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

Alright, Kierra thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

From the moment I decided to launch my business, I knew that I wanted to hire a marketing agency. My plan was to give my brand idea over to one team and have them own everything end to end; my brand design, strategy, systems..you name it!.

What I found, were some amazing companies that looked like they could be the perfect fit. But…majorrr but…

All of the agencies and studios, had robust services with an “I-run-a-Fortune-500-company” price tag. I loved what they had to offer but as a part-time solopreneur looking to close her first 3 clients – cashing out 20 grand and booking a fancy package with a SWOT analysis felt a bit out of reach.

After months and months of searching-finding-and not affording I decided to build my brand piece by piece, vendor by vendor. It was through that experience that I had the idea to create what I felt was missing in the industry.

A team of experts under one roof with services tailored for the up-and-coming service-based business like coaches, consultants and agency owners. I came up with the idea to be a marketing studio because I was tired of hiring 15 different contractors to get my business off the ground. Every time I needed something I was back on the hunt for another contractor and it was exhausting. I wasn’t seeing anyone out there that was offering a one-stop solution to new solopreneurs looking to build a brand.

I knew this would work because I was solving something no one else was solving. I was making agency/studio services accessible. And I was doing it all under one roof. I also have a very holistic approach to marketing.

While agencies are not a new concept My unique approach was a one-stop solution as I mentioned but also the trifecta of marketing.
1. Before you market yourself you need a strong brand foundation- Available via my consulting services and future membership
2. While you sell you need strong messaging and impactful marketing- Available via my done-for-you media management services
3. After you sell you need systems and operations in place to help deliver a high-quality experience for your clients. Available via my Automate & Elevate service.

Kierra, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Owning my own business has always been my dream, I just never thought it would look like this. I remember back in college I was going to school for apparel merchandising. I started off wanting to go to college to become a stylist and I was planning on majoring in visual communications. But when I toured schools I realized I liked apparel merchandising better because it had a bit of the creative and business side of fashion. I knew that would open me up to a lot of new opportunities. My business dream started off much like everyone else during that era.

I wanted to become a full time fashion and beauty blogger. Worst case I’d start the blog and use it as a resume booster, and best case I could actually go full time and make it a career.

I went all in. I bought a camera, took SEO courses…. the whole nine. I had my blog for over 6 years before I finally retired it. I loved the concept of it but creating content was so gruesome for me.

A few years later after I wrapped up the blog a friend of mine approached me about an idea to help her get her nonprofit off the ground. My blog wasn’t a thing for me anymore but my career was booming. I was working for the Gap as a Digital merchandiser and my friend knew I had the online business skills to help her get it off the ground.

My blog was no longer a thing so I thought well why not try this. I wanted out of corporate and I thought this would be a great opportunity.

My role within the group was to manage the brand & marketing strategy. I was in charge of all things digital- messaging, brand voice, content concepts…everything. Things really took off. On social we had several viral posts, We were featured on podcasts, asked for speaking engagements. We weren’t making money just yet but we were well on our way.

But just 8 months in we realized we had two different visions for the business and how things should operate so we decided to split ways.

By that point, I had a whiff of what things on the other side of corporate could be like. I was an excellent marketer and I had taken that brand from nothing to something. If i could do it for them then how many other people could I do it for.

Just 2 weeks after leaving that nonprofit I created my first consulting business. I created my price sheets and logo in canva, mapped out all my services, bought a template for my website, wrote all the copy in a week. I was in the zone. In just 4 weeks I had my first client. Paid me 1500 for 8 weeks of consulting. I was absolutely ecstatic and from there, business just kept growing.

At the end of my first year in business I had worked with close to 10 clients (all high ticket) and my services were selling quickly. I decided to expand into a studio (which was my dream from the get-go) and I began offering consulting and done for you services (social media management). Now I’ve expanded the studio into 4 services with a little bit for everyone.

If you need a free resource- we have our omni-channel marketing quiz that helps you diversify your marketing
If you need to understand how to price your services- we have a digital pricing and profit tracker
If you need help with your brand strategy, marketing and biz operations- then we have a membership and 1:1 consulting
If you need help with managing your marketing- We have Media Management services done for you
If you need help with just your business operations- we have our Automate & elevate service.

We have something for everyone and all of the services we have are in demand and getting booked.

I’m really proud of not giving up on myself. After just 2 years in business, I was able to quit my full-time job and go all in on my business. I now have a full blown marketing studio with multiple contractors and several ways to serve different businesses in different stages. So I’m incredibly happy about that!

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I wouldn’t say I had to make this pivot but I realized the life that I want to live required this pivot. In the beginning of my business I wanted to sell high-ticket services only. I could sell less services to less people and make more money. It also looked like it required less time. But what I realized was that the people that operate those business models, typically work at the same rate as someone who has a bunch of services. They put a lot of effort into client experiences, or into speaking engagements etc.

Their business didn’t have a lot of services but they still have to clock the same amount of hours. And I always thought that high ticket was easier and less fuss which is why I was attracted to it. Especially as a 9-5 corporate girl. I liked the idea of signing one client and making nearly double my salary.

Having operated at that model for a year I realized it was time for me to pivot. One because I felt wayyyy to locked into marketing. I was bursting at the seams to talk about biz operations and client experience….I also wanted to talk about brand strategy (how to craft strategic services etc). I was only selling one service and that service was high ticket but it didn’t open the door for me to talk about the stuff that I wanted to talk about.

I also knew it was time to pivot because the offer stopped selling. Now that’s not normally a reason to give up on something but what I learned was that the offer itself was solid but the format was not what my clients needed. It was a 4 hour business and marketing strategy VIP day. Amazing service but what my audience was telling me they needed was to have those same touchpoints in a long-term container.

I retired my Vip day model and sold the exact same service as a 3-month 1:1 consulting service and it sold out in 7 days. It was actually 2,000 more than the VIP day and people still bought it. Which just confirmed what I was hearing my audience say. We want to work with you but not like this (meaning the VIP day).

That was a really powerful lesson for me to realize my audience came first, and regardless of what I want to sell I have to listen to their needs and meet them where they are at.

This also solves my problem as well because now I help mentor people in all aspects of their business not just marketing (which made feel restricted before)

Any fun sales or marketing stories?

This isnt a story about where the odds were against me but I do think it is one of my favorite marketing stories. I have always understood the power of omni-channel marketing. My number one slogan has been you need to diversify your content strategy- you can’t just have all your eggs in the Instagram or TikTok basket.

I practice what I preach and I am very active in email. One particular client had reached out to me on Instagram in the DM’s from a referral. We went back and forth for several months and while she seemed interested the conversation really didn’t go anywhere. A few months later after our DM conversation had trickled off she emails me and asks me to send her a proposal. She says she is finally ready to sign on and commit to the service she initially inquired about. I send her the proposal and within 10 minutes she signs, pays, and locks in her spot.

About a week or so later we meet to have her kickoff call and I politely hint at the fact that it had been a minute since we had spoken. I wanted to understand what made her come back, why the sudden interest. She said the convo dropped off on social because she is barely ever on Instagram but that she had been keeping up with my emails and waiting for the right time to check.

When the call ended I looked up my email metrics and what I found was so astonishing. My email analytics indicated that she had opened 97% of all my emails and had clicked on a link in those emails 37 times.

If I was just looking or waiting for her to hit me back in the DM’s I may not have ever signed that client.

This is the power of omnichannel marketing because when one app isn’t engaging your clientele the next app will. They all work together!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.klcthestudio.com
• Instagram: @klc.thestudio @klc.thexperience