Welcome to the Online Success Collaborative Podcast!
Listen in for the latest tips in building an online presence that allows you to work smarter not harder for your business.
Like what you hear? Like, subscribe, and tell other entrepreneurs about the podcast.
Want to collaborate? Go ahead and click contact. I’d love to connect.
Creating A Business You Love – Erin Blondeau
Erin Blondeau is a brand strategist and designer who supports soulful, sustainable, and ethical businesses through her business Cultura Brand Studio.
Erin began her design work when she graduated from college and was seeking a career path aligned with her interests. After working as a freelancer, she was hired at a design agency where she worked for a few years before the birth of her son. After his birth, Erin decided that she wanted the independence and freedom of owning her own design business.
Building A Business You Love with Erin Blondeau
Click to listen in: iTunes – Google Play – Spotify
This episode is for you if:
- You are transitioning from a traditional job to launching your own business.
- Are trying to find new clients and aren’t sure where to begin.
- You are curious about branding and design.
Growing an Online Business
After the birth of her son, Erin struggled with postpartum depression and wasn’t sure if she wanted to go back to her design job. She explored other career paths, but decided that she wasn’t ready to give up design.
“Why not combine everything I love and create something unique?”
Erin chose to work specifically with ethical brands, and she starting her business by finding people with similar interests online and locally. She began introducing herself to people she found in places like Facebook groups. Some of those introductions resulted in friendships that are an ongoing part of her life and business. Erin and her online contacts refer clients to each other and still check-in regularly.
To find local contacts, Erin reached out to businesses and sent cold emails introducing herself. She started with businesses she already had a connection with, like the coffee shop where she would work and hold client meetings.
Hurdles in Online Business
Erin’s biggest challenge was starting from zero and feeling like she didn’t have money to invest in her business. She scraped together what she could and prioritized hiring a business coach. Erin’s coach helped her efficiently map out next steps, find clients, and get to the place she is now. Today, Erin has gone from no clients to being booked out a month and a half in advance.
Why Do Online Businesses Fail?
For Erin, there is no such a thing as failure. People tend to have a lot of self doubt, so they give up right away. Their limiting beliefs keep them from seeing what’s possible. How can you overcome mental blocks? Erin recommends joining Facebook groups and taking advantage of all the free educational content out there. She also learned from Skillshare. Erin suggests that everyone invest in a business coach, even before paying for online education.
Pro Tips:
Networking is the number one way to grow.
Find Facebook groups to join and local entrepreneurs to introduce yourself to. Erin has been able to grow her businesses quickly through the referrals that have come to her via her colleagues.
Brainstorm to discover your brand.
Create a Google doc with your business ideas and brand visions. Revisit your list every couple days, and when you feel like you have enough direction, make a plan for yourself. Keep following that plan and you can’t go wrong!
Flash Round:
Favorite Online Management Tool: Dubsado
Website Host: Namecheap
Physical or Online Planner: Physical
Inspirations in Business: Amy Porterfield, Marie Forleo, and Jenna Kutcher
Favorite Book: Building A StoryBrand
Resources:
Hello, I’m Lander Sulser. Tucked away in Eastern Montana, I’m a copywriter, podcaster, and educator with a mission to help you grow your online business. Pastry in hand and coffee brewing, you’ll find me adventuring, writing, and trying–but never succeeding– to tire my Australian Shepherd.