Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Julie Boake, Founder of Awedity Creative, Inc., located in Okotoks, AB, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
My business is helping other people's businesses.
Some of my clients are new business owners looking for design, branding, online, and advice for marketing. At the same time, other customers are established and looking for a refresh, inspiration, or ideas.
I use my skills as a path to inspire business owners, help them discover that essence that makes them passionate, and help them focus on ideas or create new ones.
Tell us about yourself
As a child, I was always loud. It seemed like a natural fit that I would be either a lawyer or go into marketing. I also suffered from reading comprehension but loved art, so by elimination, marketing became my focus.
At 19, I became the youngest manager Mexx had ever had, and I happened to be managing their largest store in Western Canada. I was determined to show them I could be trusted, so, with the help of the marketing team, I spent days handing out flyers, and we blew expectations out of the water. This became my drug, my focus, and my favorite challenge.
Daily, I have the challenge of new ideas, new creativity, and thinking inside and outside the box (and sometimes running in circles around the box). No day is the same, no client is the same, and no business is the same, so each allows me to push my thinking further.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
No one was left behind. During Covid, I could keep all my clients going, some even growing, and built relationships that I will cherish forever. I never win unless my clients win with me.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The most complex challenge I have faced as a business owner is knowing who to trust and accepting the truth. Some people will not clap for you, some will hate your success, and others will use you. You have to admit that and learn from it. It is what it is. Change the people around you when it happens. Don't wait.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Don't let your business define you. You are not your business, and your business is not yours.
- Keep at least one honest and good friend, and don't talk a lot of shop with them. They should be your balance and your safe space.
- Get a hobby or work out. Your brain will need it, your body will appreciate it, and don't skip it.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.aweditycreative.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aweditycreative/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aweditycreative/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/awedity
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julieboake/
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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