Seriously in Business: Brand + Design, Marketing and Business

How can we learn to love ourselves? To embrace all the different parts of us. To show up in business, and in life as our unique selves...? In this episode of the Seriously in Business podcast, I chat with Sarah Viliamu, a model, mother, influencer, speaker, and founder of two businesses as Sarah shares her journey of self-love and self-confidence. (Plus, hear a BTS look at influences marketing and how you can do it in your biz).

Here's a peek of what's inside:

- Sarah shares her own journey of being a model and how she worked through self-love and body image issues over the last eight years.

- The importance of prioritizing self-love and growth, especially in the business field.

- Sarah's daily routine, which includes self-development practices like journaling and gratitude in the morning.

- The variety of businesses Sarah is involved in and how they all align with her vision of empowering people to live authentically.

- The role of Instagram in helping Sarah build her platform and secure modeling jobs for small businesses.

- The fear that many small business owners have of getting their photos taken and the importance of showcasing their personal brand through imagery.

If you're looking for inspiration on self-love and confidence, as well as insights into influencer marketing and overcoming fears of being in front of the camera, this episode is a must-listen.
 

ABOUT SARAH VILIAMU:

Mother, model, influencer, speaker and founder of The Self Love Supply and Bold Statement Events. Sarah is passionate about bringing light to the dark and advocating for all to prioritise self love and growth.
 

Get in touch with Sarah:

Instagam: www.instagram.com/sarahviliamu

www.instagram.com/theselflovesupply_

www.instagram.com/boldstatementevents

Website: www.theselflovesupply.com.au

Are you a small business owner wondering if it's the right time to invest in your branding? Branding isn't a small (or cheap) task to undertake and it's not always a clear "YES!!" that your visual brand is something you need to work on right now, so let's explore the pros and cons of investing in your branding now or later.

As a designer, I may be biased, but I'll try to give you a fair perspective.

CONS to investing NOW:

1️⃣ If you're just starting out, you may not know your target audience yet. It's important to understand who you're trying to reach before diving into branding.

2️⃣ You may not have a clear idea of your services and pricing. Your brand may not align with your future goals.

3️⃣ Investing in branding can be costly. For new businesses, budget constraints can make it a tough decision." "But now let's talk about the PROS of investing in your branding now: 🌟

PROS to investing NOW:

1️⃣ Building a strong brand from the start can help attract your ideal customers and differentiate you from competitors. 2️⃣ A well-designed brand can give your business credibility and professionalism.

3️⃣ Your brand visuals create a memorable impression and help build brand recognition.

4️⃣ Investing in branding early allows you to establish a consistent visual identity across all platforms.

Short-term effects:

1️⃣ Feel confident and proud of your business's appearance.

2️⃣ Increase brand awareness among your target audience.

3️⃣ Stand out in a crowded market.
 

Long-term effects:

1️⃣ Build trust and loyalty among your customers.

2️⃣ Establish a strong brand reputation in your industry.

3️⃣ Boost customer retention and attract new customers consistently

Ever felt like you needed to hide from your financials? That it was either too scary or too hard?

IN this episode I'm thrilled to have had the opportunity to interview Clare Wood, money mentor!

We delve into the importance of knowing your numbers and making informed decisions for your business.

Running a business isn't solely about helping people; it's about making money too. Clare emphasises the necessity of knowing your numbers and understanding financials to ensure profitability.

Not knowing your finances can lead to unpleasant surprises during tax time, and general stress and poor decision in our business. It's like making decisions with a blindfold on!

We also chat about how to know if and when you can make investments in your business - are these investments going to help you to make more sales or drive long-term growth?

ABOUT CLARE WOOD:

Clare Wood is a money mentor, author, speaker and podcaster. She’s a qualified accountant (a CPA), but she’s not your average bean counter… she uses her money-making mentoring powers for good. Clare helps service-based businesses to scale, while creating a lifestyle they love. Clare Wood runs The Profit Academy, an online school created to help business owners increase their profits exponentially and she's the author of Intentional Profit

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We only get one chance to make a great first impression… a chance for people to say YES to hitting that follow button, or to leave our page maybe forever.

In this episode, I discuss:

🔹 Designing your Instagram page to make a great first impression: When someone stumbles upon your page, it's crucial to communicate what you do and why they should follow you. I share tips on using visuals strategically and even your bio to effectively convey your brand message.

🔹 The importance of clarity and relevance in your posts: Your Instagram grid is the first thing people see, and it's essential to make sure your posts clearly communicate your expertise and the value you provide. Give them a reason to want to follow you!! I give examples of how to use large text and obvious visuals to make your content clear.

🔹 Key takeaways for boosting your Instagram presence: By putting yourself in the shoes of a stranger and considering where your audience is coming from, you can better understand how to connect with them. I discuss the power of making it clear what you do, who you serve, and what followers can expect from your content.

Listen to the full episode for even more insights, examples, and a surprise trick I use on my own Instagram grid.

You can also watch this episode on YouTube to see some visual examples.

Tutorial on creating perfect portrait posts:https://youtu.be/HOKtAN5e4JA?si=RMY6VjVTju298txs

Tutorial on creating pinned puzzle posts: https://youtu.be/C45M5XWIjMA?si=mpsj5MeOybqD3jy4

💜FREE VIDEO SERIES 💜 Create your own stunning visual brand, grow your business faster and feel (and look!) a million bucks - ready for your best year of business yet in this 3-part on-demand video training: Seriously in Business! Unlock your free access: Seriously in Business Challenge

Exciting news! We are pregnant and expecting baby number two! It's been a journey to get here, but we are over the moon about this new addition to our family.

**Sending love to all of you in seasons of waiting of grief around this sensitive topic. Please feel full permission to skip this episode if needed. ❤️

In this episode of "Seriously In Business," I want to give you a behind-the-scenes look at my experience during the first trimester as a business owner. It wasn't easy juggling my business responsibilities while dealing with pregnancy symptoms, but I managed to keep things running relatively smoothly. And I wanted to share some real insights into what this practically looked like.

Key Takeaways from this episode:

1️⃣ Prioritize your tasks: When faced with limited energy and time, it's crucial to prioritize your tasks wisely. Determine the most essential activities that need your attention and focus on those. Delegate or postpone non-urgent tasks if possible.

2️⃣ Utilise strategic planning: As a proactive measure, consider batch recording content or completing essential tasks in advance (I did this in the 1-2 weeks after I found out I was pregnant before the symptoms really kicked in). This way, you'll have a buffer if you experience fatigue or other symptoms that limit your work hours. Planning ahead helps to minimise stress and ensures a continuous flow of content or services.

3️⃣ Seek support: Don't hesitate to lean on your support network, whether it's family, friends, or colleagues. Delegating tasks, seeking assistance, or temporarily adjusting your workload can help you maintain a level of productivity while prioritising your health and well-being.

Expenses in business can be overwhelming, especially when you're just starting out. So, in this episode, I’m excited to share with you some free or affordable ways to build an incredible brand for your business without breaking the bank.

We’ll cover three key aspects: design platforms, design resources, and design education.

It’ll come as no surprise that Canva is one of my top recommendations. This user-friendly website has a free version that allows you to create professional designs for various purposes, including logos, social media posts, flyers, and more. You can even utilise it’s templates, stock images and many fonts for free.

Canva also offers a paid option with additional features, that the free version is a great starting point, and she shares workarounds for some of the paid features, ensuring you can make the most of your design efforts without the need for immediate investment.

LEARNING to design is also wildly important. You can use as many free tools as you like, but if you don’t use design principles than everything will fall in a heap - this is why I recommend strategically learning design in a way that makes sense for business owners through my course, DIY Design My Biz. All the deets are here: https://www.diydesignmybiz.com/
 

FREE TOOLS MENTIONED:

https://partner.canva.com/whitedeer

https://www.pinterest.com.au/

https://www.creativefabrica.com/

https://www.pexels.com/

https://pixabay.com/

https://unsplash.com/

https://pinetools.com/split-image

https://picsvg.com/

https://fonts.google.com/

Did you hear the news? September 1st marks the official launch of White Deer Studio! A virtual design agency where my team and I work with you to create epic brands, designs and templates for your business!

But I wanted you to get to know these lovely ladies, and wildly talented designers, for yourselves! So, introducing Vanessa Chng and Hannah Dempsey!

If you're listening before September 1st, head here to put your name on the waitlist! https://www.diydesignmybiz.com/studiowaitlist
 

Or if you're listening after our launch head to https://www.whitedeer.com.au/studio to book us in!

Every business owner needs to design this at some point in their business (and often multiple times!).

When is the right time is to hire a graphic designer for your brand or graphics? Coz design can have huge impacts for your business - good OR bad. Design impacts the value your biz communicates, it fosters loyalty, and helps achieve brand consistency. A well-crafted brand, whether it's created through DIY efforts or with the help of a professional designer can help do this!

So how do you know what’s best for your business? Tune in to learn when it's the ideal time to outsource your design and how it can contribute to your business growth. Get ready to be inspired and equipped to take your business seriously in this exciting episode of Seriously in Business.

Be the first to find out when the studio opens: https://www.diydesignmybiz.com/studiowaitlist

Let's dive into the world of customer avatars and how they can revolutionize your marketing approach. Our special guest, copywriting expert Rashida Tayabali, believes that understanding your customer's likes, dislikes, needs, fears, goals, and dreams is crucial in selling products.

By creating a customer profile, you can better allocate your marketing budget and communicate more effectively with your target audience… meaning more income and happier clients!

Join us as Rashida shares her expertise, tips, and insights on creating customer avatars and why they are a game-changer in attracting dream clients and achieving maximum return on investment. So grab your headphones and get ready to be inspired!

ABOUT RASHIDA:

Rashida Tayabali a copywriter for women in business helping to write crystal clear messaging so they can bring their dream brand and vision to life. Rashi also help reduce content overwhelm for clients freeing them up to focus on and grow their businesses.

Website: https://www.rashidatayabali.com.au

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rashidatayabaliwriter

Customer Avatar Workbook: https://subscribepage.io/customer-avatar-workbook

We see people’s launching a program from the outside but rarely do we get a glimpse into what went INTO launching that program.

HOW was it successful? What makes some launches work and others flop? What thinking went into it?

In this episode I take you a little behind-the-scenes of my recent (most successful to date!) launch of my program The Co+Creation Club.

I’ll share my timelines, targeting and planning behind things, as well as the graphics I needed for all the stages of the launch.

Credit to Ellie Swift for teaching me everything I know about launching.

And while The Co+Creation Club will be closed for another year, you can still work with me in the mean time inside DIY Design My Biz! See you in there?

https://www.diydesignmybiz.com/