Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in branding and marketing but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Carissa Kurre, Founder of We Built A Brand, located in Brooklyn, NY, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We Built A Brand helps aspiring entrepreneurs transform their passion projects into strategic, scalable brands. Through an array of resources, guides, and self-paced courses, I help you free yourself from the 9-5 to truly live in your purpose.
Tell us about yourself
I'm a brand strategist, storyteller, and results-driven digital marketer. My background includes managing and executing comprehensive marketing & branding strategies across a multi-billion dollar professional services firm. After 6 years of working in Corporate America, I knew I longed for something more - something that was mine. As an aspiring "wantrepreneur," I wanted to be my own boss and make my own hours.
As I entered my own journey of trying to identify the perfect brand to build, I recognized that the people around me were interested in the same entrepreneurial path - but not many people knew the ins and outs of how to make it happen, whether that was building a brand from scratch, creating the associated design elements like logos and websites, or marketing their offerings. I had been implementing these strategies for years as part of my day job, and that's when a light bulb went off inside of me: my purpose as an entrepreneur was to help other entrepreneurs live their purpose & I realized I could help do that by leveraging what I knew best: brand strategy & marketing.
What motivates me every day is the potential to make an impact - if I'm helping at least one person propel their brand forward or take a single step in a direction that's aligned with their dreams, I'm doing my job.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment to date is mustering up the courage to take action - flipping off the autopilot switch and actually taking control of my own wheel. The launch of my first "Build Your Own Brand" course was a proud moment for me because it showed me that with a little bit of time management, creativity and determination, I am capable of transforming my own trajectory by doing something that I genuinely love.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
One of the biggest things I've had to personally overcome as a business owner is fear: fear of judgment, fear of failure, and fear of taking risks. But I realized I had two options:
- I could stay on my current "safe" path, letting my fear dictate each and every one of my actions, keeping me small and unfulfilled, or
- I could run full force at something I loved, not caring what other people had to say, knowing with every inch of my fiber that I could be successful and make an impact. High risk, high reward - right?
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Know your "why": have a clear understanding of why you're in business (beyond money) and let that deeper meaning permeate everything you do, from your messaging, to how you interact with your team.
- Carve out time: as an entrepreneur, you do it all - you're the social media manager, the video producer, the head of financials, the strategist, and more. Budget your time effectively and carve out space in your day to be creative.
- Overcome perfectionism: what you do won't be perfect the first time around, and that's okay. I heard a quote saying, "if it's perfect when you launched, you've launched too late." Have an overarching strategy, but don't let the fear of perfectionism stop you from taking your first step.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://webuiltabrand.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/webuiltabrand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/webuiltabrand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/webuiltabrand
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.
Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.