Today's Guest

Erin Fults is a strategist, coach, implementer, and the founder of Acorn Studio, a business coaching, and marketing consultancy. As a Storybrand Certified Guide and a Business Made Simple Certified Coach, Erin helps small business owners confidently grow the business they love. When she isn’t obsessing over her clients’ success, Erin and her husband, along with their three children, love hosting friends and family at their home in Mississippi. Erin gave us her perspective on how to grow a successful business and what it looks like for her to prioritize being a mom-first entrepreneur.

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Episode Summary

I am an accidental entrepreneur, as I know so many others are, my major in college was art with a concentration in photography. At the time I didn’t have a clear path on what direction that would take me but my friends started asking me to take family photos. When I started getting client referrals from people outside my friend group, it hit me that there might be a legitimate business opportunity in photography. I ran that business for the better part of 12-years before pivoting into marketing.

As my photography business was winding down I noticed a large portion of my clients were small business owners. At the time my work with them was primarily brand photos, images for their website or social media. A few years before, I had been introduced to the StoryBrand framework and had implemented it in my photography business. As I worked with other small business owners I found myself, indirectly at first, advising them on how they could apply the StoryBrand framework to their business. Like before, one day it hit me there might be an entirely new opportunity for me to consult with small businesses on their marketing and brand positioning.

The StoryBrand framework is simply a way to develop a clear brand message set to a story narrative. As humans, our brains are wired to tune in when we hear a story. For centuries authors and filmmakers have been using the narrative to create compelling content. When Donald Miller realized this framework could be applied equally as well to business marketing the StoryBrand framework was established. While the concept of storytelling isn’t new, the application of the concept in a new way is what Donald Miller created. There are seven parts to the framework but the primary takeaway is the customer is the hero of the story and the business is the guide that helps them solve their problem.

The struggle to find work-life balance is something we all deal with but I’ve seen it be especially challenging for small business owners. When I first started my business I made an intentional decision to prioritize my family and build my business in a way that worked for us. When we had our first kid, my husband and I agreed the role of being a mom first was important and would trump building the business. What that looks like for me is, I work around 30-hours a week when my kids are in school and when the bell rings I’m in line waiting to pick them up. It’s not a perfect balance and I don’t always get it right but that is my North Star.

Resources Shared

• Acorn Studio Marketing
• StoryBrand Certified Guide
• StoryBrand Marketing
• Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller
• Thryv
  

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