Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Anna Osgoodby, Founder of Going Bold Studio, located in Tacoma, WA, USA.

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

My business is called Going Bold Studio, and we provide branding, Squarespace website design, and social media services to small business owners. We work with a variety of clients in both product and service-based businesses, including everyone from boutique and online store owners to interior designers, wedding planners, salons, course creators, non-profits, and more! The one thing that all of our clients have in common is they're looking for a bold approach when it comes to their projects.

Tell us about yourself

I first got inspired to start a business when I was living in New York City. I'm originally from the Seattle area and have been living far away from family for over five years and was itching for a career option that would allow me more flexibility to visit home more than once a year. At the time, I was working at a public relations firm, and the environment was steadily becoming more toxic. So I decided to take my motivation to leave the agency I was working at and my desire to have more flexibility and take a chance on myself! From there, I launched my own business, and this year I'll hit my 8th anniversary of becoming an entrepreneur. It was a scary jump at the time, but I'm so happy I decided to go for it.

I love owning my business for many reasons, but my favorite part is the amazing clients I get to work with. I work with women from all different industries and backgrounds, and getting to know their stories and being able to support their businesses truly lights me up each day! I'm also just incredibly passionate about the work I get to do, and getting to work on both design and marketing clients is the best of both worlds.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

This may sound silly, but honestly, my biggest accomplishment was deciding to take that chance of starting a business and keeping at it! There are so many highs and lows as a business owner, and it can be incredibly taxing mentally. I think it's truly one of the hardest personal development challenges you can take but also one of the most rewarding, and I'm incredibly proud to have made it this far.

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

That's a great question! I think one of the hardest things is that YOU call all of the shots. It's kind of a double-edged sword. Many start their own businesses because they want to be the "boss" and there are so many awesome things about being able to make all of the big decisions, but then you remember, as a business owner, you have to make ALL of the decisions big and small -- on top of providing the services or products you sell and that can be a little overwhelming sometimes.

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

  1. Give it time. This one is big -- I think in today's culture, we're bombarded with "overnight success stories" and "replace your corporate income in 6 months", and this type of messaging sets people up for disappointment. It's not to say that it's not possible to do that, but most of the time, there's a lot more to the stories than people are sharing. When it comes to business, oftentimes, things take a lot longer than you think they will. I think it's more important to build a business with a strong foundation that can grow and persist for many years to come instead of chasing these types of headlines.
  2. Get started and learn as you go. So many people put off starting a business because they want to have everything figured out before they officially launch. What ends up happening, though, is 1.) people never end up launching their businesses or 2.) they launch, and because it doesn't take off right away, they go back to rethink things, starting the process over again. This also loops back to my first point of not giving things enough time. As a business owner, I recommend doing things imperfectly and learning as you go vs. waiting for them to be perfect before launching. You can always make changes and improvements as you go, but if you don't start, you're not going to get far.
  3. Learn from others but also find your own way. There's so much great advice out there about running businesses, launch strategies, marketing, social media, and all the things. And I think it's great to learn about what has worked for others and how you may be able to adopt some of those approaches. Don't blindly follow the advice of others, though. However you approach your business, you want to make sure it feels authentic to you and your purpose.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.goingboldstudio.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goingboldstudio
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goingboldstudio/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annaosgoodby/

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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