We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Erin Isenhart. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Erin below.

Erin , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

I grew up, the eldest of four children, in a beautiful, historic yellow house in a small town in North Dakota. The home I grew up in fostered creativity and hard work. Our parents taught us to treat people with kindness and to always do the right thing.

My mother, now a retired teacher of 40+ years, instilled in us the importance of a good education. She followed her passion for teaching and embraced it fully and all while she and my dad raised four active children. She worked long hours and still created a fulfilling home life for our family. As a teacher, she encouraged us to take part in any and all extra-curricular student activities we were interested in, and we did.

My father was a contractor with his own construction company for 25 years, until his unexpected death at age 59. Each of us kids worked for him during the summer and on school breaks. Construction work was physically demanding, mentally tiring and it taught us life skills daily. He was a perfectionist who expected us to do our best work at all times, leave the job site cleaner than it was when we arrived. He was a patient teacher on the job. He was creative in his planning and building and he was kind and generous with his customers.

Both parents showed us how to use creative solutions to meet goals and fix problems. They taught us countless life lessons that we have each carried with us into adulthood, careers, marriage, parenting and entrepreneurship.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

For as long as I can remember, I have enjoyed working as a creative. I’ve held creative roles such as writing, graphic design, photographer, business owner and several marketing roles including Marketing Communication, social and digital marketing, SEO and event planning, promotion and management.. Throughout all of the jobs I held early in my career, Marketing communication, Creative Marketing and Marketing strategy have been where I find the most joy and energy for my work.

After more than a decade working in creative roles in corporate settings, I felt called to move in a new direction. Entrepreneurship was my next endeavor. I was confidant that it was the right move. I was scared of the risk associated with starting a business, leaving a steady paycheck behind and building a lucrative business of my own. I am most proud of my decision to go for it! And to not let fear hold me back from doing what I love and doing it on my own. I am also proud that I can go into a new client’s office, soak in all that they do and help to move their marketing department forward in support of the whole business, and in ways they may not have thought of before hiring me. (There are those Creative Solutions again…)

My husband has been a strong supporter of my desire to have my own business from the beginning. We have two young children and no extended family in the area. Being self-employed offers the flexibility we need as we raise our children.

Nearly a decade ago I started Yellow House Creative Marketing. As a Marketing Freelancer and Consultant, I work with a variety of clients to support their Marketing efforts large and small. I enjoy taking on temporary, on-location roles for clients when an employee needs an extended period of time off. Some of those roles include Marketing Director, Creative Director, Media Buyer, Marketing Communications, and more. I also enjoy working with my long-term clients, fulfilling their daily/weekly marketing needs and project work as well. And I always enjoy meeting my new clients to explore their organization’s needs.

I worked for a client in the Cattle industry to help move their Marketing department from a very simple, sales-support role to a much larger, strategic department implementing strategies to move the organization forward in big ways. Offering metrics that supported growth along the way was rewarding. I am proud of the fact that I can go into a client’s office with a fresh perspective and really help them create a growth strategy that helps them reach their goals.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I believe that staying abreast of new technology, trends and strategies is integral to the success of my small business. I am a life-long learner with a desire to soak in all the new things happening in my industry.

I have learned so much through my clients along the way, especially when I go into a client’s office and work there for a period of time. Each client uses different platforms, metrics, technologies, strategies, etc. Those experiences are eye-opening and exception for my own professional growth.

In recent years I have learned that many Marketing companies offer free, high-quality education and learning opportunities. One of those that I use often is HubSpot. I wish I would have known and taken advantage of these opportunities early in my self-employment journey.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

The driving force behind my creative journey is simple: to be able to support my family financially, while doing the work that I love alongside brilliant people and inspiring organizations. And.. I hope to be a a good example for our children as they grow up!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.goyellowhouse.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goyellowhouse/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-isenhart-98940b13/
• Twitter: @goyellowhouse