Andi Fagen is the founder of Creative DSM, a marketing agency that helps the small businesses to grow and thrive with its vast range of SEO-focused services. Apart from being a business owner, she is also a new mom who gradually learned the art of maintaining a perfect work-life balance. She encourages the small businesses to ‘stop working so hard and learn delegation to balance it all”. With a comprehensive set of services, her company helps the small businesses to learn how to dive in, provides tips for balancing, refocusing and self-approval.
Her company is mainly focused on the small businesses within the wedding industry such as florists, event venues, photographers, décor rentals, stylists, wedding planners, and others. In this exclusive interview, she talks about her company, and how she maintains a balance between being an entrepreneur and a mother.
Interviewer: What inspired you to become an entrepreneur?
Andi: I’ve had the opportunity to see the ups and downs and growing pains of some really great brands. From this experience, I started Creative DSM, with the mission to educate small business owners to stop working so hard. SEO can be the most powerful marketing tool, but many small businesses find it hard to pay and manage an in-house marketing team. That’s where Creative DSM steps in and builds cohesive strategies that not only save money but create new customer acquisition funnels.
Interviewer: Tell us a little more about these startup companies that inspired your growth-
Andi: After my time at Iowa State University, I went out to Los Angeles and thankfully landed an amazing job at a startup brand called NSF Clothing. Being the first full-time employee, I had my hands in every part of the business, and my boss was a truly amazing mentor that let that happen. As the brand grew, I learned to really appreciate the hustle that came along with managing multiple departments.
This trend continued through my time in LA, and as I relocated to Miami, Florida. In Miami, I worked for a startup consumer tech company that allowed me on the ground floor, which resulted in a $75M acquisition in 2018. During that time, I launched my first apparel brand, Aporei Loungewear, and also gained detailed SEO and eCommerce knowledge that eventually led me to start Creative DSM.
Interviewer: Tell us something about your company and its services?
Andi: I know I’ve mentioned it already, but Creative DSM’s mission is to educate business owners to stop working so hard. In the age of digital marketing, SEO is king, and delegation is your best friend. All of our services are search engine optimization centric. This means that we focus on several small pieces that build a bigger picture of brand awareness, customer reputation management, and automated marketing flows to bring customers to your door. The days of cold calling are over, instead, it’s important to position your business as the expert in your niche. This includes interacting on social platforms, creating engaging content, and turning transactions into relationships. This is what our clients delegate to us, to free up time to focus on their core business.
Interviewer: How’s life like being a mompreneur?
Andi: Funny enough, becoming a mom is what made me transform my hobby into a business. I want to show my son that sometimes a leap of faith is what you have to do in order to get to the next step. Staying in a comfort zone, or even just a place where excuses are OK, is never going to take you to the next level. In the same respect, it’s important to enjoy what you do. Spending 40+ hours a week in a role that you don’t believe in, doesn’t necessarily breed a happy lifestyle. Sure, there are some late hours, and sometimes I have to do some work on a weekend. But I like to think that I am a much better mom when I enjoy what I am doing, and he is happier for it.
Interviewer: What advice you would give to anyone wanting to be an entrepreneur?
Andi: Most businesses start with a talent, turn to a hobby, and launch on the dream of owning your own time. There is a saying that says “Good things come to those who hustle.” And while this is one of my favorite mottos, there comes a time and place when there is no more time left to hustle. If you’re working yourself to the bone trying to make ends meet, you’re not really working for yourself. This is where delegation comes into play. Build a team of people you trust, take a few leaps of faith, and really own your own time. Nothing good ever came out of exhaustion.
More information about Andi Fagen and her company can be found on its official website.
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Company Name: Creative DSM
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Country: United States
Website: www.creativedsm.com