We were lucky to catch up with April Shaw-Beaudoin recently and have shared our conversation below.

April, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

So, I have two companies. One is Omnitizing, the branding and marketing agency I co-own with my husband, Buck. Our mission isn’t that deep, but it’s catchy and it does create ripple effects for business owners, their families, and their communities. We take our big agency experience working to help the billion-dollar companies and we apply scaled down versions of those strategies and tactics for small companies. On our website, it says we build big brands for small businesses, and it’s a perfect summary of what we do.

The other company I have is called Camden Famous. It’s a scalable creative project that exists to serve as a combination of a news outlet and a Chamber of Commerce. A lot of times I describe it as a ‘Millennial’s Chamber of Commerce’. I live in Midcoast Maine in an adorable resort town called Camden. In the last 11 months, I’ve grown the brand to more than 5,000 followers on Instagram. Thanks to some collaborations with local photographers, journalists, and media companies, this June, I have a coffee table book coming out and a podcast launching. Camden Famous serves the local businesses by spotlighting them and what they’re famous for; it serves the the immediate community by introducing them to shops and restaurants they may have not heard of or tried, and it also serves the extended community made up of people who visit here seasonally, or who dream about living in Midcoast Maine. My mission with this project is to function as a connecting point for the community ~ I whole-heartedly believe that a rising tide lifts all boats, and this project does that.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Well, looking back now, I think my educational background in Psychology and Creative Writing paved the way for me to create something that addresses a need that’s deeper than most people can articulate. And to get personal, I’m a sober alcoholic living in long-term recovery from alcoholism. To quote Johann Hari, the opposite of addiction is connection. My work at Omnitizing as a marketing strategist, and my work at Camden Famous spotlighting and celebrating the people and businesses of my community solve for disconnection. Obviously, not everyone I serve is an alcoholic, but I would make the argument that the people engaged with my work walk away feeling a deeper sense of connection.

To answer another one of your questions here, one thing I would like people to know about Camden Famous is that I’ve already expanded it to 6 other locations. It’s a success story in a way that is absolutely repeatable. I have a version up in the Bar Harbor area called Downeast Famous, one down in the North Conway area called Mount Washington Valley Famous, and one out in Utah called Park City Famous. It’s my goal to push this brand into all 50 states by the end of 2026.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I don’t think there’s much about a business owner’s journey that doesn’t demonstrate resilience. My path has been riddled with lessons that I would have preferred not to learn (like how important it is to hire an accountant and an attorney right off the bat). Working with my husband has been another challenge. Thankfully, we’ve always been able to communicate effectively without arguing, but it’s still tricky. My default setting is to think and talk about work 100% of the time, but that is a recipe for burnout. Especially because my husband’ default setting is to think and talk about work about 30% of the time. We’re always working at finding a sustainable balance.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn the lesson of ‘Efficiency is King’. Instead I found that to propel my business forward, my approach had to be relational, not transactional.

When I first started Omnitizing, I was hyper-focused on every dollar earned and spent, and I prioritized a project’s efficiency. I wanted to close a deal, hurry up and finish the project so that I could move onto the next one. I believed that my customers would arrive to me as a result of my marketing tactics (inspirational and educational posts on social media platforms, and Google ads that linked to my website). I was wrong. While tactics can enhance a marketing strategy, they cannot be used in place of a marketing strategy. And a relationship-focused, people-centered strategy is almost always the foundation of a successful business. If I hadn’t thoroughly learned this lesson, I don’t think I would have been the right person to start and run Camden Famous (which is all about serving the community and collaborating with other professionals).

Contact Info:

• Website: omnitizing.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/omnitizing
• Facebook: facebook.com/omnitizing
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprshaw/
• Other: You can find my other business, Camden Famous, at camdenfamous.com, instagram.com/camdenfamous Thank you!