We recently connected with Mackenzie Kruvant and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Mackenzie, thanks for joining us today. We’ve love to hear an interesting investment story – what was one of the best or worst investments you’ve made? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)
In 2021, I moved from New York City to rural Massachusetts. It was an exciting move personally but professionally no longer living in a major city meant not co-working spaces or few opportunities to network in person. I knew I’d need to get creative in finding opportunities to connect with and learn from creatives I’m inspired by. In early 2024, I decided to set aside time to meet these types of people. I launched Office Hours. Anyone could book an hour to chat via Zoom about whatever they wanted. I promoted it on LinkedIn, in Slack groups, and with friends and family.
I spoke to hundreds of people. I spoke with a doctor who wanted to create more patient-friendly content. I spoke with new freelancers. I spoke with designers who are at the point where they need to start thinking about scaling to maximize their cash flow. I spoke with founders who don’t understand what a “brand” is and were hoping for advice on why it’s worth investing in. In each conversation, I learned something new.
Sometimes, I’d help solve a problem and realize that I know much more than I give myself credit for. Sometimes, I’d find out about new project management tools. Sometimes, I’d find out that a problem that I thought I had alone was an industry-wide issue. I left every chat feeling more grounded. As months went by, I was able to work with some of these contacts. Some I connected with contacts I had in their field of work for meetings or lunch. Some I recommended when I was unavailable to take on projects. All these things are good juju and worthwhile for the long-term health of my business and myself. A totally worthy investment and very fulfilling.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My background is in content and writing. I worked at BuzzFeed and learned how and why people emotionally connect and share. From there, I decided to move toward what I’d always been interested in—branding. Building a good brand is not easy. It is more than a logo and more than what the product can do. I wanted to help brands have a heart. This doesn’t come from color selection, although that does help. It comes from what you stand for and how you show up. Your mission, your vision. As a strategist and writer, I’m here to think about that story.
What matters for what audience? What order should the information come in? How are you different from others in the market? Why do you deserve to hold space in a world where endless brands don’t fulfill their promises? Why should anyone care? By answering these questions, you can build and maintain trust, which is essential to a business’s health and success. Creating consistent messaging and eliminating moments of miscommunication bring brands and their consumers closer so they can make better products and experiences.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
So, this isn’t a resource I found, but it is something I wish I had known earlier. When I started, I sent a lot of cold emails. I’d link out to my website. It never worked. I got very few answers. If I did, it was usually that they’d put me on their freelance resource list, and that was it. Then, I made a capabilities deck. I wrote out what I do, what makes me different, and how I think about my process and my work. It also included a list of what SOWs I’m available for and examples of work I’ve done for clients in the past. This cut through the noise of emails from others with similar backgrounds. It showed that I am professional and forward-thinking. I answered questions they had already so we could move into the next steps. It was me but branded. A pitch in itself. I wish I’d done it from the start.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
I’ve found that building a good reputation is easier than you’d expect, which is sad in some ways because it shows how devalued creatives have become.
I think I probably have a good reputation because I treat every business relationship as a personal one. I’m organized from the start of the project through the end. I do what I say I’m going to do—on time and on budget. I follow up so that I don’t need handholding. I’m easy to work with. I’m ego-less and honest. I ask questions and act as another set of eyes to solve problems. I’m a team player who can easily slip into projects at any stage. I like people, and I enjoy collaborating to do good work. What I don’t like is the politics of the creative world, so instead, I focus on being helpful in any way I can be and trust that it will come back to me. Also I have two very cute dogs who join most meetings.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://middle-child.studio
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mackenzie-kruvant/
