Hi Jade! Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business:
I'm Jade, Founder and SEO Specialist at HelloSEO. We are a small SEO agency focused on boosting visibility and authority for subject matter experts and service-based business leaders online. We do it through SEO, Digital PR, and a very unique way to building content in the client's voice.
So Jade, what excites you about being an Entreprenista League member?
I'm obsessed with communities built around badass women in business. I can't wait to start making connections.
How did your biz get started?
My business started as a side hustle, and it was so empowering to see how much my work could affect another person's business. I got totally hooked.
What was your background prior to starting HelloSEO?
I have 7 years of experience in SEO. Before going out on my own, I worked as an SEO Specialist for CNN, Business Insider, and a big semiconductor startup. They were all such amazing experiences that gave me the tools I needed to run my own business and serve my clients.
Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?
Absolutely not. My parents are both entrepreneurs, and they always encouraged me to do my own thing. I did NOT want the pressure of leading others. It was during the pandemic that my entire mindset changed, and I wanted nothing more than to do my own thing.
How did you initially spread the word about HelloSEO when first launching??
I did a lot of webinars in the beginning that really get me off the ground. I had no social media presence or even a lead gen for a few years there. It was all word of mouth and the occasional workshop. I can safely say I had zero plan for growth when I got started. I didn't even have a website until I had a few customers already. If I had to do it all over again, I would have been such a stickler for the details. I'm so grateful I just dove in and didn't look back.
As an Entreprenista, you have to be prepared to overcome adversity. What is the biggest challenge you have encountered along the way?
The biggest challenge was building up a side hustle enough to replace my full time income. I was lucky to have a GREAT job, and trying to figure out how to match that income while still having the job felt impossible. I ended up getting to my goal through partnering with another agency who needed a white label partner for their SEO. Taking that on allowed me to take the leap. This experience taught me that everything doesn't have to be perfect. There's never going to be a perfect time to quit your job or start a business. Sometimes you just have to go for.
What is the accomplishment you are the most proud of to date?
I'm so proud of myself for just going for it. I have a degree in literature, and one day in my early 20s, I randomly decided to start pursuing SEO. I'm so proud that I stuck with it, put in the work, and never considered failure an option. I owe a lot of my younger self for making a choice and not looking back.
Do you believe in work/life balance? What are some of your best tips?
Work/Life Balance is a constant struggle for me. It's very challenging to turn off my work brain and enjoy my time off. There is always work that could be done, and especially if you enjoy the work (like me), it's hard to say no. Taking weekends off has been my big win for this year. I didn't take a weekend off for the first two years HelloSEO existed.
What's a piece of advice you can share that you wish you'd known when you first started your Entreprenista journey?
Embrace imperfection. Fail forward. Just don't stop. It's easy to think everyone else has it together, but it's certainly not true. Just keep going!
Jade, you have lots to celebrate! What have you achieved recently that you'd like to celebrate with our community?
With advancements in AI, I've come up with a really cool way to use it to create content in my clients' voices. E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness) is incredibly important for SEO content now, and I've created a way to quickly make content that meets those guidelines and highlights my clients as leaders in their industries. It's VERY fun.
What's next for your business? What can we expect to see over the next few years?
I'm hoping for slow, steady growth and a lot more Taylor Swift SEO memes.
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