Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Daphne Barron, account director of Serotina Media Inc., located in Toronto, ON, Canada.

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

Serotina Media Inc it's a millennial-founded, transcontinental, trilingual, fully remote, digital performance agency. Did you get all that? ;)
No, but seriously, what we really do is anything social and all things digital
we are editors, innovators, creators, and communications experts. We do branding in 2022 the way branding should be in this digital medium of metaverses and virtual experiences. That's why our slogan is #KEEPSOCIAL

We believe we should be connected to humans both online and offline.
We love working with anyone who wants to communicate with their audience the way audiences want to be connected to in today's blended world of in-person and digital ecosystems. For us, it doesn't matter if you are a start-up or a Fortune 500 company. What's important to us is that you want to connect with humans because that's what social media was created to do.

Tell us about yourself

I’m a scientist by trade, creative by choice, marketer by opportunity, people-lover by nature. I love curating, leading, number-crunching, problem-solving, analyzing, experiencing all life’s pleasures, forever learning, and empowering others. That’s what got me to where I am today.

Growing up with two entrepreneurs as parents in a small town just outside Montréal, I was exposed to risk and responsibility at an early age. I learned you could be and go after anything you want, as long as you did the work and were accountable for your actions. But more importantly, I learned you could do this all while having FUN, staying true to your value’s and respecting humans. The business really isn’t all about money it’s about relationships.

I had the great opportunity to travel to and explore NYC, LA, London, and Miami through my young adult life. With these experiences, I gained a lot of perspective on cultures, values, and relationships that have shaped me into the leader and business owner I am at a young age. I’m motivated by those around me: my team, my business partners, my friends, and my loved ones. I’m motivated by the freedom to have FUN and keep things FUNKY. I love having FUN freely.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

This is always the hardest question for me, but here goes! I would say I am incredibly proud that I have been able to bootstrap my company from the ground up and that Serotina is turning five this year (wild!). Meanwhile, I’m about to launch two new businesses! The humans and networks that I’ve built alongside these achievements is also an incredible feat, with world-class talent and growing creative collectives! All this while ensuring company growth year over year, both revenue and team size, has been pretty incredible too…and during a pandemic, no less! To me, it’s about the small wins every other day that amount to big wins.

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

Saying no, lol, oh and thinking WRONG! Just because you own the business, it doesn’t mean you have all the answers. Regardless, people expect you to, and you technically have to as the buck stops with you. Therefore, you’re constantly evaluating where and how you can fail and succeed at the same time.

One of the less hard (because it’s not “easy,” lol) things for me is to be vulnerable. I say that to encourage others to do the same and create an environment that allows you to be your true self. As a leader, I know I’m able to make the harder decisions when I strategize them with those I can truly be honest and open with (big shout out to my team, partners, mentors, and advisor here!). In this dynamic, I trust I’m in a safe space to flush out my ideas, thoughts, and strategies because I’m still learning. And funny enough, as a result, Serotina has a unique culture where employees feel the same - they are in a safe space to think, try and fail, out loud - and it’s changed the game.

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

Trust your gut, trust the universe, and trust others. Nothing about trust is easy, but it’s the only way to have scalable, sustainable success. Decide on your core values as an owner and a company, and align yourself with a team, talent, partners, agencies, and clients that share those sample defining pillars. That’s how we best serve and deliver to our clients at Serotina, and that’s why they love to work with us.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: http://www.serotinamedia.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loveyourselfxx/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daphnebarron/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.