Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Katie Lynn & Laura Grace Sears, Owners of Mushaboom Studio, located in Atlanta, GA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Mushaboom Studio is a full-service creative studio offering branding, photography, and web design to service-based business owners. We've worked with coaches, designers, speakers, health and beauty brands, communities, consultants, and more.
Tell us about yourself
We started freelancing right after we graduated from Georgia Tech together to make ends meet while looking for jobs that felt good to us. Laura Grace studied videography, and I studied Economics, but I got into design during my last year of school.
She was doing freelance video work, and I was doing freelance design. We've always loved working together - so instead of getting jobs, we started our own business. We adapted our business to address the needs of the business owners around us.
We started doing more photo work and eventually removed video services. We also started building websites on Squarespace. I found out I loved customizing websites with code and adding unique features. We're motivated by our desire to work together and always be making beautiful things.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Laura Grace moved to Boston in 2021, so our most significant accomplishment is continuing to run a business from two different cities. It helped a lot that we had already started doing remote photo services during the pandemic. So our flat-lay photo packages are remote, which I think many business owners like. Still, it also gives us more flexibility in our lives and moves in the future.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Instability - especially as you're starting. I don't think we know any business owners who haven't faced it at one point. Owning a business during a pandemic has been a considerable challenge. We've had to work through fear, burnout, and the feeling of discouragement sometimes.
We keep working internally on our own business during slow periods. We continue to ask questions about what business owners want and need. We keep trying things. And sometimes, we take a break.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Don't underestimate the power of excellent copy, branding, photography, and web design. These are the magic 4 - to get people to find, connect with, remember, and hire you. If you find the right folks for the job who prioritize strategy and understand your needs, you will not regret it.
- Stay organized. Whether it's your internal files, your client processes, your finances, or even your inbox, if you keep things organized, it can help you stay sane.
- Contracts and clear communication are your best friend if you're a service-based business owner. Setting expectations early and often and having a solid contract can help enforce your boundaries and save you strife.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
As a business owner, a lot of advice can come to you. "You HAVE to do this." "You NEED to do that." Trust your gut and what feels right to you. Not every advice you get will fit your industry or your business.
And sometimes, the best thing you can do for your business is nothing. Take a beat. Do some research. Stop for a bit and look around. Take stock of what you already have that's working.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://mushaboom.studio/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mushaboom.studio/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mushaboom-studio/
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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