Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Rachael Witt, Founder of Wildness Within, located in Chicago, IL, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
My little corner of the internet is Safe Camp Ⴟ, an independent consultancy for social media strategy. I focus especially on Social Media Playbooks that outline all of a brand's major social dimensions: content, customer care, and more. Brands range from big companies to small startups and everything in-between across industries. Brands might have one social media manager, a big team, or no team at all. The playbook is a modular system that supports social media strategy and operations at each growth stage.
Tell us about yourself
Data bits, motorcycles, and neon lights. A digital world like Tron. Growing up with social media through things like AIM and Myspace, I imagined how the internet would grow and evolve. I studied business administration and marketing in college and had internships and many project experiences in social media. However, the first post-graduate role on the agency side opened my eyes to how robust a brand's social media program could be - through strategy.
Fast forward to today. I've partnered with brands for over 11 years in brand, startup, and agency roles to shape their own digital worlds. After many years in large organizations, I drew on my experience to develop my own offering. Digital and social media are not one thing. It's a million nuts and bolts that can result in real connections being made. Done properly, social media is more social than just media. Kind people are my kind of people. Building together gives me energy every day.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My consulting projects have delivered real value for clients, who I see as partners in growth. Their social media operations have started or evolved, resulting in business results such as purchases - not vanity metrics. I love working through the nuances of digital and social media together and figuring out what will work best for a particular team.
Beyond all the projects and metrics, relationships are the most important. It's all about people, and I'm proud to have collaborated with so many awesome teams across industries. This has impacted my own personal and professional growth.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
As an independent consultant, the growth of my business comes down to what I put into it. It's a daily effort to update brand materials, create and publish content, respond to inquiries, conduct administrative work, and more. At the same time, I enjoy having the freedom and autonomy to evolve each aspect according to my vision and goals.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Join communities. You don't have to go it alone. There are so many like-minded people across Facebook, Slack, and other groups who have done what you're doing or something similar. Learn from their experiences, and share your own. A rising tide lifts all ships.
- Put your best self forward. Potential clients, partners, or customers will form an impression from seeing your digital presence. Make sure it is a great one through elements like a modern website and valuable social media content.
- Curate your tech stack. There are so many modern tools and platforms, including new ones using AI and more that can accelerate your business transformation.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.wildnesswithinliving.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wildnesswithin/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildnesswithinliving/
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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