Episode description

Has being an entrepreneur and your own boss helped unlock new skills or uncover new parts of your personality? It definitely has for Arianne Foulks, founder of Aeolidia, a design studio specializing in designing and developing custom e-commerce websites using Shopify, as well as logo design, product packaging, product photography, content creation, and business naming. Before starting Aeolidia in 2004, Arianne was shy and avoided talking to clients over the phone. Today, after 15 years in business and growing her team to more than twenty-three employees, Arianne is bold in her business. She speaks and teaches at events, hosts business owner brunches, and looks forward to talking with people about their companies.

On today's episode, Arianne and I chat about how she built her agency and grew her team over the years. We talk about common misconceptions some creative entrepreneurs have, the advantages of using Shopify, and the importance of abandoned cart emails. Arianne also shares details about the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program, an investment program that helps entrepreneurs grow their businesses through education, capital and support services. 

ON TODAY’S EPISODE: 

• Common misconception creative entrepreneurs have about branding, marketing, and websites
• What really goes into a logo and behind a brand 
• How Arianne moved into the branding, marketing, website world
• Aeolidia’s  e-commerce checklist 
• The importance of digging into data and analytics and knowing what's working and not working
• Why Arianne is a fan of Shopify for product based businesses
• Advice for shop owners on how to prevent abandoned carts 
• What sets Aeolidia apart from the competition
• How Arianne helps clients stick to their deadlines 
• The balance between business results and personal service 
• How having a baby forced Arianne to grow and delegate in her company 
• Resources, mentors, and  programs that have contributed to Arianne’s success

KEY TAKE-AWAYS: 

“The logo is the very tip of the iceberg of your brand. But when you know what's going on with an iceberg, most of it is underwater. At Aeolidia it’s all the underwater stuff that we love people to get started with first.” - Arianne Foulks

“Customer service is really the foundation of building a good business.” - Arianne Foulks

“I'm a firm believer in hiring people that are smarter than me and that can teach me a thing or two.” - Katie Hunt

“I was a customer service pro by the time I got started working with clients, and that gave me such a huge leap in being able to just jump into it and do a good job.” - Arianne Foulks

“It turns out that running a business is a very creative pursuit whether you're designing things or not, and I really find it satisfying the whole way through.” - Arianne Foulks

“One of the quotes that's always in my head, I just think all the time is ‘What got you here will not get you there.”  - Arianne Foulks

“There are some people that feel like, “Well, I hired you to design it and develop it. Just create it.” It's like, “Well, no. You as a business owner have to tell us what kind of copy, what kind of images, what kind of details you want on that.” - Katie Hunt

“You have to remember that people who are almost buying something from you are really into it. It's something they actually want, so they're not unhappy to see it again.” - Arianne Foulks

“You should be fairly aggressive about sending people the emails because they're already not buying the product from you. They've already decided not to. It's not like you can lose them any more than that.” - Arianne Foulks

“If people don't know about your products, they're not going to purchase them.” - Katie Hunt 

“I started realizing it's really fun to just run the business. It actually is a creative pursuit.”  - Arianne Foulks

“I think my husband's least favorite words for me are, “I have an idea.” - Katie Hunt 

LINKS

Website: https://aeolidia.com/

Facebook: http://facebook.com/aeolidia

Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/aeolidia.shipshape/

Instagram: http://instagram.com/aeolidia

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ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT:

Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!