Jacinta Grand is leveraging the power of social media to build successful brands
I teach small business owners and startups how to leverage the power of social media to build successful brands and grow their revenue. I spent seven years developing profitable social media strategies for Fortune 100 brands. Although this work was often satisfying, it lacked the gravity I needed in my life to feel like I was making a positive impact in the world. I launched Social Circle because I see so many aspiring and intelligent entrepreneurs struggling to create impact for their businesses due to limited resources and knowledge. My goal is to inspire, educate, and empower small business owners and startups to achieve their business goals.
Is there one “rookie mistake” that new entrepreneurs keep on making? What is it? Did it happen to you?
Yes! You can't go it alone! When I first started my business I would lock myself indoors for long periods of time and just work. Although, this method was sometimes effective at getting things done - I had a focus group of one. As a result, many times I became unfocused on my projects and just didn't finish them. I've learned that having a support group is so critical to staying motivated and focused on the bigger goal. You need people to applaud you for a job well done and people to push you when the going gets tough.
What are some pros and cons of having (OR not having) entrepreneurial parents?
I was born with an entrepreneurial heart. As a child I would get all the neighborhood kids together to create a coloring book and then I would lead the charge going door to door asking neighbors to buy our newly created coloring book. Another successful revenue stream was painting rocks and selling them door to door. I organized my first successful tag sale at 8 years old where I made a whopping $24! Although my parents found my antics funny and charming they didn’t come from an entrepreneurial background. They stressed the importance of going to college and getting a well paying job. So I suppressed my inner entrepreneur and pursued the well paying job however the desire to break out on my own never went away. I think if my parents had been entrepreneurs my journey likely would have been different. Although I do appreciate the strong foundation that higher education and a corporate background has given me.
What is your proudest accomplishment in 2016? What’s the biggest goal for 2017?
My proudest accomplishment in 2016 was when I taught my first in-person class on Facebook Ads. I was so excited to educate entrepreneurs on how they could use Facebook ads to grow their business. That was a defining moment for me, because obviously leading up to the class I was so nervous! Once I was in front of everyone teaching, I definitely had my "aha" moment. I realized that this was absolutely what I wanted to be doing! My biggest goal for 2017 is to hire my first full-time employee!
What is one thing you find to be true that most people would disagree with?
“Starting your own business is so risky!” So many people have entrepreneurial dreams that get put on the back burner because they’ve been fed this one. Year after year goes by and they never start that business because “it’s too hard” or “too risky”. The reality is, working for someone else is just as risky. You can be laid off, underpaid, undervalued. You can wake up every morning dreading your job only to find another one that you ultimately end up feeling the same way about. (Speaking from experience over here..) So while it’s true that starting a business can be risky; it’s a risk worth taking. There will be scary days, exciting days, and days that are an absolute whirlwind - however the days will be your own and each day will be a step closer to building a successful business.