We were lucky to catch up with Charlese Watson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Charlese, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. The first dollar your business earns is always special and we’d love to hear how your brand made its first dollar of revenue.

I was working as a social media manager for three nationally syndicated court shows and the line producer of the shows asked me whether I offered social media services for entrepreneurs and businesses. I paused for a moment because I actually had never considered this before. Then, I told her yes and began building my service packages and offerings. She referred me to her friend and after providing her friend with an initial consultation, I was referred to quite a few people. Out of those people that were referred to me, two of them decided to move forward and purchase my social media packages and now, one of them has become not only a client for the past 2 years, but also a friend. As far as my videography business is concerned, I’ve been capturing weddings and events for so long now that unfortunately, I can’t remember my first client.

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 Charlese Watson and I’m a graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design, a single mom of two handsome young boys, and I’ve always enjoyed capturing moments. I started my videography business after graduating and have been shooting weddings as a business owner since 2013. In addition to my videography business, I’m also a social media manager and content creator.

I started providing social media services at the very beginning of 2020 right before the pandemic, but I have been working professionally as a social media manager since 2018. I’ve always wanted and felt the need to wear multiple hats which is why I offer multiple services. It’s exciting and something that I enjoy.

For those that don’t know how to promote their brand or don’t know where to start with social media, I’m the person for you. Whether you already have a strategy, you need help creating one, or you know you need social media, but don’t want to do the work — the services I provide can be as hands off or as hands on as you need them to be. In 2023, I also plan on providing content packages that include graphics and photo/video sessions for those that don’t need assistance with posting, but just need help coming up with ideas and creating content.

I don’t create generic content. That’s what sets me apart from the bigger businesses you see online. The content those businesses creates is generic. They use a lot of stock images and they don’t personalize the content to your business without charging extra. My packages are my packages and they are straight forward. You’ll know exactly what you’re getting and everything that is created is customized specifically for your business.

When it comes to capturing events, I work in the same way. All of my edits are different and fit the needs of each client individually. An edited video of your event is automatically included in my packages instead of it being an upcharge. And again, you’ll know exactly what you’re receiving.

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

I mentioned that I started providing social media services in 2020 right before the pandemic. I had no clue that in March 2020, I would be let go from my position as a social media manager for the court shows and the world would close. Had I not started offering social media services — had I not said “yes” to the person that asked me if I offered social media services to businesses and figured it out, the pandemic would have been a lot harder for me than it was. I committed to providing these services and making a business out of it even before I realized that I wouldn’t be able to shoot events that year and it just so happens that everything turned out wonderfully. I did research and figured out how to pitch to more people which resulted in more clients and I was able to take care of my children and myself as a full-time business owner from 2020 until now. All based on my willingness to say yes and commit to a vision.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Word of mouth, referrals, and facebook networking groups have been the best source of new clients for me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.honeybeesocialmedia.com
• Instagram: @charlese_honeybeesocial
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesewatson/

Image Credits
Charlese Watson, HoneyBee Studios