Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Kelly Helmick, Founder of Dog Star Creative Co, located in Florence, KY, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I'm a business coach for copywriters who are ready to ditch cold emailing and get consistent leads with networking.
Tell us about yourself
I always wanted to be a writer when I grew up. But it wasn't until 2019, when I saw an ad for a copywriting course, that I knew how to make that dream come true. I clicked on the ad (which I never do) and started the course a few days later. After working with a few copywriting clients, I realized that copywriting wasn't for me — I much prefer to write fiction than to write copy for others. Haha! But I loved the community of copywriters I'd built and wanted to continue supporting and working with them. So I dropped my copywriting services and started putting my English degree to good use as an editor for copywriters.
During the year and a half, I edited copy; I kept getting requests for coffee chats from the newer members of the course I'd taken. They always asked questions about how I got clients, where I found information, how to overcome mindset struggles, etc. And after some prodding from my coach, I finally accepted it was time to make another change in my business and start coaching. I'm not even breaking the ice when I say I found fulfillment in this. I can't explain the feelings I get when I help my clients have a breakthrough, coach them through chatting with someone online and getting a discovery call and work with them through the everyday ups and downs of building a business. Coaching is what I was meant to do. It's what I love to do. And it's an absolute privilege to be able to do it!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I'm going to cheat and do 2! Haha! The first is finding the thing I am meant to do. I distinctly remember having a conversation with my mom about wanting to help people and make a big difference in their life. And I get to do that every day. But what's better is that I'm not the big difference — I'm the catalyst for the thought-provoking moments that bring them clarity and confidence. That's a powerful and wonderful thing.
The second accomplishment is healing and finding ME again. When I started that copywriting course in 2019, I was actually on a leave of absence from my soul-sucking corporate job. The job was devastating to my mental health, and I lost myself for a long time bc of it. But when I started that course, it was like a light appeared at the end of a very dark tunnel. I saw hope for the first time in years. Hope that I wouldn't have to go back to that job. Hope that the cycle of surviving and not thriving will end. Hope that I can stop making myself smaller to fit into someone else's box. And, with time, I realized I had the freedom to be authentically ME both inside and outside of my business.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Ironically, one of the hardest things for me was accepting help. It's still something I'm not extremely good at, to be honest. But I have gotten a lot better and am able to hand over the reins on almost anything in my business now. This being one of the biggest challenges for me, though, gives me a unique perspective of how my clients might feel when I offer suggestions. It's something I can recognize in my clients and help them overcome, as I've mostly overcome my struggles with it.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- If you've been told to grow your business through cold emails or DMs, ignore that "advice." There are a ton of ways to grow your business that don't have to feel inauthentic and salesy.
- If you want to build a sustainable business that gives you inbound leads, start networking. Learn how to build a relationship with your ideal clients before you ever start pitching to them.
- Kind of a shameless plug here, but... hire a coach, mentor, or someone who can give you an outside perspective on your business and help you grow. I've hired a coach 3 times, and I've gotten amazing ROI (tangible and intangible) every time.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://dogstarcreativeco.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dogstarcreativeco/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dogstarcreativeco/
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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