Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Magill

Hi Sarah , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?

After college, I spent five months traveling the world alone, with just a carry-on and a backpack. I decided to start a travel blog in 2013. I put everything into it as I saw more and more regular people living unconventionally and traveling full-time, funded by their blogs and books. This was the first time I explored digital entrepreneurship but I always clung to my day jobs.

After I had my daughter, I took my professional life even more seriously, as I became the sole income earner and a single mother. I considered going back to school for my master’s in digital communications but after a conversation with my aunt, decided to start my own business as a wedding and event planner. This led me to find more work in the hospitality industry and I enjoyed several years living it up in Washington’s Wine Country. Believing I had found my true calling in hospitality, I attended conferences and became a Certified Sommelier so I could show my employer that I was worthy of an adult-professional salary, rather than be lumped in with the drifters taking a gap year.

The truth was, I was still struggling financially and I was tired of the “struggling single mom” narrative. I wanted to be the thriving single mom. I sat down and calculated how much I would need to take home to afford our own place. Having a roommate while you’re trying to sleeptrain and make it through the terrible twos was a level of stress I had never expected. As it turned out, as a single-income earner, I needed to be paid almost double what my salary was.

Unfortunately, even with a beautiful presentation about the value I brought to the company, backed by the conferences and the respected title of Certified Sommelier, and why I deserved a living wage, I was told it wasn’t in the budget.

So I left and went into Real Estate. This must have been divine timing because I made the switch out of hospitality right before Covid.

Luckily, I was able to name my price at a boutique real estate company as their Transaction and Marketing Coordinator. I was asked if I could manage the office’s social media, and even though I had no idea how to do it, I said yes because that’s what it would take to earn that wage, to get a home for me and my daughter. With the offer letter from that job, I qualified for a mortgage and was able to buy my own house! That job is how I learned about social media.

It was a great few years at that company but again, after inflation and the pandemic, it was time to ask for a raise. I taught myself video editing, created listing videos of the properties, built websites, organized models, photographers and videographers, grew our following on multiple platforms as well as managed the transaction details for all contracts in the office. Again, I was told no after asking for a raise.

I reasoned that the only way I was going to make a comfortable living, much less climb the economic ladder, was to rely solely on myself. I had all the professional titles, degrees, and skills I was told would lead me to a thriving career but it never worked out in real life. I decided I had to be the conduit of my own wealth, without relying on someone else. I’ve always been the type of person who wants to grow, make it to the next level, and set my sights on big goals. I’ve always challenged the status quo and needed a challenge. One of my early mentors told me, “if you’re always the person working the hardest, you should work for yourself”.

So I took the leap and started my own business, only this time, I went ALL in and left my day job.

It felt terrifying and risky, but I realized it was far riskier to leave my career and my finances in the hands of someone else.

It’s been over two years since I’ve worked for myself full-time and I’ve never looked back! Ten years after I first learned about digital entrepreneurship, I have finally stepped into the role of content creator and business owner. Being an entrepreneur means monetizing your growth. It’s literally my job to learn and grow.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?

Definitely not a smooth ride, but smooth sailing never made a skilled sailor.

Parenting while building a business from the ground up has been incredibly challenging. I’m still in the building stages and my young daughter doesn’t realize I’m creating an empire so we can have a better future. The mom guilt can be so strong when you’re telling your child you can’t play Barbies because you have to work.

Being a single-income earner with a mortgage was definitely an added level of pressure.

I applied for so many grants and loans and didn’t get a single one. I knew I could spend that same amount of time getting clients and networking. I ended up putting all my start-up expenses on a credit card. I took jobs at a temp agency, working on a wine bottling line, officiated weddings, walked dogs and house-sat to pay the bills while I built my clientele.

If I had known it would have been this challenging, I may not have taken the leap, but now, looking back, I’m so glad I did.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?

I am a social media strategist and coach as well as an author and speaker. I specialize in short-form video content but what really sets me apart is the fact that I went from being a tech-averse millennial to starting my own social media company in just a few years. When I work with my clients, I show them the most simple ways to make social media work for them because I understand what it’s like to struggle with tech while balancing the pressure of being on all the platforms. In some cases, I manage the entire social media of a client, from ideation, branding, filming, editing, copywriting, and engagement. I work to drive traffic from social media platforms to whatever channel is most beneficial to the client with a goal of building their email lists and customer databases.

I also do many classes and workshops where I teach professionals, marketing teams and business owners how to create a strategy and film video content for themselves. We develop systems and workflows based on their specific challenges and show them how they can save time, be consistent, and create a higher-quality social media presence.

What sets me apart from others in my industry is my ability to connect with my clients and help them feel seen and appreciated for their uniqueness. It’s so much more than just strategy. Coaching clients on video is about self-worth, confidence, and the ability to take up space and own your presence. It’s confidence coaching.

I love it when I am coaching someone on camera and they start opening up. They stop questioning themselves and all this knowledge just starts pouring out. Then they see the final edit of the reel and it’s like they’re seeing themself as the main character for the first time.

It’s a very special process!

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?

My advice for entrepreneurs just starting out is to start before you’re “ready”. It’s so easy to get stuck in research, creating the perfect logo, or feeling like you don’t know enough to actually charge for your service.

You don’t have to be what you would consider an expert, because to someone else who is new to this, you ARE already an expert.

Take imperfect action. Put yourself out there. Make offers. Refine as you go.

These days, people care less about your qualifications and certifications. They care more about the results and experience you provide. They want to do business with someone they actually like. They want to give their money to someone whose mission they admire. If you put yourself out there and start getting clients the results, that will speak for itself. You will learn far more that way, and you’ll help people on your journey to being “more qualified.” As long as you commit to getting a little better every day, you’re doing it right.

I would also say that entrepreneurship is a personal development path, much more than what people may realize. You can’t just learn about funnels, CRMs and automation and rake in the revenue. Being a business owner means you have to continually improve yourself, your mindset, and your beliefs. You may grow from a professional conference, but you may also grow just as much by taking a real vacation to rest, or going to a meditation retreat. You have to do the inner work if you really want to succeed as a business owner. You have to feed your soul.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thereelsarah.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_the_reel_sarah
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheReelSarah
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahmagill/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_U7hmE9mBaK7ZiIg4hWMQQ