Welcome to another episode of “Spark & Ignite Your Marketing,” a podcast that fuels the entrepreneurial spirit and sparks the creative minds of small business owners. In this episode, we’re delighted to have Lauren Connolly as our guest. Lauren is the visionary behind Wild Development Studio, a unique enterprise that combines her passions for art, nature, and technology into a thriving business. After leaving the corporate world in 2020, Lauren, along with her husband, launched a drone business which later evolved into Wild Development Studio. Her journey from a corporate employee to a successful nature-inspired entrepreneurship journey is not only inspiring but also offers valuable insights into leveraging personal interests to build a professional brand.
Nature-Inspired Entrepreneurship
Lauren has managed to blur the lines between her artistic talents and her entrepreneurial endeavors. She emphasizes the importance of integrating one’s passions into their business model, highlighting how this has been crucial in differentiating Wild Development Studio in the competitive market.
Marketing Strategies in the Digital Age
Lauren and Beverly delve into effective marketing strategies for modern entrepreneurs. They discuss the integration of traditional and digital marketing methods, emphasizing the importance of social media, content marketing, and personal branding in growing a business, specifically for a nature-inspired business niche.
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Transcript:
Beverly:
Welcome to another insightful episode of Spark Ignite Your Marketing, where we ignite the spark of creativity and innovation in the hearts of entrepreneurs and small business owners. I’m your host, Beverly Cornell, and today we’re embarking on a journey that blurs the lines between arts, nature, and entrepreneurship. But first, let’s shed some light On a fascinating statistic that underscores the importance of today’s discussion, according to report by the outdoor industry association, consumer spending on outdoor recreation activities in the United States amounts to approximately 887Billion dollars annually. The staggering figure highlights the vast potential of tapping into the outdoor and adventure market, a niche that our guest today, Lauren Connelly, has passionately pursued with Wild Development Studio. With a rich background in maritime studies from UWF and certifications ranging from scuba diving instructor to art coach, Lauren has seamlessly woven her diverse skills and interests into a unique business model. After leaving the corporate world in 2020, she and her husband launched a drone business. However, it was under this umbrella that Wild Development Studio was born, allowing Lauren to delve deeper into her passions for art, photography, and podcasting. While Development Studio is more than just a business, it’s Lauren’s platform to inspire people to connect with the outdoors through her art and storytelling, Lauren aims to transport her audience into the natural world, offering a breath of fresh air to those stuck in the monotony of corporate life and dreaming of their next adventure. Welcome Lauren.
Lauren:
Thank you so much for having me. And I think I’m going to borrow that last line that you had there. That was
beautiful.
Beverly:
So we take, we took your bio and made it a little bit. We just did a little bit and had a little fun with it, but it’s true. Like we all work in offices. I’m sitting at my desk all day long and you need fresh air. It’s great for creativity and just your brain and stress. I’m super excited to have you here to talk about what you’re doing and the importance of all of this. So share a little bit. This is our first time chatting. We’re, we were newer friends on Facebook. We met through a podcasting group. But please share a little bit about your journey and how you went from the corporate side to the entrepreneur side and how your business has evolved from drones to the studio and podcasting.
Lauren:
Sure. So it was 2020 and I was stuck in a job that I loved and I hated. So I worked so hard for this company for so many years and towards the end, their values just weren’t lining up with mine anymore. I was working 50 to 60 hours a week and. all these ideas and they just kept wanting more and more out of me while other people were taking the credit And it just felt like the life was being sucked out of me So I would try and set boundaries so that I could have a balanced life and I could get outside And when I would do that, I would see backlash like all of a sudden things that I was promised that I would get to do other people are getting to do it and They’re doing the quote unquote fun things at work. So little manipulative things like that. So I would actually spend my breaks crying in the bathroom, which was not fun. So suddenly, yeah, I spent all these years building a career in networking and it really became my identity. And finally, when the pandemic hit. I was suddenly taken out of the game, like literally, I was locked out of all my emails. I suddenly had no access to all the things that I had created. And that was a big lesson for me. Make sure you back up your work because you never know what’s going to happen. But that gave me a chance to really breathe. I spent a majority of the lockdown outside and creating art and it was the most transformative and healing experience of my life. And a few months later, when they asked me to come back, I had the strength to say no. So I find that all the fun things that I loved in my previous job, I’m able to do with my current job. And I realized I don’t need a company to do those things. They’re in me all along. So I started JL Aerial Views with my husband. So we’re drone pilots and we help real estate agents and advertising companies. And like you said, under that umbrella, I created Wild Development Studio. And my mission there is to, and that was a long and winding road to get there, but I use the wildlife art, like my photos and paintings and classes and the storytelling through the podcast to inspire people outside because there are so many physical and mental health benefits to that. I really am just inspired by my journey. And trying to help other people and jailer aerial views has a very clear niche and it was easy for us to find our rhythm and our path to success. It was about a 3 year journey in the making to where I finally felt like I was hitting my stride with my art career.
Beverly:
So what drives the passion for your business?
Lauren:
Oh, gosh. So I guess a little bit of background and how I got to where I am. Wild developments had a few different looks. First, I was complete courage. It was crafts, care, conservation, and Christ. I had all the C’s. I thought I’d play around with that. And with all these talents and passions, I was trying to figure out how to connect them all. And I felt like I was just throwing a handful of darts and seeing what would stick. And I’d blog every once in a while and there’s no real clear path or thing that was really marketable to audiences. And since my drone company had more followers, I would, slip in a couple pet portrait pictures and some wildlife pictures on that social media. And my sister in law Cassie really inspired me to niche down and focus on art. So I started LC aqua art and I only had my pet portraits over there and I didn’t have my wildlife photographs. So I started Lauren Connelly photography. And now I felt like I was back at square one with too many balls in the air and none of them all really working together. In the meantime, I started a podcast with my friends and we were like, doing a little bit of everything from ghost hunting to riding motorcycles to cooking. We really. Nobody wanted to niche down. It was really difficult to find an audience, though the drone company, I’m still there. Everything’s going good there, but everything else it just fell apart. It came to a head and I had to step back from the photography and the podcast and I finally realized that I put myself right back into that mental hustle. I had in my previous job where I was going, and this is where I time I felt like. I didn’t have direction, at least with a company, they give you the direction whether or not you like it or not. And I just felt like I was going no, nowhere. Last year, I took a mental break and I retreated into the wilderness. I took my dog Fiona, my camera, my art supplies, and I just spent a week exploring Cades Cove and Gatlinburg. And I knew I still wanted to be my own boss, but like, how do I combine all these passions that I have into something that is meaningful for people? And how can my art fill a need that people have? I did a few more outdoor centered trips and it finally hit me like, duh, it’s right there. How did I miss this all along? I spent two times, I just told you about where I spent time with art and nature and it transformed me and healed me. And then I had several more moments in my very first podcast episode. I’m like, that’s what my company should be. Wildlife and Art and storytelling to inspire people to get outside so they too can experience those same benefits that I have had and that is really what drives me because I am so passionate. And, I forget sometimes like you get in your daily life and your daily grind and you’re like, oh, why do I feel so awful? And I haven’t been outside in a while. Maybe I need to unplug and reconnect with nature. So that was really the key to igniting my marketing success when it finally all clicked in my head. How do I combine these passions? In a way that fulfills my needs and also gets me excited to share with others and others can tangibly see a difference through my artwork and listening to the podcast. All of a sudden, it was like, the floodgates were open. They broke and I was super charged with all this energy. All these ideas keep coming to mind. And with that clear mission, I’m able to attract the right people and. People are now reaching out to me to want to be on the show and reaching out for pet commission. So it just, it finally all clicked and it’s just been, it’s been an amazing and wild ride. I love it.
Beverly:
I think you said something really important that many entrepreneurs one struggle with. And two, if they don’t get it right it’s detrimental to the business is who am I really? What purpose am I serving or problem? Am I solving? And what makes me happy? What am I excited to get up and do every day and what fills my soul? And if you can somehow encapsulate that into a business, you found the magic formula, but also I think this idea of being authentic to yourself is what’s going to resonate in your marketing. If you’re doing something that’s just. I love that you used the phrase, like you threw everything at the board, like the darts at the board, like you just weren’t even sure let’s just see what sticks, right? It is that process because it’s I love this. So how do I make that all work together? And sometimes you have to test and check and no, it doesn’t feel authentic to me. It’s not right. It’s not resonating. That is a journey in itself. That is an important part of becoming an entrepreneur and really listening to your soul, when you starting a business and even like I’m 12 years in my business, I spent the last year doing the same thing. I got complacent and comfortable and like the hustle you’re talking about. And I was just doing all this stuff and I was doing all the things and I had all of his clients and. I was like, wait, is this really why I’m doing this? Is this my legacy? Just taking a minute, like you took the week. I think it was over Christmas. I really did some thinking and I had about 10 days off, spent time with family, recharged my soul. It was good. So I love that you just really reflected on what was important for you. With your work and so many different kind of endeavors, what have you learned about business and life from all these different experiences? What are some big takeaways you’ve gleaned from all of this?
Lauren:
Oh, my gosh, I don’t even know where to begin with that. There’s so much that I have learned from running my own business and, you don’t have. A set time that you have to be at work. It is on you. So you really have to be self motivated to get up every morning. You have to discover your why and I find that lists definitely help me. I have, a list of things that I need to do. And that motivates me to get out of bed, especially in the wintertime around Ohio. I’m like, I just want to stay in bed and not get up, but you have to find what motivates you to get out of bed. Cause nobody’s going to do that for you at the end of the day. And I’m a big advocate for taking classes and I’m always learning and getting new certificates and that’s great, but sometimes you get stuck in this cycle of. I’m going to take this class first and I need to do all these things to prepare. And it’s, that’s dangerous. You don’t want to get, you should always be learning and always growing, but don’t get stuck in this cycle where I need X, Y, and Z before I get started. My husband always likes to say, if you’re not embarrassed by your first product that you put out, then you started too late. Really, you’re not going to. Figure out everything, unless you’re out there and doing it like our first drone job. We forgot our drone. So we had to turn around, go back and go get our drone. And then what also happened is we gave the client the pictures. And we didn’t get paid, so I’m like, okay, now we need to have a contract system. We need to have a more professional billing. We do that through quicken. We need these things in place and those are things that might not have been in any class. You’re only going to learn that from getting out there and doing it. My very 1st watercolor class that I taught, we’re going through the basics and she’s holding her paintbrush and she’s okay, do I clean my brush off now? What do I do? Oh, my gosh. Yeah, I should have told them they need to be cleaning their brush in between strokes. If you want to change colors those are things that you’re not really going to learn from a class. You’re only going to learn by getting out there and doing it.
Beverly:
I think you’re right. And I’m, gosh, I am guilty of this. I want to be prepared. I am certainly a perfectionist and I want all the things and all my ducks in a row and everything to just roll out perfectly every time. But I tell my team all the time. You’re going to make mistakes and those mistakes is where you learn the most. That’s like where the rubber hits the road. And either you learn from them and you grow or you just beat yourself up and nothing happens. So these are all opportunities for growth and you’re right. If you’re not doing it, you’re not learning it. And there’s only so much a book or a class can teach you. You have to get in there and get your, feet wet, your hands dirty, do it. And sometimes it’s really dirty. So yeah, I, that’s all part of, that’s all a huge lesson in business and in life in general. What has been the biggest challenge that you think you that you think you feel you’ve overcome and had to get past as part of your entrepreneurial journey?
Lauren:
The biggest challenge was niching down and that 3 almost now, 4 year gosh, I can’t believe it’s been 4 years since pandemic, but that journey of. Trying to figure out. My niche and what I want to do and that was, trial and error and not being afraid to throw the darts at the wall and seeing what sticks. And then, like I said, once I figured that out, the floodgates open, the other problem is imposter syndrome. Oh my gosh, I’m not as good as some of these other artists online, or what if I don’t know all the facts to all these animals? Cause you know, I don’t really specialize in one animal. I love them all. I’m not going to know everything about everything. So getting over that imposter syndrome and just showing up there’s a woman, I follow Jess and she teaches women about public speaking and she talks about. When you’re a public speaker, you only need to know 10 percent more. Then the rest of the people in the group, then they’re going to learn something from you. You are still going to be a, an expert
Beverly:
that’s interesting. 10 percent more and they say, if you do something for 10, 000 hours, you’re an expert. Whether that’s. Marketing or photography. So just the more you practice and do it. That’s what makes you the expert. 10 percent is really good. That’s a great number to think about when you’re giving
Lauren:
those all add up by my other thing that I love, like with the nature journaling and documenting. You will get stuck in these mind traps because, we’ll all hit times in our business where you’re just getting blow after blow and discouraged and rejections. Keep a list of all your wins. Because we forget those in those moments and you’re just like, I just want to quit, what is, what even is the point having a list of all the things that you’ve accomplished and how far you’ve come. That’s a great motivator in and of itself.
Beverly:
I love the idea of the list. I had a podcast guest, my very first one, actually, he talked about, he made a list of all the projects that he did. It didn’t matter if. He won them or not or whatever, but because even the ones that he didn’t win or didn’t get to full fruition was still part of his journey. He still learned something whether it was a contact or you increased your network or you like whatever that looks like there is a benefit in some way to that but I love keeping the list. I have my vision board for the future. But maybe the wins is a nice track, too. That’s great.
Lauren:
Yeah, I like his spin, too. There are so many art contests that, as a photographer and a painter, you have to enter in order to get your name out there and. Most of them, we do not win, but you do learn something every single time, and it makes that process the next time a little bit easier. Yeah, I like that take. Yeah,
Beverly:
He said he was regrouping, the same thing you did regrouping and looking at, he had file folders for all the projects, and he made a list of all those projects, and what went well, what didn’t go well, and what he could do better, essentially just growing from that. And I thought, gosh, what an interesting list to even explore after 12 years of being in business. What did that look like? And he said, it really made it very clear how far I’ve come. And I said, yeah, I could see that. What a huge, leap from that. So the name of the podcast is spark and ignite your marketing. I always like. Talk to entrepreneurs about their spark. Is there a single spark or multiple sparks that kind of got you to this place? There’s a moment, maybe it was in the wilderness when you were in Gaitlenburg that, that triggered the light bulb for you that said, this is, but is there other, or maybe a person that made you go down the entrepreneurial path.
Lauren:
My father is an entrepreneur and I watched him go from working at a company and working very hard for that company and then slowly transitioning to having his own business to getting in huge debt. And of course. The lowest point, or I guess, the worst of his debt was the year that I got married. Go figure. And, I didn’t know how bad it was until later on. And they never, said, oh, you can’t do X, Y, and Z. And I actually created a lot of. My, the invitations and the centerpieces and stuff for my wedding and I thought, oh, they just know that I love to create. It’s not because we’re trying to cut corners or anything. And he’s really been an inspiration for me my whole life. He’s. The reason why I love nature so much, he’s mowing the yard and he finds a toad outside and he’s oh, come look at this and we name them And, just because I’m a girl, he never thought, oh, I need to, she has to do all the pretty things and. I was allowed to go outside and play in the mud and I was outside all day as a kid, roaming the woods and creating forts and my mom, too, they both have always encouraged me to follow my dreams and they. Will recognize when, oh, you have a talent for art, you have an eye for photography, you should be doing this and helping to they’re my guiding light, my biggest fan. Beautiful.
Beverly:
So this outdoor kind of experiential, get back to nature. I think COVID kicked that in the butt, right? It made people realize like we have to get outside. We need to reconnect with nature. But what kind of trends are you seeing in the space that, that is affecting your business?
Lauren:
Forrest bathing is getting huge. It’s a very trendy word right now, and people think it’s woo. And, they shy away from it. It’s something that people have been doing for centuries. It’s just putting a name to it. And just because it’s trendy, it doesn’t mean that it’s bad. There are benefits that. The trees will actually emit chemicals and spores that we take into our body and has physical and mental benefits for us. And even literally going out and hugging a tree I’m sure, the 80s and 90s. We all hear oh, look at those tree huggers. This science claims hugging someone for 21 seconds a day is supposed to have a huge. Increase in happy hormones and even hugging a tree for 21 seconds will give you that same happy hormone. That’s been the biggest thing that I’ve seen. In the nature industry, and I actually just did a forest bathing certificate and learn more about that. And, that’s great because then I can lead people outside, teach them how to disconnect and then let’s tie it in with, let’s grab our nature journals and let’s write about this experience and document. And I find that. With nature drilling, that’s becoming a little bit more popular too. It gives you a reason to put your phone down when you’re outside. And, cause we always need this thing. It’s our like little security blanket. If you have a nature journal you’ve got something in your hand, you’re keeping yourself busy and Engaging your eyes and your senses and putting pen to paper that is activating your memories and calming you down. It’s de stressing you. Like, all these things are tying together in the business, and I’m very excited about sharing them with other people.
Beverly:
So this idea of forest bathing, I actually really enjoy that because if you have ever been in a forest and the sun is just shining a certain way, there is a magical almost ethereal feeling when you are in that space and it feels. Almost sacred when you, at certain times of the day,. There is something about it. And it’s hard to even put in words. So the fact that there’s actually classes on that is amazing.
Lauren:
Even connected with that, there’s digital detox, and I think, at least for me, I need a space where I have permission, even if it’s just an hour to put my phone down and not check my messages, especially as an entrepreneur, because we are getting buzzed at every hour of the day.
Beverly:
I, this year, I actually put a do not disturb on my phone. For certain times of the day so that I don’t get buzzed every two seconds. Cause if I write or I’m in a creative space, I cannot be constantly pulled into that digital device. I have to have some freedom from that to really be creative and have a moment to breathe outside of this constant pulling. So I could, I really value the digital detox and it’s a very rare moment when I can set it down and not have to worry about it for a couple of hours. What advice would you give entrepreneurs looking to find opportunities in this specific market? What would you tell them?
Lauren:
As far as nature is concerned, go to your local parks. There are tons of parks, especially in the Ohio area. They are always looking for volunteers, so go in and learn, even if you can’t volunteer there was a flying squirrel class at the Cincinnati nature center a couple of weeks ago that we went to and that is the most prolific squirrel in Ohio. And I have never seen 1 in person because they’re nocturnal. Going to a class like that gives you the opportunity to learn something about an animal that you might not even know exists in your area. There are in almost every state, it’s a certified volunteer naturalist and I’m an Ohio certified volunteer naturalist and I did that class in 2020. So that was all online, but you meet, I believe it’s for about 10 weeks. Don’t quote me on that. It’s somewhere around there and you meet for a couple hours each session and you learn different things about your local environment. And then, when you’re done with that, you turn around and you go volunteer at a nature center or a different park, and it could be things as simple as walking the trails and being a trail steward and reporting if there’s a tree down or, this area is flooded it can be a very easy and at your own pace and that’ll help you learn about nature art. There are so many, I think there’s no shame in being a self taught artist. There’s a lot of stigma around. Oh, you have to have. A degree in, you have to have, your art and so many studios, no, you don’t. Your art just needs to connect with someone like, think of a Jackson Pollock. It’s like splatters on a page, but that connects with someone. It might not be my style, but it’s somebody’s style. The only way you’re ever going to find your style is to keep at it and keep going. Find what. You like and what connects with you for me. It’s animals. I love drawing the face and getting up close on a dog’s face and capturing their expression and their eyes and just seeing the way that a pet owner when they receive their pet portrait, how they react and how special that is to them. You’ll find what. is important to you and your artwork and maybe it is just for you and keep a journal and you just have it for yourself.
Beverly:
Okay. Tell me a little bit about some of the marketing that you have used for your businesses and what has been the most effective for you.
Lauren:
Honestly, the best thing that has worked for us, I’ve tried social media and that still to me feels like throwing darts at a wall and seeing what sticks, because sometimes you know, something gets a lot of hits and something, and then you worked maybe two minutes on that post and then another post you’re like, okay, I’m motivated. Now I’m going to spend hours on this post and it gets no hits. So I get discouraged with social media. The best thing that I have found that works is art shows. And really getting out there and connecting with your audience. And if you’re not in the art industry, we have nature expos and stuff around here too. But for most jobs, there are some sort of Expo or yearly gathering where they have speakers and event spaces and they’re looking for people to host booths. Eventually. It got to the point where I am doing so many shows in my area. You start seeing the same people and they start recognizing your face and they get to know your personality and they will more than likely hire you or buy from you. People aren’t hiring a company. They’re hiring the people in the heart behind that company. So you need to get out there and show them who you are. And it is really easy just to do, a social media post. And then it’s like, why am I not getting. Any traction because you’re not getting out there and seeing the people and another great marketing tool. And we had a lot of ROI with that is the local chamber in our area. We meet once a month and as a entrepreneur working from home, you miss the days when you’re in a corporate office and you’re seeing the same friendly faces every day, but you go into the chamber that helps because you’re seeing the same people all the time. And on top of that, there’s a lunch and learn events and expos. And I was just recently invited to do an event with the chamber, so I really found. That getting out there and meeting people face to face has been the best for my marketing.
Beverly:
It’s interesting because a lot of the people who’ve been on the podcast talk about in real life in person. There’s nothing that’s even close to that, right? There’s no experience. No, there’s some of us that are introverts and when, that’s. That’s okay if there’s some entrepreneurs that are introverts and don’t like it as much but there are even online events that are great. As long as you’re out and meeting and connecting and truly interested in others, I think that there’s a lot of power in that for sure. And I love, love, love the line about people want to do business with humans, not just a company. So putting that human side of it. To, to your business is key all the way around. Okay. So my next segment is called the lightning round. It always makes people just a little bit nervous Share your favorite business insights, tools, and inspirations in a quick manner, but don’t stress about it. It’s super fun. So there’s eight questions.
Lauren:
I’ve been struck by lightning before, so this is a little scarier than normal.
Beverly:
Okay. No real lighting is involved and there will be no humans that are injured in the making of this podcast. Love it. Okay. So what is your favorite way to connect and network?
Lauren:
Shoot. I just said that. Definitely. Facebook is a great tool. That’s how we met finding different niches on Facebook and private groups. There’s a drone Facebook group, and that is a great way to meet with other entrepreneurs around. the world and see what works for them and it might work for you and learn what didn’t work for them. So that’s another great way to network. What is your favorite business or marketing book?
So
Lauren:
this one’s hard for me because I don’t read a lot of business y books. I usually just read for fun. I actually did find in one of those little free library boxes around town there was a bag the elephant go figure it’s an elephant that’s why I picked it up bag the elephant how to win and keep customers and I like to imagine that the person that left this book was so successful in their business that they left it behind for me and they’ve underlined certain things in the book. So that helps me get little bite sized bits of information. Like my favorite one in this book was ask and understand the criteria the buyer will use to choose you and your competitor. Understanding the needs of your consumer. So that’s a good tip.
Beverly:
Love that. So what is your favorite podcast? Since you’re a podcaster, I feel like we’re like a little bit more choosy about who we follow too.
Lauren:
I do love being a podcaster. If anybody is hesitant about starting a podcast, it has been the most amazing way to meet people from all over the world and learning from different people. I love Sasquatch Chronicles and Bigfoot and Beyond with Cliff and Bobo. Exorcist Files is another good one. But like for work purposes I talked a little bit before about Jess Ekstrom. Her podcast is called Amplify with Jess Ekstrom, learning about public speaking for women. And I just started listening to your podcast. My favorite episode was the one with Scott talking about safaris. So I. I do need to focus more on, on the marketing and helping. So your podcast is definitely helping.
Beverly:
Oh, I love that. I love that. I’m so excited. Thank you for mentioning me in that very nice list of podcasts. I’m very much looking forward to being on your podcast as well. So I’m excited to delve into that space. What is your favorite business tool or app?
Lauren:
This is going to sound lame, but Google, I use Google all the time, the emails, docs, sheets, and I love how I’m able to organize everything on the Google drive. I have my checklists and show scripts all organized within there. I’m able to invite my guests on Google calendar so that they have a reminder when our zoom meeting is. And my absolute favorite feature that I love love. Is on Gmail. It’s the snooze button because I hate having notifications. I feel like I have to get to it right now. If I read it, it’s going to get lost in a sea of emails, but if I snooze it to when I need it, then I can think about it later. I don’t have to waste that mental energy on it. And I’ve had guests ask me Hey, can you remind me something in a few days? Or if I want to send a thank you to my guests with the links I can. Get that email started and then snooze it. So I love that. I’ve been playing around with a couple different apps that will help post My stories and pictures on all the social media platforms at once, but I’m still looking for a good one for that. If anybody has any tips,
Beverly:
I have a tip. Metricool. I’ve used many, I’ve used Sendible, I’ve used Hootsuite. I’ve used gosh, like I, there’s been several that I’ve used and Metricool for the price and the functionality I feel is a rock solid choice. Perfect. That is my recommendation for that, but it does. It’s great because it goes to LinkedIn and it goes to all the places. And you can even modify it for each like tool. So you can make them a little bit unique too, depending on who like, cause it’s LinkedIn’s more business to businessy, all have a different kind of take, so you can even modify it a little bit as you’re doing it, which is great. Thank you. You’re welcome. I’ll put it in the show notes too. In case anybody is looking for that, but the link in there for everybody. I love Google too. We are a huge glue fan. And the snooze button is like you said, I want to have a clean inbox. So if I need to cut follow up later, it’s perfect. What is your favorite way to refocus and reduce stress at work?
Lauren:
Gosh, taking a break. We, I think have as a society, we have to have it now. It has to get done. We have to work work, take a break, go outside and hug a tree, get barefoot, connect your feet with the ground and a lot of those positive ions in your body will Leave and you will recenter yourself and getting some fresh air, some exercise that will definitely help to recharge.
Beverly:
Yesterday I was so excited. I don’t know how it is in Ohio right now. All our stuff is blooming early 20 days early because of this really warm spring we’ve had in the Midwest upper. Upper Midwest. So I was outside yesterday in my bare feet, which I absolutely love. That is my favorite. It’s very grounding, very centering. And there are times, Lauren, where I will literally go outside and just lay in the grass. Like I just plot my whole body on the grass and lay there for a few minutes because I just need it’s the sun on my skin. If I’m in a really stressed out, I can’t organize or focus my thoughts or I need something very creative. That, even like 10 minutes of that is very re centering for myself. Hearing the birds, just focusing on what’s happening around me, even if I’m just watching a bug, like that is it makes you just have to narrow in and not be so scattered. Yesterday I was so excited, I called my flowers my pretties, and my pretties are all starting to bloom and be so exciting. My crocuses are definitely like, that’s the first ones that always blew and they are like super happy right now, but my hyacinths are really close behind, I love my pretties. They make me happy and just to hear the birds and it’s a lot of activity now it’s spring, like you can really feel it I went out there for about 20 minutes yesterday and just wandered my yard and all the things I love my pretties what is your favorite marketing tactic?
Lauren:
Yes, and this is where my I love thinking outside the box. I love finding ways to partner with other businesses, and it really helps you to get your name out. I mentioned the chamber earlier, and we’ve helped sponsor certain events, and it really, it helps you connect with your community too. And it helps to give your company a little bit more personality. We have a local ecology group that we’ve done some things with and we like to shout each other out on social media when we can. We actually sponsored and help them with their books. Our logos on the back of their book, they just launched, which is Josie and Doug, the magic of native plants. So shout out to love our land. I’m partnering this summer with a local veterinarian to do pet portrait painting classes with her clients and teaching them how to paint their pets. So that gives her clients a greater sense of community within her world. And it’s helping me get my name out there for our drone company. We partnered with. A Christmas decoration company. And we took a drone picture of his home, all decorated for the holidays. And then he was able to use that for his advertisement. And then he put us on his list of like his sheet where people can check what they want. So whatever lights and decorations they wanted. And then at the end, they, if they wanted a drone picture, they could check that they wanted a drone picture. So I love finding all these little creative ways to either kind of partner with a business. So maybe you guys. Have some sort of symbiotic relationship or sometimes these things are free of costs or exchange of service.
Beverly:
I think finding partners who have a similar target market is like ideal because you’re both working it and you can help each other and create more value for your customer at the end of the day, because this network of people, and I think bundling like the idea of having your drone services on the Christmas list, that’s that’s a unique. Experience for these offerings. So that’s amazing. I love that. There’s a lot of win, and all of that. Yes. What is your favorite source of inspiration?
Lauren:
My father for sure. And I am totally blessed that he is around that I can bounce ideas off of him and he can. Yeah, I can vent to him about what’s going on and he can be really encouraging. Remember these years where, we didn’t maybe have as much it’s going to happen and it’s going to take some time to to grow your business. He’s my favorite source of inspiration for sure. He’s the hardest working person in the world. I know.
Beverly:
What a great role model for you. Who is your favorite entrepreneur to follow?
Lauren:
My dad also love our land. Like I talked about before we just moved to the Loveland area about two years ago and it’s been really fun watching that business grow and they are doing lots of amazing things. in helping to restore native plants to the Loveland area on TikTok. I love following splatter and bloom. She’s a watercolor artist and I’ve watched her journey and rebranding and she’s just very real and shares all about what life is like being a mom and an artist and trying to make that work.
Beverly:
That’s amazing. So that’s The lightning round, you survived in there. No one got hurt. When did that
happen?
Lauren:
That was in 2021 and I was on the beach with my husband and there was a storm rolling in. I brought my nephew and my nephew dog inside and then my husband was outside cleaning up the stuff like the beach chairs and whatnot and I went out to help him and all of a sudden there was a giant flash of light. And it felt like a rubber band snapped like a huge rubber band snapped the bottom of my foot and I saw a little spark come out of my foot. So it was a ground strike. It wasn’t like a direct hit or anything. But yeah, we can definitely say that we’ve been struck by lightning. And that was. Gosh, talking about Spark and Ignite, literally something could happen at any moment. Why wait? Just go and do it now. Because, you don’t know if lightning might fall from the sky.
Beverly:
There’s what is there more of a chance of being struck by lightning than being bit by a shark or something.
Lauren:
I used to dive with sharks all the time. Yeah, I can attest to, I still have all my fingers and toes, but I’ve been struck by lightning.
Beverly:
Okay, what advice, now you know all the things and you’ve been down this journey and you’ve connected with nature, and your dad has given you all this encouragement and everything, but what advice would you give the 18 to 20 year old Lauren, with all the wisdom you have now what would you tell her to help her on her journey?
Lauren:
I would definitely say it’s going to take some time to find your shine, make lists that you’re passionate about. Even if you’re just making a list where you write all your passions on one side and maybe on the other side, write? Who your ideal client is. And that took me so long to think about. Cause I’m like, God, how do I even do that? So the easier thing to do is what is your problem or what problem can your product solve? And work it backwards from there. So what is the problem that your product solves? And okay, now, what does that person look like that has that problem and what else definitely have your, why know what that is, write that down, because that is going to be what fuels and runs your business. Don’t be afraid to rebrand. Try different company names and strategies because you’re not going to know what works until you do it. Start small, even if it’s as a side job and. Until you can leave your full time job. And maybe that was something I should have done is focus more on my art earlier because that’s always been there. It’s always been a passion. And eventually you’re going to arrive at a company that is perfect for you, that aligns with your values and your missions, where ideas just come easy to you. That’s when, you’ve got it when those ideas start coming to you easily and it doesn’t, it’s going to feel like work, but. It’s going to be enjoyable and it doesn’t feel like you are rolling that rock uphill and it keeps rolling back down on you. Remember you’re on your own unique path and don’t compare yourself to others. You don’t know how long it took somebody to get to where they are and enjoy the journey that you’re on. Even if it’s uncomfortable and scary because you’re going to look back at these times and realize how hard you worked and you’re going to appreciate everything you did to get there. And Oh gosh, celebrate your small wins, your big wins. Like we talked about earlier, even celebrate those losses because they are going to help build your company. You see those people go viral all the time right now. They get instant success. Guess what? That success might not last very long. The harder you work and you make your connections, you are building a foundation that’s going to be strong and last for a long time. So all that hard work is going to add up. People love a good story too, so posting your journey on social media helps and it helps you to document your path. Like I said, you’re going to look back at that and enjoy that later. And when people get to know you and what you stand for, you’re going to stand out above the rest and it will spark and ignite your success.
Beverly:
I love it. I love
it.
Beverly:
That there’s a couple of things you’ve mentioned that there’s like these little threads that I like to pull on, in a conversation. And one is that you don’t have to be perfect to start, like just start and it’s okay to make mistakes and then also be vulnerable. Most of us. Have all struggled and we connect humanly to other humans, your struggle and we feel like we’re not alone when we struggle if somebody else shares their journey. So by you sharing your journey you’re connecting in a very deep way. level with other people despite the fact that you think you have to be perfect, maybe, or something like that. It’s certainly something that I help my clients with in finding their authenticity is to dig deep and look at those places where you have had challenges and you’ve overcome them and what does that look because it’s sometimes a messy process. It’s not like it’s I did this and I did this and I did this like it’s you ever seen that like yarn picture where it’s like all different colors and all the different things and the squiggly and whatever, so it’s very much like that and like I said, even 12 years in I’m reimagining what that looks like for me and trying to take a little bit more of a, I want to design the business, not the business have a life of its own, because that’s what kind of happened after a while as it grew to a beast of its own making. And I said wait, this is not where I want to go with this. And I had to bring it back in, really do some self reflecting on what I wanted my legacy to be, I’m going to be 49 next month. And Now, I have a lot of wisdom, right? And what does it really mean? And what do I want to do and accomplish over the next 10, 15 years before I retire? And it’s it got real. Does that make sense? It got real. There’s not a lot of time left. And what do I want to do with this time? And why it matters. Think that even if you’re starting out, or if you’re like, all those things are important you can never really stop doing those things. Because It doesn’t end. I think if you’re evolving and learning and growing, it doesn’t end, so that’s good. Before we go, please share where our listeners can learn more about you and your business and keep up with your latest projects.
Lauren:
You can find me at www. wilddevelopmentsstudio. com and I. Have the podcast and that’s wild developments. I dropped the studio for the podcast. I’ll be interviewing you tomorrow and I interview all sorts of people that have interesting stories about nature and I’ll give you ideas to create your own exciting adventure outside. For Facebook. Instagram. LinkedIn, it’s all wild development studio. You can find me there. And for the drone company, it is JL aerial views. And we’re again on all the social medias under that name too.
Beverly:
Okay we conclude today’s episode, I want to thank our incredible guest, Lauren Connolly, for sharing her wealth of knowledge and expertise and wild storytelling.
Lauren:
Thank you so much for having me on the show. It has been so much fun talking with you.
Beverly:
Your insights have illuminated our listeners path, offering invaluable tips and strategies to enhance our digital Their digital marketing efforts to our listeners. I hope you found this episode as enlightening as I did. Remember to implement the insights shared today into your small business and don’t hesitate to reach out to Lauren or myself. If you have any further questions or need assistance, stay tuned for more inspiring conversations and actionable tips to ignite your marketing journey on future episodes of the spark and ignite your marketing podcast. And until next time, keep sparking and igniting.
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