365 Days of KS Media Co: What I’ve Learned
Photo by: Rebecca Ryan, Serving Up Social
It’s hard to believe it’s been a year since I left my corporate job to start KS Media Co.! In that time, I’ve worked with 15+ different clients, spent hundreds of hours working on social media campaigns, and drank countless cups of coffee (of course!).
I’ve also met so many incredible individuals who have made this leap from corporate better than I could have imagined!
Here are a few things I’ve learned in year one:
1. Your identity will change and that’s okay
I always felt a little bit awkward during my time in corporate America. When I was a fresh college grad, I was intimidated by the environment, and I remember feeling so uncomfortable having to swap out my jeans and tees for corporate garb.
Despite that feeling, I stuck around for six years working to climb my way up the ladder. Along the way, my identity became Kaitlyn, Marketing Manager.
The last year I’ve tried on a few identities: freelancer, female entrepreneur, small business owner, content creator, marketing agency founder. I’ve probably used all of these at some point as my business has grown and evolved. At the start, it felt foreign to explain to others what I do since everything was so new and I wasn’t sure how it would all work out. Now, it feels great to have the confidence that comes from being in a great stride with my business.
2. Things get easier the more times you do them
Practice makes perfect! We’ve all heard this phrase as children learning a new hobby, but it is honestly so true when it comes to being a first-time business owner. Year one is a year of firsts. I had my first sales call, my first pitch email, my first contract negotiation all within a span of a few weeks and it was overwhelming at times.
Remembering that it’s normal for things to feel this way at the start of anything new was something I needed to constantly remind myself!
3. Routines are your friend
I am unabashedly type B. Creative, forward-thinking, and always coming up with new ideas. The super organized structured life of a typical type A never came naturally to me, but I realized without the corporate 9-5 built into my life, I needed to set a routine for myself, or I wasn’t going to be able to meet the goals I set.
My routine is a work in progress, and I would be lying if I said I never had to stay up late to meet a deadline but I have myself in a routine that I am happy with. On Mondays, I plan my week and block time off for projects and even things like working out so I can have visibility into how much time I have to take on any more work.
4. Practice saying no and having boundaries in life
Ah, boundaries. I feel like 2022 has been the year of boundaries with so much talk of work-life balance given the great resignation. As a recovering people-pleaser, it has been challenging not to say yes to every request I have from clients over the last year. It has also been hard to set boundaries with work as social media runs 24/7 and being an entrepreneur blurs the lines between life and business. Blocking my time off and making sure I have a phone-free dinner every evening has been so helpful in staying centered.
5. Don’t skip over the admin parts of the business
In my first couple months freelancing I learned the importance of using a contract that outlines exactly what the project entails the hard way. After agreeing to a short-term project last summer, I realized I didn’t outline exactly how many revisions would be included with the agreement. This lack of clarity helps no one and is a recipe for a poor experience for both parties. Getting crystal clear on the project scope ahead of starting and having a signed contract is always the way to go.
6. Networking is as important as they say it is
Networking events have never had me jumping for joy. However, being out on my own I realized how much I missed having the chance to meet new people and I had to seek out these opportunities on my own. Joining networking groups like Luminary and Ellevate has helped me connect with other business owners and even new clients.
All these lessons plus a true belief in oneself through all the ups and downs of year one is a recipe for success. When I left a year ago, I honestly did not anticipate I would be at this point in my journey as a business owner and I am so grateful I wouldn’t trade it for corporate any day.