How I Launched My Business Before Graduating College
I graduated 6 months after launching my business I received so many questions asking "But how did you do it?". My answer?
I just did it.
Anticlimactic, I know. But I'm just keeping it real. After returning from my second study abroad trip in Florence for the summer, I started to reflect on how I envisioned my life post-grad. I began job hunting and realizing I didn't have a dream job in mind.
So I created one.
After some encouragement from my mentor, I decided to take the leap and in her words "You got it, just do it!". So here I am 7 months later as a full-time entrepreneur to a digital marketing and social media business after launching my business as a student entrepreneur.
Besides deciding to take the leap and launch my business in less than one month, I took a few actionable steps to making Sol Studio a reality and working with over 10 clients within months of launching.
I created my brand.
While this is another blog for another time, branding myself was the first step I took. I knew I wanted to name my business something that truly reflected myself. As a Florida girl and lover of all things yellow, I decided to brand myself with tropical vibes, a yellow branding scheme, and the name Sol meaning Sun in Spanish.
I decided the impact I wanted to make.
Where I wanted my business to take me? Who were the people I wanted to serve? What was the life I wanted to create for myself? I considered all of these things when creating my brand and my business. I began creating a vision board and writing out these goals for my life to make them my reality.
I mastered my mindset.
I quickly learned that self-doubt and rough patches are just a part of the entrepreneurial journey. I read self-help books and found yoga as an outlet for my stress. I learned the importance of days off when I need it and treating my mind and body with self-care. Creating a positive mindset has helped me through the rough patches of starting a business. And trust me, there have been rough patches.
I created processes and automation.
When juggling multiple projects and homework, I knew I had to create processes to help me better serve my client and effectively use my limited time. From drafting proposals to scheduling social content, I became a Sol Studio machine. Stay tuned to my blog for my best automation tips and tricks!
I niched down.
At first, I offered everything under the sun for my business. The more my business evolved, I later decided to niche down to better reach my dream clients. When it came down to my expertise and passion, social media was the clear winner and is the primary way I serve my clients now.
Cassie and Shay from the Bucketlist Bombshells
I connected with like-minded women and entrepreneurs.
Finding a community where I could connect and be inspired by fellow #bossbabes really helped me focus on my goals and see the bigger picture. Seeing other women achieve the milestones I set forth for myself was ever more motivation to tackle my goals. I joined In person organizations and attended networking events, while still remaining active online through the many Facebook groups that inspired me to pursue a remote business.
I was relentless.
When it came to pitching to potential clients, investing time into my business, and learning everything I could learn about being successful, I was relentless. I think the key to success is being so obsessed with your business and what you do that it becomes your life. When it came to landing my first clients, I searched everywhere I could including Facebook pages, freelancer platforms, word of mouth, and through local networking events. I invested my energy and time into making it happen, and it did happen.
I made sacrifices.
Some days, I decided to work instead of hanging out with friends. Some days I was grinding away at my business when I could have been spending my days otherwise. But making those sacrifices have ultimately been worth it in the long run.
My vision for Sol Studio is continuing to grow and develop. As I am still in the beginning steps of my business, I have yet to meet my big goals of moving abroad and expanding my business. I am so looking forward to sharing this journey with you.
