We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Danielle Demers a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Danielle thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear you experience with and lessons learned from recruiting and team building.
For over 4 years, I was a solo entrepreneur and handling all aspects of my business with no help. As my business grew, I started encountering extreme burnout; the workload became unbearable, and I found myself spending days doing tasks that brought me no joy. I ended up missing out on a lot of opportunities and potential clients because I didn’t have enough time to handle the backend of my business, while providing a great customer experience at the same time.
Even though everyone says that you’ll know when it’s time to hire your first team member, it can be hard to let go of control and trust another person with your own business for the first time. With my level of perfectionism—I had to ensure everything was executed just how I envisioned it. But the turning point came when I noticed my business hitting a plateau, and I was tired of working overtime to meet my deadlines. I finally decided to hire a social media manager last year, as I noticed this task took up most of my schedule.
After months of noticing the ROI through time saved, additional expertise, and support—it became addicting. The concept of outsourcing transformed from daunting to liberating for me. It was a weight lifted off my shoulders, and I wished I would’ve done it years ago when I started turning away clients. I found most of my newer team members through my online community and social platforms. I expanded my team to include specialists in Pinterest, blogging, and even took on a studio assistant to manage all administrative duties. I am now more client-focused and feel more motivated to design and show up to work.
If I were to start today, I’d prepare for onboarding my first hire with a different mindset. For four years, my systems and processes were tailored just for me. When the team expanded, I quickly realized how they weren’t meant for collaboration. I have invested a lot of time to rework my process to make them easy to follow for all my team members. It was a learning curve to communicate everything clearly and ensure every team member resonated with my brand’s vision and standards. Just like I tell my clients, outsourcing is key to growing your business and that you can’t specialize in everything. I’ve learned to let go and realize that I can’t do everything in my business, and hiring support has only given me back time to focus on areas of my business I thrive in.
Danielle, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Growing up, I always dreamed of working in the wedding/event design industry. After earning my certificate and getting my first job in the industry, I quickly realized that it wasn’t for me. Not only was it too extroverted, but I also found that I didn’t enjoy working for someone else. I felt overworked and undervalued for how much passion I had for design.
I ended up losing my job, leaving me stressed out and unsure of my future. I knew I wanted a career in design, but something flexible that I can easily do online. As soon as the idea to start my own website design business popped into my head, I knew I had to go for it. With no experience, no degree, and no portfolio, I decided to stop listening to everyone around me and believe in myself instead. It was the best decision I ever made for myself. On my launch day, I booked my first client through Instagram. Fast forward to today, I’ve helped more 400 businesses across a multitude of industries worldwide. Whether it’s through brand identity design, custom Webflow and Showit website design, or utilizing my Showit pre-made website templates.
Most of my clients come to me because they’re embarrassed of their brand/website design. They’re not getting the inquiries they’d like, they’re struggling to make design changes and small updates on their website, and they feel like their competitors have a better online presence. I help solve this problem by creating beautiful strategy-designs that builds trust with their audience, brings in more customers, and puts more profit in their pocket.
What I’m most proud of is being recognized as Simcoe County’s best web designer in 2023, and earning the status of a certified Showit Design partner (in other words, I’m qualified and Showit agrees!)
I named my business Create WITH Danielle, because your involvement is an essential part of the process. Whether you’re taking one of my templates and turning it into your own or you’re sharing your inspiration and feedback during the custom design process, we’ll be co-creating a design that looks expertly designed, suits your style, and helps you reach your goals.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
My best source for getting clients has been through organic traffic! This didn’t come overnight; it required a significant amount of time and patience over the years to achieve a strong SEO ranking. I’ve written numerous blog posts that not only demonstrate my expertise but also provided valuable content to my audience. While this does take more time upfront, my website is now working for me 24/7 for free. As a business owner, I can’t stress enough the importance of having a solid SEO strategy and blogging. It serves as a foundation for establishing credibility and gaining the trust of potential clients.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
What truly helped me build my reputation within the design industry is consistently showcasing my genuine passion for design alongside the value I offer. By actively sharing client projects on social media platforms, I’ve given potential clients a chance to view my quality and creativity of my work. I openly share knowledge and provide guidance on social media or blog posts, which further solidifies my reputation as a helpful and reliable expert.
But most of all, my client experience has been key for growing my reputation online. Each project I take is more than just delivering custom designs or templates; it’s about creating a memorable journey for each client from the initial concept to final delivery. I am proud to say that a good portion of my new clients come from those who have had positive experiences with my work. When these clients share their satisfaction with their network, those people do not hesitate to invest in my services. They come to me already confident in my ability to deliver, thanks to my amazing past clients that they trust.
Rooting for other entrepreneurs has also played a significant role as it shows that I don’t just prioritize my own success. But that I love to support every business owner on their journey!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://createwithdanielle.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/createwithdanielle
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/createwdanielle
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/createwithdanielle/
Image Credits
My personal brand photos (not design mockups) are by Lili Creative Design – https://lilicreativedesign.com/