Hey Online Friend! 

Thanks for finding my little corner of the internet. I’m super pumped you’re here! Are you wondering how I ended up in the social media management space? Let me share a story with you. Everyone loves a good origin story, and while mine may not be as epic as getting bitten by a radioactive spider giving me superpowers, it’s definitely worth a read to see if you wanna be online BFFs. 

Growing up, I was the little girl who thought I could do anything and figure it out along the way. Turns out I was right about that. Thankfully, I had parents who were willing to let me do that. I figured out early on that school was NOT my jam! Like, at all! Sitting in a class or lecture hall, taking notes, and late-night study sessions held ZERO appeal to me.

What did I do instead? 

Worked enough in the hospitality industry (where I met my fab hubby) to travel, gain education through life experience, and wait for inspiration to strike. I knew that I would find “my thing” at some point, I just didn’t know when.

Inspiration did strike, but not with social media management just yet. I looked around at all of the e-commerce businesses popping up in the online space and thought…“If they can do it, why can’t I?”

So I did!

In 2014, I started a jewelry business, Earrings and Stuff, as a side hustle while I was still working as a server. It was flexible enough to let me host parties, do pop-up shop events, and set up everything on my very own e-commerce site.

This side gig gave me a fast education in the online business world. I did everything myself, including all of my own product photography. 

Picture this…

Sitting cross-legged on my tiny Vancouver apartment living room floor, watching video after video on YouTube about how to get the right angle and lighting, then trying to recreate everything I learned while snapping pics on my OG iPad. 

LOL! 

Don’t worry, I made a smart decision to source my first “real” camera on Craigslist pretty quickly after that. It was a major upgrade!

Those pics I snapped didn’t just fill up my e-commerce site. They also made their way onto my Instagram jewelry account back when feed aesthetics were all that mattered. That account served as my first portfolio as I made the decision to transition into social media. Because it turns out, I was pretty darn good at managing socials!

From E-commerce Biz Owner to Social Media Management Agency Owner

The idea to transition into social media management really kicked off when I was on maternity leave with my son and we were at a Super Bowl party. I stood holding a hazy pale ale in my hand chatting with a friend about whether to return to serving after my mat leave was over. It’s a HUGE decision and one I didn’t take lightly, but I wasn’t sure if it was the RIGHT choice at this stage of my life. 

While we were chatting, I mentioned I had been interested in social media management since starting Earrings and Stuff and successfully growing my Instagram page for the business. It turns out opportunities in life are really about who you know and not what you know! My friend went out later that night to a local restaurant and shared my name with the owner who was in search of someone to manage their social media presence.

That restaurant turned into my FIRST social media management client! I didn’t charge them nearly enough ($600 a month) and they supplied all their own photos, but after a few months, they got results and I gained new skills and confidence. 

That one opportunity was a natural transition into an industry I had grown to know and love. Fairly quickly, I gained more clients (usually friends or referrals) who were in real estate or other online service providers. Starting Social and Stuff . Fast forward five years, after helping hundreds of business owners, and I can say that starting a social media management agency has been a learning experience like nothing else. Mistakes were made. I undercharged for services, had content that flopped, and had sales calls I didn’t close. But through a lot of trial and error, I managed to figure out my way through. 

It Wasn’t Only About Social Media Management

Starting a business in the online space is a scary and sometimes daunting process. There is so much noise about making the right investment in yourself and your business through courses, programs, and coaching. If you don’t, you’re not “serious enough”. If you do, you’ll be guaranteed XYZ results. Then you’re left thinking, “What do I do?” Here’s what I’ve learned…

• It’s important to invest and intake knowledge to improve your skills, but you need to craft your own business! 

• Don’t expect the same results as another business owner, their business isn’t your business.

• Find advice that you can trust, but don’t listen to everyone. 

• Different seasons of business require different kinds of support.

• Build a community of your peers. It’s about collaboration, not competition. That community will be your biggest asset!

That last point is probably the most important part. The community you create will be your safe space where you can bounce ideas off of each other, where you go to get advice, and where you get true support.

Community as a social media manager and online business owner is why I started the Social and Stuff Simplified Membership . This membership has slowly evolved since its beginning and I’m proud of where it’s headed today. The feedback from past members proves to me that everything I put into the membership was worth it!

Social and Stuff Simplified is a place for: 

• Streamlined social strategy
• Saveable and shareable content ideas that will speak to your target audience
• Easy-to-edit Canva templates that give you a professional consistent presence
• Video prompts (because we all know video makes those connections)
• Monthly content chat where you can gain feedback from other members
• And more!

Neither of us started our businesses to fade into the background of the online world. We started them to stand out and THRIVE!

I hope you stick around the Social and Stuff community in the way that works best for you! Remember, you’re a smart entrepreneur and get to choose how you run your biz. It would be a privilege to be a part of your journey. ?

Your Social BFF,

Sarah✌️