Nikki Arensman is an entrepreneur, brand designer, and strategist. She was formerly the CEO and Co-founder of the women’s activewear company, Jiva Activewear. When she sold the company in 2017, Nikki transformed her talent and passion for branding into her own brand marketing agency, Nikki Arensman LLC. Through her business, she equips women entrepreneurs with the tools they need to turn what they’re passionate about into a profitable business and a beautiful brand.

Nikki joins us today to explain how to build a thriving business through killer branding. She shares why it’s important to begin right after you come up with a business idea and discusses the value of playing to your strengths when building a company. She describes the process of selling a company as well as how she discovered her passion for building brands. Nikki also underscores the role of mastering communication around a brand’s mission and offers advice for building a binge-worthy brand.

“Brand strategy allows you to present to your community, audience, and customers what they need and desire before they even know they need it.” - Nikki Arensman

This week’s takeaways from Entreprenista:

The power of communities, groups, and networksThe evolution of Nikki’s first business, Jiva, and how it led her to found her current businessThe lessons Nikki learned from starting her first companyThe process Nikki underwent to sell her businessHow Nikki discovered her passion for brand building and strategyWhat it’s like to work with a brand marketing agencyThe different branding services and strategies Nikki offers through her agencyHow to build a community of your brand’s supportersThe biggest struggles and achievements of Nikki’s Entreprenista journeyThe importance of trying new things and opening up to riskHow Nikki kept moving forward in the early days of her business despite rejections and hard timesWhy you don’t need a big team or a huge budget to make a business work

Resources Mentioned:

CanvaSquarespaceBook: Everything Is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo

Our Favorite Quotes:

“Brand strategy and brand design impact how businesses grow and how they get themselves out there.” - Nikki Arensman“Brand’s identity is showing up with your best foot forward; it’s dressing the part for what you want to do in this world.” - Nikki Arensman“When it comes to selling your business or exit plan, have patience, don’t be in a rush, make smart decisions, and find other people who have sold businesses before.” - Nikki Arensman

Connect with Nikki Arensman:

Nikki Arensman WebsitePodcast: The Business of BrandingNikki Arensman LLC on LinkedInNikki Arensman on LinkedInNikki Arensman on InstagramNikki Arensman on FacebookNikki Arensman on Pinterest

Help More Female Entrepreneurs & Leaders Through the IFundWomen Campaign

We are thrilled to announce that our iFundWomen campaign is now live! We have supported so many women through Entreprenista, and we're excited to share this opportunity with you to support our campaign and continue to help women business owners and leaders. 

Our funding goal is $100,000 - which means that every dollar counts. The best part? We've created incredible rewards that will help you as part of our campaign! 

When you pledge to the iFundWomen Campaign, you’ll receive:

An exclusive Entreprenista League Membership rateDedicated Instagram and website features to promote you and your businessInterviews on the Entreprenista podcast and our new podcast that's launching in 2022 - Startups In StilettosOne-on-one sessions with Stephanie or Courtney...and so much more