We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Britt Dixon a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Britt thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

One of the biggest risks I’ve taken is starting my own business. I spent 15 years working as a broadcast journalist, reporting the News every evening at CHCH News in Hamilton. It’s what I always wanted to do and what I had worked towards in school, university and college, as well as a number of volunteer opportunities. I started at CHCH News as an intern while I was still in college and worked my way up to production assistant and writer, then worked on the assignment desk before I finally got my shot as a reporter. I loved that job and the fact that every day there was a different story to tell plus the adrenaline rush of live TV. But I have always been the type of person to be looking for “the next opportunity” or “the next level” and I was feeling bored and wondering what was next. Plus I was watching my colleagues and friends get laid off in newsroom cuts (it is a tough industry). I also had two small kids and I was never home for dinner and often times breaking news would have me working later and it was tough to juggle it all.

I decided in January of 2020 to start Britt Dixon Creative and take my video storytelling skills and use them to help small businesses market their products and services and tell their stories. Some of my family and friends couldn’t believe I was taking that risk and leaving a stable and “glamorous” TV job. A few months later the pandemic hit so the timing definitely wasn’t ideal but businesses quickly realized that they had to use online platforms and social media to reach customers when face to face wasn’t an option. It really helped me to grow my business and brand. My business has evolved over the last four years as these platforms have changed but all those fundamentals I learned as a journalist remain the same and set me apart from others in my industry.

Now I work mostly with businesses in the wine industry managing their social media platforms and creating content for them. I also host social media workshops and trainings and have a weekly Social Club Membership that helps business owners with their content planning and creation. While being a business owner has its ups and downs I can’t imagine doing anything else. It is also the first time in my life that I don’t ask myself “what’s next” and feel like I am stuck or wanting more. Now my ‘what’s next” is coming up with new services and offering for my business or new client proposals and investing in myself and future growth. It was definitely a risk worth taking!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

As a Social Media Manager and Content Creator I love being creative and sharing stories. I work with small businesses to help them market their products and services on social media and share their unique stories to reach customers and build their community. The thing I am most passionate about is helping people feel confident to show up on social media and always approach my work in a fun and authentic way because if you’re not having fun and being social on social media there really isn’t much of a point in investing your energy there.

Through Britt Dixon Creative I offer a range of services for all levels of business owners. From full service Social Media Management to done for you content package and Reels shoots plus training and workshops and a monthly membership that gives business owners a weekly content plan delivered to their inbox. My goal is to make it simple, fun and help people stay consistent on social media.

My background as a broadcast journalist sets me apart from others in my field because I spent videos developing my storytelling skills and learning how to use video to engage audiences. It also taught me a lot about how to connect with others, make them feel comfortable on camera and build trust plus every day I had to learn about a new topic and become and expert on that topic all in a matter of hours and then tell a story about it on the news in a minute or two.

Marketing and creating content should be fun. It should be based on storytelling and creating real connections and being relatable. I approach my client work and my own social media content with these fundamentals in mind. You have to give people a reason to want to support your business or brand by showing the human side of that business and creating content that is both valuable and entertaining. I never want people to resent having to create content or show up on social media. My goal is to help businesses outsource and make social media marketing less overwhelming and complicated.

I also believe that everything is content and documenting things you are already doing is the easiest way to stay consistent with your content. So you’ll often find me with my phone in hand capturing video of almost anything or with multiple tripods and phones shooting client work but also myself working behind the scenes.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

I’m a solopreneur so I don’t have a business partner or cofounder but I am super passionate about creating yourself a network of like minded business owners you can bounce ideas off of and get support from. Owning a business can be stressful and lonely at times and you can miss that collaboration that comes with being a part of a team or a group of employees. I have worked really hard to build a community of female business owners that I can reach out to when I need inspiration or advice or just need to vent. That support is huge on the days where it feels a little overwhelming or the days your really want to celebrate a big win. Last year I started hosting regular Biz Bootcamps that focus on social media training and content creation and it has been an amazing opportunity to build a community of inspiring female business owners.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Be yourself and be authentic. Yes you are a business owners and can be serious but don’t forget to show your personality and build connections with your community. When I first started so many social media gurus would go on and on about how no one cares about your personal life on social media and I totally disagree. Yes you’ll be posting mostly about your business and products or services but you can’t forget to show off your uniqueness or your ‘secret sauce” that sets you apart from everyone else in your industry.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://brittdixon.ca/
• Instagram: @brittdixoncreative
• Facebook: facebook.com/brittdixoncreative
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/britt-dixon-71b2352b6/
• Twitter: brittdixonmedia