Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Brittany Grann. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Brittany, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Alright, so we’d love to hear about how you got your first client or customer. What’s the story?
It’s funny that you ask about the first client that did not come from my personal network, because every client I have worked with has come to me through my network! I did not know them all personally, but if I didn’t know them, they have all been a friend-of-a-friend/family member. This has been a part of the magic of my business! I work in agriculture and equine, and it’s a small world.
It has been so fun to have people reaching out to see how we can help grow their businesses! I have come across an incredible need in these industries and am filled with gratitude for those who continue to work with us. Word has spread rapidly, and we are no longer getting requests just from North Dakota, but we have had inquiries and clients from Minnesota to Montana and Kentucky down to Texas!
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?
I had nearly a decade in corporate agriculture sales experience prior to starting Grann & Co., so my network in the industry is fairly extensive. In 2023, I was home full-time with my then 2-year-old and 6-month-old children when I was invited to join Breanna Cain’s group, Mom X VA. She would do a weekly live call, and I joined it nearly every week for most of the year. I had stayed in touch with some old coworkers during this time, and was telling them what I was learning about the possibilities of the virtual world. That fall, one of them came back to me asking if I’d be interested in managing the social media accounts for the consulting group that she was a part of. I started doing that in December 2023 and am still working with them today!
I officially launched Grann & Co. on New Year’s Day 2024, and had three more clients by March 1. They came to me from the few Facebook posts I made about my new business. I had enough interest in website design from these clients (and others) that I added a website designer to the team within the first two months. I was welcoming baby #3 in June of 2024, so I closed my books at that time to get settled in with the new clients before baby came. All of those clients are still with us to this day!
The services we provide are digital marketing/social media management and website design for agricultural and equine businesses. We also offer social media and website audits. Some of our clients include stallion owners, an equine-exclusive vet clinic, a group of agronomy consultants, and several seed businesses, along with the one-off audits and website design projects. I have had several requests for sales and marketing consultations, so I am currently evaluating how that will fit in to the business.
The demand I have found, and what sets Grann & Co. apart, is that we speak the language of farmers, ranchers, and horse owners. My professional background – along with my personal experience of ranching and raising horses with my husband – is why my clients choose to work with me over a marketing firm that has no experience in agriculture. Less than 2% of the population is directly connected to ag, so speaking the language is difficult if you have not been exposed to the culture.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
Initially, it was my past experience coupled with a lack of local options for the services I was offering. My marketing was simply telling stories of what I had been doing for the past decade and translating that into helping others grow their businesses. It has been truly humbling to have so many reach out and share their businesses, struggles, and achievements with me!
Now, I have many wonderful testimonials that I share regularly, and our clients have referred us to others many times over.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
When I started Grann & Co., I was about to have my third baby in 3.5 years. I knew I wanted to be home with my babies, but I also love business, so I took on that first job to see how it would go and bring in some money on the side. Little did I know the amazing people that it would bring into my life, along with the challenges of juggling meetings with naptimes, two to three kids on my lap while working on a content calendar, and lots of other moments that have forced me to become more resilient over the past 15 months. It will always be evolving as the kids grow, change, and start having a calendar events of their own, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://grannandco.com
- Instagram: @brittanygrann
- Facebook: Brittany Grann
Image Credits
Amy Rorvig Smith