Xindi Soh, Brand Strategy Consultant, on Empowering Women to Chase their Passion and Gain Stability
CEO of By Xindi
April 19, 2023
Hello Xindi! Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business:
Corporate girl turned entrepreneur, I started my business in January 2022 as a brand & messaging strategist and conversion copywriter. I help female entrepreneurs grow and scale their online presence through streamlined messaging and compelling copy. I’ve had the pleasure of helping my clients replace their corporate income, sign 4-figure retainers, and hit $40k months. To learn more about my services, click here.
What excites you about being an Entreprenista League member?
Connecting with like-minded entrepreneurs and learning from each other! It’s amazing how many different industries and types of businesses out there and I’m excited to learn about them all!
So Xindi, what made you take the leap to start By Xindi?
I grew up in a small town, where I was surrounded by immigrants who lacked education and became entrepreneurs out of necessity rather than passion. Having seen that, I’ve always viewed corporate as the symbol of success - the ivory tower only accessible to people with wealth and education. I strived hard for the skyscrapers and was privileged enough be granted a role in a multinational finance firm. Although I’ve been blessed with amazing training and support, I quickly realized that I desire the freedom that comes with entrepreneurship and the control I have over my craft. I made the leap to start my business in 2022 and never looked back since!
What was your background prior to entrepreneurship?
I studied History, Politics and Economics in university and started my career in audit and consulting!
Did you always have a feeling you wanted to be an entrepreneur?
Absolutely not! My mum wanted me to take over her business, and I flat out refused! I could not see myself as an entrepreneur but looking back, it was a result of imposter syndrome rather than a lack of desire.
Marketing a new business is so important! Please take us back to the early days. What was your initial marketing strategy?
My marketing strategy was heavily focused on gaining visibility and credibility. This looks like being consistent on Instagram, sharing everything I know, Giveaways/service exchange in return for testimonials, striking up genuine conversations in the DMs and brand partnerships. I would say it’s definitely a slow burner of a strategy, and it took a couple months to really reap the result. I wouldn’t do anything differently because the clients I got from that are 100% my kind of people.
Entreprenistas must be resilient. What is the biggest challenge you have encountered along the way, and what did you learn from it?
Mindset issues. Having months of zero results and income can make anyone heavily doubt the viability of this path. But in times like that, I always say to take ownership of your own progress and identify the needle moving tasks that you need to do that your ego is preventing you from doing. This differs from people to people. For some, it would be to double down on their visibility and offer giveaways to fill up the lead generation pipeline. For others, it might looks like taking their foot off the pedal and create a space for greater reflection.
Xindi, you have lots to celebrate! What is the accomplishment you are the most proud of to date?
After months of zero results, I took a break and worked on my business and brand strategy. I came out of the hibernation with a plan that propelled me from £0 to a £7k month. What I’m really proud of though is when I applied that strategy to my clients and saw results like quadrupling their revenue and replacing their corporate income.
We all want to be believers...but sometimes it's easier said than done. Do you believe in work/life balance? What are some of your best tips?
This is a tricky question for me… I 100% subscribe to the idea that you should be passionate about what you do, and I absolutely adore my business. It’s my baby, and I love my clients. I could work on my business all day long! But I also know that working on my business all the time decreases my efficiency and creativity. Therefore, although I love my hobbies, I can’t deny the ‘life’ part of work/life balance is partially used to fuel the ‘work’ part. One thing I do NOT subscribe to though is the hustle culture!
What's a piece of advice you can share that you wish you'd known when you first started your Entreprenista journey?
Don’t underestimate the power of building genuinely relationships, and don’t seek instant gratification by only networking with people who could be leads.
We love to celebrate our entreprenistas. What have you achieved recently that you'd like to celebrate with our community?
Booked out three months in advance!! This is a huge deal for a small and new biz like mine
What's next for your business? What can we expect to see over the next few years?
Loads! I’m passionate about helping women see that they have choices in life. That they don’t have to choose between freedom and money, being with family and work, chasing their passion and stability. I want to show women this hidden path of digital entrepreneurship and that it’s not reserved only for people with huge capital backing.