Meet Brittany Ward of Create Collabs!
Hiya! Happy Thursday. It’s a new feature week! I’m pumped for you to meet Brittany Ward and get to know her entrepreneurial journey.
She’s the Founder of A Marketing Whisperer (AMW) and Create Collabs. She launched AMW in the Fall of 2015 and loved being able to make an impact in her client’s businesses, but realized she had even more innovation & creativity to give. Enter scene Create Collabs in 2019, a new platform (the first of its kind!) that connects brands with influencers. Not only has Brittany become a go-to expert in digital marketing and working with influencers, but she also recently won a seed money grant from Working Women of Tampa Bay to help fund & grow Create Collabs.
She’s a total powerhouse and I know you’re going to love getting to take a peek into her dreams & goals and enjoy her words. xx -Gina
Take a peek into Brittany’s daily life! | Video interview
Tell us about yourself and what you do!
My background for 13+ years is marketing and communications. I have a passion for helping businesses grow through innovative solutions. Personally, I hail from Pensacola and have lived all over Florida. Travel and food are my two passions, outside of my family and friends.
How did your business begin?
Like most, it started as a side hustle. I had a few friends ask for help with their marketing and it snowballed from that point forward. I always knew I wanted to have my own business, but the growth was so organic that I just had to pursue it. Today it's been over three years and I am still just as passionate about it.
What's 1 challenge you've faced and how has it effected your business? What did you do to overcome it?
The challenge that seems to be most daunting has been the trap of trying to please everyone. First of all, it's an impossibility. If you try and please everyone by doing everything you will fail. I know that in my brain, but trying not to chase down every little side project or potential business opportunity when you are first starting - and even in growth mode - is very difficult to avoid. You have bills to pay and you want to make money. But in the end, it's always a hindrance to longer-term success. I have always been on the lookout for ways to carve out a niche as my business evolved. I looked for emerging trends and profitability within my business to help steer the direction. In the end, it found me and we are and continue to wear blinders (most days) and charge forward.
What's 1 success you've had since you’ve created your business? How do you feel when you look back on it?
I was told recently that business owners forget to stop and celebrate small successes. That statement has never been truer in my case. Shoot, I forget to celebrate the big ones too. I think being profitable my first year in business was a big win. No one goes into business to lose money, but sometimes it takes a while to get in the black. I was fortunate to land great clients and somehow navigate my way through low overhead. Moving forward, I want my successes to reflect through my clients because when they win, so do I.
What's the best piece of advice you could give someone looking to start a business?
Don't do it. Just kidding. Sort of. But really, don't go into business thinking you're just going to create a better "job" for yourself. It's a falsehood. Stay where you are with sick days and accounting and free coffee. I read the E-myth pretty early on and realized the 3 roles you have to play - entrepreneur, manager, and technician - are a balancing act and its not easy. The days wear on you when you have to be your own cheerleader. Grit and determination, especially on days you don't have anyone looking over your shoulder for accountability, become mandatory. I loved a quote I heard recently that said, "When you're feeling tired, don't quit, just rest." I think every business owner can vibe with that.
What's a pivot you've made in your business?
I think I mentioned this earlier, but my pivot was more a decision to become more niche that expansive. I wasn't sure what that niche was going to be initially. Over the last 10 months, my full-service agency started taking on more and more social influencer campaigns until it just made sense to dig deeper into that vertical than stay shallow and wide. The pivot is now called Create Collabs and it's evolved into an online platform that creates authentic partnerships between brands and influencers for content and advertising. I'm excited to get it launched very soon.
When are you at your happiest?
When I am doing things I am really good at like helping people, learning, and solving problems. I get the best sense of fulfillment during those times (but also, I'm pretty happy on a catamaran with a cold beer, too).
What do you tell yourself when things get difficult?
I gave my self-affirmations away earlier. "Don't quit. Just rest."
Whats 1 personal goal you've set for yourself this year?
My personal goal this year was to live in abundance. That doesn't mean take and consume in abundance, but I wanted to be in a state that allowed my energy to welcome abundance in my life without living in a scarcity mentality. I think last year was a lot of what-ifs. So, this goal was more of a mindset change.
What's 1 business goal you've set for yourself to accomplish this year?
My goal this year was to launch my new business model, Create Collabs. What success looks like after that, we will see given this is a totally new business model we are inventing.
What's the first thing you do on a Monday morning and why?
Check my calendar for the week and set my intention.
Where can you be found + what will you typically be up to on a Friday night?
Given I am not a creature of habit, this is a tough question. I could be on an airplane, at a restaurant or happy hour, working, or ordering takeout on the couch hunting for a movie to watch. I like to roll with the punches.
Finish these sentences:
My go to karaoke song is… I'm more a backup dancer.
My favorite cocktail is… Grey Goose dirty martini, stuffed olives, shaken 'til it's frozen.
My favorite quote is… “Never gonna give you up. Never gonna let you down. Never gonna turn around and desert you.” Thank you for coming, you've been RickRolled.
