Why This Course?

I get asked advice on starting a business, marketing, websites, social media, e-commerce, and everything business…almost daily! Even though I would love to sit down with each and every person who is starting a business and teach them everything I know, I would need to duplicate myself! Since that isn’t possible (yet!) I started this online course. It is about everything you can think of, from where to source products/materials/suppliers, to website SEO and user experience, digital advertising, social media, and so much more.

WHY LISTEN TO MY ADVICE? HERE’S A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON MY CAREER AND BUSINESSES:

I started in digital marketing almost ten years ago as a blogger – when I neither knew what I was doing nor had the money to hire someone to do it for me. Thus I taught myself how to do it all, and my love for web and graphic design was born. I grew my blog and Etsy shop to monetize it enough to quit my job in finance, then moved into freelance design and consulting small businesses in online presence, branding, e-commerce, and digital marketing.

I wanted a better grasp for the digital marketing world, so I served as content director for a year at an advertising agency where I was able to fine-tune my paid digital media skills advertising for some huge brands like Spartan Race and the Phoenix Suns as well as a variety of local brick and mortar stores, music festivals, and some e-commerce brands. This is where I developed a passion for e-commerce. You can find some examples of my favorite work at the agency and consulting in my portfolio here.

I wanted to learn more about the e-commerce world, so I moved on to help start up the email marketing department at Stella & Dot. In my time there, I built the email and digital marketing programs for all three of the Family of Brands (including Ever Skincare and KEEP Collective) from the ground-up including all data management, automations/SMTP, and customer journey, developing an email creative and development process, managing an integrated campaign calendar, and hiring out a team. We built the email program to comprise 10% of the company’s total revenue!

I then moved into running digital strategy for the brands and managed a digital team and agencies which encompassed all paid and organic digital media, customer loyalty including subscription models and referral programs, website features, and an integrated campaign calendar.

The last year, I oversaw all marketing and operations for Snow Teeth Whitening. I worked with high-level marketing strategies that combined both direct response and branding initiatives, product development, brand strategy, supply chain, and employee relations.
I managed a team and millions of dollars in paid ad spend budget which is spent both in-house and with agencies, and work with over 100 influencers per month including A-list celebrities such as Rob Gronkowski, Cardi B, Floyd Mayweather, and reality TV stars from shows such as The Bachelor Real Housewives. Overseeing strategic brand partnerships, I worked with and have helped negotiate and implement marketing partnerships with the with the Fab Fit Fun, Candid Co, Bright Cellars, professional sports teams and events, and the Golden Globes event.
I now am the head of marketing for two global multi-million dollar e-commerce brands in the nutrition and skincare industries. I love what I do!

I also currently consult medium-sized brands on digital strategy and brand partnerships including Azazie Bridal and local businesses in Arizona.

In the midst of all my career madness, I started two e-commerce businesses. With my first e-commerce company (The Modern Rustic Home), I barely had a clue what I was doing. But I spent about $150 and put around 60 hours of work into starting the business and brand, and setting up the website and social media, and in my first month I ended up grossing a little over $10,000 with absolutely ZERO paid advertising – all from organic reach! I know, I was shocked too! But after sales continued on a great trajectory, I realized that…hey, this stuff really works! So I started another e-commerce brand (LiveWell CBD), a completely different type of product and industry with a completely different customer and marketing tactics…so I tweaked some strategies, and it took off!

But I not only have a knack for e-commerce business, I’ve consulted dozens and dozens of small local businesses like salons and boutiques, and helped them grow from startup and struggling, to booming and thriving! Literally, one of my salon clients texted me the other week that she needs to come up with a better work schedule because she is booked out solid 10-hour days for three months…so she was able to take a one month break from her business to travel Europe, and come back to increase her rates and work less!

I get a lot of questions every day from people just like you, and I really do want to be able to answer them all. Which is why I created this course. For some reason people keep their secrets and I don’t understand why… like there isn’t enough business to go around? I want to teach Y O U how to do all of this, too!

This course is super specific with a lot of step-by-steps. I’ve done so many trainings that are full of “fluff” and very vague solutions. Like for example…they tell you to make your website search engine optimized…soooo how do I do that then?! And they tell you to choose a website provider and platform, ok….which one is the best out there for my business and what are the differences?? And what the heck is a website provider?! Do I need to make my website secure and how does that work and why?! And the list goes on! I’m here to actually answer those questions and not give you vague, standard, boxed answers.

I will also show you ways to save money during this whole thing and what is smart to splurge on/hire out and what is worth spending the time doing yourself. There will also be guest speakers that are small business owners who will put in their own input into starting their small businesses as well.

So, if you’re serious about starting a successful business and you’re ready to put in the work to get there, then you’re ready for this course.