Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandi Holder.
Hi Brandi, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
Sure, thank you for asking. It is essential for people to know that just because the journey doesn’t look like you expect it doesn’t mean you won’t get where you are going!
My foray into business began in 2014. After about ten years in multisite property management, I became fascinated with the other side of housing—the economic development and policy side. I knew I wanted to do something more… like I had a calling in life that was going unfulfilled. So, I went back to school to get my Master’s in Public Administration to shake up stale affordable housing policy in the federal government.
During my time in school, I knew I wanted to gain as many experiences as I could. I worked as a freelance journalist, a media assistant, and in health care IT sales. I used my internship to work in regional economic development programs and volunteered as a small business counselor with the SBA’s SBDC.
However, when Trump entered office, he closed the federal hiring pathways, kicking out the applications I had in progress and closing the special qualification I had as a recent graduate. I didn’t have a plan B, so I took stock of my skills and decided to turn the freelance writing thing into a business.
During the early days of my business, my offerings were not well defined, and I did a little bit of everything—press kits, marketing plans, copywriting, content development—you name it. That eventually evolved to where I am today with a tighter focus on brand voice, business coaching, and strategy.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No—definitely not! In 2018 I got married, and forty-four days in as newlyweds, we found out my husband had liver cancer.
Business on its own is challenging enough. Then all at once, I had to figure out how to support us both with my company while being the scaffolding in my husband’s fight for more days.
Cancer doesn’t care that you just got married, or that you have invested all your money in your businesses, or even that you have stuff you still want to do in your life. But I’ll tell you, having my back up against a wall was something that helped me get crystal clear on what matters and how to let the unimportant fall away. I knew I had to figure out how to create steady revenue, and the “something for everyone model” would not cut it.
The tighter focus on my offerings helped me market myself more clearly and land better-paying clients. Along the way, I also got better at delegating, automating, blocking time in my schedule, networking, and continuing education. All of that is what helped me build a six-figure business from very humble beginnings.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Brandi Holder Consulting?
My superpower is making my clients look damn good—and I love what I do!
Most clients book me for marketing or PR strategy. But I really do one thing. It’s a brand strategy. It’s the crucial foundation for your marketing and PR efforts, and when you get it right, it’s transformative. Brand strategy is not just about a new logo or website, although sometimes that is the case, and it is good to be open to that recommendation. It’s about creating cohesion behind your brand by tying together your personality, spirit, and mission to communicate more effectively.
In my process, I get to know you, your team, your product, your marketplace, and your customers so I can help you create the best explanations and connections possible across all your channels. When customers, partners, and employees experience your company this way, it’s the magic spark that enables you to grow. It’s also incredibly fun!
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
That we can find fun and innovative ways to stay connected even when we are miles apart!
I’m an introvert, and I had a remote business long before it was cool or necessary. So, being at home for long stretches was something I was used to already. But I watched those I care about the struggle at first. And then, suddenly, new ways of communicating went mainstream. Grandmas learned how to Zoom.
Employees got their boss to engage on Marco Polo. People took their trash out in costumes. TikTok kept us entertained. And in the business world, we all fumbled along just like BBC Dad. We joked, made space for mishaps, and found a way to feel connected in new ways.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.brandiholder.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tech_explainer/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/brandi_holder
