"*Authenticity* is what will build trust and connection" with Jenna Miller

Photo Credit: Jennifer Casey Photography

Jenna Miller is Creative Director of Here Comes The Guide, a women-owned and operated wedding website that plays a venue matchmaker for engaged couples. Working for a bootstrapped small business has taught Jenna a lot about entrepreneurship, the importance of company culture, and embracing a gritty everything-is-figureoutable mentality. After a decade in the wedding marketing trenches, Jenna launched her side hustle Absolute JEM where she designs bold brands and Showit websites for fabulous female entrepreneurs.

Can you tell our readers about your background? 

I began working for the wedding website Here Comes The Guide in 2009. At the time, there were just 9 women on staff and I started in sales. I spent seven years working my way up in the company. The great thing about Here Comes The Guide is that we’re encouraged to develop our own roles, based on what we're passionate about.

So I did just that. I’ve always been design-oriented and visionary, and knew I wanted to take over the creative direction of the brand. I weaseled my way into being Creative Director after wireframing an undercover rebrand + redesign of our entire website, and surprise-presenting it to our CEO. 
Once she loved the design (phew!) and gave me the green light to actually implement it, I figured it was about time I legitimize my "design hobby". Since then, I've been immersed in all the things I truly love: branding, web design, graphic design, copywriting, and social media strategies. I also launched my own side-hustle design business, Absolute JEM!

What inspired you to start your business?

Not only do I love design and deeply understand how visuals can make or break a business, but I'm also passionate about empowering female entrepreneurs. If the only thing standing between a fierce, capable woman and her career goals is a professional brand and website, I'm here to knock that wall down. I want to help women level up their business or kick start their hobby so they can turn it into a legitimate revenue stream.

As a working mother, I get how hard it is to balance a career alongside a family and household. But it IS doable. Working from home with Here Comes The Guide and Absolute JEM has been an absolute blessing, and I think more women should explore the magic and vast possibilities that can come out of their home offices.

Where is your business based?

My business is based in my home office in Annapolis, MD. I’m originally from California, born-and-raised, but I’m also a military wife. So when I was 6 months pregnant with my first son, my husband broke the news that we had to move across the country. Luckily I can take my job with me wherever I go, so I didn’t have the added stress of needing to find a new job in a new location. This is another reason I’m such a huge advocate of flexible, remote careers for women – especially mothers!

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

Before launching Absolute JEM as an official business, I had already done a few branding and website projects for friends and family. My boss and the CEO of Here Comes The Guide Meredith Schwartz was my first client. She has a wildly-popular book podcast called The Currently Reading Podcast, and she trusted me to design their visual brand identity and website. I was honored, to say the least. With that project under my belt, I already had a rough process and package inclusions in mind.

The next step was solidifying my own brand identity. I went through the same process I now put my own design clients through—from filling out an in-depth brand questionnaire to pinning images on Pinterest. Once I knew the WHY behind my business and had my visuals in place, I was able to create my website. 

Of course, there are so many more steps I had to take to actually launch, but as a brand and web designer it was crucial for me to get my own outward-facing visual brand, website design, messaging, and social media feed really right.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business? 

Instagram, and of course, word of mouth. I booked my first “real” paying client through Instagram. (As in, this wasn’t someone I knew in real life.) My Instagram strategy was to practice what I preach: Brand consistency. I have my color palette, my fonts, my own brand personality and voice…and I religiously stick to them. I began engaging with my local small business community. I also began showing my face in Stories and posts. So I credit Instagram for helping me establish a presence in the creative community, but word of mouth has been my key to consistent bookings.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them? 

I had the idea to launch Absolute JEM back in 2018, when I was 9 months pregnant with my second baby boy. I knew that time and balance would be my biggest challenges. Juggling two young kids plus a full-time job didn't leave me with much bandwidth to launch a side hustle, but it was something I just couldn't get out of my head.

The best thing I did to overcome these challenges was accept that none of it was going to happen overnight, and if this is something I really wanted, I needed to embrace slow, steady growth.

It took me a couple of years to launch my own business, and to this day, I have to manage my time carefully. I work a 4-day workweek with Here Comes The Guide and dedicate my Fridays to Absolute JEM. I only take on 1–2 design clients at a time. I have future ideas for digital products, but again, I know that this is going to take some time.

I'm not in the position in my life to hustle. I need to be present for my family. So I make sure to strike a balance with work that feeds me and challenges me, but doesn't overwhelm me or completely stress me out. Striking this work / life balance isn't always easy, but it's something I firmly believe in as a working mother.

How do you stay focused?

My favorite tip for focused productivity at work is writing out a daily "top 3" to-do list. Rather than writing down all the things that need to get done, my strategy is to streamline the list down to just three things that must get done that day. These are my top priorities, and if I get nothing else done, I will still feel productive because those most mission-critical to-dos got checked off my list. I start each morning by thinking through my top 3, and writing them down. Once I’ve worked through those items, I can move on to the lower-priority tasks if time allows—or simply give myself permission to log off for the day!

How do you differentiate your business from the competition? 

Visually, my brand is bold and colorful, and I'm not afraid to put my sassy personality on display. I find that a lot of designers favor a more neutral color palette, sophisticated language, and are a bit more "safe". I want to attract clients that aren't afraid to be SEEN, so I try to put my own style out there—even if it repels some people!

I also have a wealth of experience with all things digital marketing. Through Here Comes The Guide I've gained expertise not only in branding and design, but also in best SEO practices and copywriting. I find that some designers only make things look pretty—but I know that's only part of the equation. I partner that pretty with powerful strategy to really resonate with clients, rank on Google, and convert lookers into bookers.

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business? 

Leveraging both social media and my website, and putting personality into my brand. I use Instagram as a running portfolio of my work but also as a place to educate my audience on best practices for branding and website design and to share some personal, behind-the-scenes stories to help build that all-important “know like trust” factor. I also use blogging as a means to both showcase my expertise and rank my website higher on Google. 

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs? 

Find your voice. Most markets are so saturated that differentiating your branding is essential. Embrace your unique personality and let it shine through in your brand and marketing! Because at the end of the day, *authenticity* is what will build trust and connection.

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

One of my favorite books that I’ve read several times now is Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin. I'm fascinated by habits—both how they shape the overall structure of our lives and how our personality types play into forming, changing, or breaking them. This book is incredibly easy to read and is jam-packed with strategies that actually work. I continually go back to it to reinforce certain habits in my life and just love the framework she provides.

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

I'm a huge fan of TextExpander. It’s a tool that expands short abbreviations into long blocks of frequently-used text. I use it for emails mostly, and it enables you to not only “type out” hugely long emails with just a few clicks on the keyboard, but it also has “fill in” fields where you can customize the emails as needed. I’ve saved so much time with this tool – apparently in 2021 I saved 18 days using TextExpander!

Who is your business role model? Why?

I’ve already mentioned her above, but it’s my boss Meredith Monday Schwartz. As the head honcho at Here Comes The Guide, she’s helped us build a remarkable company for working moms. We’re a fully-remote, self-funded, women-founded, owned, and operated small business dedicated to true work / life balance. She’s implemented a 4-day workweek to give us more time, 6 weeks of paid maternity leave, and encourages us all not only to shape our own roles, but to also have side hustles that feed us. She never makes you feel bad about missing work when life happens. On the flip side, she actually gives us tips and advice to help. I don’t know how I got so lucky, but it makes me want to see more companies like ours out there in the world.

How do you balance work and life? 

I’ve mentioned several ways in my answers above, but one thing that I think is paramount to feeling balanced is self care. For me this means taking good, intentional care of your mental and physical well being. Far too often this “strategy” falls by the wayside because people either think it’s selfish (false) or that it’s less important than the other items on their to-do list (also false). The truth is, you need to feel your best in order to effectively tackle whatever the universe has in store. Whether it’s journaling, meditation, walking your dog, or taking a nightly bubble bath, find the things that naturally recharge you and leave you feeling like the best, most balanced version of yourself. No excuses!

What’s your favorite way to decompress? 

Red wine and Bravo. No shame in my game.

What do you have planned for the next six months? 

I have design clients booked through summer! So between client work, my full-time job, and my kids I’ll be keeping pretty busy. One thing I’ve been noodling on is creating digital products. I’d love to have a more passive revenue stream at some point. I’m aiming to gain more clarity on this in the coming months to put an actual plan in place.

How can our readers connect with you?

You can find me on Here Comes The Guide, my website Absolute JEM, and on Instagram @absolute.jem – can’t wait to connect!

"Keep showing up, conducting outreach, and making those connections" with Rachel Leslie

Rachel Leslie is the founder and lead writer of RL Studio, a copywriting and storytelling studio on a mission to help impact-driven brands stand out and amplify their business with compelling copy and purpose-led storytelling. With over a decade of marketing experience, Rachel understands and believes in the power of stories. In the studio, Rachel can be found at the helm collaborating with her clients, and graphic and web designers, developing messaging guides, copywriting strategies, and educating entrepreneurs on the power of storytelling.

Can you tell our readers about your background?
I have a degree in journalism, a business minor, and nearly 10 years of experience working in PR and marketing in the agency realm and on the brand side. During my agency days, I had the opportunity to work with various social impact brands across the food and beverage, travel, and hospitality industries. I’ve always been interested in storytelling and helping brands share their message with the world, whether that was through managing influencer marketing campaigns, launching new products or spearheading industry-disrupting campaigns.

Before starting my own business, that passion for storytelling led me to work at Nike as a digital copywriter writing for nike.com, app and email channels telling the stories of athletes, new product launches, and communities of impact.

What inspired you to start your business?

I’ve always done a lot of freelance writing on the side of my full-time jobs for so many years, and I always wondered if I’d ever take the plunge to start my own business. It wasn’t until I was working at Nike when I thought I was at my dream job where that question of whether I would start my own business continued to come up.

I loved the work I was doing, but I felt a strong desire to start my own business. I really enjoyed the freelance work I was doing on the side, helping brands share their positive messages or products with the world. The work was always different—from an online motherhood platform and a sustainable family-run fruit farm in Kauai to a small boutique hotel and more. All of these businesses were so passionate about their work. They continued to inspire me to help them through my brand messaging and copywriting services.

Where is your business based?

We’re based in Portland, OR where I live, but we get to work with clients all over the world! 

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

When I finally realized that I wanted to start my own business, I decided I would test this concept of offering copywriting services on the side of my full-time job. That way, I could ease into the process and see if this business could actually work.

One of the first steps I took was to tell former colleagues of mine, friends, and family members that I was now offering these services. I also created a social media channel and updated an old website to share more about myself, my services, and how people could work with me. Once I had these foundational elements in place, I started doing a lot of networking online and in-person to build genuine relationships with other creatives, industry leaders, and business owners. Building these relationships was one of the most beneficial steps to building my copywriting studio.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

As I briefly mentioned in the previous question, relationship building was huge. When you’re connecting with other people—online or not—it’s so, so crucial for you to be true to yourself and to be, dare I say it, authentic. One of the biggest differentiators that will help you build a business and stand out from the crowd is to be yourself. People want to work with people and brands they genuinely connect with and care about. 

Another effective way to raise awareness for my business was to continuously show up online (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn) to talk about my brand values, story, and services. It may feel like no one is watching or following you in the early stages, but trust me, they are! Continuously showing up online was one of the biggest unlocks for me to attract clients near and far and make myself known.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

Admittedly, self-doubt and imposter syndrome were two of my biggest challenges in building my own business. Questions, thoughts, and fears continuously came up that would spiral me into a black hole of…can I really make this work? Are the clients going to come? What will others think of me? And the list goes on! I quickly learned from business mentors and coaches that this, of course, is normal but that having a healthy mindset could make or break my business.  

One way I overcame these challenges was through journaling and manifestation tactics. There’s something to be said about taking stock of your thoughts and feelings and recognizing why you may be feeling a certain way. We move so fast in our day-to-day lives, and I think it’s important to ask yourself why you feel one way or another and get to the root cause of that emotion. On the other hand, there’s also something so powerful about envisioning your goals and believing in them so much so that they actually come to life. I had a lot of big goals for my first year in business, whether that was hitting a specific number in sales, signing on X number of clients, etc. Whenever I had a big goal I was trying to hit or a vision for a project, I would write out Post-It notes all over my house, on my laptop, and journal about it daily. They quickly became goals that didn’t feel out of reach for me but ones that I knew I could bring to life.

How do you stay focused?

Whenever I’m about to dive into a project or simply begin my workday, I do a couple of things to keep myself focused. Firstly, I silence any and all distractions. That includes my Slack channel with my team, phone, and any other distractions that may arise at home (like my husband coming into the office!). When I “go to work,” I let him know so he’s aware that I don’t want to be interrupted. I also batch my working windows. Mondays and Fridays are days when I solely work on my own business, internal projects, etc. Client work is restricted to Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. 

Our environments strongly influence our creativity, focus, and flow. Me, I thrive in my work, and I’m able to focus the most when I have natural light in my office; I have everything I need at my desk (water, a snack, paper to write on, etc.), a good Spotify playlist, a candle, and I’m wearing comfortable clothes. On a big writing day, these are essential for me!

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?
As I mentioned earlier, I'm a passionate storyteller, and this is something we thread throughout all of our client services. With my journalism background, the skills I've learned from that profession are integrated into our studio services. For instance, whenever we kick off a client project, we have an hour-long onboarding call where we conduct an interview Q+A session with our clients to get to know them, their goals, and their vision. During my journalism days, I had a lot of training in school in regards to prompts and questions to ask interviewees to get them to open up and talk. I've found these tactics to be so helpful during the early stages of a client project to get to know them and when we move into the writing stages, too.
Additionally, we really pride ourselves on community and collaboration over competition. This belief is found in the collaborative nature of how we work with our clients brainstorming copy strategies together, ideating on review calls, and the list goes on. We also have an interview series called Beyond The Brand, where we invite other creatives into the studio and pass the pen to them to hear their stories. This is just the start of a bigger vision to build a community around creativity and collaboration.

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?
Social media marketing has been highly effective in helping me grow my business. Instagram specifically has allowed me to connect with other creatives, and clients and grow a strong referral base. I would have to say that proactive outreach like following, commenting, and engaging with other potential clients, brands, and creatives to build genuine relationships and have candid conversations has allowed my business to grow on social media and to continue to be top-of-mind.

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

For aspiring entrepreneurs, the best piece of advice I could give is to just start! Trust me, you’ll regret it if you don’t ever try! For new entrepreneurs, keep on keeping on! Keep showing up, conducting outreach, and making those connections. It may feel like radio silence initially, but people are watching, listening, and seeing what you’re doing!

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

Great question! I’ve listed a few of my favorites below, but these are always changing! 

App: Calm - I’ve had Calm for quite some time now, and I’ve never used it as much as I have when I started my business. I love its meditation guidance, daily check-ins, and music selections. It also has movement options for stretching, etc. which I haven’t tried out yet! It’s my daily go-to but especially in moments of anxiety and stress.

Blog: Right now, I’ve been loving all of Sistain’s articles about sustainable everyday solutions, features of sustainable brands, and guides to living a more intentional lifestyle. Over the past few years, I’ve been really conscious of my everyday habits and the small changes I can make to positively impact the planet. This is an excellent resource with tons of digestible content and approachable recommendations we all can make. 

Book: Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert - This book takes on a unique perspective on creativity and how ideas spark. It really showed me that really anyone can be creative and have an idea to start a business, write that book, etc., but it’s the choice in doing so where the magic really lies. 

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

Since starting my business, I’ve been using Honeybook, and I love it so much. It’s a fantastic client management tool that helps me keep track of client projects, invoicing, contracts, proposals, client communication, and the list goes on. When it comes to client management, I love having everything in one place as it helps me stay on top of all aspects of a project!

Who is your business role model? Why?
I’m a big fan of Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx. Not only is her story of perseverance incredible in how she built a million-dollar company, but I love how raw and real she is not only as a businesswoman but as a mother and a wife.

How do you balance work and life?
I continue to remind myself that I created this business to have a healthier work-life balance. I’d be lying if I said, I’ve got it all figured out! As a business owner, it’s easy to feel like the longer you work, the more you’ll get done because you’re the one leading the charge, but I’ve quickly learned that’s not the case. The more breaks I give myself, the more days I choose to work less (and not harder), the more I focus on quality over quantity when I really thrive, and so does my business.

Right now, for me, this work-life balance looks like shutting off my computer at 5 p.m. on the weekdays and not opening it until the following morning, taking an hour for lunch, and walking outside. As well as working out or moving my body at least 30-minutes 4-5 times a week. 

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

I don’t know if I could pick just one way to decompress. Lately, it’s felt like a combination of things to really unwind. Sometimes, the simple act of getting off a screen and getting outside for a walk with my husband or a run can really do the trick. And other times, it’s ordering take-out and watching my favorite show. I’m a big traveler, so if those don’t do the trick, I’ll look at taking a mini staycation somewhere nearby in the Pacific Northwest or more further afield. Sometimes, that’s exactly what I need to step away from my work, switch off and return completely refreshed.
What do you have planned for the next six months?

To say we have a lot in the works is an understatement! We’re in the process of rebranding as well as building out a workshop series to educate aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners about copywriting and brand storytelling strategies. We also have a handful of done-for-you copywriting projects in the books with some pretty amazing clients across the health and wellness, fashion, interior design, and marketing industries.

On a more personal note, my husband and I will finally have our wedding celebration in Scotland this spring after 3 postponements! 

How can our readers connect with you?

To learn more about our studio, they can head to rachelleslie.co. To follow along on the latest studio happenings, they can find us on Instagram at @rachelaleslie.

"Don’t wait until you are almost out of money" with Kelly O’Connor

Photo Credit: soona denver

Kelly O’Connor is a TEDx speaker and an award-winning elder rights advocate, dedicated to improving life for those in their 70s, 80s, 90s, and 100s. Her interview-style podcast Goldenista Social Club features amazing older adults from across the country who share their wisdom with her audience. Her company, Calhoun Legacy, provides a Legacy Life Coaching program helping older adults find new meaning and purpose in their lives and consulting services helping organizations align their mission with their messaging.

Can you tell our readers about your background? I started my career in the fashion business in Paris and Tokyo in the 80s. I was a small-town girl in a big city and loved every minute of it. In the 90s, I began focusing my career on public relations and corporate communications which is when things really began to take off for me. In my last gig, I was part of a team that helped build a billion-dollar company – it was a dream come true. We had an office in Los Angeles and a showroom in New York, I was jet-setting between fashion week at Bryant Park and movie premieres in Hollywood. Then, I decided I wanted to slow down a bit and give back to the world in a more meaningful way, so I went back to grad school and received a master’s degree in spiritual psychology. I also started volunteering for a local hospice, which is when I fell in love with working with older adults in their last years of life. It literally changed the course of my life forever.

What inspired you to start your business? Senior care is historically a low-paying industry, so frankly, I started my own business to make more money. What I didn’t know at the time was how hard entrepreneurship would be and that it would take time to actually make enough money to pay myself a salary. Those first few years were rough, and I cried myself to sleep many a night, thinking that starting a business was the worst mistake of my life. After the first five years, however, I built the business into something that I was was able to sell, which freed me up to design another business that would ultimately be more fulfilling.

Where is your business based? I live in Denver, Colorado, but my coaching and consulting services are delivered throughout the country. I’ve even had a few clients in Europe. We were already using Zoom before the pandemic, so it was easy for us to pivot during those early months.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took? For my first business, I bought a franchise which was a plug-and-play solution that allowed me the confidence to leave my salary. I tried to work within their system for five years, but I found that I am more of a renegade entrepreneur which doesn’t work as well within the confines of the franchise model. I color outside the lines and all over the page, so it was a blessing that someone bought the franchise from me. In starting my second business, I took some time to really get clear on the clients I wanted to work with and how I wanted to help them before launching into marketing.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business? With both of my businesses, I started with referral partners – people who already had existing relationships with my ideal clients. Their referrals were stronger than any direct-to-consumer leads I could have generated. By finding the right referral partners, my business grew faster than I could have imagined. I kept the referral partners engaged through email marketing, social media, and of course, the obligatory goodie bags for their staff. I even threw an annual Thank You party for my partners and a client appreciation picnic in the summer, so we created a community of people supporting each other and the business.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them? My biggest challenges were my lack of business operation knowledge and my own mindset. I overcame them by immersing myself in a women’s entrepreneurship program which helped me design my business processes and redesign my thinking about myself and what was possible for my business.

How do you stay focused? I’m a squirrel girl, so I get unfocused many times per day. What keeps me focused is a simple two-page strategic plan. I review it every Monday and then ask myself if I am working on the priorities or not during each day. It is difficult sometimes when I want to do the “fun” things in business and avoid the more mundane, but I have learned to trust my strategic plan and make it achievable IF and ONLY IF, I do the necessary work.

How do you differentiate your business from the competition? I am carving out a new niche in the marketplace so I don’t have much competition at this time. The hardest part is that older adults think that Medicare (the government) should pay for everything, and my Legacy Coaching Program is paid out-of-pocket. It’s been so fun to blend my background in public relations and my senior care experience to help other businesses align their mission and their message. I never could have imagined my life coming together like this.

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business? The most effective marketing strategy is referral marketing – marketing to those who already have the trust of my prospective clients. When those in a position of trust recommend me, the sales process goes so much smoother. This also applies to former client marketing as well. When a client has a great experience and tells their friends, my client list has grown quickly

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs? The best advice is to get support early on in your entrepreneurial journey; don’t wait until you are almost out of money. I spent so many unnecessary funds trying to reinvent the wheel. Find a peer mastermind group or coaching group to support you in your start-up phase, so you can build your business right from the beginning and not have to untangle bad processes when the business is in full swing.

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why? I’m a TikTok lover. It’s quick, easy, fun, light. When they went to the three-minute videos I got a bit bored, but I’m still a fan. Facebook will always be my anchor in social media though. It’s where my customers are.

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why? I love Canva….as in L-O-V-E Canva. I have saved hundreds of dollars by using their services. I change my mind a lot, so I can print small quantities and then re-design anything I need without graphic design change fees of printing minimums. Plus, I’m a meme queen and love creating my own messaging.

Who is your business role model? Why? My business role model is Cynthia James Enterprises and Women Creating Our Futures. Both organizations have values I believe in, and they have tremendous integrity in how their missions are carried out. Cynthia James as a speaker, teacher and leader is someone I greatly admire. If I could have half the impact on my audience as she’s had, I could die a happy woman.

How do you balance work and life? Work/life balance is a myth and dangerous for women to believe. There is only a small chance that work and life can actually be balanced perfectly in any week. How I found more balance in my life was by color-coding my calendar. It was a quick, visual method of seeing where I spent my time for the week. As an entrepreneur I found myself filling my every day with work and my weekend with admin catch-up so I was out of balance. I needed “me time,” so I assigned a color to PERSONAL and started proactively scheduling time for myself. It made a huge difference. The other thing that was a game-changer was when I assigned a color to INCOME-PRODUCING activities. I found myself “hiding” in my business with busy work so I could avoid sales calls – that nearly killed my business. I now look to see if there is a balance between ME and SALES each week to make sure I am on track.

What’s your favorite way to decompress? I have a gorgeous backyard living area overlooking the sunset and it is the perfect way to end a day. It even has light strings along the roofline so I can TikTok into the later evening. My dog Buddy joins me there after our evening walks – just me, him, and the stars, there is nothing better.

What do you have planned for the next six months? These next six months will be packed, as I have eight work trips already planned and numerous speaking engagements. I’m trying to work in as much play and dating as possible to make sure that I have fun too.

How can our readers connect with you?

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellygraceoconnor/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goldenista

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@goldenistasocialclub

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goldenistasocialclub/

Spotify: Goldenista Social Club Podcast

iTunes: Goldenista Social Club Podcast

Website: www.kellyoconnor.com and www.goldenistasocialclub.com

"“If not now, when? If not you, who? Get your plan together and jump in” with Kathleen London

Photo Credit: Linda Dobel Photography

Kathleen London has brought a taste of the UK to the Main Streets of Michigan- building upon years of retail industry experience to found London Beauty, a cheeky beauty space that allows customers to express and embrace their individuality through independently owned, cruelty-free makeup and skincare products.

Can you tell our readers about your background?

I was born and raised in the Midwest, and moved to New York City shortly after college. Making it to The Big Apple & experiencing all NYC has to offer was always a big dream of mine. I soon entered the world of high-end luxury retail, working as an executive for brands such as Sergio Rossi, Max Mara, and Mackenzie Childs. I also managed the Madison Avenue Barney’s NY and fell in love with the cosmetics floor there. It was at that time that brands were launching exclusively in places like Barneys, and hearing the founder’s stories & being able to play across brands sounded extremely freeing. From there, I soon found myself driving down the Main Street of Brighton, Michigan- where I discovered a tiny little gem with a ‘for rent’ sign. That gem would become the first London Beauty location- a posh, UK-inspired storefront that encapsulates everything I love about beauty and retail.

What inspired you to start your business?

As a woman, I have always felt that the makeup and skincare industry tends to try to lump us into a single category. Young or old, full glam or all-natural. It was frustrating because I feel like I could be in any category on any given day. I craved a place where women could go & not feel judged, feel free to ask all the questions they want, and buy what makes them feel awesome at that moment.

Where is your business based?

We are happily based in Southeast Michigan, with hopes to expand into more areas of the Midwest.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

I had the idea for London Beauty many, many years ago, but life & love finally brought me to the place where I had the support and the ability to execute it– Brighton, Michigan. I began by making lists and hiring an amazing designer to craft our logo. It was like getting into costume– it truly set the stage for everything else.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

Getting yourself and your team to truly live and reflect your brand in every aspect of the day. It motivates those you encounter to get curious and check you out. In the early days of a business, this is the most cost-effective strategy.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

Money, money, money. There is a lending gap for women-owned businesses. Banks don’t like to back us. Find ways to run lean, open small, and grow organically. And absolutely use your support system to keep yourself sane.

How do you stay focused?

The question really is– how do I stop focusing? When it’s your own business, it’s hard not to be myopic. You wake up at 3 AM remembering a task or brainstorming an idea. Delegating and letting go is the challenge.

How do you differentiate your business from the competition? 

Kindness. We focus on making each client feel heard, and then giving them the London Beauty experience. In today’s industry, it amazes me that this is a missing element.  

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

Word of mouth. It really is the best, most inexpensive way to get your message out. I remember hearing a story about Jo Malone when she first launched in NYC– she would have her friends take her beautiful shopping bags with them when they walked their dogs on Madison Ave. Absolutely brilliant.  

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

Go for it! If not now, when? If not you, who? Get your plan together and jump in.  

What's your favorite app, blog, and book?

Lately, I’ve been obsessed with the fitness rings on my Apple Watch– chalk it up to January! I don’t read many blogs, but I love to read to decompress. My favorite series right now is the Inspector Gamache Mysteries by Louise Penny. It’s extremely well written and allows me to completely escape!

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

My favorite resources are my fellow female business owners. During the pandemic, I found great comfort by sitting between 2 other women leading businesses. With them, I can cheer, cry, brainstorm, and find partners.

Who is your business role model? Why?

I have so many business role models! Bosses from my past, fellow female founders, industry leaders. Inspiration can be found everywhere.

How do you balance work and life?

I know it sounds trite– but seriously, it never feels like work when you love what you do.

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

Working in the beauty industry has many perks! I get the fun of trying all of the fun products I see at home. Right now I’m playing with a new Crystal IR Mat & Light Therapy Mask!

What do you have planned for the next six months?

London Beauty is currently acquiring a new location, so we are hyper-focused on making sure we have that baby up & running as smoothly as our original location!

How can our readers connect with you?

The best way to see what we’re up to & connect is on our Instagram- @LondonBeautyOnline. Feel free to ask our team questions & hit us up anytime!

www.londonbeautyonline.com

www.instagram.com/londonbeautyonline

www.facebook.com/londonbeautyonline

www.twitter.com/londonbeautykat

“Be Relentlessly Obsessed About Your Customers” with Daisy Jiang

Daisy Jiang is the logistics entrepreneur behind the company Bookairfreight, which provides international shipping services to small and medium-sized businesses. Her obsession with building simple experiences backed by world-class customer service has led to triple-digit year-over-year growth and over 90% customer retention. Daisy shares the story that took her from professional services in Shanghai to running a globally distributed team.

Can you tell our readers about your background?

Entrepreneurship has always been a big part of my family - my stepmother owned and operated multiple stationary stores in Beijing(?). After graduating from high school I studied at the Shanghai Institute of Technology, then began working as a consultant at FTI Consulting in Shanghai before moving on to a similar role at the law firm King & Wood Malleson. But my real passion was in startups, so I left the amazing perks of that role behind and started working at a logistics startup in Hong Kong. Soon after that, I left and started Bookairfreight!

What inspired you to start your business?

I’ve always been excited about the world of startups - bringing in a small, highly motivated group of people to solve a novel problem is what gets me out of bed every day. While working at the logistics startup in Hong Kong, I noticed that dealing with international bulk shipments (for example moving goods from a factory in China to a warehouse in the USA) was incredibly behind the times. It was phone calls, emails, faxes(!) back and forth over several days before you could get a pricing quote, which I found to be totally ridiculous. As I researched more into the industry, I realized there was a big opportunity to modernize freight forwarding, and that’s where the idea for Bookairfreight came about.

Where is your business based?

We are incorporated in Hong Kong, but it’s a truly global team. Right now I spend significant time in China to be closer to our suppliers, but my co-founder is based out of the San Francisco Bay Area, and engineering, product, and design happen out of Latin America and Africa, with marketing out of India.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

International transportation and freight forwarding is a very traditional industry, so coming in as a young woman without outside experience was incredibly challenging. I started out by working (for free!) at the largest freight forwarding company in Hong Kong to get a much better idea of how the industry worked and what the issues were. This is where I saw that digitization was almost nonexistent, meaning all the work was done manually. Once I learned enough and felt comfortable venturing out on my own, I got in touch with freight forwarders who were excited about working with a tech startup to grow their business, found a technical co-founder, and worked to build out our product and grow our customer base!

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

So much of successful marketing starts with understanding your customer base deeply, and going from there. Besides the general tools like SEO, Google Ads, and social media, we also made sure that our website and platform were really easy to use and share. This way, when a user found a shipping quote they liked, it was very 

easy for them to send it to their own contacts

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

In a way, the biggest challenges turned out to be the biggest opportunities. Finding a co-founder in a completely different time zone meant we had to build a strong culture of documenting and communicating effectively because anything that wasn’t clear meant a 12-hour delay to get an answer! But this helped us build the foundation for a fully remote company. 

Not having previous experience in freight forwarding was also incredibly difficult, but it also meant we could really sympathize with our customers, who themselves were not familiar with the industry. This made it easy to build a product that really brought value to this customer segment.

How do you stay focused?

I’m very good at multitasking, which is important when issues are cropping up all the time. At the end of the day, I make sure to plan ahead what is important to accomplish, and then I’m head down getting it done. No fancy tricks for me!

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

This comes down to really understanding who our customers are and what they need. We work with small e-commerce businesses that don’t necessarily have their own logistics department. This customer segment needs a very simple way to find and book shipping quotes, and strong customer service to make sure they understand everything that’s going on. Our tools and products make it super easy and clear for this type of customer to find the right rates for their business, book them, and manage them, and we take care of everything else. In this way, we operate as our customers’ shipping partners or even their internal logistics department.

Our competitors have more of an enterprise (i.e. bigger company) focus, and while they might have functionality that we don’t, for micro and small businesses we make the process so easy and straightforward that they come back time and time again. Additionally, most competitors are ocean freight focused and we are more specialized in air freight solutions.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that we have excellent suppliers we work with and are always looking to improve on our pricing and value-add services, such as faster delivery times, insurance coverage, and rates that have tax and duties already baked into the pricing! 

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

Referrals and word of mouth! Small business entrepreneurship can have small, well-trusted circles. When you do a good job, people talk!

What is your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

Everyone says the cliche “however hard you think it’ll be, it will be even harder”, so I won’t go with that. Practically speaking, be able to support yourself without a steady income for at least a year and a half, preferably 2 years. Additionally, think about your marketing strategy very early on - just building something won’t bring in people, so make sure it’s the right solution for your customers and that you can reach out to them effectively.

What are your favorite apps, blogs, and books? Why?

App - Youtube. I’m always watching videos about the economy, business, etc in the background as I’m working. Watching videos is so much more efficient for me than reading in many cases.

Blog: http://www.paulgraham.com/

Book: The hard thing about the hard things

What is your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

With our distributed team, Slack is by far our most important tool. Being able to jump into quick one on one huddles, easy screen share, easy search. It truly enables our business when people are working in different time zones.

Who is your business role model?

Ben Chestnut - founder of Mailchimp

How do you balance work and life?

This is not easy at an early-stage startup, full stop. At the end of the day, bringing in trusted people, empowering them, and letting them make decisions allows me some amount of downtime.

Favorite way to decompress?

To get a massage! 

What do you have planned for the next 6 months?

Bookairfreight is really hitting its stride - we know our customers very well, we’re confident in our services, and we are going to continue providing value to them. The next 6 months are all about making sure the people who need our services know where to find us, and continuously making their experience on our website better and easier.

 How can our readers connect with you?

Our website is www.bookairfreight.com. We also have a blog www.bookairfreight.com/blog where we post about the current state of the industry, as well as guides on how to import different products.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookairfreight

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bookairfreight