The Power of Starting Small
As we look toward wrapping up this year and planning for the next, I’ve been reflecting on my own entrepreneurial journey since starting my company in April 2024.
I talked about how I never dreamed of working for myself in my first blog post — My Founder’s Journey — and yet, here I am.
I think back to the many, many rounds of logo drafts, the long list of potential names, and the moment I finally landed on Coastal Creative Consulting. There have been countless moments when I’ve asked myself:
“What am I even doing?”
How do I start a business?
Am I qualified to run my own company?
Do I have what it takes?
What do I actually want to do?
Am I an imposter?
Coastal Creative Consulting didn’t begin with a detailed business plan or a comprehensive go-to-market strategy. It started with a list of ideas, a laptop and a whole lot of heart.
I signed my first client almost immediately — a small project that gave me just enough momentum to believe this could work. From there, one project led to another, and I started to realize: this might actually be possible.
I wrote my first contract (thank goodness for friends who had done it before — writing a contract is not for the faint of heart). Since then, I’ve revised that document countless times, learning what to do, what not to do, and what I can do better.
While my business is — and always will be — a small business, it’s become huge to me. It pays my bills and fuels my creative soul. I get to collaborate with incredible clients across industries, crafting data-driven marketing strategies and designing bespoke events that bring brands to life.
People often ask me for advice on starting a business. I tell them that while working for yourself can be magical, it’s also incredibly hard. The best advice I can offer? Start small. Put pen to paper, file that LLC, and take one imperfect step forward.
Your next great business opportunity might already exist — it just needs your courage, tenacity, and a little faith to bring it to life.
