Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tiffany Bargeman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Tiffany thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
Who We Are: Grand Concierge (GCLLC) is a client-centered, forward-thinking company that increases brand awareness via social media for visionaries who either don’t have the time or expertise to manage a necessary social media presence.
Tiffany, 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?
PROBLEM The 2020-21 pandemic forced many Americans to take a serious look at their finances and make some hard decisions. Many decided to become small business owners to create additional streams of income or elevate their existing brands to increase revenue.
Some who had long grappled with the idea of capitalizing on their talents but had not yet done so saw good reason to take the risk, either to create a second stream of income or to replace lost income resulting from unexpected unemployment.
Others who were already testing the waters saw the need to increase their efforts to grow their efforts, just in case they needed to rely on that income in the future.
Yet another group adopted a “now or never” mentality after witnessing the economy suffer and loved ones pass away taking unrealized dreams to their graves.
There’s a problem though: Visionaries with well-established brands often lack one or all of two vital resources to be competitive: time and expertise to establish a social media presence, engage their audience, attract and retain potential clientele.
Their audience/potential clientele is always online; social media parties are ongoing 24×7 on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and other channels. However, many visionaries:
Usually wearing several hats, they do not not have time to market their brands and engage their audience/potential clientele at a competitive pace.
They may desire and attempt to establish and maintain a social media presence on their own but may not have the digital dexterity to keep up with trends.
Consequences: Without the time and expertise to establish a social media presence to engage their audience and attract and retain potential clientele, profit is not realized fast enough. As a result, many visions fail within the first few years. Failing visions do not contribute to the community’s economy, rather they pull resources from other areas when assistance is needed.
“There are 30.2 million small businesses in the U.S., and 56.8 million Americans work for small businesses, which makes up 48% of all U.S. employees. But, just as we see an ecological ripple effect when a species at the bottom of the food chain runs the risk of extinction, small businesses feed the rest of the business chain as well. In addition to employing about 1 in 2 Americans, small businesses serve as the customers of service providers, some of which are global Fortune 500 organizations. If small businesses fail, we all fail. Revenue will decrease, and layoffs will ensue, deepening the economic toll resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.” (Forbes: “We can’t allow small businesses to fail”)
Successful visions “bring jobs and revenue to the local economies by offering jobs, local products, paying sales and property tax, and using local vendors and supporting services. In fact, a recent study shows that for every dollar spent at a small business, 68 percent funnels back into the community.” (Better Accounting: “Winning against the odds”)
GRAND CONCIERGE’S KEY MESSAGES/SOLUTIONS
Grand Concierge is client-centered and purposeful in our support of visionaries. We promote brands via social media and prepare and develop shareable online content that attracts attention, generates interest, and supports and enhances your brand and operations.
We help evolve your brand by doing the social media marketing work of promoting brands and engaging clients online, which you may not have the time, expertise, or desire to do.
We free up your time to focus on other aspects of your brand (administration, product creation, and in-person interactions).
We support your dreams of achieving financial independence and generational wealth as you passionately capitalize on your talent to create multiple streams of income.
How did you build your audience on social media?
Organic growth leads to sustainable following and meaningful relationships, and it’s not a sprint; it’s a shonuff marathon.
I hired a social media manager and a social media specialist to for myself to apply their expertise and teach me how to provide the same level of service to the clients I want to reach. We’re building a portfolio to show clients what we can do for them, including but not limited to helping them:
Create niche content for followers.
Engage with your followers daily.
Be consistent.
Research what’s trending (topics, audio, reels)
Ignore the “roaches” in your comments and direct messages (those with generic automated comments).
Don’t focus on the number of likes.
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
My parents, Wilson and Barbara McLeod of Raleigh, NC had the foresight to leave a legacy for my siblings and me from the sale of my childhood home, of which they took excellent care. I have been investing my portion into this business with the expectation of a return on investment that translates into the beginning of generational wealth for my family while serving business owners. I want to honor my parents’ legacy by continuing to be a good steward of money and teaching my kids to do the same. I want to continue helping entrepreneurs tell their stories.
There is such a gap between generationally wealthy citizens and minority citizens who are so not financially savvy. For example, many minorities haven’t been taught how to invest long-term. They don’t know that selling mom or grandma’s old house for half its worth keeps their family out of the path of generational wealth. I want to break this cycle, at least by using what my parents left me to create generational wealth for my offspring while I teach them how to do the same.
I want to fund my daughter’s study abroad dreams. I want to help my son financially so he can pursue his entrepreneurship. I want to gift them with funds for school and training while they figure out what they want to do with their lives.
Also, I want to have a second stream of income that gives me the option to retire from my corporate job sooner than later so I can do what I love: support and promote entrepreneurship, provide jobs for passionate like-minded people, and give back to my community!
I’ve been exploring the offerings and opportunities available through local chambers of commerce to better promote my own brand, and I’ve begun strategizing with “friendpreneurs” about potential partnerships.
Stay tuned! GOOD thAngs are coming!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gcdoesthat.com
- Instagram: https://www.
instagram.com/grand.concierge/ - Facebook: https://www.
facebook.com/ grandconciergellc/ - Linkedin: https://www.
linkedin.com/company/ gcdoesthat - Twitter: https://twitter.com/
gcdoesthat - Youtube: https://youtube.com/
channel/UCbdjHNQab5BUhS0Vq- XZJVg - Other: https://nextdoor.com/
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