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.
