Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Audrey Hasslocher. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Audrey, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

About 8 months after starting my MBA program, I had a spark to launch my own marketing agency. My bachelors was in communications, so I already had the foundational knowledge. Plus, adding a soon-to-be business degree, I felt confident I could handle the dynamics of being a business owner in the marketing world. Late one night, I filed an LLC and purchased a website domain. It was a hasty decision but something in me said, “if not now, when?” Today was as good of a time as any.

A few months later, I built a business plan, launched a barebones website, and announced it to the world (aka LinkedIn and Facebook), I was open for business. It was all applause from friends and loved ones, but no one took the bait to hire me. A month later, I received my first bite, an old military boss of mine had recently retired and purchased an 8-cottage bed and breakfast. He needed a logo and website and saw my post on LinkedIn. With no portfolio, previous clients, or evidence I could do the job, he hired me! He was my first client and I was propelled me into the world of marketing, design, and websites. I’ll always be grateful for the first client who believed in me!

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

The best way to grow clientele is through word-of-mouth referrals. Without a doubt, these types of referrals will make or break a business. This is how I get 95% of my clients, the other 5% from Google searches. The only way to ensure you earn word-of-mouth referrals is by delivering quality work, being professional, and are easy to work with.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

The city I live in has two marketing companies, so I knew I needed to stand out from them. Firstly, I positioned myself as a serious firm, I designed an above-polished logo, headshots, website, business card, and social media platforms. These are all things clients look at when deciding to hire a business.

I also put myself out there and attended city and niche networking events. Even if it didn’t necessarily apply to my business, I showed up shook hands and passed out business cards. I wanted to connect with as many people as possible and make myself memorable to them. I also invested in my digital presence and social media content creation. As a digital marketing firm, I knew I had to build this foundation first to make myself credible and serious to onlookers. When I did this, I started gaining business from those who saw my posts or my content. I was building credibility within my field and showed my expertise and portfolio through my social media pages.

I also delivered good work on every project I was given. I put nothing less than 110% into every project and every assignment, regardless of the size or the client. I knew word of mouth in a small city spreads like wild fire, so used that to my advantage. Plus a company is only as good as it’s reputation and I wanted to over deliver and let that be apart of my reputation.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.freebirdcommunications.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freebirdcommunications/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/freebirdcommunication

Image Credits
Beasty Reels