Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Brooke Shapiro, Founder of Sprinkles Parents Consulting, located in Oakland, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
My business is Sprinkles Parents Consulting. I help small businesses/early-stage businesses market to parents. I specialize in brands launching/shifting that need to make a big impact quickly but have limited funds/resources. That’s where I come in to give that sense of relief so founders can either focus on other parts of the business or sit back and watch goals met.
Tell us about yourself
15 years CPG marketer at Fortune 500 companies across various functions. It taught me how to understand all the pieces of marketing to now help smaller businesses. I started Sprinkles Parents when I had my second baby that wouldn’t take a bottle. My manager told me I wasn’t committed enough to the company and laid me off instead of giving me support. It fueled me to create resources for parents and the community. Then seeing these parents needing solutions that brands had, but they just didn’t know how to connect the dots. So, I started helping brands connect with parents and parents find good products/resources to help them. I’m motivated by my passion for entrepreneurship, so I love helping founders achieve their goals. It’s so rewarding to see their needs met and them helping others too.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment was helping my client double his sales every month. He said it as a joke, but I ran with it and developed a plan, brought in a team that 2.5 his sales in the first 6 weeks of partnership while reducing his overall marketing budget. He was thrilled!
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Knowing where to focus my time. Should I be biz dev? Write an email? Is it time to do the actual work or outsource, etc? Not to mention accounting/billing, my least favorite things!
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- It’s an emotional roller coaster, so be prepared for good days and days when you want to crawl into a ball and quit.
- Learn how to sell!! You are always on and selling, which I find (even as a huge extrovert) just really hard. So learn and master this quickly. As a woman, I dog paddle with this. It’s hard to talk about yourself and your skills.
- Know when to stop. You can work for days for your own business. There is no clock out, PTO, or off. It’s just how quick to do and respond with something.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://lu.ma/Brooke-Shapiro
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sprinklesparents/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pandemicworkingparent/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brookeshapiro/
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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