We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Pearl Price. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Pearl below.

Pearl, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Before we talk about all of your success, let’s start with a story of failure. Can you open up about a time when you’ve failed?

My first client fired me.

I still remember the ringing in my ears, the hollow feeling in my stomach, as I stared blankly at the email. It was early in the morning, and the bitter taste of my half-finished coffee had nothing on the bitter disappointment I felt at that moment.

Back then, I was just dipping my toes into the vast ocean of entrepreneurship. I had started a virtual assistant business, eager to use my skills in an arena where I was my own boss. I had an affinity for web design, which I had done before for my mom’s businesses. I believed that I was good at it and I was eager to use my creative expressions to make something impactful for others.

My first client was a woman who wanted me to design a website for one of her brands. I was overjoyed, excited at the prospect of working on a real project, but also deeply apprehensive. There was a nagging voice inside my head that whispered I might be biting off more than I could chew.

To get a better understanding of her business, I asked her to fill out a brand strategy questionnaire. I thought it would give me insights into her vision and help me design a website that would reflect her brand’s ethos & aesthetics accurately. She pushed back, insisting that she already knew everything about her brand and didn’t need to “fill in the blanks”.

In hindsight, that was my moment. I should have stood my ground, explained to her that the questionnaire was not for her benefit but mine. It was a tool for me to understand her brand, her business and how she envisioned it. But, being new and not wanting to upset my first client, I went along with her.

Big mistake. What followed were weeks of miscommunications and misunderstanding. The vision she had for her website was blurry in my mind, like trying to grasp a fish in the water. I found myself constantly second-guessing my designs, feeling lost, and inevitably falling short of her expectations.

And then, the email came. It was succinct, polite, but the underlying message was crystal clear – I had failed.

There was a time I’d wallow in self-pity, go down the rabbit hole of self-doubt. But not this time. The disappointment was acute, yes, but I realized that it was an opportunity to grow, to learn, to better myself.

I picked myself up, dusted off my ego, and took a hard look at where I had gone wrong. I learned to be firm with my boundaries and my processes. I learned the importance of effective communication, and not to compromise my methods for the sake of placating a client.

Failure, as painful as it was, acted as a compass. It pointed me in the direction of my true passion – social media. I realized that while I enjoyed designing websites, my true calling was in connecting people, in harnessing the power of social platforms to help brands grow and engage with their audiences.

As I write this today, I am no longer the naive entrepreneur who got fired by her first client. I am the owner of a successful social media marketing business, thriving in my niche, and using my failure as a stepping stone to my success.

Because sometimes, you need to fail to truly understand what success means. And sometimes, the bitterness of failure is what makes the taste of success even sweeter.

Pearl, 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?

For me, social media management is about so much more than just marketing. It’s about empowering other women and AAPI/women of color entrepreneurs and holding a space for them to succeed in their business.

Being a child of immigrants meant that I saw firsthand how difficult it was for my mom to breakout into the business world. Starting a business is difficult enough let alone having a language barrier on top of that. I knew that I wanted to help bold, courageous women just like her create dream businesses through the power of social media.

Through my business, I extend a hand of support through social media management (Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok & Youtube) and 1:1 strategy sessions, leveraging the potency of social media to help creative lifestyle brands & service providers grow their brand online. It is my tribute to these resilient women, an assurance that they are seen, they are heard, and they have someone in their corner who understands and values their journey. My hope is that my business, thus, is more than just social media management – it’s a beacon of hope for those bold enough to dream and strong enough to pursue their aspirations.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

I’ve found that building genuine relationships on Instagram, engaging with my community authentically, and serving my audience through my social media content has been the most effective strategy. I don’t cold DM people. Most clients either come to me first or hear about me through my work with another client. Business is all about relationships, and when there’s a sea of facetious relationships & icky sales tactics on Instagram, so when you genuinely build a relationship with others on IG, and you post content that’s authentic, you stand out.

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

My path was laid out in front of me. I was on the verge of becoming a doctor.”

In my youthful idealism, the world of medicine had called out to me with the promise of serving humanity, a chance to make a difference. My journey into pre-med and public health was a heartfelt tribute to this aspiration. I dove headfirst into the sea of medical knowledge, drinking in the copious details, the intricate networks that formed the human body, and the myriad ways in which it could heal and harm itself.

But as the days turned into months, and the months into years, I began to question. Was this truly the path for me? As noble and fulfilling as the medical profession was, did it align with who I was, with my strengths and passions?

In a world that equates career trajectories to straight lines, it was a daunting realization. But I mustered the courage to step off the beaten path, trading my medical textbooks for a position as an executive assistant. It was a leap of faith into uncharted waters, yet it opened doors to an entirely new world. The world of management, of collaboration, of developing strong relationships, and of course, the power of impeccable organization.

This role offered me a front-row seat into the workings of a business, the intricacies of effective communication, and the art of empathizing with diverse individuals. I gleaned invaluable lessons on integrity, resilience, and the importance of forging genuine connections. Yet, it felt like a stepping stone to something more, something profoundly aligned with my creative spirit and passion for community building.

The pivot came when I least expected it. Social media, a platform that I had primarily used to stay connected with friends and family, emerged as a canvas for my creativity and a vessel for my purpose. As a social media manager, I found my calling.

I realized the joy of helping businesses grow, of connecting with audiences, and of using the platforms as a bridge between brands and their potential customers. I finally found a role where I could apply the lessons I had learned from my previous experiences while leveraging my knack for understanding the social dynamics of the digital world.

The pivot didn’t imply failure. Quite the contrary, it was a testament to my evolution. It marked my growth from a hopeful pre-med student to a purposeful social media manager. Each pivot was a step forward, a move towards living more authentically, more aligned with who I was and who I aspired to be.

Pivoting is not a deviation from the path. It’s a sign of evolution, a testament to personal growth. It’s a reminder that life is not a straight line but a beautiful, unpredictable and often surprising journey. Each turn we take brings us one step closer to our true selves, and each step forward is a celebration of our continuous growth. It’s okay to pivot, to change course, to seek new horizons. After all, the only constant in life is change.

Contact Info:

• Website: pricelessdigitalstudio.com
• Instagram: @pricelessdigitalstudio

Image Credits
@herbrandphoto