#BEYOUROWN MEETS MICHELLE ADAMS

Digital marketing strategist Michelle Adams is helping business owners with growth & marketing strategies so they can scale, let go and lead through her company Marvel Management. We discuss the scale-up process strategies used for both her multi-million dollar companies and small business owners and how her service driven results are matched by understanding the needs and desires of their target audience.

Hey Michelle, can you introduce yourself to us?

I am a digital marketing strategist helping service-based businesses with growth & marketing strategies so they can scale, let go and lead. I’m at the beginning of year 2 in my Marvel Management business and I’m having a ball working with amazing business owners. I’m also a single Mum to my 19-year-old Daughter Mia and 17-year-old son Don.

My clients now range from multi-million dollar companies to small business owners that are wanting to scale. I support them with growth and marketing strategies to generate more traffic, leads, and clients. I always have a customer-centric mindset in my approach to my clients’ campaigns, which helps me to achieve results by understanding the wants-needs-desires of their target audience.

Can you take us through your journey to where you are now?

Having owned 3 businesses and a marketing career in corporate spanning 20+ years, with the last 10 years in the executive role, my experience has given me a mix of industry and experiences to draw from to support my clients.

The thing is though is that after what I thought was hitting the height of my career in a 6 figure executive role for an ASX public listed company and supporting a team of 92, I was made redundant along with the entire executive team and many others due to a major drop in share price outside of our control. After a week of wallowing in self-pity, I dusted myself off and reassessed my priorities, find where my passion lies and how I could turn that into a business.

What is a day in the life of you like?

I always start my day with meditation and time to be grateful for mine and my family’s health, and my journey. I can’t function without coffee so that’s next in line whilst I jump on social media to engage (my favourite part of the day). From there, I drop my son to school and head to a meeting or jump on the laptop and work my way through my action list, that I prepare the night before. I really enjoy listening to a podcast or audio book for an hour during the day as I really love learning from others, and I’ll try and get a yoga class in when I can. My nights usually consist of dinner with 1, both or neither of my kids, or I’m at a networking event at least 3 times a week as I love meeting and connecting with new people and hearing their stories.

How you are helping business owners go from solopreneur to CEO?

Often the biggest challenge for business owners that want to scale their business is that they are so busy working in their business they struggle with time to work on their business. I help business owners plan and develop strategies so they can scale and lead their team to success. The let go and lead part is something that truly excites me and where I see life-changing results for my clients.

As business owners we often feel that we need to ‘do it all’ and when you learn to let go and delegate the ‘small stuff’ and work on the ‘big stuff’ the results are less pressure and more time to spend on doing what you love. Managing a growing team is often something is seen by small business owners as a frustration as they find themselves spending much of their time reactive and managing staff. I love sharing tips on how they can be the best leader to their team and lead them to success. As Simon Sinek says, leadership is the responsibility to see those around is rise. It’s a completely different approach and skill set.

What methods/ strategies are you using to amplify growth & marketing scale-ups?

Giving value is the golden nugget for attraction marketing and I’m a big believer in giving your target audience s@#!loads of value to build trust. Being of service isn’t anything new but creating valuable content for your audience with easy quick wins for free is.

The mistake a lot of businesses make is that they are pitching their product or service to cold traffic. Or they post a blog with a link to their flashy website, but if I’m cold traffic and I haven’t asked about what you offer, why would I want to land on your website?

Why would I want to do business with you when I know anything about you? So give me something of value, some useful tips that talk to my pain points and solve my problems, and then I’ll start to trust you. I then become warm traffic and am more likely to opt-in to something you have to offer-again for free. And then if I get great value out of your offers then I’m ready to do business with you so sell to me, in fact, you won’t need to sell to me, I’ll be asking to work with you.

Can you give us 3 tips on how to attract more customers online?

Spend time doing market research to find your ideal customer’s pain points. How can you offer a solution if you don’t know what their struggle is?
Create videos that offer value, free strategies or tips that can give your ideal target customer quick wins they can implement straight away.
Use paid ads on your Facebook, Instagram and/or LinkedIn social channels to reach your target audience.

Who does the team involve behind you at Marvel Management?

I have an amazing digital marketing & communications assistant who is my right-hand man. I’m also fortunate to have my daughter support me with social media management while she also juggles uni. Plus I have a team of amazing people I outsource to.

Where can you see yourself within the next 3-5 years?

The next step for me is to be able to support more business owners and so I’m getting ready to launch my beta 8-week program early 2019 that will cover business and marketing strategies to grow your business.

My big picture goal is to be a key-note speaker inspiring other women who have been made redundant to have the courage to find their voice and follow their passion. That terrifies and excites me at the same time!

What strategies do you have in place when looking at the expansion of Marvel Management?

I’m really just taking a step forward each day with the intention of focus – to look in front, not to the side, not behind.

Can you tell us what areas you have struggled in professionally?

Two things actually – one is accepting that 80% of something is better than 0% of nothing so stop waiting for it to be perfect and just get it done. And the second is turning the camera on myself. What I mean by that is showing up as my raw authentic self. I’m great at promoting and talking about other people’s businesses but when it came to talking about me this was super confronting for me.

Have you ever had any other mentor? If so how has this benefitted you to grow?

Absolutely. I have had a few mentors over the last few years and each of them have been for various reasons to help me with whatever area I feel I need help with at the time. It has helped in so many ways, it can be super lonely as a business owner at times and to have someone to bounce things off has been great, and I’m big on the importance of mindset so I love working on my mindset and learning from others.

What outlets do use to market the Marvel Management?

Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn are the social channels I use to attract new clients.

Which methods are you using to build your own support network?

I’m really fortunate that I have a network of amazing people to support me that I admire and respect. I draw on them often and love using my network to also make new connections.

What do you believe are the common misconceptions about marketing and sales and how are you using your platform and voice to educate people more?

Technology has absolutely shaped the way we do business today and it’s constantly changing. We need to constantly evolve sales and marketing aren’t what it was 10 years ago or even 5 years ago even 1 year ago and people are so tired of being sold to. So I like to use videos to educate my target audience, using video to communicate your message is now the key to a successful strategy.

What would you like to see changed for millennials in business?

Millennials are the ones changing business. There have never been more opportunities for entrepreneurs to start a business and market their product or service than there are right now. I think millennials have it the best It’s ever been and best it may ever be.

What is the best piece of business advice you have received to date?

Always have multiple income streams. Don’t put all your eggs in 1 basket so to speak, regardless of how invested, you are in one.

What is the number 1 critical lesson you have learned in your career so far?

Always leave a relationship on good terms regardless of the situation if possible. It’s a small world!

How do you create an evenly balanced work and personal life?

What’s that? Not my strong point, but my 90-day goals now include Personal; Business; FF&R (friends, family & relationship); Health; and Finance Goals.

The highlight of your career so far?

I feel like I’m in it. The growth I’ve had personally and professionally in year 1 of Marvel Management has been incredible for me. To be able to launch a business after being made redundant has made me feel really proud and humbled at the same time.

What gives you ultimate career satisfaction?

Honestly sharing in my client’s success. It’s really exciting to see my strategies come to fruition and help them achieve their desired results.

What challenges have you seen to have been presented during the growth of your business?

Knowing what type of client I want to work with. It’s hard to know if your values align with someone from the first meeting and sometimes it’s not until your knees deep before you realise they aren’t a good fit for you.

Which other leading entrepreneurs and pioneering game changers do you also admire and why?

I’m a big fan of Gary Vee, he just says it like it is.

What is a good article or book you have read recently?

‘The Universe Has Your Back’ by Gabrielle Bernstein.

Top 3 go-to Podcast channels?