Team Size
1
Revenue
Not disclosed
Location
Atlanta, GA
STart Date
Jan 2020
Today our female entrepreneur is Dominique Collins from Atlanta, GA. Dominique is the founder of PowerHaus Media, a social media marketing agency helping brands to become a powerhouse in the social media world. She just started her entrepreneurial journey but she is focused on growth and building a recognizable brand.
Read on below to hear what she has to say and how she can help you to become a social media powerhouse.
INTRODUCTION
PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF AND THE BUSINESS YOU STARTED.
ABOUT ME:
Born and raised in Toledo, Ohio, I attended the University of Toledo from 2013-2016. I obtained my Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication in 2016. Prior to graduating, I had the opportunity to intern for a large local healthcare company called ProMedica Health System. I worked in the Marketing/Communications and Media Relations department.
After graduation, I worked for a mortgage company as a Marketing Coordinator. My duties included working with the loan officers to build their brands, social media management for our company pages, and website editing. I was laid off in 2017 which led me to Atlanta.
While in Atlanta, I have been lucky enough to meet and network with people in order to land fun opportunities. Last year, I worked as an Account Coordinator at Savage Relations and the Digital Media and Communications Intern at the Atlanta Dream. Both gigs allowed me to increase my social media marketing knowledge.
MY WHY:
Prior to moving to Atlanta, I was under the impression that finding a job in my new city would be extremely easy with all my previous experience, but I was wrong. Despite being able to land a couple opportunities, I have struggled to find a full-time job. I realized the reason being is the Atlanta job market is over-saturated. It’s almost impossible to get into the door at some of these places without knowing a higher up. I knew I had the skill but no one gave me a chance which led me to create PowerHaus Media.
POWERHAUS MEDIA:
I started PowerHaus Media with the idea that I can use my creativity and experience to service entrepreneurs of all kinds. We offer 3 different packages, starting at simple post scheduling all the way to crafting email marketing campaigns. Our target audience is any company looking to #BecomeAPowerHaus.
WHAT DOES YOUR TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE AND HOW DO YOU STAY PRODUCTIVE?
My typical day consists of checking analytics, reporting to clients, posting and content creating. During this time it has been hard to stay productive but I try to section off the first half of my day for everything work-related.
THE JOURNEY SO FAR
PLEASE DESCRIBE THE PROCESS OF LAUNCHING YOUR BUSINESS.
As previously stated, I started PowerHaus in January 2020. I became increasingly frustrated with the lack of job opportunities for young professionals in the Atlanta area which allowed me to create my own lane. I’ve had years of experience in social media marketing which is why I wanted to do an SMM agency.
The name came from a list of written down words that turned into Power-Haus. The definition of a power house is something that influences or inspires which are key elements of leveraging social media. I have started from nothing with help from no one and it has been an interesting experience, but I’ve loved it so much.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT AND YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE SINCE YOU STARTED YOUR BUSINESS?
My biggest achievement so far is receiving support from my friends and family. I was hesitant for months to start something on my own but the feedback I’ve gotten is amazing.
My biggest challenge has been gaining new clients, especially during such a weird time. I officially started taking clients about a month ago but things have been slow. I haven’t been able to tell if that’s because of the pandemic or not but I still get up every day and work to market my services.
WHAT STRATEGY DID YOU USE TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS? AND HOW?
In order to grow my business, I have used my learned skills from over the years. I have done paid promotions, email marketing campaigns, Instagram stories, video content and blogging. The most important thing when growing your business on social media is staying consistent which is what I’ve been doing and will continue to do.
WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF BUSINESS?
Currently, PowerHaus is doing well for being official only a couple of months. Despite not having clients, I am still getting better and improving my skillset each day.
I would love for the future of my business to include gaining 5-10 clients in the next 6 months.
RECOMMENDATIONS & FINAL THOUGHTS
ARE THERE ANY RESOURCES OR TOOLS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH OTHERS THAT HAVE HELPED YOU RUN YOUR BUSINESS?
I use the following:
Planoly/HootSuite – for content planning,
Canva – to create all social media posts,
MailChimp/Constant Contact – for email marketing,
HubSpot Academy – for certification courses.
WHAT OR WHO HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST INFLUENCE IN BUSINESS AND WHY?
One of my greatest business influences would have to be a friend of mine who is a creative turned realtor. She is so confident in her abilities and has never let a door closing in her face deter her. She goes after whatever, whenever, and it’s something I’ve always respected and made me realize starting my own business is achievable.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHER WOMEN WHO WANT TO START THEIR OWN BUSINESS?
The best advice I can give is to JUST START IT! It sounds cliche but it’s so true. I hesitated for so long because I had zero knowledge of how to start a business but I went for it. You don’t need to know everything in the beginning because you will learn as you go.
Young, female professionals are not taken as seriously as we should which means you have to work 10x harder. Sad but true. Quarantine is a great time to hone your skills and take as many free courses as you can to get ahead.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH OUR READERS?
I just want to empower women to do what they want to do, no matter what. I went through so much emotionally feeling like I wasn’t enough for the professional world I was trying to delve into. Those emotions are what created PowerHaus Media and I am so happy I did. Never let a company that doesn’t hire you to make you feel inadequate. You know yourself and your skills so capitalize on them! Waking up every day being a girl boss makes me feel amazing and I recommend it to any girl feeling lost.
Violeta Semenova
Founder
theBizLadies
Welcome to the Biz Ladies interview series!
If you’re new to these series, I interview women entrepreneurs on how they started their business, what was the idea behind it, how they got where they are, the struggles, the reality and more.
By sharing their stories, we want to inspire other women to get started.
If you are interested to share your own story on the Biz Ladies LET ME KNOW!