We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Taylor McCormack a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Taylor, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?
I wish I had started my business way sooner! Marketing and PR had always interested me, but I didn’t know of anyone personally that was working within that realm so it honestly seemed unattainable. When I first started my business, I was 23, working on a finance team and was just about to finish up my BS in Accounting. The whole time I went through school for accounting, and even while working my job in finance I felt so unfulfilled, that’s when I decided I needed to take a leap of faith and at least try to do what I was actually interested in. Looking back now, if I had started sooner I wouldn’t been so miserable for so long feeling like I was working towards absolutely nothing because nothing else I was doing was bringing me joy.
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 got into digital marketing really by just jumping in head first. I did a ton of research of my own, got a few certifications and then decided the best way to learn is to just start and see where it goes! My ideal client is a small business owner!
My dad has run a one-man small business for most of my life and I grew up seeing how tiring it was for one person to have to do it all on their own, and I think this is one thing that sets me apart from others in the same field. I’ve experienced firsthand how carrying all the weight on your own can effect you, but I’ve also experienced how hard it is for a small business owner to trust anyone else with their work and/or clientelle.
Watching my father go through these same struggles helps me empathize with the small business owners that reach out to me, and I’m ultimately able to build long lasting relationships from this one point of understanding. They are not just dollar signs to me, they are real people trying to make their dream work. Their business is their baby, and I treat every clients account and marketing with the utmost love and respect! If I wouldn’t be proud to put my name on it and show it off to the world, then I’m not going to expect a client to be happy with it either so I’ve always got to give 100%, or I just simply won’t be happy with the work.
I’m very proud of how I’ve been able to transform the small businesses that I work with, many are reaching heights that they never thought possible. That alone is enough to keep me working at what I love doing!
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Building authentic relationships! I’ve never been a cold call/email/DM girl. I find cold calling so terribly annoying and off putting so I never wanted to be that person! I set aside time every day to network with new people as well as checking in on others that I’ve already spoken with before, whether they booked with me or not. People buy people, and that’s what I’ve always based my business practice off of. I’m building lifelong friendships and relationships here, not just business transactions!
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
As outdated as it may sounds to some people, Facebook groups! Networking within Facebook groups that small business owners are in has been a game changer for my business. When I started taking networking within these groups serious, I almost tripled my annual revenue.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.digitallytaylor.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitallytaylor/