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At the age of 21, Katie began feeling out of place in college. The monotonous everyday routine was all but fulfilling. She knew she wanted to create something big and make a change in her life, as well as in others lives, as soon as possible. A few months after putting her college career on hold, her e-commerce business soared to 30k monthly gross sales. From then on, she knew she wanted to harness the power of online business and help others along the way.
City where youâre from: Carmel, California
Hobbies: E-commerce, digital marketing, meeting people, spreading value, learning.
Favorite quote: âWhat would you do if you knew you could not fail?â
Twitter: @katie__melissa
Facebook: katiemelissaryan
Hey Katie, why did you decide to become an entrepreneur?
I decided to become an entrepreneur after realizing I wanted to create. I knew I didnât want to work towards someone elseâs dreams, but rather, my own. I believe many people want this as well, but some may not see a clear path or feel empowered enough to make the change.
Who were your biggest influences? Was there a defining moment in your life?
Kathleen Ryan (Mom), John Ryan (Dad), Sarah Naso (great grandmother), and many others. I am grateful for having such a supportive family rooting me on to follow my dreams. I wouldnât be where I am today if it wasnât for them. When I was young, around age 8, my mom started taking me to Boglehead events where I started gaining an awareness about investing and business from Vanguard Group founder and investor, John C. Bogle. Also, growing up, I would hear stories of my great grandma Sarah who was an exceptional businesswoman. She owned several shops in Carmel-by-the-Sea and worked as a CPA. She excelled in her business pursuits and challenged gender stereotypes of the time. I have looked up to her throughout my life. Lastly, a portion of my entrepreneurial influence comes from my dad, John. John made his way through life working for himself and at times, bending the rules. I certainly know where this side of me comes from!
Now
What are you working on? How did you come up with this idea?
I am currently focusing on my digital marketing agency which launched in early April. Starbound Marketing focuses on social media marketing and advertising. The goal is to help small to medium-sized businesses strengthen their online presence using cutting-edge techniques. The idea sparked after chatting with my (now) business partner about his agency. He described how interesting it is to learn about new businesses in various niches. Everything he said resonated with me, and I knew I loved helping people and businesses work towards their goals. I feel my training, mentors, and experience with social media marketing and advertising empowered me to create my own digital marketing agency.
How is your product/service different and unique? What has been your favorite moment with it? Whatâs the vision?
Starbound Marketing studies and analyzes businesses and their competitors before anything else. We also provide free business audits/evaluations which showcase the pros and cons of a businessâs social media and website efforts and provide a list of recommendations. There are many services we offer that other agencies donât. We customize and tailor packages for each client so we can address all their needs and deliver the biggest bang for their buck. The vision is to, of course, please our clients and for them to realize the power of online marketing! We couldnât be living in a more exciting time, especially for doing business online. We have the ability to hyper-target individuals based on annual income, education, marital status, purchase habits, and location down to a one mile radius. If thatâs not exciting for businesses and advertisers, I donât know what is!
If you do Facebook ads, what types of creatives/campaigns do you use (we like specifics)? If you donât, what untapped marketing channels do you take advantage of?
My favorite Facebook ads to create are offers and promos. (Mainly because I like making pretty flyers). But really, the image you choose as your Facebook ad is important: High quality, correct sizing, very little text, etc. Videos are another favorite of mine because of the potential reach. The potential for shares and virality is greater than other types of ads, extending the reach and lowering the cost. Facebook actually rewards you if your video gets lots of engagement, gets full screened, or when people turn the volume up. They reward you with more organic reach which lowers your cost.
Did you experience failure along the way? What did you learn from it?
Yes, in the beginning, I had a failure rate of around 20%. Itâs extremely likely you wonât target your audience correctly on your first few ads. You have to test, test, test. Each time you fail, you learn something new. You understand what NOT to do the next time around. Tweak and test your target audience (using split testing). Over time, you will learn the finer nuances of each business niche and their corresponding audiences.
Value-add questions
Give the readers the best entrepreneurship advice you have.
- It may sound cliche, but donât give up. Nothing worth having comes easy (for most of us!) Successful entrepreneurs are those who are resilient and bounce back from failure with enthusiasm and an increased desire to learn.
- Secondly, surround yourself with people who you look up to. Network with intelligent people in your niche. You are, like it or not, an average of the five people you most frequently engage with.
- My last piece of advice is to be someone of value. You always have something to offer, whether it be knowledge, experience, referrals, connections, etc. Take the time to help others and provide value. Solve problems. Help friends and peers achieve more. The favor will be returned, often at the very time you need it.
Teach us something about {internet marketing, social media ads, fundraising, sales funnels or another topic} Can you recommend any favorite websites to learn that topic?
- My top resources for social media management: www.SocialPilot.co  (schedule your posts). An alternative I previously used was HootSuite.
- Top picks for ads: An alternative to creating traditional Facebook ads is a site called www.AdEspresso.com. This platform allows you to create multiple ad campaigns with just a few clicks. Itâs great for testing and offers in-depth analytics.
- Bonus resource: Check out . Itâs basically an index to search for any type of ad you can think of. This is a powerful tool you can tap into for free. I highly recommend trying it out.
While working on your project, have you come across any interesting bit of knowledge that youâd like to share? (i.e. any new research finding, any new platforms, some novel management technique, etc)
- Read Sell Or Be Sold by Grant Cardone.
- Also consider How To Set-Up Your Business For Under $1000 by Dan Fleyshman.
What daily habits do you have that allow you to perform at your peak?
- A strength of mine is being extremely organized. My business partner knows this to be true and pokes fun at it — but it has served me well. If I wasnât so organized, my thoughts and work would be so scattered. I feel like I wouldnât be as productive. Organization is critical to my workflow and personality. Itâs been a trait of mine my entire life.
- Have either a daily or weekly goal in mind when you wake up. Work towards it.
What should an entrepreneur focus on?
An entrepreneur should focus on emphasizing their strengths and learning from their weaknesses.
Walk us step-by-step through the process that you had to go through to get from the early stages to where you are today.
Growing up in Northern California, I had a simple and stable life with my two supportive parents. Throughout my academic career, I had great marks in all subjects. After my second year of college, I felt a shift in myself. It was uncomfortable, but it was a realization. Despite my strong desire to learn, I was tired of the monotonous routine and schoolwork day in and day out. There was no challenge in it for me, and I felt something greater was out there. I just wasnât sure what.
I dropped out of college after my second year, knowing I wanted to create something lasting and enjoyable for myself. Long story short, I dove into e-commerce, with the help of an online mentor, first becoming an Amazon seller. To my surprise, after about six months selling on Amazon, I was grossing 30-40k in sales per month. By that point, I knew e-commerce had incredible potential. I started providing one-on-one trainings for serious people wanting to start successful Amazon stores. For a few months I continued selling on Amazon while branching out into other e-com platforms like eBay, Shopify, Groupon, and Etsy.
Today, I own two storefronts using the Shopify platform (which I LOVE!) I now enjoy Shopify more than Amazon because there are less limitations, more room for creativity, and potentially larger profit margins. My main focus as of now is my digital marketing agency. After years of social media marketing (and advertising) experience, I decided to launch Starbound Marketing in early April. The agency focuses on helping small to medium-sized businesses strengthen their online presence and increase revenue. I am thankful for the confusion and unsettlement I experienced in college because it led me to where I am today.
What are some of your favorite books?
- How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie
- Think And Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
- Daring To Trust by David Richo
- The Magic Of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz
- The Power Of Now by Eckhart Tolle
Where do you see yourself and your product in a couple years?
I plan to grow my e-commerce stores for the next few years, then sell them and start fresh, duplicating past results. In regards to my digital marketing agency, my business partner and I plan to work with Northern California clients for the first few months. After the six month mark, we will likely begin accepting clients across the United States who need help making an impact online. Depending on the size of our agency, we may or may not sell it within the next five years. The number one goal is to provide value and excite our clients.
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