Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Keva Epale, Founder of Keva Epale Studio, located in Paris, France.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Keva Epale Studio is a branding and storytelling studio that aims to empower entrepreneurs to build magnetic brands from themselves to their audience.
Their services include:
• Strategic consultations: branding power talks (diving deep into the why, strategic steps to improve perception, and alignment with the founder and their core message and value proposition).
• DIY: providing digital products to give entrepreneurs the tools to investigate and build on their own or with the help of the studio (programs, courses (coming soon), ebooks, design assets, etc.).
• Building the mindset: empowering and insightful content to encourage critical thinking. This includes a variety of angles on branding, as well as the creative ecosystem and endeavours (newsletters, blogs, and podcasts).
Tell us about yourself
''I started my business as a designer. I had never imagined it would birth a creative entrepreneur''. I originally created my studio to focus solely on design, but through many daring initiatives, I realized that my identity as a designer was only one part of who I could become. After a decade of working as a designer for startups, agencies, and self-starters, I decided to take my studio in a new direction: education. I built an educational platform that drives creative entrepreneurs from their WHY to empower them to heal, take action, and find joy in the process of building a brand.
I know how pivotal confidence is in any venture, as I suffered from imposter syndrome and did not dare for many years. That's why one of my first key programs was on confidence. I see my digital products as a series, using that panel to tackle core issues my clients may suffer from, such as confidence issues, imposter syndrome, brand disconnect, the missing information connecting their dots... and more.
Today, I sense even more how I can be of service. Like many of my clients on their creative and branding journeys, I have tackled the same challenges and emerged on the other side. Each tool I create is something that a younger version of myself would have loved to have to progress. My joy is to witness progress, and that is my currency + Momentum.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Seeing the growth and resonance of my work so far. How my playfulness and curiosity in creating projects have become an asset and inspiration for clients.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
To succeed in business, you have to take a position. Early on, you must understand that it's your duty to be in command of your business and how it is perceived. I believe that leadership is the trickiest aspect because it requires you to pave your path and find a unique way to disrupt your niche and market.
The results you expect can take time until ''you crack your code''. Once you are set on following your strategic plan, believe in momentum. Leadership also comes with asking for help when you struggle to anchor your plan. I would say the hardest thing is to craft your formula, and it takes substantial needed time.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Craft your formula by bringing a solution to people's problems. Think like an entrepreneur, create solutions, test them, fail, and make decisions.
- Surround yourself with empowering people who will lift you up when you fall, and yes, you will fall many times. Be in the right environment where your ideas and projects can bloom, and your business has a chance to rise.
- It's essential to put money aside before launching anything and have a backup plan for one or two years. You never know when your business will generate recurring revenue.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://kevaepalestudio.webflow.io/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevaepale/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keva-epale/
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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