We were lucky to catch up with Alyssa Burlingame recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alyssa, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

The biggest risk I’ve ever taken was starting Daisy & Dahlia Branding Co. I traded a steady paycheck, 401k, and health insurance for a flexible schedule, freedom of my time, and pure faith. To say it has always paid off would be a lie…but to say that I’ve stopped believing in this business would also be a lie. I have not yet reached the purely thriving stage of being a business owner, but I have learned so much about trusting the Lord, trusting other people, and about my own strengths and weaknesses than I ever would have learned at a 9-5. I am thankful that I took the risk and started my business…it is such a gift!

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?

Hi there! My name is Alyssa Burlingame. I am the Founder & CEO of Daisy & Dahlia Branding Co. I live in the Nashville metro area, I love iced coffee, and books bring me copious amounts of joy. My ideal Saturday morning is spent at a coffee shop & bookstore!

Now that I’ve essentially created a dating profile bio…let’s get into all things Daisy & Dahlia.

Daisy & Dahlia Branding Co. exists to help businesses talk to their customers in the right place, at the right time, in the right way. The biggest struggle I see businesses or influencers or solopreneurs face is that they don’t TRULY know their audience. Knowing who your audience is—their psychology, what they love, their pain points, their struggles and fears, browsing patters, location—allows you to connect with them in a true, authentic way. This leads to trust, which leads to sales! To help businesses connect with their audience, I step in and provide market research and audience personas (if it’s needed), messaging/branding, and marketing strategy. Then, if it makes sense or is necessary, I execute on that marketing strategy, providing the content as well.

What sets my business apart from others is how much I truly love people & the heart I have for seeing businesses connect with their audience members. If you can’t authentically connect with your audience, you have no business!

Something I want potential clients/followers to know about me is that my heart is for people. My heart is to see you succeed. My heart is to see your business thrive. I believe in your business, and I believe you have something unique to offer the marketplace. Together, we can create an incredible strategy for you to connect with your audience in a real, authentic way.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

I did start with a side hustle! At my previous full-time, corporate job, I was a copywriter…meaning I wrote web pages, emails, ads, and more. While I was working at that job, I got an opportunity to work with a company writing their blogs, and that led to other freelancing opportunities. That is how phase 1 of Daisy & Dahlia was born! I started as a freelancer and that turned into business owner! And, I still have that first client of mine. They are actually the only client I currently have that I provide solely blogs/copywriting for.

It really started with a conversation—a coworker overheard me telling another coworker about freelancing, and that’s how I got that first gig. Then it led to other clients and freelancing opportunities! Since that first client/opportunity, Daisy & Dahlia has pivoted more into strategy and branding, which is where my heart really is!

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Two things:
1. Networking meetings/events
2. Word of mouth

The best things you can do for your business are get your name out there by meeting people, and work with people who will champion your business & tell others about you. Most of my clientele has come from word of mouth and networking. It is SO important that you learn how to market/sell your business so you can tell people about what you do, and others can do the same!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ddbrandingco.com
• Instagram: @daisydahliabrandingco
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssaburlingame/

Image Credits

Professional photos courtesy of 7FootMultiMedia.
Photo of parents courtesy of Sarah Korin Photo.