We were lucky to catch up with Emily Dralus recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Emily, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?
Around the time that COVID happened I was furloughed from a job I had as a lifestyle specialist. During that time my mom, who is also a small business owner, hired me for some part-time virtual assistant (VA) work for her business. Then when I got back to my job I realized how unsatisfied I was cleaning chairs by the pool and working on the same neighborhood newsletter each week. I found a job at a dental office that promised me that I would be able to work on their social media and marketing tasks. This promise was instantly broken and I was handed insurance. Boring, tedious, insurance. I was treated terribly and I was absolutely miserable. Without having any back-up plan (which was not like me AT ALL) I took the risk and quit. I took a short break from working after being sucked completely dry of everything I had and then I was back on the job search. I couldn’t find anything. My mom suggested I go back to doing VA work and I said “no, I can’t make a living off of that and I don’t know that I really enjoy it.” So I applied for a job as a marketing director at a local opera house. It was between myself and a candidate with a college degree, something I don’t have. She got the job and I was heart broken. I felt like God was calling me to jump into being a VA. So, I did. I made my business out of it too and called it “Emily Reneé VA.” I was a VA for about a year and realized the parts I loved and was good at was the marketing aspect. I recently jumped fully into being a social media manager and I think I really found my passion. I have always loved helping others and creating things for social media and now, because I took that risk, I am doing them both.
Emily, 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?
I am a social media manager and I help small business owners show up confidently and authentically on social media. I go into this through lots of trial and error, risk, and going after what I love doing. I have a passion for helping people and allowing my creative side to shine through and what I do allows me to do both! The way I can help people through social media includes things such as; creating a marketing strategy, creating and coming up with content ideas, writing copy for their platforms, engaging with the correct audiences, working hand-in-hand with the client to get them the most ideal outcome, and working with SEO on all platforms. I manage clients socials from start to finish in a way where they feel comfortable, seen, and excited. The main thing I do that other SMMs don’t is I truly care about the person behind the business. You can absolutely find SMMs that do the same tasks I do, but you will not find someone who cares about you AND your business like myself. I understand what it feels like to be lost, confused, and eager to grow and all the feelings that come along with that. I want to guide you with confidence while remaining authentic to yourself through my process. The best results come from showing up as yourself and being proud of who you are.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I am constantly unlearning the narrative that “I am not good enough.” I grew up in a very unhealthy household where I was constantly striving to be perfect yet even the best wasn’t good enough. When I started my business in social media that thought was right in my face CONSTANTLY. Comparison runs rampant on any social media and I certainly did and still sometimes do fall victim to that. As I continue to grow and strive to help other small business owners do the same, I am learning that you can only do the best you can. Some days that looks like 40% and other days it’s 110%. Both are your 100% on that given day because it’s all you have to give, and that is ok. There will always be someone who looks like they are crushing it but in reality we are all just doing the best we can and that has to be something we personally accept. As long as you are showing up and sticking true to who you are then I think that is the most important part.
How did you build your audience on social media?
Building an audience on social media is not something you can just jump on and expect to do overnight. It takes time, consistency and intentionality. I am working on this for myself in my business because my pages have taken the back seat while I am helping my clients. My number one piece of advice for growing on social media is to stay consistent and don’t strive for perfection. We often get lost in PPP: Perfect Post Paralysis. We also think about social media how we think about life in the way that we value quality over quantity. The opposite is true for growing an audience on social media. More is better. Quality isn’t as important. This is hard to accept because we aren’t used to that since “quality over quantity” is drilled into our heads from a young age. But that is why you hire someone to help you with this. You simply cannot succeed on social media AND grow your business if you are doing it all alone. If you think that you can grow your business alone, your dreams are too small.
Contact Info:
- Website: emilyreneeco.com
- Instagram: emilyreneeok
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-dralus-843b76214
- Youtube: emilyreneeok