We recently connected with Amber Boone and have shared our conversation below.

Amber, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

The key to success is understanding and standing firm in your definition of success. What is your measure of success? Is it a dollar amount, an award, or a level of achievement? Is your goalpost static or is it mobile?

For me, the greatest measure of success is your quality of life. Are you happy? Do you spend a majority of your time doing things you enjoy with people you enjoy, even if it’s “work”? And to achieve that, you have to be willing to let go of societal expectations, be brutally honest with yourself, learn to adapt, and most of all, invest in yourself – your mental, physical, and financial wellbeing.

Because after all, what is success without happiness?

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I have been working since I was 14 years old. By the time I was 17 years old, I was a married mother of two so providing for my family was essential and I learned early how to be resourceful and navigate obstacles.

Still, education was important and I knew I wanted to do more than just survive. I wanted to thrive.

After earning my bachelor’s from Central Michigan University, I kind of “fell into” social media marketing. But, at the time, it was still a newer form of marketing and many businesses didn’t understand its value. So, I began volunteering and offering my services for free. Eventually, word got around about what I was doing and I got my first paid gig. From there, I started freelancing while still working my 9-5 – which was in Communications.

In 2017, life got crazy. I got divorced and found out I was going to be a grandmother. 😱 I started a podcast called Thirty, Flirty, and Thriving and it was all about sharing stories of people who found a way to turn their passion into their profession despite crazy life obstacles (like what I was going through 😅). I had guests like Neisha Neshae, Angel Aviles, Bizarre, Mikaila Dancer, and more – people with truly incredible stories.

Finally, after about 7 years of steady freelance work and the creation of my podcast, and after COVID hit, I decided to make it official and created Amber Boone Consulting. I also got my Real Estate License and created Amber Boone Realty. During the pandemic, I identified various needs of others and tapped in to see how I could be of service. I became a public notary and a wedding officiant. I turned my side hustle into my full-time job. I turned my passion for helping others, into my profession – and it was all I had ever dreamed of. I didn’t mind long days, immediate response expectations, or any of the frustrations that come with being an entrepreneur because the creative control, autonomy, and ability to work from anywhere was exactly the type of thriving I had always dreamed of.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

The first step in building my brand on social media was having an authentic, relatable personal brand. This doesn’t work for everyone. Some people don’t want to be the face of their brand and for some businesses, it doesn’t necessarily make sense. But what worked for me, and what has worked for so many of my clients is sharing their story and their journey through social media. Most of your engagement, growth, and business won’t be coming from your close friends and family. You need to be able to appeal to strangers. You need to be vulnerable. Challenge yourself. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable and get out of your head! Don’t check the numbers. One thing I realized early on was that my posts weren’t getting the vanity engagement I wanted but my DM’s were blowing up! And I was getting business so I started to care less and less about the likes. I know people who have thousands of followers and thousands of likes on every post and never get a single client. Don’t let social media fool you.

Approach social media like you do dancing in the mirror, be free, and move as if no one can judge you.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

The best source of new clients has been word of mouth with social media a close second. Once you do good work and you build relationships with people, they are going to run to tell their friends and family about you.

On social media and in real life, be kind, be timely, and be authentic. Don’t try and fit a mold. People will love you for it and your business will grow.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.amberboone.net
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getrealwithab/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmberCBoone/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/getrealwithab/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ThebestAmber/