#awinewith Kendal Emerson
MEET Kendal Emerson, Founder of Candid Marketing Co
You can find them here:
Transcript
Danielle Lewis (00:05):
Oh, amazing. Let's do it. Kendall. Welcome to Spark tv. I'm so excited to have you.
Kendal Emerson (00:11):
Hello. Hello everyone.
Danielle Lewis (00:13):
Oh, this is so good. Let's kick off by telling everyone who you are and what you do.
Kendal Emerson (00:19):
So I am Kendall. I am a digital marketer, focused on organic content marketing, and I have been an agency owner for about two years and a freelancer for four years. So it's been a little while just before Covid. I was luckily starting
Danielle Lewis (00:39):
That. Oh my God, so good. And when you say organic content, what do you mean by that?
Kendal Emerson (00:45):
I mean, personally, I hate dealing with ads, so that's really why I focus on that. I see the value in it, but I love it. Do it brings you joy and I wanted to focus on something that myself and my contractors are good at that we love that there's lots of passion for, and people say niche down. For me, it was niche out of what I don't want to do.
Danielle Lewis (01:09):
I love that. I love it so much. And it's like you are the one that's got to get up every day and serve customers. You may as well like what you do so that you show up better for them. Right.
Kendal Emerson (01:19):
Yeah, that's it. And it feels more aligned for me than it's right for my business.
Danielle Lewis (01:23):
That is so good. So why is organic content even important? Why do we need to know about this?
Kendal Emerson (01:29):
Well, for starters, if you don't have a social media presence, you don't exist these days. It literally is key to everything. As much as multi-channel marketing is really important, that's probably the number one important thing at the moment and has been for a while. So I think it's just the basics. You should exist on socials, but I also feel like we're at that time where people, they're looking for entertainment, they're looking for education, they're looking for so many different things that are already accessible at their fingers. So you should also be there too, if you have a business. It's just common sense.
Danielle Lewis (02:09):
Yeah, I mean, you are so right. I think about if my husband says, oh, do you want to go to X, Y, Z? The first thing I do is look them up on Instagram and I'll be like, oh, they haven't posted in a few weeks. Maybe they're not open, maybe they're closed. I mean, the rate at which businesses closed down these days, if someone's not active on social media, I go to, oh, well, they must be closed. I know that's horrific, but I'm like, well, if I'm doing that, how many other consumers are doing that and how much business are you missing out on?
Kendal Emerson (02:41):
Yeah, absolutely. And I think it was also, honestly, it's just a form of respect of keeping your clients or your customers updated. It's just another way to do that. You would put your hours on the door, you should be doing that with social media.
Danielle Lewis (02:55):
I love that because I always think about it as digital real estate. So it's like you show up in all of these different places, you keep it up to date so people know that the lights are on in someone's home.
Kendal Emerson (03:07):
Yeah, that's right.
Danielle Lewis (03:11):
That's so good. And what kind of clients do you look after?
Kendal Emerson (03:15):
Well, like I was saying before, I've niched out of what I didn't like. So I have worked with a huge variety of clients in the last four years. But I would say the things that I love personally have been what's gravitated towards me. So lots of foodie, hospitality artists, creatives, other entrepreneurs, a lot of people that are like me, that seems to be who I've been helping the most, which it makes sense. I know myself, so I know how I can help other people.
Danielle Lewis (03:45):
That is so good. Do you get to eat lots of good food as a part of your job?
Kendal Emerson (03:49):
Yes, yes. That is a very difficult challenge.
Danielle Lewis (03:52):
Oh my God, I want this job. I just want to eat food for a living. Seriously. If I could be a food influencer, I'd be so happy with my life choices. I know everyone else would be like, what the hell are you doing? But I'd be like, I'm so happy. I just eat for a living or a wine influencer, or I'd like to be a wine in as well.
Kendal Emerson (04:13):
I could do it. Then you get to go to all the cool wineries as well.
Danielle Lewis (04:18):
Oh, how good would that be? Just traveling the country, the world all year round, going to wineries,
Kendal Emerson (04:25):
That
Danielle Lewis (04:25):
Would be epic. I'll be like, okay, how many wineries do I need to visit to make enough money to live? That is so good. I love it. So how did you even get into this?
Kendal Emerson (04:37):
Well, I really fell into it, I guess you could say. The chaotic explanation for that is that I actually got made redundant from my traditional media job in radio and was at this point in my life where I thought, I don't really like working for people. So I was really forced to think about it and think about what do I want to do? What are my skills? How can I help people? And do I want another job? Do I want to work for someone else? And my mum had started her own business in a very similar industry, so sort of marketing related, and I just started freelancing for her, and that's when I was like, right, this is it. Sold. I'm doing this forever.
Danielle Lewis (05:21):
That is so cool. And started. Thanks mom, for being a beacon of hope and inspiration.
Kendal Emerson (05:27):
Yeah,
Danielle Lewis (05:28):
That is so cool. I mean, it's really interesting. So many people I talk to don't have role models in their life that are business owners. I know for me, the first time I read the four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris, and I was like, that's the first time I found out that you actually could start a business. I, I was like, what do you mean you just make it up? Anyone can just make this stuff up. I was like, this is wild. Both of my parents worked in the same job for the same for 30 years. I just thought you went to school, went to uni, got a job, and that was the life path. So to have a mom who's like, yep, nope, I have my own business. This is how it all works. That's so cool.
Kendal Emerson (06:10):
Yeah, I think I actually did grow up with that. Similar to you, I didn't see successful business anywhere, so I grew up in regional Western Australia, and there obviously are business owners around, but I wouldn't say any of them were doing particularly well or it didn't look appealing. It looked so stressful. And as a child, that was not at all a goal of mine. I was like,
Danielle Lewis (06:32):
I'm not growing up to be stressed. Thanks. Pay my bills and
Kendal Emerson (06:37):
Do the thinking for me. Tell me what to do. But yeah, once mum started, she left her more corporate job. That made me feel like, oh, we can choose different. We can do these things. And then I started to surround myself with more business owners and entrepreneurial spirits, and then it opened up the floodgates and now I'm just like, this is it. I don't want to do anything else.
Danielle Lewis (07:02):
I love that. I love it so much. So how did you go about getting early clients? So obviously you did some freelancing for your mom's business, but then you're like, oh, I'm starting to go out on my own a little bit. How did you start getting early clients?
Kendal Emerson (07:17):
I would say a lot of it at the very start was actually walking the streets locally to see who had good branding or not, who had gaps that I could fill, who was willing to take a chance on a brand new social media manager. Yep. Nice. So at the start, it sounds awful, but you are kind of looking for the shit.
Danielle Lewis (07:39):
Yeah, you
Kendal Emerson (07:40):
Are looking for the people. I don do take
Danielle Lewis (07:41):
Anything in the beginning, don't you please. Who will hire me? Yes.
Kendal Emerson (07:46):
Yeah, just so you can get your experience up and get your portfolio up, and so you can get paid something while you're starting. I know a lot of people do a lot of free work when they first started, but I just did cheaper work so I could still pay some bills
(08:01):
And then the portfolio just builds itself. You build your confidence through that. And then the hurdle after that was learning how to pitch myself, and that was probably one of the hardest things, learning as a business owner. Eventually after a couple of years you get used to it, the imposter syndrome dies down, does it kind. I mean, now I'm in a position where I don't really have to pitch and people magnetically come to me because my messaging is pretty clear. I'm pretty clear on who I don't want to work with, and I feel like that came through the confidence I've learned from working with the wrong clients.
Danielle Lewis (08:43):
So how did you make that transition though? So from going, please, can anyone help me out here? I'll work for a cheaper rate. Then I've got to start really pitching bigger packages, bigger rates, and now to going people come to me. What was that process like for you?
Kendal Emerson (09:03):
Thousands of dollars in business coaching, honestly. Love it. Yes. Surrounding myself with those other entrepreneurs who were either a few steps ahead of me or were going through it at the same time. So you could have the shared experience and understand that this is not something that you're experiencing on your own. This is a universal problem.
Danielle Lewis (09:23):
Yes. I love that. Oh my God. So investing in yourself and surrounding yourself with people who have done it before and are on the same path as you.
(09:34):
That is just the best advice. Seriously, because I feel like business is hard. Don't get me wrong. It's definitely hard. I've been doing it for 12 years and it's really hard, but it's not new. Do you know how many billions of businesses there are on the planet? There's somebody who has done what you want to do before. Sure. If you have some kind of technology revolution, perhaps, there might be some nuances, but plenty of things that you are going to do, someone has done them before. So I do love that idea of you don't actually have to reinvent the wheel. There's someone that's willing to give us a bit of a helping hand.
Kendal Emerson (10:16):
And I think also the coaching aspect and also that peer support. You get two ends of the spectrum from someone who's quite confident and can teach you things and help you fill your own gaps, and then you get that peer support of feeling understood, feeling heard, feeling like you're not lonely because entrepreneurship is very lonely, especially when you do actually just work from home on your own.
Danielle Lewis (10:43):
Yes, me.
Kendal Emerson (10:44):
It really helps. It really helps.
Danielle Lewis (10:46):
Oh, I haven't left the house this week.
Kendal Emerson (10:49):
I did that last week. I was like, it's been five days. I haven't gone outside. I
Danielle Lewis (10:54):
Know, I know. Literally. And then I'm like, get Woolies delivered. And I'm like, oh my God, I literally didn't leave the house. This.
Kendal Emerson (11:05):
Yeah, I love the connection. Does
Danielle Lewis (11:08):
Help. Yeah. And it's interesting. It doesn't have to be in person either. I know we're talking about not leaving the house, but I think for you mentioned being regional wa, there's so much you can achieve online. We're so lucky that we live in a time where there are virtual communities, there's social media. There's half the time you slide into a business woman's dms and she's happy to help you out with questions or therapy.
Kendal Emerson (11:37):
I also feel like that at the very start of my business, I didn't know that. And then the more I learned that actually this is not as competitive as it is maybe with male oriented businesses, business women are a lot more supportive and inclusive and you could literally just message anyone at any level of business and they're more than happy to give you time of day.
Danielle Lewis (12:01):
That is so true. I find it really interesting. So I feel like women don't want to ask for help, but on the other flip side to that, women are so happy to help. So it's like if we could just bridge that gap somehow, then everything will work out.
Kendal Emerson (12:18):
Yeah, I think so. Yeah.
Danielle Lewis (12:21):
What do you think has been your biggest challenge in business so far?
Kendal Emerson (12:26):
Myself, my brain.
Danielle Lewis (12:28):
Oh my God, I love that answer.
Kendal Emerson (12:30):
Yeah, I think honestly, most people probably relate, but for me personally, until recently, I didn't know that I had a DHD, so it made actual function and the challenges of organization and all the things that you need to be a business owner, it made it very hard. And then that comes with all these other side effects, like other mental health conditions. I also have general chronic health issues. So I would say myself and my own life, my own issues that pop up and how to handle that life balance. That was the biggest challenge. It still is, honestly, that's still my biggest challenge. But on the other hand, it's like they are the things that make me unique and they are part of my story. So as much as it's a challenge, they have helped me just shape my business to be better suited to me. And I find right clients because it's shaped my story and shaped how I approach things. So challenge and also a benefit.
Danielle Lewis (13:33):
I love it. And I think that I'm sure at the beginning those challenges you maybe didn't look at as a benefit and you were like kind of got to figure out how to deal with them. And I know so many people listening in, there will be an iteration of this that's relevant to them. Everyone does struggle with their own challenges, whether it be mental health, physical health, looking after kids, being a carer for somebody, and then all of the unexpected things in life that pop up. I love your attitude of actually it can also be a benefit.
Kendal Emerson (14:13):
It takes time to get there, but honestly, only very recently has it started to feel like it is a benefit because the challenges, everyone has their own, like you say, but they can feel so big when your entire business relies on you. And that was the scariest thing. Still to this day is the scariest thing that everything relies on me.
Danielle Lewis (14:36):
Yeah. Yeah. It's really interesting that you say that. So I had a little hospital stint earlier this year, and it is like as a business owner, you are the one lying in the bed, rescheduling meetings and then freaking out because you're like, oh my God, is this person going to fire me? Because I don't have a team that can just swoop in and save the day. When you are a solo founder, the burden of business does really rest on your shoulders. Even when you're not a solo founder and you have a team, the burden of making payroll, giving them enough work and doing all the things, it is really tough being a business owner.
Kendal Emerson (15:17):
That's again where that peer support comes in handy. I
Danielle Lewis (15:20):
Know. It's so good. Seriously, seriously, if you don't have your people, 20, 25 is the year to find your people. Speaking of 2025, so we are recording this on Christmas Eve for anyone who's listening live, and this will be published in January in 2025. So what's something that you are keeping that you think has worked really well in your business for 2024 that you're going to bring into 2025?
Kendal Emerson (15:51):
I would say honestly, it makes sense when you hear it because my business name is Candid Marketing Code. So I would say my candid approach, because I've refined that even more this year. I sort of made a commitment to myself earlier in the year that I would just put myself in my wellbeing first. And that has led to me feeling more comfortable, being candid and more comfortable just saying things as they are being a little bit more unfiltered. And I know that that's not for everyone, but I feel like that serves me better by targeting the right people and helping the right people who are like me and who want someone like that on their side. So carrying that through to 20, 25, even more probably even harsher.
Danielle Lewis (16:39):
Oh my God, that is so good. But I love how you said it's not for everyone, and I feel like that that is actually the great revelation when you are maturing in business because you do realize that you won't be able to make every person on the planet happy and nor do you want to because they're not the type of customer you ought to service, not the type of person who you can bring the most success and value to. So it's actually so cool that the more authentic and candid, I like how you call it candid. I hate the word authentic. Yeah, you are. The more of that you are, the more you do attract the right people into your business that you actually enjoy working with as well.
Kendal Emerson (17:19):
Yeah. I also think in turn, you do better work because the more aligned you feel with your clients, the more aligned they feel with you, the better experience it is. Everything feels easier when it's like that and you're not forcing it. So yeah, that's definitely 20, 25 and beyond.
Danielle Lewis (17:36):
Yes, I love that. It's good vibes for 2025. I feel like 2025 is going to be a good year. I think that when I was on social media at the end of 2024, there was lots of, oh my God, burnout, exhaustion. And I was like, there are still some people that are doing okay. I think it's okay to be doing okay. It's almost like we've gone the complete other direction. It's like you have to be struggling and you have to be at burnout levels. But I'm like, actually, I think it's okay to be happy with how the year turned out, no matter what that looked like. And even if it wasn't quite where you wanted it to be, it's still okay to be happy with where you're at and grateful for what you have and bring good vibes into the new year.
Kendal Emerson (18:21):
Yeah. Even if it hasn't been a great year, there's still things that you can be grateful for. Everything is still a lesson along the way, and it just prepares you more for the next year.
Danielle Lewis (18:30):
Yeah, I love that. That's such a nice sentiment to have any, so I'm kind of channeling the threads of being candid and organic that, do you have any advice for business owners who are tackling their own socials in 2025 on how to, I guess, bring their own candid vibe to their business and their messaging and their social media?
Kendal Emerson (18:55):
I think the first thing would actually be to audit the shit out of everything. So actually look at what you're doing now and not so much from a purpose of, oh, is this working for me? Blah, blah, blah. How do you feel about it? How does it make you feel? Are you going to keep doing it because you've been told to do it or are you going to keep doing it? Because it feels right if you are a business owner where you're either the face of it or you are very invested in it and your personality is in your business, or maybe you're a personal brand or a creative, you have to feel good about what you do.
(19:29):
So basically strip everything back down again. And maybe it might visually look the same, but it might feel more. And I think just be really candid with yourself, to be really honest with yourself about what feels good and what doesn't. And then just flip everything. If you need to change your messaging, if you need to change the visuals, you need to book a photo shoot. If you need to sack your customers, get rid of clients, maybe you need new team members, just strip it back. And if you have to start again, you can. And I think giving yourself permission to just be really, really honest with yourself about where you want to go.
Danielle Lewis (20:07):
I love that, and I love how we are the boss. We get to make these decisions, but starting with that audit and being really honest with yourself about how things feel, where things are at, I just think that's amazing advice to start the year off strong because it almost does help you wipe the slate clean a little bit.
Kendal Emerson (20:29):
Yeah. And you get to do that when you're in charge. If you are owning your own business, why do you own your own business? If you can't do that yourself, no one else is telling you what to do. You can do this.
Danielle Lewis (20:42):
Exactly. It's almost like we made Instagram gurus our boss, and we're just doing what we're told just from somewhere else.
Kendal Emerson (20:50):
Yep.
Danielle Lewis (20:52):
That is so good. I love it. Well, I always love to wrap up these podcasts with one last piece of advice. So reflecting on your time in business, what would be one piece of advice that you would give to another woman on her business journey?
Kendal Emerson (21:09):
Jump before you're ready. Someone else said this to me, and I know not everyone's personality is going to be comfortable with that, but I really think that that does serve people. When you jump before you're ready, that is actually part of the thing that feeds up the process. It throws you into this initiation of fire, and it's the sink or swim thing. It's the chaos that you have to find your way through. And I honestly feel like that is the best way to learn because you will thrive if you get through it. And if you don't, then you probably weren't made for it.
Danielle Lewis (21:47):
Oh, I love it. You are the best. Kendall, thank you so much. I just feel like your good, positive, candid vibes are going to serve us all well in 2025. So thank you so much for being here on the podcast today and sharing your wisdom with our community.
Kendal Emerson (22:05):
Thank you for having me. Hopefully that helps some people.
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