Innovative Marketing for Lifestyle Brands

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in marketing but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Carolyn Delacorte, Founder of Boxwood Co, located in New York, NY, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

We are a top-ranked PR and marketing firm focused on lifestyle brands. Most of our clients are from the beauty, food, or design industries.

Tell us about yourself

I started my career in San Franciso as a model - primarily walking in local fashion shows for designers such as Armani and Donna Karan and posing for some print. While this was fun at first, it had its limitations in terms of creative scope. I was in college at the time, so I started an internship at KTVU in Oakland. There I worked my way up to a paid position as a field producer and assignment editor for Mornings on 2 and the 10' Oclock News. I absolutely loved that every day was different and that we could jump in our news van and chase after the news.

I later went on to CNN (which was an affiliate) as a field producer doing man-on-the-street spots and other topical interviews. As time passed, a friend asked me to help him market his architectural design business. He was really happy with the programs I implemented and recommended me to a couple of other firms in the area. Soon I was flush with customers and decided to open my own firm. That was before social media or even email - we actually faxed, mailed transparencies, and made phone calls. Oh, the changes thinking back! I love the creative opportunities I encounter every day - from photography and writing to crafting clever pitches, there's always something interesting to do every morning.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I've created campaigns that resulted in remarkable clips and spots on national TV for clients, but I think my biggest accomplishment has truly been to stay successful for more than 20 years in a very competitive business. Through downturns, upturns, and everything in between, we've kept on going for more than two decades.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

There are so many avenues you can travel down with a brand or business of any kind that it can be hard to choose what direction to keep moving in. For example, as a marketer, you can be a publicist, a content creator, a celebrity and licensing wrangler, a writer and instructor, a social media strategist, a retail specialist - or all of the above. Over time, publicists find themselves dipping into many pools of expertise to get the job done. Knowing which areas are the best takes a good amount of study and observation to get right.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

Anyone starting out today should keep their overhead low and try to contract out for as much talent as possible. Trying to grow a brand while being responsible for too many livelihoods can be crushing.
Don't spend a fortune on web design.
Work on pulling together and growing an email list of true prospective customers that you feel comfortable reaching out to on a regular basis. An email list will help you grow your business much faster than putting all your marketing focus on social media videos.

If you want to be successful, don't try to wear too many hats - that is a brand killer. Hire smart people and listen to what they have to say, contract out as many non-core elements of your business as possible and focus on great product design.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.boxwoodco.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/boxwood360
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boxwood360/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Boxwood360
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolyn-delacorte/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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