thinking of joining a mastermind, this is your sign! I will be launching one in 2024 so stay tuned!

What stood out for you from this blog post? Send me a DM because I would love to hear!

When it comes to hiring, you should never cut corners in the review and interview process. For many businesses, it can be the difference between quality work and loyalty vs. doing the minimum with little experience. To help ease the worry of making the right decision when hiring a social media manager, keep these questions close!

What Brands Have You Managed Before?

By asking what brands they’ve worked with, you can gain a sense of the kind of clients they are used to and the kind of audiences they produce. You will also be able to evaluate the community they have built to determine if you are compatible. 

What Strategies Do You Use to Generate Leads?

Outreach and lead-generation strategies are the backbones of social media marketing. Whoever you hire should be able to provide examples of their processes for engaging your audience. Anyone can create content and press post, but strategy stands the test of time. Candidates applying for this position should be able to share how they can help generate new customers and new sales.

Which Social Media Tools/Software Do You Use?

You want to know that whoever you work with is using the latest and advanced tools for your social media content creation, scheduling, and planning. It is key to also ask how they will be able to share your business’ progress through analytics and metrics.

What Goals Should We Set For Our Social Media Pages?

A huge following count and 1000’s likes don’t always = success. Your goals should be aligned with converting followers into new leads and returning customers. Social media managers should be known for thinking outside of the box and putting those plans into action to help with overall growth – and not just in the vanity metrics on your page.

Where Can I See Your Previous Work? 

A trusting agency should have a portfolio of previous work and marketing campaigns to ensure they have the proper experience to execute your goals. If they are hesitant to show you any samples, take it as a sign they might not have the expertise you are looking for.

While it can take time to find the right fit, we always recommend doing your due diligence and asking all the questions to help you find the right fit for your business!

Looking for a social media manager? Reach out to us to get started on your social project!

There are common misconceptions about emails. “Email marketing is annoying”. “Email marketing is a thing of the past”. “No one shops products on their email”. Some of these myths make sense, right? It’s easy to know why people think this way. Perhaps those were once schools of thought, but in 2023, email marketing is no longer a thing of the past and we love it. 

Email marketing has been around more than a decade and is one of the oldest in terms of digital marketing channels. Creating a strong email marketing strategy helps you reach your target audience in a personalized way and a bonus it increases sales in an affordable way. Pretty cool, right? Just like social media or other media platforms, email marketing gives you tools and a chance to give your business the ability to reach your target audience in a creative and effective way!

Email Marketing

Here are 4 ways we love about email marketing, and why you should too!

1. Nurture and educate:

This is great!, Emails have a way to keep your customers informed and it is also convenient. Just a simple, “Hey you’re on our mind, here is an offer just for you” can build a personalized connection with your audience. This can go a long way, and makes your customer feel like you still care. Grow your relationship with your audience by giving them advice that helps them. Learn to address their specific needs to grow an audience that keeps coming back to you.

2. Affordability:

Yes, you heard correctly. Most email marketing plans offer special pricing offers to all budgets.You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars to market your business. You can reach a wide number of your target audience  for less than pennies per message!

3. Brand Awareness:

You would think that’s what social media is for! But it’s not the only platform! Email marketing gives you the ability to increase that interest level, that brand awareness, by staying top of mind. Something to think about! People don’t let anyone in their inboxes these days, a personalized email is more impactful than a social media post. 

4. ALMOST everyone uses email: 

Even in 2021 people are using email. Email presents an incredible opportunity to reach customers. Not only can you provide them with discounts or special promos, but you know what’s even better? Those target customers share the emails and forward them to anyone they’d like. They do the marketing for you!

ActiveCampaign 

So by now, you know and understand why email marketing is a GOOD thing and how it is used! 

You also may be wondering how to get started! 

Well, it’s your lucky day! We use the best software – ActiveCampaign. ActiveCampaign is a cloud software platform that is for small businesses! ActiveCampaign creates the most effective way to reach customer experiences by automating many marketing sales, and support processes. 

What is offered?

This awesome software combines email, marketing automation, and sales automation! This software is good for helping you sell more in real time, prioritizes your leads, keep track of your tasks, and automate contact management so you don’t miss anything! If you can’t tell, we love ActiveCampaign and it has done incredible things for our business.

Try Active Campaign for your business here!

*This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a commission. Thank you!

With the spring and summer months ahead of us, your winery is screaming to be flaunted on Instagram! We both know that your vineyards and tasting rooms are full of beauty, don’t hide them and their attractive capabilities. It’s time to sit down and plan out your content, this isn’t just for the fun of it – the investment will present itself in your business!

Since Instagram is one of the first places your potential clients will flee to plan their vacations and determine the wineries they want to visit, your brand should reflect what you have to offer. Immerse the eyes of your likely consumers by giving them the experience they will encounter in your winery right from your Instagram page. Dive into these ideas to get started!

User-Generated Content.

Your customers made it easy! They will show off what they already love on their pages and with a quick DM, you can re-post it on your feed. There you have social proof and tons of content all lined up for you on the behalf of the public. Travelers will be more inclined to visit wineries that they see others enjoying.

Show Off Your Team.

Allow the audience to learn about your team to show who is putting in the magic behind their future experience. A level of trust develops when your audience doesn’t see staff as a random bunch but knows them more intimately. Ideas for your team to give are tips, mini-lessons, updates, and fun facts!

POV Experience.

Pop yourself into the shoes of your ideal clients and walk them through a day at your winery or a tour. This ensures that they will receive a picture of how they will spend their visit and recognize their feelings before they are there. Everyone wants to see things from their point of view, show it to them!

Behind The Scenes. 

Share pieces of your world! Whether this is in your cellars, production facilities, back-ways through the vineyards, or backrooms of your tasting tours, your audience will want to feel as if they are in on a sneak peek. Building trust is a result of reeling back the curtain, and they will want more!

History of the Winery

History buff or not, everyone loves stories. It’s what good social media content does, so tell yours online. Your audience is ever changing and if they can connect to a piece online, they’ll be more inclined to share it with their audience and also remember it for their trip out!

Don’t be afraid to switch your content up, it will seriously set you apart from the rest! You know the worth of what you have, dip your potential customers into an experience unique to your winery and tell the story of your winery. Know you need to pour into your social media content more but unsure where to start or need a hand? Fill out this form or send us a DM and we’ll be happy to help!

User Generated Content, let’s talk about it because everyone on the internet is. User-generated content (UGC or consumer-generated content) is original, brand-specific content created by users and published on social media or other channels. UGC comes in many forms, including images, videos, reviews, a testimonial, or even a podcast. 

So why is UGC gaining so much popularity?

Brands are realizing a greater return when everyday people authentically post about their products. Think about it, how many times have you seen someone post their favorite Starbucks order? And how many times have you then screenshot that post to order that same drink the next time you’re in the drive-thru? It’s like a review and referral in one! A review of a product they used and referring you to buy it! The heavy lifting of inbound leads is done for you through content on the internet! This is especially true for CPG brands in the food and beverage space and restaurants, wineries, breweries. One thing people love to share is food, it’s a love language. So, we see UGC almost daily for the brands we work with in this space.

Companies are seeing that the more traditional way of marketing isn’t making as great of an impact as someone giving their honest opinion about the product. After all, word of mouth has long been considered the best form of marketing, and is this not just a modern-day, technology-enabled version of that? And as an added bonus, it also gives the company a better chance to be seen by a larger audience in the social media space with the way that algorithms for personalized feeds are designed today.

If you are wanting to reach a larger audience in your niche, we suggest hiring content creators that create UGC. Plus, the relationship with your content creator could turn into a mutually beneficial and profitable long-term relationship! Just make sure to ask for permission and to get some sort of contract in place with creators. Also, unless it is in writing, please do not use UGC without permission in paid ads!

Want to learn more about UGC and see if we think it might benefit your brand? Shoot us an email and we would love to help you out!

Let’s talk about Instagram giveaways! Hand up if your friends have tagged in a giveaway (or maybe 10) before. You’re not alone. For many brands, giveaways are a great way to create brand awareness and tap into new audiences while growing theirs.

While giving away free products can seem like a no-brainer to gain a bunch of new followers, we recommend that you plan a giveaway like you would any other launch. When done correctly and intentionally, it can be great for your account engagement and introduction to new followers.

Pick a great prize!

You want to strategically plan out what you will be giving away. If you are a product based business, make sure the product you giveaway ties into an upcoming or current campaign. For service based businesses – make sure the service you giveaway is aligned with the rest of what you offer. You want to pick something that your ideal clients/consumer would want, therefore get excited to win. Typically giveaways include the business’ best-selling products and/or new, featured products. You can always run a giveaway alone or partner with a like-minded business for additional exposure. If you are a skincare brand this could be your top-selling product or partnering with a loungewear company for the ultimate self-care package.

What’s your goal?

Do you want to increase engagement, get more website clicks or overall boost in sales? Ensure that you have a specific goal in mind before you enter your giveaway, to ensure that you aren’t losing on important data and the opportunity to capture new lead information.

Make it easy!

We have all seen those giveaways where you need to follow multiple accounts and tag 100 friends. Keep it simple! Some of our favorite ways to enter a giveaway are to tag a friend, share to win or comment to enter. Tagging a friend is a great option as it allows you to access a large, like-minded audience. Additionally, we also like asking a question in the caption and asking those entering to answer in the comments.

Don’t post and ghost!

Continue to launch and promote your giveaway throughout the giveaway period. We recommend sharing your giveaway to your stories or even offering bonus entries for those who share in their Instagram stories. If your business is on multiple social platforms we also recommend cross-posting on all platforms, especially on TikTok.

P.S. Be familiar with Instagram’s giveaway rules and Don’t forget to mention this at the end of your post:

“Per Instagram rules, this promotion is in no way sponsored, administered, or associated with Instagram, Inc. By entering, entrants confirm that they are 13+ years of age, release Instagram of responsibility, and agree to Instagram’s terms of use.”

If you have run a giveaway before, what has worked best for your business giveaway, let us know!

The secret that sets you apart from all of the other wineries and restaurants in your industry? Your unique experience! It’s true that customers come for your wine, food, gorgeous views, or location. But, they also ultimately come for the magic they feel on their visit. The experience as a WHOLE. And it can all start on social.

Social media crushes the “mystery” on how to give a piece of that experience right from their phone and gets them into your doors. When curating your plan on how to utilize social platforms for your business, keep these points close by…

Story Telling.

First, let’s take a look at the most important part of social media – telling stories. The biggest result in telling stories on various social media platforms is the connection it generates with your audience. They can form a bond with your individual brand, staff, and processes. Video is the leading form of consumption since it is great at capturing the audience’s attention while viewing in “real-time”.

Brand Awareness.

Traffic to your page goes hand in hand with shareable content, distinctive experiences, and an individualized perception. By speaking directly to a group of ideal clients, your brand gains attention through a specific community. Social media has been able to increase brand awareness for businesses, especially restaurants and wineries, more in recent years. 

Influencer Connections.

Influencers who have established followings and loyal communities lie all within various social media platforms. This makes it easier to connect with these individuals and form connections where both parties benefit from each other’s audiences. Fresh eyes have the opportunity to flock to your offers through product reviews, events, and other deals with influencers.

Engagement.

Being able to utilize social platforms involves direct engagement with your audience. This also includes taking the time to outreach to other ideal clients on the app and create your own conversations. Social media is the perfect opportunity to showcase stellar customer service and give your audience a taste of what will be offered at your establishment. Your brand’s strong reputation will be built through your community and other potential customers will be able to view how your brand responds as well. How does your customer service hold up on social media?

Social Media Strategy.

Lastly, nothing is complete without an effective strategy. Brands can post as much or as little as they want on social platforms and will be left without results simply because there is no strategy to the marketing in place. Set aside time to determine how many posts a week you will share and have a plan to stay consistent. This is essential. Often, social media managers are the glue that holds restaurants’ and wineries marketing efforts together and supports the brand by lifting this vital piece. 

If your restaurant or winery has been looking for ways to increase its brand awareness and form a strong reputation by connecting with its customers, the only choice is a strong social media presence. Need a place to start? Book a call with us here or head to our blog to find articles to help your business thrive online!

The nature of DM’s is difficult as you start out on Instagram. There. We said it. And now everyone is telling us that you should be selling in them as well?

Why is it difficult? Well, it’s hard to know what to say and when to say it. 

Ever find yourself at times staring at a blank screen for hours not knowing what to type, what to say, and when to pitch? You quickly start to overthink, “Does this sound too fake?”… “Does this sentence sound good?”… “Is this the correct timing for this message?” 

We all have been there! Deep breath. You’re not alone.

Before we go forward, let’s make a pact from here on out that we’re going to leave those, “Hey girl, I love your style, have you heard about…?” in 2020. Did you just cringe? Because we sure did. 

Alright, now that we are all on the same page, let’s chat about selling in the DM’s and how to do it properly. 

You have two modes when it comes to the DM’s… Nurture mode and sales mode. They are complete opposites. 

Wondering the difference between the two? And when you should be in sales mode vs. nurture mode? Or how to use the two tactics together to have success? You came to the right place. Here you go! 

Nurture Mode

When you are in nurture mode, you are building trust, building a genuine connection, and building authority. Don’t be afraid to build a human connection with your ideal client, first. It’s all part of building trust. Reply to their content. Be authentic. Don’t sell or pitch, it’s off-setting. Think of building a connection first! 

For service-based businesses keep in mind, before people trust you, they’ll want to know how the process works. This is all a part of the nurture mode. What value can you give them? How do you solve their problem? We feel like it’s best to map it out for them. Be an open book. Answer all their lingering questions. 

When it comes to product-based businesses you will want to show them the end results of using your product or how your product solves their problem in life. If they have been watching your feed, replying to your posts, or asking questions about your products, don’t be afraid to DM them and build a connection. Good customer service and going beyond that is so crucial. It’s what will separate brands on Instagram in 2021. Trust us! 

Sales Mode

After you’ve nurtured your audience, built a connection, given value, and provided education for a solid amount of time. It’s time to sell! It can be awkward – especially at the beginning to drum up a pitch. Keep these tips in mind, when finally deciding to pitch your client or customer in the DM’s:

• Be friendly & resourceful
• Share the price, so they don’t feel awkward about asking
• Ask open-ended questions to get to the bottom of the setbacks
• Explain in detail what is offered

Something to ponder… And ease your anxiety… Think of yourself as being thoughtful and caring for your customer because they are worth your time and energy. Think you are serving them and not selling to them! 

Phew. Are you still with us? Great!

Can we let you in on one last secret? Here is where many people fall apart when it comes to selling in the DM’s… Following up! 

Raise your hand if a friend has sent you a funny reel and you have read it, but never had a chance to reply? 

Ok, good us too! I think we’ve all been there. 

Moral of the story is that people miss things or forget to reply. Don’t be afraid to follow up! Keep in mind, when you follow up or keep up with stories it humanizes you as well. It’s not annoying. By following their journey and by asking questions along the way, it makes it seem like you care – which you do! 

It’s easy to feel rejected or a bit defeated if you don’t get a reply right away, but don’t let that stop you. It doesn’t mean they aren’t interested, or your offer doesn’t appeal to them, it might just mean it wasn’t the right time, they didn’t see your offer, etc. Take every ‘no reply’, as a maybe, not as a no. One of our favorite ways to look at selling in the DM’s is that “the answer is ‘no’ unless you ask”, your audience may need an extra push or may not even know what you have to offer. Get in there, pull your sleeves up and have conversations.

The secret to mastering the craft of selling in the DM’s is to know when to nurture and when to sell. This takes time, trial and error, to get down, but once you do, we promise you the success will come! Put yourself out there and get social on the ‘gram.

Haven’t connected with us yet on Instagram? We’re always dropping gems – let’s be friends!

Happy Monday! I have been meaning to put this blog post out for about 18 days now. It’s been about a month and a half since I’ve been self-employed and guess what?! I’m still alive! It’s been rough at times, not going to lie, but there have definitely been lessons learned.

The Social Project came about last March after a Tony Robbins and Gary Vaynerchuk event I attended. I soft launched it in September 2017 and went full force in January 2018. I was able to leave my 9-5 at the end of April to pursue my business full time! Along with being the chapter leader of Seattle Business Babes and being able to connect with entrepreneurs and creatives in my new city.

These are a few things that helped me along the way and it may help you too!

1. SAVE – if I could have, I would have saved up a lot more money. I did move back in with my parents last year which helped and I didn’t mind because I have the freedom that I want to. In starting a business, the costs can add up, from branding to websites, for some production costs, etc., they add up! I was smart with my pay cheques and divided it up into saving, business, bills, lifestyle. It’s always scary wondering where your next pay cheque will be coming from when you’re on your own, so having the savings set aside has been a huge help.

2. NETWORK – Let me assure you, it doesn’t matter where you are in terms of your business, whether it is an idea, new, a few years in, go out and meet people. You never know who you’ll come across. They may not be a client right away, but down the road, they might remember you and your business because something about you stood out in person. We can all pretend to be whoever we want online, but there’s nothing like real interaction. OR, if they do not necessarily need your product or service, maybe they know someone who will and can recommend your business. I was out networking (scary thing btw and I still cringe at the idea of meeting new people), even before I knew what I wanted my business to be or had a name for it or anything.

3. INVEST IN YOURSELF – I will stand behind this concept every single day of my life. Whether this is investing in your business or mental health, self-care, you name it, you are your most important asset. How can you expect your business to run smoothly if you’re not up to par or you don’t have the tools to progress? I know it might be hard for some people, but my coach, Jennifer Jaden, told me one thing that has stuck with me “It doesn’t matter how much money people have, if they really want something, they’ll figure out a way to make it happen”. And I cannot agree more. Gary Vee preaches this as well. Maybe this means not going out for a fancy dinner 3 times a week and instead investing in getting a proper logo made, branding, marketing, an event, if you really want your business to succeed, you’ll understand that your life won’t end if you don’t go to that music festival this year and instead spend the money on yourself. In March, I went to the nation’s largest social media conference and it cost me over a grand just for my ticket, flight, accommodation, food, etc., was extra on top of that. Could I afford it at that time? Probably not, as I knew I wanted to ditch my soul sucking 9-5 soon and I should save as much as I could. Why did I go? Because I knew it was going to help my business and my business is my baby. I want to feed it in order for it to grow and be healthy and successful and be my legacy.

4. PATIENCE – my story is not the same as yours or the person sitting next to you (if there is anyone there). But you get what I mean, what has worked for me, won’t always be the formula for every single person. The time it took me may be longer for some or quicker for others. You’ll just KNOW when it’s time. You get this feeling in your stomach and you seriously just know. It won’t happen overnight, nothing does, unless you’re getting made into a celebrity by Twista (if you don’t get the reference, we might have to rethink our relationship). Fall in love with the process – the highs and the lows – and there will be plenty, but really absorb what is going on with you as a person and the growth that is being developed through this journey.

5. FIND YOUR COMMUNITY – if you follow me on my personal account, I talk a LOT about the people I have surrounded myself with the past year and a half. It has been a game changer to my entire mindset. Honestly, if you hang out with people whose values and visions do not align with yours, you are going to get results you do not want. I have a tribe of dreamers, successful females and males, entrepreneurs, creatives, and just all around people who want to see me succeed! This doesn’t mean I ditched my other friends, I have really close friends who have been around since I was 7 years old, and while I know they will support me, there is a different vibe that comes along when you’re with people who understand the grind.

Being an entrepreneur is not for everyone. I know that 95% of businesses don’t succeed. I also know that is a statistic I do NOT want to be a part of. Listen to yourself, your body, your mind, your heart, all of it, just listen and take it day by day. If your business is what you really really REALLY want, then you’re about to do whatever it takes. I’ve seen single moms kill it with their business, I’ve seen people go from nothing to something, stop making excuses about why you can’t and figure out how you CAN. I could have taken the traditional route and gone to law school like I planned to 2 years ago, but I knew this was my jam and it lit my soul on fire and I ran with it and I will for as long as I can. I hope you find something you love and pursue it every single day because in the famous words of Wayne Gretzky, “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”.