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

Alright, Brieann thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you think folks should manage their own social media or hire a professional? What do you do?

I’ve been running my own socials since day one (going on 5 years now). As a millennial, I grew up without the internet and social media. I’ll be the first to admit I have absolutely NO idea what I’m doing. Fake it ‘til you make it seems to be my motto when it comes to social media. It really is a full-time job on its own and requires a lot of time and effort, especially for those of us who weren’t born with technology at our fingertips. I often ask my 10 year old daughter for help and she never fails to impress me with how quickly she’s able to navigate and troubleshoot. Maybe time to put her on payroll…?

I’ve been contemplating outsourcing my socials for a while now, but I’m hesitant given my name is my brand. I’ve always struggled with letting go of control and learning when to ask for help. Unfortunately, delegating just isn’t my strong point. I was taught if you want something done right, do it yourself. I’ve also had countless issue with my web developers over the past 5 years, which doesn’t sit well when it comes to the idea of outsourcing. I was constantly having to hold their hand through edits and waste time and energy correcting their mistakes. For example, the contact form on my website wasn’t working properly for almost 3 years before it came to my attention. All because of a broken link that they failed to test prior to launching the site. Who knows how much potential revenue was lost due to this oversight, or how many potential clients I lost because they never got a response to their inquiry…

As I approach my 5 year anniversary, I realize I need to make some changes if I want to scale the business and lessen my work load. I often feel pressure to engage and post, but lack the time, energy and creativity to produce consistent quality content. I’ve tried using scheduling apps and pre-planning my content, but still haven’t found a system that works for me. Content creation is sparse and sporadic, and a day off in the Meta verse seems like 6 weeks. Back to the bottom of the algorithm you go, regardless of how well your last post was.

My advice to new business owners utilizing social media to help grow their brand is don’t let Instagram and TikTok run your life! It can become extremely addictive and encompassing if you get too caught up. Yes, online presence and engaging with your niche market is important, but it shouldn’t be the top priority or take away from other important areas of your life (time with family and friends). Save trending audios to recreate at a later time and run sponsored ads on top performing posts. And remember to LOG OFF from time to time. Take a break in real time and don’t forget to live in the moment. At the end of the day, does it really matter how many followers you have?

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.

My name is Brieann Cassidy, Owner & Operator of Body by Brie. I specialize in non-surgical Body Contouring and Postoperative Care, specific to cosmetic and elective surgeries. I also offer industry leading training & certification for beginners, as well as international mentorship and professional development. We are located in Pickering, Ontario, Canada and are beyond proud to be top rated on Google within our region.

I’ve spent the last 5+ years perfecting my craft and re-investing in my knowledge and skill set. As a forever student, I’ve always understood the importance of continued education, and have spent upwards of $10k on non-accredited training courses offered by other “industry professionals”. I use this term loosely because the majority of trainings I took part in were sub par. However, I was able to take pieces of each training course and make it work for me and my brand.

Body Contouring in Canada (and in general) still has a LONG way to go. With no standardized curriculum or accredited courses, the industry is riddled with misinformation. This only perpetuates the existing stigma that it’s gimmicky and doesn’t work. Collectively, we have a long way to go but I’m optimistic that we are moving in the right direction.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I received my very first certificate in May of 2018 and practiced on friends & family before opening to the public in November of the same year. This particular training holds some of the worst memories, but it also taught me how to be resilient and overcome obstacles very early on.

I knew the machine that was included in the cost of this training was basic, but I expected to get some good use out of it before investing in an upgrade. Can I tell you this machine broke down mid session on a paying client only one month fresh out the box?! I was mortified and apologized profusely before giving the client a full refund. My business just opened its doors and was already out of commission. Without this particular function, it was impossible to continue servicing clients. I reached out to my trainer and I kid you not, her response was something along the lines of “well that’s that made in China for you”.

Umm, what?

Long story short, I immediately began researching quality machines from reputable vendors, and was able to get my hands on a medical grade machine. Being the first of its kind in my service area, it really helped to separate my business from my competitors. I was back up and running in less than a month, and business was thriving!

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

I think it all comes down to my core business value which is full transparency. I pride myself in delivering accurate information to my clients and followers, both online and during the consultation process. With no standardized curriculum for non-surgical body contouring in Canada, there’s a lot of blatant misinformation out there. This causes mass confusion and skepticism, which is a learning curve I strive to help improve.

Furthermore, I only ever post raw, unedited before & after photos online. This has done wonders at instilling trust in my work and in my brand as a whole.

I always try to be genuine and authentic when interacting/engaging online. This has resulted in building loyal relationships with clients and supporters, thus growing my brand and presence.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.bodybybrie.com
• Instagram: @bodybybrie__
• Youtube: Body by Brie

Image Credits
All my own