We recently connected with Sasha Lewis and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Sasha, thanks for joining us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?
We are operating in a time where instant gratification is everywhere we turn. We have become accustomed to finding all the shortcuts and hacks to whatever system we operate in and it’s showing a lot in the digital space.
I think that in order to be successful, you have to study the greats. They all leave clues, stories, examples and experience that showcases that business or any journey is not a straight line. You have to be comfortable with trusting the process that while there may be setbacks, obstacles, or disappointments, it all shapes the success story you get at the end.
Be OK with being patient and strategic. Be OK with a slower process for increased longevity. Be OK with the pivots and the rollercoaster that any area of life has.
Lastly, in order to be successful get SERIOUSLY comfortable in going against the grain and not looking for validation externally. The ONLY person who has to believe in you is you.
Now, go be great!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My career started right after graduating from the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles. I was gunning for Bergdorf Goodman as a window display designer.
While I never made it to NYC, I did have a good run designing retail spaces across the country and predominately in SoCal.
I got burnt out and I didn’t feel aligned in my purpose anymore which prompted me to start freelancing in marketing which ultimately led me to start my own agency years later in addition to recently launching a publication.
INICIO Creative Agency is built for creative entrepreneurs looking to focus on three things: Impact, Innovation, and Influence.
How often do you see someone’s brand and it feels like a duplicate of another? Our commitment to creating custom brands through brand strategy, web design, brand + packaging design, and creative direction so we can break the mundane and monotonous visuals we see on daily and instead, produce powerful brands that speak for themselves.
Our creative agency helps entrepreneurs figure out their place in their industry and how they can have greater impact on those who need it, how they can become more innovative in their approaches, and how to rightfully influence their audiences through inspired integrity.
Beyond 12 years experience, what sets us apart is our dedication to helping facilitate honest and good change in the world. There is so much emphasis on surface-level connection but we dig deeper. We empower and create platforms for the talented, the creative and the ones whose voices deserve to be heard.
In addition, I recently launched DTLD Magazine which is a business magazine for millennial entrepreneurs and creatives who are looking for expert business advice, trends, tips, and inspiration.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
I am HUGE on educational content and free value. I absolutely love to teach and to educate whoever I can on my expertise. Because of this, I’ve been able to grow pretty quickly because I showcase my knowledge, which builds trust faster, while providing that value in a way that is truly authentic to my personality which allows my audience to also get to like me.
Building a reputation on social media is easy, what’s not easy is maintaining it.
For any brand, your client experience is what dictates a lot of your success, if not all of it. But where most people get it wrong is thinking the client experience happens when someone becomes a client.
It actually starts the moment someone becomes aware of your existence, and/or your businesses existence. That first impression touchpoint is the most crucial part of your brand to nurture any lead.
Since I pay close attention to that, it’s allowed me to build a strong reputation in my market as being trustworthy, genuinely interested in seeing others succeed, and someone you can always go to for advice without an invoice at the end of it.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
My agency is mostly referral-based which is amazing and it says a lot about our client experience. Like anything else is this world, we grow on social media. We are dedicated to being content creators and making sure that we are not leaning heavily into trends, keeping consistent and strong brand messaging, and making sure we are improving our visibility strategies.
Social media may have is difficulties, but when you’re consistent and don’t pay attention to the vanity metrics, you WILL grow.
In order to do so, you HAVE to have a strong brand strategy to take the hard work and stress out of it. The more organized your brand is, the better chance you have at standing out against the noise and making a name for yourself.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.iniciocreative.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/sashamoniquecreates
- Other: www.dtldmag.com www.instagram.com/dtldmag
Image Credits
Jeremiah McKibbins of Kibbs Studios