Lesson #79: How To Get More Media Placements

Getting journalists and influencers to notice your brand can be a valuable way to gain credibility and get the word out about your business. But how do you shine through a sea of Public Relations pitches? 

“I believe that the most important approach when it comes to PR is to own your experience and expertise,” says Elayna Fernandez, a single mom of four and founder of The Positive MOM.  

Elayna was selected by SUCCESS Magazine as one of the 125 Most Impactful Leaders. Her work has been featured on Forbes, CNN, WSJ, The Huffington Post, Good Morning America, and a slew of local news stations. She’s also a contributing writer to Entrepreneur Magazine. 

“Many of us have been conditioned to hide our skills and gifts, and have learned to feel shame around bragging. I always say, ‘it’s not bragging if it’s true.’ It’s important to shift this paradigm and give ourselves permission to be seen. I am grateful to have been featured in so many TV and radio shows, podcasts and publications, because visibility breeds credibility,” says Elayna. 

Lesson #77: Balancing Creative With Business

Entrepreneurship can be demanding, challenging, unpredictable, and deeply satisfying. The wins, big and small, help you rise above the challenges and there are so many perks to being your own boss. But sometimes you can find yourself stuck on a problem – with nowhere to turn.  

Lucia turned to Selfmade, receiving an Office Depot OfficeMax scholarship to the program, to help her connect with business mentors and other female founders. “Being the first one in my family to build a business of this magnitude, it's really comforting to have mentors, especially of color or who come from first-generation immigrant families,” says Lucia.

Lucia Diaz is a first-generation Colombian-American and the founder of LUCIA DIAZ, a Latina-owned business dedicated to empowering and honoring Latinas through illustration.

Lesson #75: Setting Boundaries as a Small Business Owner

Inspired by her Indian childhood tradition of eating on naturally fallen palm leaves, Pallavi Pande launched Dtocs, a sustainable alternative to single-use tableware. “Dtocs was born out of my nostalgia and desire to share my heritage with my daughters, while also caring for the planet.”

Setting boundaries as a business owner is so important for your well-being, productivity, and overall success.

Every morning, Pallavi takes a walk with her husband in their Portland, Oregon neighborhood to reflect on the brand’s mission and goals for the business, exploring how to infuse Indian traditions into their product offerings and improve functionality without compromising on sustainability. Nature walks, massages, cooking, and Zumba help Pallavi disconnect from the hustle of being an entrepreneur and recharge.  

“As a business owner and a mompreneur, setting boundaries involves a unique blend of delegation and self-care. I wholeheartedly believe in the power of effective delegation, understanding that I can't do everything myself,” she says. 

Lesson #73: How To Create A Hype Machine & Get People Buzzing About Your Brand

“I’m a solopreneur with a limited budget, “says Allison Ullo of Leaves of Leisure Tea, a luxury herbal tea and botanicals brand focused on nostalgic memories like Road Trip and Picnic in the Park. Allison started mixing her own teas as a response to cutting back on caffeine from coffee. Soon enough friends were asking for her unique blends, which led her to launch her business.

When Allison was ready to take the next step in her business, she applied for an Office Depot OfficeMax scholarship to Selfmade. “When I got the Selfmade scholarship, it came at a time when I was financially strapped because I just spent all this money to launch the business,” she says. “It was such a relief to finally be among women who understood the struggles of being an entrepreneur. They’re the ones who like every single Instagram post. They’re the ones who I go to with questions about manufacturing or freelancers, and they always respond. I learned so much [in Selfmade]. The pitch competition was really interesting – I got a lot of value out of seeing what other people did.”

Lesson #71: How A Daily Mindfulness Practice Can Help Your Biz Grow

Constant juggling of creative tasks, business decisions, and operational responsibilities can lead to stress, burnout, and a hit to your productivity. That’s why a daily mindfulness practice for entrepreneurs can not only be good for your well-being, it can also impact your business growth.

“To recharge and relax, I find solace in simple activities like walking to my office. I also have a weekly meditation session via Zoom with a friend who recently adopted a baby. It helps me find balance and unwind,” says Maria Londono, founder of Disrupt3rs, a multilingual app that provides legal tech for the creator economy. “I also have a weekly ballroom salsa date with my husband, Francisco. These moments make a significant difference.”

“Receiving the Office Depot OfficeMax scholarship to Selfmade has been a game changer for my business,” says Maria, who is a lawyer by trade. “The most rewarding aspect of the program was feeling supported and connecting with like-minded women entrepreneurs. Having conversations with people who understand my struggles and joys as a builder makes a tremendous difference.”

Lesson #69: When to Outsource

Most new business owners struggle with letting go. You start out wearing all of the hats, and probably get pretty good at a lot of things. But as you grow, how do you know when it’s time to delegate, especially when resources are tight? 

“I had to learn to just let go of being in control and trusting my team to do what it was they were hired to do with the same level of accuracy, efficiency, and care that I’d do,” says Priscilla Fields, founder of Focus Virtual Business Solutions. “Once I released that, delegating was easy.” 

Once you decide what to delegate, you want to make sure you’re ready to hand off any task and communicate your needs clearly. This will help you avoid mistakes, wasted time, and higher costs. “When I started as an entrepreneur, I wish someone told me to build my business as if it’s not just me,” says Fields.

Lesson #67: How to Market Your Brand

Marketing can be intimidating for a lot of small business owners. The idea of selling through word of mouth would make life as an entrepreneur easier, but it doesn’t always work that way, especially if you want to grow your business. 

Teresa LeeAnn Baker, founder of Brown Boy Brown Girl, joined Selfmade by receiving an Office Depot OfficeMax scholarship just as her business was starting to grow. “I wanted to learn more about how I could dive deeper into the business,” she says. 

How do you find a voice that reflects your brand? During Selfmade, Baker was able to create a brand house that helped her create the messaging she needed for her business. “The brand house helped me put the pieces together. I was able to find our voice, our tone, our personality,” she says. “Building that brand house was something that will continue to be helpful as I move on into my entrepreneurial journey.” 

Lesson #65: How to Stay Productive

Staying on task can be challenging when you’re an entrepreneur. You’re wearing multiple hats and being pulled in all sorts of directions, being often the sole decision maker. “I'm a big list maker,” says Leeanna Gantt, founder of tooktake, a no-tech reminder to take daily meds and supplements.

Beyond community, the biggest takeaway from Selfmade was learning different organizational tips, says Leeanna. “I think I'm much more efficient when I focus on one thing at a time.” Dedicating a block of time to one task, whether it’s answering emails, creating marketing content, fulfilling shipment orders, will help you get those tasks done and done well without distractions. “I check my emails first thing, and then I will focus on shipping and ordering and then outreach,” adds Leeanna.

“The scholarship allowed me to join the Selfmade community, which was huge. I get so much advice from the webinars and when I have a really simple question, I have a community to throw it out to and get suggestions from them. It has been so helpful.”

Finding a business community of like-minded entrepreneurs can bring a wealth of information that can help you move along more smoothly on your journey. “Connecting with other product-based businesses through Selfmade is so helpful when I'm not sure if I'm going in the right direction,” says Leeanna. 

Lesson #63: Nurturing Your Creativity

When you’re a creative entrepreneur, the business side of things can get in the way of more rewarding creative time. Paperwork, finances, distribution and marketing the product or service you are selling takes time and effort. But your creative passion is what made you follow your dream in the first place, so how do you ensure you nurture your creativity as a founder?

“I always thought that, as a pastry chef, I have to constantly be making new things,” says Jenifer Shwartz, Selfmade alum and founder of Freezcake, which sells fresh-baked cheesecake that’s freeze-dried and packaged to enjoy on the go. “But there's so much creativity in the decision making and different parts of running a business."

Break out of your business comfort zone and try something totally different. You’ll find that another creative outlet can inspire fresh thoughts about your business too. A mom of five, Jenifer says she thinks about creativity now at home with the kids. “We have lots of coloring, painting, clay. It’s a good way for me to get my creative juices out. I was an artist before I was a pastry chef. Now instead of clay, my medium is flour, sugar and butter!”

Lesson #61: How To Hone In On Your Big Idea

Domeanic Carter-Banks founded Masterpiece Kids Box, a curated quarterly subscription box for children with autism that encourages sensory and discovery play and helps to teach and encourage speech. 

Domeanic wrote her idea for a sensory toy company in her sketchbook but it wasn’t until months later that she learned about Selfmade. She applied for an Office Depot OfficeMax scholarship to the program to get feedback on whether she had a good idea and help get it off the ground. That’s when her idea started to turn into reality.

“The scholarship to Selfmade helped me to push myself and go deeper below the surface level of the idea,” says Domeanic. Through live workshops with business coaches, one-on-one mentoring and group chats with other entrepreneurs like her, Domeanic was able to hone in on her idea.

“My advice to busy moms with an idea is to do what you can in small leaps if you can’t make the big one just yet,” says Domeanic. “The Office Depot scholarship to Selfmade has truly helped me gain knowledge, exposed me to amazing business relationships, and has helped build my confidence that I am worthy to walk in rooms and sit at tables I never knew I could,” says Domeanic.