WHO OR WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START YOUR BUSINESS?
I’m a mom to five with an amazing husband. They inspire me every day and my husband has believed in me from the start, which is one of the biggest gifts.
Throughout my business journey, I’ve had different things that have inspired me. My inspiration for my business today is the unique power of women right now. Never before have women had so much power and potential.
The Internet and social media have changed the game for women and moms. We can stay home with our kids or build a life that we want AND still work. So many women feel called to start a business right now and because I’ve been doing it for the last 14 years, I know that I can shorten the road to success. This is where my passion is. I am inspired daily by the women-run businesses who are adding light and goodness to the world.
I love helping them through my business podcast, coaching, courses, and my strategic content management agency.
WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST STRUGGLE WHEN STARTING OUT?
The biggest struggle I had starting out was the lack of belief that what I was doing could eventually turn into my dream. As creatives, we have these dreams that only we can see. It takes a lot of grit and moxie to keep showing up every day and working hard.
WHAT’S THE NUMBER ONE THING YOU ATTRIBUTE TO GROWING YOUR BUSINESS?
Persistence. When you are an entrepreneur, you have good days and bad days. You have successes and failures. The one who wins is the one who gets up every dang day and keeps going.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE MUSIC TO LISTEN TO WHEN YOU’RE CREATING GRAPHICS?
I turn on the Piano Guys. They take pop songs and turn them into instrumental songs. While I work, I can’t listen to anything with words or I find myself singing and dancing along instead of creating graphics. Piano Guys helps me focus.
HOW DO YOU DECIDE ON WHAT IMAGES TO USE FOR YOUR BRAND?
I try to keep my graphics on brand and applicable to the content I’m creating. I choose images that speak to my audience. I like to use fresh and bright images that my audience can relate to. That’s why I love Haute Stock. I’m a photographer too, so I could take my own pictures, but I love that I can leave all of this heavy lifting to Haute Stock.
What’s your favorite Haute Stock collection?
The Laptop and Chill collection. It just feels like my brand: at home working and chilling (although my reality has a few more kids in it).
HOW HAS HAUTE STOCK HELPED YOU IN YOUR BUSINESS?
My business is constantly growing (hallelujah!) because of that, I need a way that I can make content quickly.
Whether that is a landing page, blog post, or sales page, Haute Stock has taken away the worry of where to find pictures. I also love that my content isn’t using the same old free stock images.
With Haute Stock, my content stays up to date, fresh, and on-brand.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST BUSINESS LESSON LEARNED?
There are three things:
- Pay for things that save you time and make business easier. There are so many things you have to do to keep your business going on social media and online. If there are services or products that can save you time and make business easier, pay for them. (That’s why I love Haute Stock!)
- Start before you’re ready. You are the one holding yourself back. Take a step. Buy that course. Hire a coach. Whatever it is that you know you need right now but don’t feel justified in doing, do it. You’ll never be “ready”. God is waiting for you to take a step in faith and when you do, He will meet you with answers.
- Your business isn’t about you, it is about who you serve. If entrepreneurs really understood this, it would make showing up on Instagram, creating a podcast, or selling a product so much easier. You are here to serve your people and when you do that, you will feel fulfilled and successful.
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Michelle Gifford
is a stay at home mom to five. Over the past 14 years, she has built 5 successful businesses and now helps others do the same at I am Michelle Gifford. With her background for PR and knack for efficiency, Michelle is passionate about lifting women up and helping them step into their calling as moms and business owners.
