We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Taylor Cooper. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Taylor below.
Taylor, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?
I often think about all the teenagers who have the ability now to start a business through social media. That wasn’t a possibility for me as a teen, so there are times where I wish I could have seen the future, of course, and get a head start (as we all do). However, I know that at the end of the day I was meant to start when I did. Leading up to 2020, all I had been doing was makeup artistry on the side, which is what I had gone to school for. I loved the beauty industry and how it was (and will always be) a space to grow and learn, but I consistently had my hands in other projects simultaneously. I wanted more.
During that time, my main client was Susie Meister (co-host of The Brain Candy Podcast), and I learned so much from her. She was always so encouraging and taught me that there was, “no harm in just asking” when it came to your business. It sounds simple, right? Yet a lot of us won’t do things because we are afraid of the outcome. Most of my clients are that way when it comes to reaching out to brands or asking to collab with other creators – and I get it, because that was me.
If I hadn’t had Susie as a client, and had those one-on-one conversations with her, I don’t think I would have had the nerve to make the initial move to start my business.
My husband was someone else who was always encouraging me to teach social media to people, but I was afraid to leave my comfort zone in the beauty world. All I could think of was how friends or family would perceive what I was doing. I had helped countless friends, and even a brand with their account, and what I did and suggested worked. There’s always that impostor syndrome that kicks in before you begin something, though. Susie and a couple other friends allowed me to do some minor work for them (highlight covers, feed aesthetic editing, template designs etc.), and that little bit of consistency paired with positive feedback helped lead me towards this business.
Near the end of summer 2020, I was finally taking Instagram consulting seriously. The same week, I noticed a high school friend of mine had a new account on IG for her professional organizing business. We hadn’t seen each other since high school, but we were friendly enough over socials where I hit the follow button. I received a DM from her inquiring how I found her page (she wasn’t ready to announce her new business quite yet), and after a few back and forth messages of me explaining how to turn her page suggestions off, she asked, “I’m actually needing somebody to help me with my Instagram. I don’t know if people even do that, but if you know anyone please send them my way!”. That was a full circle moment for me, where I knew I was supposed to move forward with my business.
I offered my services for free for a little over a year. I wanted the experience, the knowledge, and most of all – I didn’t want to make a fool of myself. I know not everyone has the option to do that, but if you can for even 6 months, I highly suggest it. So many people just want to be paid, and I get it if you’re strapped for cash, but if you don’t practice and you don’t know what you’re doing, you’re going to look like a joke. The timing of everything fell right into place, so even in those moments where I have wished to be farther along, I have to remind myself that I needed to meet different people and learn specific things along the way in order to be where I am now.
Taylor, 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?
2023 has been an interesting year for me as far as where my business is and where it’s headed, but essentially, I am a consultant for Instagram. I can teach you literally everything you need to know to launch a page, grow your following, have a niche-specific aesthetic, and how to approach and build your community. I can design templates, create reels, and even tell you what music to pair with your story content. However, I’m shifting gears with who I am actually working with. If you head to my Instagram account, I will give you all the ins and outs of IG with helpful tips and content ideas. Moving forward, however, I will be sharing more creator and influencer tips for those striving to optimize their account. This summer, I will be launching zoom classes where followers can sign up for, “Tea with Taylor”, where I will exclusively share tips on UGC work and how to connect with brands. Aside from that, my main focus will be working *with* brands, and those in charge of influencer marketing. There is a huge problem when it comes to communication between brands and creators. UGC work is finally being taken more seriously by companies, and they’re trusting social media managers who have barely gotten started to run things. This means zero call-to-actions given to the creator, no timeline for content to be recorded/submitted, and businesses losing money by sending out free products. There is zero direction, a lot of hope, and a consistent dumpster fire back at corporate because they’re doing everything wrong. That’s where I come in. I build the bridge between these brands and their ideal creator, so they know what contracts their lawyers need to draw up, the ability to understand creator control on specific content, and even all the way down to music copyright laws.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
Authenticity – 100%. Well, and I deliver what I say I will do of course haha. I think what people fail to understand, is that we all are in the same boat. We all are trying to run a business, Instagram and remember to drink enough water each day while picking up the kids from school. When I speak with clients over the phone, I am learning more than just their needs for social media. I review their accounts, and then I see what I can pick up from their pages. Are they single, married, have kids etc. Those things are important to know. Most of my clients are either full-time students or moms, so they are extremely busy. As a stay-at-home mom who home schools while running their business, I understand that. Getting on that honest level with clients and acknowledging that this social media world is a lot to handle, is what I think shows that I’m human, I’m not chasing after the dollar, and I know how stressful it is to do all of these things.
When it comes to physical work, I do tend to go above and beyond – not in a boastful way – I just want my clients “set” while feeling confident after we part ways. I also need to not only understand what they want at that time, but ask them enough questions to learn their likes and dislikes in case they reach out again in the future for help. I will then have a decent idea when it comes to their wants on other projects.
The last thing, is to be able to acknowledge when you’ve made a mistake. I had Covid last year and was stupid enough to think that I could handle a coaching call. I stumbled on words, couldn’t think straight, had to keep apologizing, and I’m sure the woman thought I was crazy. I refunded her while we were on the phone, and I felt so embarrassed. She still hired me for other services, though – and I know if I had handled that situation any differently, she would have never hired or recommended me.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
I could go on and on with this, because there are so many amazing books and entrepreneurs out there, but I’ll keep it to three.
Gary Vaynerchuk – you either love him or you hate him, but that man is smart. He knows what he’s talking about, so I highly recommend following him on IG and reading/listening to his books. You have to REALLY want it though, otherwise stuff like that will do nothing for you. He is for the pure entrepreneurs who are determined. He curses a lot for those who don’t know and don’t like that lol.
“The 1-Page Marketing Plan”, by Allan Dib changed my way of thinking when it came to content and advertising. Read this book or listen to it on Audible. It applies to your business and social media in more ways than you think. Another book is one that I remember my dad having as a kid in his office – “How to Win Friends & Influence People”, by Dale Carnegie. There’s a reason why that book has been suggested so much over the years. It can truly help when it comes to your business and communicating with your clients.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.taylorcooper.net/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatsocialtea/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thatsocialtea/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylor-cooper-9709112b/
Image Credits
Desiree Keoshian Photography Becca Rillo Photography