Ask Muse: Part 2 - Our Recommendations for Creating and Marketing Yourself and Your Business- #013

​Show Notes

In part one, Lori and Nola heard the challenges entrepreneur and hairstylist Scott Rottenberg was having now that he was out on his own and trying to establish his new business. Tune in to hear their suggestions for helping this self described techno-novice, create, market and brand himself and his business. In addition, Nola and Lori designed and presented Scott with resources, checklists and step-by-step guides. Each standalone document was designed so Scott could take small steps leading to big effects as well as DIY most, if not all, the elements himself. 

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Sticky Brand Lab
Exciting possibilities are in the works. Come have a listen!
In This Episode You’ll Learn

• Why starting a new business when you already have a book of business, is not enough when it comes to business and personal branding
  
• The challenges you need to overcome when your personal brand is intertwined with your former employer and you leave to start your own business
  
• The DIY elements you need to build your business and personal brand
• 
  

Being a business owner isn't easy. Establishing yourself as an independent business owner, when you've had a long and successful career, can feel like you're starting your career from scratch. In part two, Lori and Nola present Scott with their recommendations, checklists and resources to help his develop and build his business and personal brand. They show him how he can do this himself and in an organized fashion without getting overwhelmed. All resources are available for listeners and can be found on the stickybrandlab.com/resources page.
(4:49.34) Simplifying the learning curve for understanding and leveraging an online brand. 
(6:21.54) A super easy way to understand and think about digital branding.
(7:32.75) Breaking down digital brand into seven essential components.
(10:02.41) The ‘Why’ behind digital branding.
(10:22.60) The number of ‘touchpoints’ prospects typically need before contacting a business.
(17:10.68) DIY your brand colors and professional looking photos to establish your personal and business brand.

Resources
This episode was supported by: Be-YOU-nique

Transcript

Scott: [00:00:00] You've told me a lot of things that I didn't know that I didn't know. I see a lot of opportunity here that has just been floating around me that I haven't grabbed onto.
 
Announcer: [00:00:10] You're listening to the Sticky Brand Lab podcast, where time strep professionals, like you learn how to create a business you love in as little as three hours a week.
 
Nola: [00:00:25] Welcome side hustlers. We're excited to have independent stylist Scott Rotenberg back for the second half of his Ask Muse session where we'll be presenting our suggestions for business branding and professional branding of his business. But before we get started, do us a favor and subscribe to the Sticky Brand Lab podcast. While you're there it would mean so much to us. If you would leave us review so we can help other small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs, just like you find our show. Now let's get this cutting edge episode started.
 
Lori: [00:00:54] We love the second part of ask muse, because this is where we get an opportunity to share our thoughts and our recommendations with our guests.
Our guest Scott, Rotenberg a Chicago native and successful hairstylist in his own, right. Scott had worked for a very well-known and highly regarded salon and spa for the last 10 years. Unfortunately, COVID hit the company really hard, putting it in the position that any business dreads, and that's making the most difficult decision to close its doors. And for this company that meant closing its stores worldwide, leaving a number of people unemployed. With restrictions lightening up in Chicago, Scott has been able to find a new salon and is establishing himself as an independent stylist, which is great. Along with that great news. Scott was able to take his book of business with him. So he's not starting a business from scratch, which is also great news. However, with any business, there's always a rate of attrition as well as a need for acquisition. So, unfortunately COVID is making the latter even more difficult for business owners like Scott, who came to a new salon with a book of business.
 
Nola: [00:02:09] So after our first session, we could recognize that you were facing two pretty significant challenges. First you've been in business for 30 something years and elite clientele, under the umbrella and coexisting with the salon that you have at least for the last 10 years that you've been working with. So you've built up this lifetime reputation as the stylist with this elite clientele that came through the door of this real prominent salon. So your reputation and the salon's reputation were intertwined. And now you are finding that that leverage is no longer there. You're needing to bolster and retain your own reputation as an independent.
 
The second is. You are a novice when it comes to anything digital or digital branding. You're happy to learn, but you're new at this. So there are challenges. These are the things that you're, you're here to address. You came to us to help you map out that plan for launching on your own and expanding your professional reputation. So as an independent stylist, so you're still in that elite area. You have this, this reputation. But how do you launch that as your, your own business and brand? So did we sum that up correctly?
 
Scott: [00:03:41] Yeah, actually very well. The only thing I would say is I operated in my head as an independent, as my own business under their umbrella. That's not necessarily how they saw it.
 
Nola: [00:03:55] Right.
 
Scott: [00:03:56] And therefore my hands were tied to do more of the development that I might've wanted to. Um, and so now my hands are untied, but I don't know what to do.
 
Nola: [00:04:06] That's very well put.
 
Lori: [00:04:08] Yeah, we felt your situation is going to be familiar to many listeners. Who've whether through COVID or for whatever reason are ready to start their own side hustle or business, and don't know where to begin.
 
But before we give you the recommendations. The checklists that we have and the resources to help you do this in an organized fashion. We first wanted to give you some context behind our plan of action. If that makes sense. Being a business owner, isn't easy, establishing yourself as an independent business owner, when you've had a long and successful career, like yourself can feel like you're starting your career from scratch.
The marketplace for salons and for independent hairstylists has changed as the expectations of customers have changed. So success is going to be based on your ability to adapt to those new changes. So understanding the importance and leveraging digital is a new frontier. It's a learning curve. And we wanted to simplify that for you.
 
So before we begin, one of the things that's really important is when you were your own brand within an existing or co-existed within a salon, you had people that saw you as a professional. Now that you're starting over, what we know about customers and customer acquisition is that 70 to 80% of customers will research a business online before ever visiting. Even if they got a recommendation from a friend, they will still follow up by going online, to look at the reputation, to see what the store might look like.
 
Nola: [00:05:56] I know that's what I do.
 
Scott: [00:05:57] Wow.
 
Lori: [00:05:58] We relocated to Austin, Texas, and I had to find a new hairstylist and we got reviews and I still went online to look at their work. To make sure that I liked their style. And that meant a lot. The research shows that 70 to 80% of people will actually do that.
 
Nola: [00:06:17] So we're going to talk today about digital branding. And so digital branding is really just a method that will allow you as a small business owner to use the web and other like online platforms to create and market your personal brand your business brand. So this not only allows you to spread your reach, it will also help you to just generate that constant flow of leads. Now, of course, you're not wanting to reach around the world. You're wanting to reach around Chicago and what we'll be talking about that. But before we go any further about digital branding, I want to just clarify.
 
There's a difference between digital branding and digital marketing, digital marketing focuses on sales, you know, marketing and selling your products and services and w and that means focusing on getting new clients in the door. Digital branding focuses on how you want customers to perceive you, especially perceive you online.
 
And since you're in the magnificent mile and your brand can really leverage that, it can be strategically created to attract the caliber of clients who frequent that location. And you can do that with your digital brand. We're going to go over, uh, some components of basic and solid digital brand. But before we do, let me just run down the list: your website, your logo, your brand message. S E O that's search engine optimization. That's basically how to make sure that your name comes up when people do a specific search. Social media and a professional email address with an email signature. So those are the basic fundamental components of a digital brand.
 
Lori: [00:08:07] So does any of that sound familiar, foreign and what are your thoughts so far?
 
Scott: [00:08:12] Well, I want to go back to something that you said, Lori, as a business person, there's two elements. I'm successful at what I do. I've established a career and that career is successful and this new part is the business side of it. And I've been lumping the two together and been at, in conflict with myself about, I do know  all this one side of it and I don't know any the other side of it, and when I'm lumping those two together, that's a problem. But when I'm able to separate them out, it's perfectly okay and appropriate that I know nothing about the business or very little about the business side of it. And I can hold on to my comfort and my pride in what I'm calling the business. But basically what I mean is the career. As being successful and okay. Let's, let's drill into this. That's great. That, that,
Nola: [00:09:12] that was a real
 
Scott: [00:09:13] aha for me, that I felt a weight lifted off me. I was feeling guilty about it before.
 
Nola: [00:09:19] Oh, wow. Yeah.
 
Lori: [00:09:21] Yeah. And that's understandable your experience, I think for a lot of listeners might be nodding their head.
I have a skill set. I'm a, I'm an expert I've put in the career. Yes. And knowing that and having that as the, I want to maintain that expertise. Now I need to share or shift that expertise into a business model so I can leverage my name, my reputation, my clients.
 
Nola: [00:09:48] You need to let that shine online.
 
Lori: [00:09:53] Shine online.
 
Nola: [00:09:54] You've already got what it takes, just let it shine online.
 
Lori: [00:09:58] Well, and what you said brings up a really good point because that's one of the things that we wanted to talk about here is the why behind digital branding. In this particular case, having a digital brand actually accelerates the business aspect for you much faster than when you first got started in your career.
What we know about the power of a digital brand is clients need an average of seven to 10 touch points before a name and a person or a business resonates with them. Touch points are those opportunities, um, in which people can see you, your business components in a number of locations. So in this case, uh, Nola had talked about them when she gave you that list. It, that would be your website. That would be your logo. That would be social media, uh, your professional email signature, or email address, and some other areas that we're going to be talking about. So when somebody goes to look for you online, they see you in a number of places. Even having your name mentioned in this podcast is a touchpoint. Online branding helps you convert leads into customers because people can check you out in a number of places. So with that, what we're going to say is when we come back, we're going to lay out a roadmap for creating and launching digital business brand and professional brand.
 
Nola: [00:11:42] Are you an aspiring entrepreneur? Who's ready to share your vision with the world, but you're not sure exactly what that would look like. Or do you just want a safe soundboard to help you evaluate you? Top business ideas, then a Be-You-nique session is just what you're looking for. This two part clarity session is customized and based on your individual goals and experience together, we will help you determine your ideal business niche, target audience, and strategy. You'll leave the session with a realistic timeline and a set of small step, big wind goals that make sense for you and your lifestyle. Sign up today for a free 20 minute consultation stickybrandlab.com/shop.
 
Welcome back to Sticky Brand Lab podcast. The show that lovingly lights a fire under your aspirations.
 
Scott, we just gave you two documents, a checklist, and a list of resources that'll help you accomplish the items on that checklist. Just to know our listeners will be able to have access to these too. But before we go over these, we want to point out the goals of our plan.
 
So one, you have no brand footprint, at least not digitally. You have a client reputation that has been intertwined with your former employers reputation and they work together. But in the end there has been no digital footprint that really shows off your 30 plus years of a stellar career with this elite clientele. Once you do develop that digital footprint, that will always be there for you. So even if you move locations, it is aligned with you, not your employer. We also recognize that you are a self-described online novice. So this plan, because this is all about going online, it is designed to reduce the overwhelm. So how fast you go through that list or how slow is totally up to you? You are in charge.
So sound good.
 
Scott: [00:13:42] Sounds great.
 
Lori: [00:13:43] Excellent. You've got the checklist in front of you and we're going to start with branding elements. That means getting a domain name for your business and really for you. Our recommendation is that you use your name and you register it for a .com. And then you registered your business under Vagabond Hair. And what we found was that on Instagram, there is actually somebody with Vagabond Hair that is a stylist that takes pictures. So what we are recommending, if you registered vagabondhair.salon as the second domain name that can be situated in a way that sends people to scottrottenberg.com. Scottrotenberg.com we'll have the reputation for being an independent stylist, no matter what location you're in. Does that make sense?
 
Scott: [00:14:46] Yeah.
 
Lori: [00:14:46] Cool. The other thing that we want to focus on is helping you to establish your brand colors. So that's part of a brand identity, brand font, and we're going to talk about brand photos. We're going to talk about a logo website, social channels, brand reputation and email.
 
Scott: [00:15:07] Great. Yeah.
 
Lori: [00:15:08] We've also designed this so that each item can be a DIY. Since this is new to you, we also are providing resources and that's on the second page. Makes sense?
 
Scott: [00:15:22] I need it to be simplified.
 
Lori: [00:15:24] Great. So any, any questions about that?
 
Scott: [00:15:28] I don't. So far we're good.
 
Nola: [00:15:30] So the next one is your brand colors. These give you a unified presence across, you know, all of these things that we were talking about, or so it just helps to solidify in the neurons of people's brains as a touch point that this is your brand. So we already recorded a podcast about choosing your brand colors. It's called How to Make Your Business Branded and Beautiful. We have it listed and linked from your resource page there. The next item is brand is brand typography which includes the font and sizes. These help make that first impression. And, uh, they convey the personality of your brand. And I would say using that typography and font that will help reach or resonate with that elite clientele that frequents the magnificent mile. You can have a look that will allow people to say, Oh yeah, I think I belong there.
 
The next thing is a logo. And as you know, logo logo is a symbol that represents your business. And so people can identify it at a glance. It needs to be very simple. Because you might have it on a big screen of, of a website, but you also might have it as a teeny, teeny item on a phone. So it needs to be simple. If it's too cluttered, it's just going to get lost. It's going to look like a thumbprint. So you want it to match the colors of your business. You want it to represent your personality.
 
Scott: [00:17:08] Excellent.
 
Nola: [00:17:09] Cool.
 
Lori: [00:17:10] And then of course there comes photography. In your particular case, getting a photo, a professional headshot, and some lifestyle photos, specifically of you maybe cutting other people's hair or you in a professional look in a way that is something that you can do. And as it turns out, we actually did a podcast for DIY like a pro lifestyle had shots and photographs that you can do with your own phone.
 
Nola: [00:17:41] But our listeners can also access that on the resources page of our website.
 
Lori: [00:17:45] So the benefit of the lifestyle type headshot and lifestyle type photos is they allow you to look more natural. So you can have some fun with it. You can be silly with it, and it gives people who look at your photos, a sense of your personality, right?
And then we're recommending a one page website for you rather than multiple page. Which also brings another thing that we're recommending here is that you establish yourself with a Google map, lets you claim your business. So that's when somebody would put in hair salons near me and, or a specific location. Your name as a business will pop up because you've registered it and the map and the location is what can go in the footer so people can see that you truly are part of the magnificent mile.
 
Scott: [00:18:49] Wow. This is exciting.
 
Lori: [00:18:53] Any questions so far?
 
Scott: [00:18:55] No. When we done? I want to, I want to go start.
 
Nola: [00:19:00] Awesome.
 
Scott: [00:19:01] No, it's very exciting. I'm, I'm a little overwhelmed, but in a really, really good way. I feel like, uh, Christmas morning, I'm looking at the presents, trying to decide which one to open first. I do have a question. Are there things that can evolve with? Start with the free one, for example, and as business builds, as time goes alter without upsetting the whole boat, as I can afford more.
 
 
Nola: [00:19:29] Absolutely. A lot of these platforms are designed to offer you a free version. And then as you grow, the hope is that you will stay with them. And then they give you more features and benefits. And as long as you, again, you can move your brand. You can move, you have your website, you can change website providers if you want, because what you own is the domain name that it points to. Yeah. It's, it's not complicated.
 
Lori: [00:19:56] Yeah. And if you, if you change design elements, You might stay within the same color base. You might improve the design. You might change the colors and keep the same design. So people will naturally gravitate, but because these things will appear across so many different platforms and channels having it and knowing that you're using continuity across the board, that becomes touchpoints, that people become familiar with.
 
Scott: [00:20:27] I like it.
 
Nola: [00:20:28] Cool. So one other element, what we would do as business card, 2.0, incorporating the digital reputation is to be sure to use your domain name, because you're going to have Scottrottenberg.com. And you're going to have your professional email, which is [email protected]. Something like that.
 
Lori: [00:20:53] Once you have your domain name and your provider, you can get an email address through them as well. And you can have multiple addresses. So your business cards might have stylist or specifically [email protected], but you might have main@ or info@ so that people or bots that are online that try to reach you, and they're not real, or they're trying to sell you something and you don't want to get it. That there's a location that is directing that email group there so that you're not getting filled up with junk.
 
Scott: [00:21:35] Wow.
 
Nola: [00:21:36] And so your business card is also a place where you can put a little thumbnail of your lifestyle photo. It's almost like a, a warm introduction. And so now they know to look for you when they go online, they'll know to match that face. And also on the back, you can put an incentive for those referrals. But also on your business card you can put your social media handle. As a business it's really crucial to have at least one, one social media account or presence basically pointing to Instagram because it is visual. Instagram is composed of billions of photographs and for you to get on Instagram and start posting your photos would be more of a benefit than getting on say Twitter. So it's really, what's relevant to your business and your clients and your potential clients.
 
Scott: [00:22:29] Sweet. Very nice.
 
Lori: [00:22:31] There's a couple other ways to do soft advertising, if you will, or free advertising. And we referred to that a little bit. When we talked about that, you would want to register with Google my business. Do you have a LinkedIn account?
 
Scott: [00:22:49] I think I do. It's obviously not something that I've invested much time in building though.
 
Lori: [00:22:56] We believe that's the case as well. So in this case, we would recommend that you update that. So basically you can use your professional LinkedIn page just as a way to establish you has having a career, but more importantly, it'll help with another touch point for people to find you. If they went and on LinkedIn, specifically in Google you they'd see you there. But, by Googling your name, your LinkedIn profile will show up under your Google list. So it has multiple benefits, just exactly to help you.
 
Scott: [00:23:33] It's amazing how much, I don't know. How much information you're giving me to learn it. That's, that's wonderful.
 
Lori: [00:23:42] That one of the things, as we had been talking about all the way through is that when somebody is looking for a place to do service or product. They often will Google for reviews. Yelp is a good place for that as our Google reviews. So when your business is listed on Google maps, the reviews show up. Because you have a lot of customers that will stay with you or have been with you. We're recommending that you reach out to them. Ask them to do you a favor by going and leaving a review at the place of their choice.  So example, you can have a request on your station that says, if you're happy with my service, let others know Yelp and Google reviews is appreciated.
 
Nola: [00:24:34] Yeah, absolutely. And if you send thank you emails, you can have a link right there. If you enjoy. If you're pleased, please feel free to click here and leave a review, make it easy for them.
 
Scott: [00:24:44] Wow.
 
Lori: [00:24:46] Currently, you have a booking system for people who make appointments with you and it automatically sends out reminders. We're recommending that you get an email service provider. You don't have to use it all the time, but doing so allows you to, you can set it up as an automated system. So if you want to send out thank you, emails, you can have it already done as a template. You simply assign an email address name to it and it'll send it out.
 
Scott: [00:25:18] And this is an email service provider?
 
Nola: [00:25:21] So let me just clarify. There's two different things. One is a provider that gives you allows you to use your domain name as your email address. So when you set up your website as Scottrottenberg.com, you will also, at that time, be able to get your professional email address. Of, you know, [email protected]. That's one thing. What Lori's talking about and what we're recommending is you get a service that allows you to send bulk emails to your lists of clients. Don't do it, do not do it through your regular email system. So when you get that, you'll probably get a basic inbox.
 
Do not try to send 20 out of your own email box because, or more because you could get blacklisted for spam. You could get penalized and with your customer list gets too big. They won't get it because, um, spam blockers will prevent them from doing that. When you get on a email broadcast provider, they've already worked out with, uh, the spam folks to make sure that you've past as a qualified person that whose emails are desired.
 
Lori: [00:26:37] Yes. So right now you're using a personal Gmail account to reach you. But think about it from this standpoint, your target audience is people who want to be off of Michigan Avenue in the Michigan Avenue area, the magnificent mile area. So you want to have the same caliber of professionalism that they're used to seeing. So a professional looking email address allows you to do just that. Look as professional as you are. Does that make sense?
 
Scott: [00:27:12] It makes a lot of sense. And it's not something I thought about. So thank you.
 
Lori: [00:27:16] How are you feeling at this moment with all of this information?
 
Scott: [00:27:23] Um, as I said, it's very exciting. I feel like it's Christmas morning and I I'm trying to pick which thing to open first. I want to open them all. As I also have said, you've told me a lot of things that I didn't know that I didn't know. And so it's, it's a lot of information. And in that respect, it's a little overwhelming, but it's also incredibly exciting and very promising. I see, I see a lot of opportunity here that has just been floating around me that I haven't grabbed onto.
 
Lori: [00:27:55] That's a great, we're excited. We're totally excited, but we're so focused on making sure that you have all the information and we simplified it in a way that makes it digestible.
 
Scott: [00:28:05] And you did that very clearly, very succinctly. And I appreciate that.
 
Nola: [00:28:09] I'm so glad.
 
Lori: [00:28:12] Thank you, Scott, for being a guest on this edition of Ask Muse.
And if you'd like to learn more about Scott and his styling services, how's the best way for people to reach you, Scott.
 
Scott: [00:28:23] Well at the moment, it's [email protected]. Um, I can imagine that very shortly, there will be a web page that, uh, will link people for that.
 
Lori: [00:28:38] If you would spell out your name for us, that'd be great.
Okay.
 
Scott: [00:28:42] It's Scott Rottenberg. S C O T T R O T T E N B E R G. com.
 
Nola: [00:28:51] So listeners, if you would like to be a guest on Ask Muse, visit stickybrandlab.com/askmuse and apply today until next week. Action creates results. So tap into your desire by taking 1% action every day. Remember small steps, big effects.
Well,
 
Scott: [00:29:15] if it means anything, I've been biting my tongue wanting to go.