"Admit the things you don’t know, and let people know you’re a human behind the brand" with Sally French
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Sally French is a journalist and “geek girl” who loves drones, which prompted her to launch the drone news site, The Drone Girl. She is a world-renowned expert in drones, having been quoted in publications including The New York Times and Consumer Reports. She is also a public speaker and has appeared at South by Southwest (SXSW), Harvard Business School’s Making Robotics Fly” event, and has led multiple seminars at conferences including InterDrone and the Commercial UAV Expo. Sally was also named one of Fortune Magazine’s “4 top women shaping the drone industry.”
Can you tell our readers about your background?
I’ve always wanted to be a journalist, so I studied at one of the best universities in the country, the Missouri School of Journalism. I needed one more credit to graduate, and pretty much the only class that fit in my schedule was a new course offering called ‘Drone Journalism.’ I signed up, and fell in love. We studied the laws, ethics and practical applications of using drones for journalism. For example, TV stations used to often send helicopters in the air over natural disasters or traffic accidents, but they’ve cut back because it’s costly and less-than-great for the environment. A drone can do the same thing for less cost — and less effort. Anyone can fly a drone, while you’ll need extensive training to fly a helicopter.
What inspired you to start your business?
The Drone Journalism class ended when I graduated in May 2013, but my passion for drones didn’t! I ended up getting my own drone, an original-model DJI Phantom. I wanted to document my learnings while flying, and I also wanted a spot to gather all the aerial images I’d created, so I launched a blog. I never intended for it to be a business; I always intended the blog to be a diary for me, and something my mom could follow along with.
But soon I started getting emails from readers. They asked questions, or said they liked my style and wanted more content. Slowly, it grew into me posting tips and reviews of products. By the end of 2013, Jeff Bezos had announced Amazon was working on drone delivery, and that’s when the news aspect really took off. Suddenly everyone wanted more info on drones, and my site had it.
Someone approached me and suggested that my blog could be a business, and taught me ways to monetize, such as selling ads and affiliate marketing. I already had the readers, so monetizing came naturally.
Where is your business based?
I live in San Francisco, but since it’s an online business, I can be based anywhere! I even once spent a week working in the Arctic Circle!
How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?
Unlike a lot of entrepreneurs, I didn’t intend to start a business. I had a great product, and the business naturally grew out of it. I think that actually helped my business be better off in the long-run. I was creating a product that I loved, not a product that would make the most money or have the most customers. In turn, everyone saw my authenticity.
That said, when my business really started growing, I needed to focus more on being an entrepreneur. That meant learning about (and paying for) web hosting fees, setting up tax documentation — all the stuff I didn’t do upfront.
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?
Especially when you’re just getting started, always say yes. I started speaking at super small conferences where pretty much the only person in the audience was the organizers, the other speakers, and my dad. But it was one of those small conferences, where someone at a bigger conference spotted me and invited me to speak. In turn, someone from Harvard Business School was at that bigger conference which led to an event there, which led to speaking alongside Google and the FAA at SXSW. Always say yes to the little opportunities, because people will notice you and lead to bigger ones.
What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?
With the drone industry, keeping up with the rules has been a challenge. The government has flip-flopped on rules like registering your drone, or how you can operate drones for educational vs. recreational vs. business purposes. That’s not only made it tough for me to keep up with the rules as a writer, but also made it tough for me to make sure I’m in compliance as a business owner who operates drones, thus needs to be licensed and registered!
How do you stay focused?
I work best when I have a huge chunk of time. I know some people like to do short sprints of work, and maybe that works for them. But for me, if I have a half-hour between meetings, I find it tough to get into my work and that’s just a half-hour wasted. I try to block all my meetings together — perhaps even having one day a week that’s only meetings, and one day a week that is devoted to tackling heftier projects that need greater focus.
How do you differentiate your business from the competition?
This one is easy, and a big reason why I think my business has had success. The drone industry is mostly male-dominated, and so being a female drone pilot with a website overtly called “The Drone Girl” has helped me stand out. It was never intentional; I called it “The Drone Girl” because I was envisioning more of a superhero feeling for my site, but the name really helped me stand out. Now random strangers come up to me and say, “Are you The Drone Girl?” They think that’s my name! For what it’s worth, it’s an easy name to remember and helps me stand out.
What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?
Saying yes to everything. I can’t pinpoint a single most important thing that really helped me grow, but every opportunity you take leads to exponentially more. As long as it doesn’t take away from my other work, I always say yes to speak on any podcast or attend any conference.
What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
Be authentic. Especially if you’re an online entrepreneur, it’s easy to not be real. Yet people crave authenticity. Admit the things you don’t know, and let people know you’re a human behind the brand. It makes people have a greater connection to your business. There’s also one other benefit: if you mess up, it’s okay, because people see you as a human, and we accept that humans mess up (the way it’s harder to accept that a big, nebulous business might mess up.”
What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?
I just read “168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think” and really enjoyed it. The author basically breaks down how much time is wasted every day, and even I’m guilty of wasting time! I’ve been more cognizant of structuring time so I feel relaxed and rested through thoughtful downtime, and then am more efficient during my work time. Meanwhile, I’ve gotten rid of the time wasted scrolling through Instagram, which is neither fulfilling nor relaxing.
I also love her emphasis on shifting the mindset from “I don’t have time for that” to “that’s not a priority for me.” When you structure your day around things you want to prioritize, you’ll realize that you’re probably wasting time on things you don’t love (again, like browsing Instagram), and you’ll realize you can make time for the things you want to do, like starting your own business.
What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?
My favorite resources are my competition. I know some people naturally dislike their competition, but I’m happy it exists because they push me to be better. Looking at other drone websites out there, our ideas build each other up. I’m not afraid to exchange ideas and offer help to my competitors, because when we all get better, we can reach new readers, charge more for our services, etc.
Who is your business role model? Why?
I admire Ashley Eckstein, creator of the fashion label Her Universe. She epitomizes the idea of ‘build a product you love, and customers will love it too.’ She started the business largely because there just wasn’t that much female-focused Star Wars merchandise. No one thought there was a market to sell t-shirts to female Star Wars fans! They were wrong. Female fans weren’t buying Star Wars shirts because there weren’t any for them. Eckstein created the type of merchandise she wanted, and in turn, the merchandise is incredible — and stuff I want too!
How do you balance work and life?
It’s cliche, but if you find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life. I definitely am almost always on, and that’s the reality of being an entrepreneur. What’s great though is that (aside from a few minor annoyances like taxes), I genuinely love my work. It’s especially easy to love my work because my readers have created an awesome community that’s a joy to be a part of.
Of course, it’s always okay to take one day here and there and completely unplug. The world won’t end if you don’t respond to someone’s email within 24 hours...but not checking email for 24 hours can do wonders for your own mental health.
What’s your favorite way to decompress?
Separately from drones, I’m a competitive powerlifter and hold three national records! I love being in the gym. It’s an hour or two a day that I’m completely focused on a totally different kind of challenge — and I’m not worried about what’s happening on the Internet.
What do you have planned for the next six months?
Since COVID-19, I’m not sure what I have planned for the next day, hah! I do have a few new brand partnerships in the works with a couple drone companies that I’m really excited about. But COVID-19 has instilled a super important lesson in that you need to be flexible. Plans I had for early 2020 to travel to conferences or teach in-person classes fell through, and you have to be okay with that. You also have to have a diverse revenue stream, so if you need to cancel a class for something extremely unforeseen, like COVID, your business model isn’t totally wrecked.
How can our readers connect with you?
I’m online at www.TheDroneGirl.com. As far as social media, I’m most active on Twitter as @TheDroneGirl, though you can also find me on Instagram and Facebook. Happy flying!