Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in marketing services but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Phoebe Neuman, Founder of Phoebe Neuman Content & Creative, located in Dana Point, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I am a content marketing strategist and copywriter who is passionate about using stories to help brands build authentic relationships with their audience and customers. I've worked across all types of industries, but I particularly love working with female-led brands in the travel, lifestyle, and wellness space (including cannabis brands).
Tell us about yourself
I've always been an avid reader — immersing myself in stories has long been my favorite thing to do! I initially got my start as an editor at a monthly luxury men's magazine. I quickly realized my favorite part of the job was getting to interview and work alongside the teams behind the brands we featured. So when the opportunity to move to the brand side of things and work in the content marketing space came up, I jumped at the chance! I absolutely love getting to apply a more editorial mindset to SEO blogging, which is too often thought of as formulaic and overlooked as an opportunity to really further a brand's presence. I pivoted to working for my own clients at the start of 2022 and have absolutely loved being able to really step into my authority as a content strategist and getting to test new and innovative strategies alongside the brands I work with.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
When I started Phoebe Neuman Content & Creative in early 2022, I was extremely burned out from my previous full-time job. I knew I wanted to intentionally structure my business as a step back from that constant hustle and grind. I am so proud of sticking with that intention and being able to grow my book of business in a way that still allows me to spend an afternoon at the beach on a random Tuesday if I want to! I firmly believe that taking things a little bit slower and giving myself more breathing room recharges my creative batteries in a way that allows me to really show up at my best for my clients.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Delegating! I've worked with teams in the past, but delegation takes on a whole new meaning when you're trusting someone to step in and help you with your business — it can feel like handing your baby over to a stranger! But knowing that just because you CAN do it all doesn't mean that you SHOULD do it all is so important as a business owner. Even if it is just bringing in a systems expert to help you get organized or finding a few really reliable contractors that you can lean on when you're in a pinch, you have to be comfortable delegating the tasks that you know slow you down or overly drain your batteries so you can focus on doing the work that lights you up. I'm still very much in the learning phase with this ("delegation" is my word of the year for 2023!), and sometimes it can feel impossible to extract everything you know about your business and clients out of your head so someone else can step in and help, but it is so important to do.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
My biggest tip is to know your worth and trust that you'll find clients who know it, too! It is so easy to get caught in a feast or famine mindset when you're a small business, and I've found that when I'm in that cycle of doubt, my business suffers. So I try to be really conscious of my thought patterns around business revenue and focus on maintaining a positive, abundant mindset.
My next tip is to get really intentional from the start about what type of lifestyle you want your business to create for you, and then make sure you keep that lifestyle in mind as you make every single business decision. As a recovering overachiever, I knew that I needed to set up my business in a way that allowed me plenty of time for rest, creative personal projects, and nurturing my relationships, and doing so has had a positive impact on every single area of my life and work. Don't get me wrong, there will still be weeks where you are glued to your inbox, but being an entrepreneur doesn't have to be synonymous with working crazy hours if you don't want it to be.
Finally, I'd say not to be shy about leaning on your existing network to find clients and customers! Word-of-mouth has been my biggest business driver so far, and I've been surprised at just how rewarding it is to reconnect with old colleagues and contacts to work on new projects. And remember, this goes both ways! So being an advocate for other small business owners and service providers in your network is just as important.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.phoebeneuman.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phoebeneuman.contentcreative/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phoebe-neuman/
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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