How She Made This Event: How to Grow and Stay in Business
This week, we teamed up with OneSpace Member Shelan Markus to host the latest How She Made This event. How She Made This is this a talk series offering inspirational insights from women entrepreneurs.
All photos courtesy of How She Made This
How She Made This: How to Grow and Stay in Business
At the May edition of How She Made This, four women-identifying panelists generously shared their personal growth journeys, key strategies, and insights that help them grow their businesses. Panelists included:
Eliza Trendiak, Founder of Lavoh reusable makeup wipes
Jenny Yue, Founder of Alive & Aglow grip socks, and Co-Founder of OATME Superfood, freeze-dried healthy snacks
Tiffany Blaise, East Vancouver based expressionistic landscape painter: Tiffany Blaise Art
Agnes Wong, Founder of Buttercrumbs, a cookie brand with a mission to spread happiness, 1 cookie at a time
Key Takeaway
With any entrepreneurial venture, ups and downs, busy months and slow months, and unexpected delays are all but guaranteed. Make the most of slower periods by putting in work that will set you up for future success: seek out advice or mentorship, improve your systems, fine tune your niche, pursue partnerships, or gain a better understanding of your numbers. These (un)expected dips are where tenacity and perseverance can push us through to further growth.
Insights on Getting Started and Growth
What inspired you to start your business?
Eliza Trendiak loved reusable make-up wipes but couldn’t find any with the quality or aesthetic she liked. She thought to herself,
“Whats something I’m already telling everyone about anyways?”
And Lavoh was born!
What does growth look like for you?
For artists, there are many elements one has to nurture and grow, artistically and as a business owner. Tiffany Blaise’s intrepretation of growth takes a holistic approach:
“As long as I’m learning and moving forward in all those aspects, even its its a little, I feel like I’m growing.”
Agnes Wong turned her passion for baking into a business with the mission to spread happiness through cookies: For her, growth isn’t just about sales, its about forming connections.
For Jenny Yue, it was the rituals associated with her products that got her out of a COVID rut. These rituals motivated her and inspired her to be active, confident, and healthy, and she wanted her products to do the same for others.
“Growth is about inspiring others to grow.”
Strategies for Growth
5 Strategies for Growth
Know your niche
Focusing on your niche can be more effective and have better results
A seasonal slow-down is a good time to fine tune your niche and identify brand partners that align with your target audience
Embrace innovation
Build relationships
Move beyond people in your industry. Attend events and meet people and connect for inspiration
Its fulfilling to build relationships of all kinds (not just with customers!) as you move through your business
Continuous learning
Goes hand-in-hand with seeking help if you need. Ask for help from customers as well, can be in the form Instagram polls, at pop-up markets, or any face-to-face interaction
In the face of self-doubt or fear, ask for help from peers or mentors
Know your numbers
Helps with sustainable growth and preventing burnout
Don’t be afraid to ask for help with your numbers/finances if you need it
Audience Questions
How do you grow while keeping the unique aspects of your business, especially if its personal/individual touches that make your business special?
Eliza Trendiak says, “Honour your OG clients and find ways to continue to show them gratitude.” Eliza recommends that if you are bringing on more staff, make sure they understand and live your core values. She also cautions that you might need to “fire quickly” if people don’t align with your values.
Agnes Wong, maintaining the unique flavour of her brand means adding personal touches at different touch-points: in person, email/DM’s, handwritten thank you notes.
Jenny Yue’s advice is to:
“Find the key things your brand provides and keep emphasizing them.”
How do you deal with Imposter Syndrome?
Lean into authenticity! Talk about having imposter syndrome and use it as a connection point.
Identify why you’re feeling that way: Is it your Ego?
Put your product out there and let THEM decide! There may be people who don’t like what you put out, but people are going to love it as well, so focus on that
Shelan Markus reminds us that Imposter Syndrome often comes out of ambition: when we’re not yet at the goals we’ve set, we feel like imposters. Its progress, not perfection!
Advice for Women Entrepreneurs
From Eliza Trendiak, on feeling stuck:
If you are feeling stuck or are in a period of stagnation, remember this incredible advice from Eliza Trendiak:
“Entrepreneurs often think that our one good idea is our only idea… we’re always going to have more ideas, even if we feel stuck: know that another one will come, another opportunity will come. You’re never stuck. You’re an entrepreneur, you’ll figure it out.”
From OneSpace CEO, Elizabeth Fisher, on trusting yourself:
I recently wrote a blog post with one piece of advice for other women entrepreneurs: Have the audacity. Why?
Data published by the U.S. Census Bureau, Dow Jones, the Harvard Business Review, and others from 10 private and public studies conclusively show the following:
Women-owned firms generate significantly higher revenue than male-owned firms.
Female-owned firms create significantly more jobs than their male-owned peers.
Women are more effective in Senior Leadership roles.
Women executives significantly improve company performance as compared with men.
Women have a much larger appetite for growth and success than their male counterparts.
Read the full post: Our Advice this International Women’s Day: Have the Audacity
How She Made This is created and hosted by OneSpace Member, Shelan Markus. Shelan is an artist, lawyer, and entrepreneur. Check out Shelan’s photography prints at City and She.
OneSpace Events
OneSpace hosts events for women to help them find balance and pursue their passions.