Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Emily Reagan, Founder of Emily Reagan Public Relations & Marketing, located in Mechanicsville, VA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I help virtual assistants uplevel their skills and clients by learning digital marketing mechanics and strategies. There's a significant skill cap and employment opportunity because businesses are moving online and drowning in must-do marketing strategies.
They need help building, nurturing, and selling to their audiences, and they need a team of marketing assistants who know how to do it... and do it right. So I train the marketing assistants who help with email marketing, funnel building, content marketing, and affiliate marketing.
Tell us about yourself
I started freelancing accidentally when I had to quit my dream marketing job and PCS with my husband's military orders. I took my first retainer freelance client to my new state and never looked back.
Freelancing changed my world: I could stay home and raise my babies, have something challenging for my brain to do, and work on my terms. I loved the marketing work because it pays well and is the most flexible. I didn't know what to call myself for years. Clients called me their "VA," but I was much more than that.
I was a behind-the-curtain wizard who helped them make money through marketing. So I coined the term Unicorn Digital Marketing Assistant because I was helping with all the essential marketing tasks behind the scenes. I started teaching my military spouse friends how to do what I do and passed off extra work to them, and that's when my program was born.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I just had a six-figure launch of my program, Unicorn Digital Marketing Assistant School! For years, I was happy working behind the scenes and never saw myself as someone who needed to be in the limelight. I worked with Jennifer Allwood for six years and helped her make her first million. Still, eventually, I had to listen to the inner voice telling me I could help more women by sharing my skills.
It wasn't easy to walk away from her business and start something with 0 on my email list or follower list as a total nobody. But to be able to reconsider three years later and look at these numbers, mainly because I teach marketing, it's mind-bending. But the whole time, I knew I could do it.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The hardest thing about being a business owner is not knowing if it will be worth it. Will my idea pay off? How much time do I need to dedicate for it to work? It would be so much easier to stay in a 9-to-5 or even go back to client work than try to be the figurehead and CEO, trailblazing and building something from scratch.
I have days where I want to burn it down and get a cushy job with the corporation down the street. But then I get hit with a comment, email, or DM that reminds me I have something deeper driving me. It's not easy being an entrepreneur when you have a vision that no one else can see and that will take time to pursue.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Make sure you have a source of money. Online businesses look so easy to start, and they are typically low-cost. However, it costs money to keep it running. Human capital, tech stacks, and marketing are costly over time.
- Audiences need to see consistency from you. So many brands come and go online. The way to stand out is by staying consistent in the inbox, on social, and with your offers and messaging. Don't change everything. Don't fizzle out from one week to the next. Make a plan and stick to it.
- Your network is everything. Not only do potential clients and leads matter, but your peer network will grow you the fastest. If your peers are talking about you and referring to you, your name will get out there much quicker and have an extra stamp of credibility.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://emilyreaganpr.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emilyreaganpr
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyreaganpr/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/emilyreaganpr
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyreagan/
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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