Where Tech Strategy Meets Beauty

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in marketing but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Aja Miyamoto, Founder and Owner of Opanova Digital, located in Columbus, OH, USA.

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

Opanova is a web & SEO marketing firm that caters to the beauty industry. We specialize in working with salons, spas, and luxury-level brands.

Tell us about yourself

I grew up with two entrepreneurial-spirited parents. My mom owned a consignment store, and my father built and repaired computers. I'd like to think I combined the best of both worlds. Growing up around the flexibility, freedoms, and hard work involved in self-employment, I never quite understood the draw to the corporate world.

While I didn't know what my future would hold, I knew I was a creative. After school and major hopping in college, I ended up graduating from The Ohio State University, studying Journalism. It was at Ohio State that I started working on my business plans in the library. When it came time to graduate and get a "job," I felt the pull to keep working on my venture while I served tables at night.

Today, I wake up with a relentless drive to serve my clients. Running a business takes a village, and I've seen the tried and true impacts of well-executed marketing, design, and strategy for local businesses. Often, they just need someone who really cares. My husband and our son give me all the focus and motivation I need to continue to grow the business.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Being a mom and a business owner. Bringing my son into the world has given me more focus on my business than I ever thought possible. People tend to tell you the worse case scenarios of how horrible pregnancy and motherhood are. I had people tell me I wouldn't be able to look at a screen and that it would be impossible to run the business with a clear mind. If anything, it shows me how impactful you can be when you define your priorities in life. I hope it shows my son that he can do anything he sets his mind to and that women are infinitely strong. Often the best path is the one you venture alone.

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

Consistency. You see it all the time where people "could have" been successful if they just kept going. Between the chaos of life and intrusive thought patterns, it's quite easy to think that what you do doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. That's when you give up and move on. Often, success follows those who just keep showing up with consistency. While it's quite easy to talk the talk, it says a lot about you as a person to make a plan, define the actions, and follow through with it. No one else can show up for you.

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

Define your services and your target audience.
Show up and care about your clients.
Fill up your own cup.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://opanovadigital.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aja.miyamoto.566/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amiyamoto18/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aja-miyamoto-03b395108/

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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