We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Robin Soulant a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Robin, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Getting that first client is always an exciting milestone. Can you talk to us about how you got your first customer who wasn’t a friend, family, or acquaintance?
My very first client was through a networking group I joined. She was also a small business owner, but struggled to find the time to focus on her business and still manage her social media. I always say that networking is critical to small business success.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Like every good brand there’s a background story, Wildfire is no different. Native Houstonian, avid tennis player and die-hard Houston sports fan, my original plan was to be a sports reporter. I focused on mass communication and journalism at Baylor, and had my sights set to shine behind the camera on the sidelines. After graduating, I found myself a bit fearful of moving to Kentucky and taking that job as planned, so I regrouped and found myself working as a television sales assistant. It was a whole different side of the television industry, but I found it fascinating and fun. Fast- forward I worked in the agency world for 10 years as a senior media planner and buyer. After getting married and starting my family in 2011 I decided to go on my own and service a few clients that asked me to help them, thus Wildfire Media Group was established. Over time, like all industries, the advertising landscape was very much shifting from traditional media. I knew it was time for Wildfire to shift in the direction of the future, which is social media. With extensive continued education and training, I rebranded Wildfire to what it is today. We specialize in assisting small to medium businesses with their social media branding, content and management. Each client’s Social Media Management plan is custom-made to fit the individual business targets and goals. Wildfire offers all levels of management, from basic consulting to completely running the account. I absolutely love what I do and each day is a new creative journey that fills my bucket!
Have you ever had to pivot?
I kind of pride myself on my ability to pivot. Life has thrown me quite a few curve balls that have made me feel like Ross from friends in the stairwell moving the couch. One that stands out as a game changer for me, was when I rebranded from a traditional media buying business to a Social Media Management business. While the end-game was the same, drive traffic and sales to clients through advertising, traditional media and social media are two different animals. I know how to brand a business and drive sales through traditional advertising like the back of my hand, but to do it through social media became my passion. I was determined to educate myself and become an expert in social media management. Being able to apply my prior advertising expertise with my extensive social media advertising training, has become so powerful and garnered proven results for multiple clients.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
A lesson I had to unlearn is a fixed mindset. The mindset that traditional advertising is paramount was stifling my growth. I felt a tug inside to evolve and grow and decided to embrace a growth mindset. That growth mindset is the reason Wildfire is as successful as it is today. Unlearning lessons itself is a growth mindset. I encourage everyone to embrace change.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @wildfiremediagrp
- Other: https://linktr.ee/wildfiremedia