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

Cydnee , appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

I would say starting a new business is a risk in its own. I started my social media management company during the peak of the pandemic with very little direction. In the beginning, I spent most of my time creating the foundation of my business– branding, my website, pricing, offerings, etc. I also spent a lot of time educating myself on common industry practices by watching videos, reading articles, and taking online courses. Even after I signed on my first client, I was learning as I go. Once I started making a decent amount of money, I began connecting with other freelance social media managers which was extremely helpful for my growth as not only a freelance social media manager, but as a business owner. Networking allowed me to become more familiar with the industry and receive constructive criticism on my business and my practices.

Starting my business in March of 2020 was a huge risk. At the time, I had no idea how long quarantine would last and when I would be able to continue my other work in photography and modeling. The entire experience forced me to get creative. I asked myself, what will businesses continue to need even while the world is at a stand still? Content. Even though there was an uncertainty of where we were all headed, I knew that the need for marketing wasn’t going anywhere. And with small businesses needing to cut down on expenses, switching from an agency to a freelancer seemed pretty likely at the time.

Taking this risk, I didn’t feel like I didn’t have much to lose, other than time, so it was definitely worth it.

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 Cydnee, I’m currently based in Chicago. I moved to Chicago from Nebraska in early 2020 for work before the pandemic hit. I’m a freelance social media manager, photographer, and I’m also a contracted model in a few different markets. I got into my main bread and butter, social media management during the first quarantine. With both of my other jobs being completely shut down, I had figure something else out, and fast. I had dabbled in social media management at a previous job where I worked for a wedding and event production company so I had a little bit of experience. But I had a lot to learn when it came to starting a new business.

When starting this new journey I asked myself a few different questions, what can I provide businesses remotely that would still be beneficial for them? What will businesses still need while the world is on pause? What can I do that align with the current skills I have? And that’s how I settled on social media management, content creation, and something I like to call “product modeling”. I combined my knowledge of photography, editing, graphic design, social media management, and modeling and turned it into a system that provides my clients a one-stop shop in creating branding content without going through an entire production team. That way, they could save money on marketing and still keep their online presence afloat and content up to date. So basically, small brands would send me their products, I photograph myself modeling the product in my at-home studio set up, edit, and deliver the final product to the client.

This ended up working fairly well for my small business clients and that’s how it turned into me taking over their social media altogether. A lot of learning as a go but it was a challenge I’m glad I took because my business wouldn’t be what it is today without those experiences.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative for me is the sense of freedom I have with what I do. Everyday is different and I love that. I appreciate a challenge and I work very well under pressure and that’s the beauty of creative fields. I am constantly learning something new and the best part is that creative skills can carry into several other industries.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Honestly, word of mouth! Most of my clients have come from referrals of current clients. Which I absolutely love! It gives my business a communal vibe. A great work relationship begins with trust in my opinion. I feel very lucky to have the relationships I do with my clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.cydneemame.com
• Instagram: @cydneemame.social / @cydneemame.creative

Image Credits
(1) Photographer: Jon Koob / @jonkoob (2) Photographer: Emily Davis / @emilydavisstudio