Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kelli Binnings. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Kelli, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
In 2015, I started a full-service creative agency with 2 other partners. We started with just 4 clients working out of my living room and over the next 6 months, moved into a swanky little office on Magazine Street in New Orleans. In just under 2 years, we grew to 5 team members and some 20+ clients. We were competing with some of the best agencies around and winning. We had so many things to celebrate but by the end of 2017, I was losing steam, feeling overwhelmed, and like something was missing. After a couple of years of go-mode, 7 to 7 workdays, and reaching what felt like a glass ceiling of my own making, I began questioning if I was meant for something different. Was this it? Was I ready to spend the next 20+ years of my career doing exactly this? I thought this was what I wanted, how could I now be questioning the very thing I equated to success? The choice became clear to me and by May of 2018, I decided to take the biggest risk of life and have the difficult discussion to dissolve the company. Over the next 30 days, I sold 90% of the things I owned and bought a one-way ticket to Los Angeles.
This story could have only gone two ways, I could fail, be home in 3 months and living with my parents, or I could succeed, trust my intuition, try something unknown and new, and create a new career path that felt more like me. I’m happy to say it was the latter; however, I was 100% prepared for both. When it comes to taking risks, it’s important to think through the possibilities of what you know could be true.
When life gives you a proverbial fork in the road, it’s best to adopt a “so now what” attitude. Meaning, good or bad, whatever happens, you say “so now what” and remain open to whatever comes your way and use it to your advantage as either a lesson learned or an experience of a lifetime.
Needless to say, some risks are meant to be taken.
Kelli, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Hi! I’m Kelli! I’m a brand psychology-obsessed designer and multi-disciplined creative who lives for building authentic brand experiences. For the past 15ish years, I’ve collaborated across a variety of industries from Food and Bev to Commodity Trading to Fitness and Lifestyle to Skincare and Beauty. I work one-on-one with clients and internal teams to develop and implement brand strategies that drive collective success through both a refined message and a visually strong brand.
Over the last 5 years, I’ve focused primarily on bridging the gap between brand, business, and self (behavior) by helping people uncover their true path in leadership. As a client-proclaimed Swiss army knife and relentless problem-solver, I partner with people to innovate, align, and transform their brands into meaningful experiences that challenge others to feel and do the same.
My mission is to reframe the way people think about and apply self-development and positive psychology to their professional lives. By identifying their core values and motivators people learn to embrace who they are and what they want and connect what they learn to their audience’s core values; resulting in brand experiences that are simply worth experiencing.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is helping others see and bring their visions to life. Whether that’s through design, photography, or message development, collaborating with business owners to create something they’re proud of is truly a gift.
Art is personal, interpretive, and varies based on perspective. When you’re creating for yourself, the reason you create is expressive and beautiful but different. When you create for others, your source of inspiration becomes shared and there’s just something so incredibly wonderful about sharing that experience with others.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
Current clients. Word-of-mouth referrals are the best because they are built on trust, credibility, and quality of service. How your current clients feel about you matters tremendously, because good or bad, they always willingly share their experiences with others. Give them a great one to share and you’ll never be without clients.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.buildsmartbrands.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildsmartbrands/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/buildsmartbrands/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellibinnings/
- Youtube: @buildsmartbrands
- Other: Other websites: https://www.kellibinnings.com/ https://howtobuildsmartbrands.com/ Other social: IG @ kbinnings IG @ kellibinningsphoto TikTok @kbinnings FB group @thesmartbrandclub
Image Credits
Personal Headshots credit: Kate Haus Photography