We recently connected with Abby Bradetich and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Abby thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

I’ve been doing freelance design work for almost 10 years, but always alongside another job. When COVID happened in 2020, I was out of work (like most everyone else), except for the freelance jobs I had maintained on the side. This ended up being a saving grace and carried me through that first year of the pandemic. When things started opening back up, I thought searching for a more “traditional” job would be the right move, so I put a lot of time into applying for jobs – but all along, I had this feeling in the back of my mind that it wasn’t the right path for me. I’m honestly not made for the 9-5 life.

My freelance work continued to ramp up over the next year, and since I loved my clients, having a flexible schedule, working from home, and doing the work that lights me up most, I decided to make it into a business so I could pursue it more intently. In December 2021, I launched my business on Instagram as a content creation biz – focused on branding, web design, copywriting, and social media marketing.

Over the course of the last year, I’ve learned a LOT, gone outside my comfort zone, and grown more than I could have anticipated! I created an LLC for my business shortly after launching my Insta, added systems to my processes, incorporated CEO days into my weekly schedule, forced myself to figure out the nitty gritty things like finances and legal/administrative tasks that I normally avoid, and have learned a lot through trial and error, connecting with other female entrepreneurs, and by talking with biz owners that already are where I want to go.

In Summer 2022, I invested in a 12-week business course with HerHQ (a company that helps service providers scale) that pushed me to reassess what work I enjoy most – branding, copywriting, and web design – so I could narrow down my services to doing primarily that for minority-owned and purpose-driven businesses. And I have to say, I love my business more than ever! I’ve been able to scale, align my work with my passion, and am ready to start hiring a team to help. Investing in yourself and your business is scary, but MORE than worthwhile!

Abby, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My love for graphic design and content creation began in high school – I took a bunch of photography classes and was on the yearbook all four years (Editor-In-Chief my Senior year). I loved how you could capture a moment in time and convey an emotion or story through photos, copy, and design. I was always writing content for the yearbook, and it fascinated me how I could adapt the voice of the story to portray the exact feeling I wanted. This carried me through college, where I, again, was an editor for the TCU Yearbook all four years (Editor-In-Chief my last two), and within that organization, I was able to advance my design skills and content creation abilities, which led to the chance to do design work for organizations I cared about, including the TCU School for Classical & Contemporary Dance (where I was getting my BFA).

After college, I landed an internship with Fort Worth, Texas Magazine – where I learned a lot about social media, content creation, copywriting, and general marketing. This is what I credit with kick starting my career in the content creation world as it gave me the skills needed to pursue social media and copywriting work, in addition to design. My love of dance moved me to Seattle shortly after college, where I could pursue it more easily. While there, I worked with multiple businesses and freelancers doing graphic and web design, social media, and marketing – always working with people that had been recommended to me.

After three years in Seattle, I moved to Durham, NC. I’ve been here for over four years now and love it more than I expected! Despite moving across the country, I was able to maintain all my freelance work and expand my network to the East Coast, while also trying to pursue a full-time job. I tried a few “traditional” jobs, but none felt quite right. Then COVID happened, and I was completely out of work, which pushed me to reassess what I enjoyed doing most – branding, copywriting, and web design. Discovering this empowered me to create my own business: IlluminEssence Creations, LLC.

I have been in business for just about a year now and couldn’t imagine anything better! I get to work with minority-owned and purpose-driven businesses that align with my values – inclusivity, community, connection, and impact-building. Working with female service providers that care about bettering the world lights me up, and I’m grateful to get to help them authentically share their passion through branding, copywriting, and web design.

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

As a freelancer, all of my clients came from recommendations by past clients – and even today, that is my main source of new clients. Social proof is a powerful thing! But as my business has grown and adapted over the last year, I’ve found two other key ways to find new clients: through social media (especially Instagram) and by expanding my network (working with other biz owners and entrepreneurs). Both have helped me make connections with people across the country that I never would have met otherwise, and this has proved to be a great source for new clients.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I launched my business Instagram in December 2021, and have scaled it to over 500 followers using just organic growth strategies. I feel lucky to have an extensive background in social media, design, and copywriting (not to mention having worked as a social media manager for several years), which has made building my own audience on social media pretty easy!

I always tell my clients to keep it simple: create a plan for how many days per week you want to post that is manageable for you to maintain consistently and stick with that! Even if that means only posting two or three times per week. If you can create quality content on a consistent basis, you will have success in growing online.

It’s less about trends and showing up just because you feel like you HAVE to, and more about providing value for your followers. This applies to content types as well! You do NOT have to lip sync to reels or dance around to trending audio just to grow your account. The best thing to do is find what type of content you enjoy creating, and focus on that. There are plenty of businesses that have grown their accounts with static carousel posts alone – so don’t let the reels trend stop you from showing up!

I actually am launching a new Copywriting for Social Media offer in December that helps business owners develop their brand voice, understand how to talk to and relate to their ideal clients, and write captions for social media in a way that feels good to them while also attracting the right people to their accounts. It’s currently in Beta Testing and I’m SO excited about the transformations I’m seeing in the clients I’m working with.

Contact Info:

• Website: illuminessencecreations.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/illuminessencecreations/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/illuminessencecreations
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abby-bradetich/