Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in marketing but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Rachel Mawhirter, Partner at Marketing Maven, located in Great Bend, KS, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Marketing Maven is a brand management firm serving clients in healthcare, construction, and veterinary industries across the Midwest. With employees spread throughout Kansas, we are equipped to serve small to medium-sized companies who need to outsource their marketing department to a team of experienced brand builders. We can tackle special projects like video production, graphic design, or website development, but the bulk of our time is spent serving as an outsourced marketing department for companies that don't have their own or who need additional support.
Tell us about yourself
After nearly a decade working in a Chamber of Commerce serving small to medium-sized businesses, I saw a huge need for helping other entrepreneurs elevate their marketing without breaking the bank. In 2014, I started freelancing on the side to help friends here and there, and it took on a life of its own. By 2016, I went full-time, and we've grown consistently since then. Today, we have four full-time Mavens and a couple of other part-time people who help us exceed our clients' expectations. My biggest motivator is seeing our clients' companies achieve new heights they couldn't achieve on their own. It's so rewarding helping a business owner unlock potential, save time, and look better than ever. We build friendships and long-lasting professional relationships, and that's what it's all about.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
So far, our business has received two major awards for helping clients stand out in their industries. Our jobs are so fun and intrinsically rewarding anyway, but to be recognized by outside parties feels so much more validating.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
The hardest part about being a business owner is supporting your team and creating a fun and rewarding culture while still pounding the drum and keeping things moving forward. It's a delicate balance and one that I feel like I get better at over time. You make many mistakes in the beginning, and slowly figure out what's most important as you get more established.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
My advice to anyone starting or running a business would break down to these three things:
1. Don't go it alone. No entrepreneur can be good at everything, so outsource to an expert if you struggle with finance or marketing. If you are structuring important documents that require legal advice, hire a real attorney you can trust. When you already work long hours, outsource your lawn care or snow shoveling to another company. Your business is worth the investment, and your family and your health will be much better if you don't try to do it all alone.
2. Always trust your gut. It's so easy for a business owner, especially in the beginning, to get overwhelmed with the opinions and "advice" of family, friends, or other business owners. It's important to listen and keep an open mind, but you'll know which ideas are helpful and worthwhile and which ones are duds. Don't let other people's opinions override your gut as an entrepreneur. Stay focused on who you serve and why, and always make decisions based on your gut as an entrepreneur. Stay focused on who you serve and why, and always make decisions based on your why.
3. You don't have to accomplish it all this week. It can be easy to feel the pressure to do all the same things other more established businesses are doing right from the beginning. And the more you do, the more you'll discover what you could be doing. But it's more important to pace yourself. Be intentional about what you do and why, and only take on one or two new ideas at a time so you can measure them and master them before you take on more. You'll be much more successful in the long run, being a master of a few things instead of trying to be everything to everyone.
And similarly, there is always tomorrow. Get the sleep. Go to the recital. Don't put your whole life on hold to run a business. Your to-do list is not what you'll be remembered for. Remember WHY you are doing this in the first place.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.marketingmavenconsulting.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HireAMaven/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hireamaven/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hireamaven
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/marketing-maven-consulting/
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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