We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Stephanie Long a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Stephanie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What do you think it takes to be successful?

What I think it takes to be successful is to not let setbacks or rejections get in the way of your goal. There will always be things that get in your way when you’re an entrepreneur, but how you handle them is ultimately what will make or break your success.

Building a business from scratch, on my own, is hands down one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. There’s a scarcity mindset that I think many entrepreneurs have, and I am guilty of feeling this way as well. When I decided to fire a client⎯the first client I had ever fired, I was more scared to do so because that meant one less client, thus one less revenue stream. Ultimately I decided that I would rather have fewer clients who were quality and knew my value than worrying about bringing on a ton of clients who didn’t know my value just so I could make more money. It’s a cliche, but it really is true that the client quality far outweighs the money because you’re happy and that is something you can’t put a price on.

I decided that this could happen again and I need to figure out other revenue streams so I’m not only relying on client work. This has led me to venture out into the app world and I’m currently working on an SEO app. So, success to me is being able to pivot and learning that hard things are happening because you’re growing.

Stephanie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

As an SEO expert, consultant, and trainer, Stephanie Long works with business owners to address their SEO, needs whether that be website audit and implementation, team training, or consultation on how SEO can help grow their organic traffic.

Stephanie has always wanted to be an entrepreneur because her grandpa came here from Norway and built his business from the ground up, so he was someone she aspired to be like. She didn’t know what her business would be or what the entrepreneur journey would look like, but someday she knew that would be her path.

After getting laid off twice from the same company, she knew this was the universe telling her she needed to go out on her own. Before getting laid off for a second time, she was planning her exit from the company, so they sped up the timeline a little. Since she had spent over a decade working in marketing, Stephanie saw a need for a company that only specializes in SEO, so she founded Mrs. SEO. Stephanie loves helping businesses optimize their websites for search engines, ensuring maximum visibility and organic traffic.

Stephanie gives each client undivided, white glove service, and your wins are her wins. Because she lives and breathes SEO, her clients are getting the most knowledgeable expert out there. What she loves the most about SEO is that it’s constantly changing and evolving so it never gets stagnant.

Her greatest career achievement thus far is getting the first-ever SEO class in the Communication Leadership Program at the University of Washington.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

What I think helped me build my reputation within my market is going above and beyond for every client and being available to address all their questions and concerns. I stay on top of SEO trends and I am always bringing my clients new strategies. Because of this, I have built a strong referral network.

Have you ever had to pivot?

When I was laid off, while I knew I was going to quit to start my SEO business, I was still scared because I didn’t have a healthy client pipeline. I didn’t know how I would sustain this long-term. However, my goal to never work for another company and help them build their business wasn’t an option, so that reminder is what always keeps me going. It’s a hustle and I work a lot, but I’m working for my business to see it succeed and become the go-to SEO expert in the industry!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mrsseo.co/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrs_seo_/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steph-l/