Launching a Company at Age 22 With Just $100 and Scaling it to 6 Figures (with Stephanie Riel)

✨ Stephanie emphasizes the power of Pinterest for brands, stressing that it's often overlooked but can benefit all types of businesses, including B2B. She shares case studies and success stories to showcase the potential and urge brands to utilize this amazing resource. #PinterestPower

📚 Speaking of resources, Stephanie is offering a free guide on common pitfalls to avoid when using Pinterest for marketing. It's a fantastic way for brands to understand the platform's power and get started on her Pinterest journey. Don't miss out on this opportunity! 📈 You can get the resource here: https://courses.rieldealandco.com/3-pinterest-pitfalls-to-avoid-if-you-want-to-make-a-profit

💼 Over the course of 12 years, Stephanie built a full-service marketing agency from a side hustle. She relied on hard work, innovation, and word-of-mouth to grow and scale, without investing additional money. Talk about dedication and determination! #BootstrappingQueen

🌟 One of their biggest successes was building and growing a team to support her agency. It's a testament to her leadership and vision. Achieving that milestone must have felt incredible! 🤝

🎓 Stephanie's journey started in college, where she turned her passion for storytelling and her journalism background into a marketing side hustle. She was fascinated by the data and science of digital marketing, as well as the psychology of consumer behavior. 📊💡

🔀 Throughout her remarkable journey, Stephanie faced challenges and learned valuable lessons. She admits she would have handled things differently, particularly in terms of hiring sooner. Being organized and utilizing accounting tools like FreshBooks and QuickBooks helped her overcome obstacles and manage her business effectively. #TipOfTheDay

💸 When it comes to tracking sales and invoicing, she recommends using Stripe, which seamlessly integrates with their tech stack. Additionally, she highlights the power of automation with Zapier, making processes more efficient. Time to work smarter, not harder! ⏰⚡️

📚 She is a true believer in the power of DIY for small businesses, especially in the beginning stages. She's even developed marketing courses to help others with branding and utilizing Pinterest. Sharing knowledge and empowering others? That's what it's all about! 📢💡

💰 Here's some inspiration: Stephanie has bootstrapped all of her businesses without outside funding. She started her first venture while in college, using $100 from her internships and college jobs. It just goes to show that determination and resourcefulness can take you far! 💪💼

📌 Did you know that pins on Pinterest have a long-lasting impact? They can drive thousands of website visits per month! Pinterest is more like Google than Instagram or Facebook in terms of generating targeted traffic based on keywords. It's a platform to leverage for success! 📎🌐

📈 Not only do pins have lasting impact, but they keep working for you long after you post them. This makes Pinterest especially beneficial for those with limited resources or time. Your pins can continue driving traffic and engagement for years. Talk about a smart investment! 💼💼

🔗 Stephanie has kindly provided us with a link for more information. Don't miss out on this valuable resource. Start exploring and utilizing the power of Pinterest today! 💡

⏩ Before we wrap up, let's take a moment to celebrate the incredible journey of Stephanie. She saved all their earnings from consulting, freelance work, and contracting for nine years. That dedication paid off when she was finally able to invest back into her own business. 💰🎉

🚀 Her bootstrapping and reinvestment have been the keys to success. It empowered her to start her second business this year, and she views both success and failure as learning experiences. Stephanie's positive mindset and growth mindset are truly inspiring! 🌟💡

🎓 Finally, she started her first business at the age of 22 when entrepreneurship and side hustles weren't as popular as they are now. Despite skepticism from friends, she dedicated her free time to fulfilling client work. Turning a side hustle into solopreneurship while still in college? Epic! 🎒💼

💭 That wraps up this exciting episode! Remember, success is a journey, and sometimes it's about taking that leap of faith. Share your valuable stories and bootstrap wisdom on our website, and let's continue learning and supporting each other's growth! 💪✨

❇️ Key topics and bullets

- Overview of the episode featuring Stephanie, a bootstrapped entrepreneur sharing tips for bootstrapping a business

- Stephaine's successes and failures in her journey

- The importance of utilizing Pinterest for businesses, including B2B

- Case studies and success stories of brands using Pinterest

- Free resource on common pitfalls to avoid when using Pinterest for marketing

- How Pinterest can help brands understand its power and get started

- Stephanie's experience building a full-service marketing agency from a side hustle

- Building and growing a team as Stephanie's biggest success

- Stephanie's journalism background and interest in digital marketing and consumer behavior

- Living the side hustle life for 9 years

- Stephanie's plans to file for an LLC and open a checking account for her business

- Starting consulting work and leveraging prior sole proprietorship side hustle experience

- Timeline of Stephanie's side hustle journey

- Challenges faced and valuable lessons learned

- Benefits and opportunities from starting the first business

- The importance of being organized and utilizing accounting tools like FreshBooks and QuickBooks

- Knowing one's numbers and tracking sales

- Using Stripe and Zapier for invoicing and automation

- The power of DIY for small businesses and marketing courses developed by Stephanie

- Bootstrapping all businesses without outside funding

- Starting the first business with $100 from internships and college jobs

- The impact of Pinterest in driving website visits

- Pinterest's similarities to Google in generating targeted traffic based on keywords

- The long-lasting impact of pins on Pinterest

- A link for more information and valuable resources

- Encouraging listeners to share their own stories

- Stephanie's savings from consulting, freelance work, and contracting

- Starting a second business in 2021 due to reinvesting and bootstrapping

- Viewing success and failure as learning experiences

- Overcoming skepticism and dedicating time to a side hustle while in college

🧞‍♂️ Discussion questions

1. How did Stephanie leverage Pinterest to benefit her brand? Can you think of any ways you could apply their strategies to your own business?

2. What were some of the challenges she faced while bootstrapping her businesses? How did she overcome these obstacles?

3. Have you ever started a business as a side hustle? What lessons did you learn from that experience, and would you consider turning it into a full-time venture?

4. Stephanie emphasizes the importance of being organized and utilizing tools like FreshBooks, QuickBooks, and Stripe. Have you used any similar tools for your own business? How have they helped streamline your operations?

5. She saved all their earnings from consulting, freelance work, and contracting for 9 years before investing back into her business. How do you approach saving and reinvesting in your own business? What strategies do you find effective?

6. In what ways do you think starting a business at a young age, like Stephanie did at 22, could be advantageous or disadvantageous? Share your thoughts and personal experiences.

7. She mentioned that they view success and failure as learning experiences. How do you approach failures in your own entrepreneurial journey? Are there any failures that stand out to you as valuable lessons?

8. She highlighted the longevity and impact of pins on Pinterest, even years after her initial posting. How does this compare to other social media platforms in terms of generating website traffic? How could you leverage this knowledge for your own brand?

9. She mentioned the power of DIY (do-it-yourself) for small businesses. Do you prefer to outsource certain tasks or take a hands-on approach to various aspects of your business? How do you strike a balance?

10. She bootstrapped all her businesses without outside funding. In what ways do you think bootstrapping can be beneficial for entrepreneurs? Are there any downsides to not seeking external funding? Discuss your thoughts.