Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelli Rogers.
Kelli, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve always been an entrepreneur at heart. For the longest time, my dream was to own a wedding floral design studio – so that’s what I focused on throughout my time at Texas A&M University. I got my degree in Horticulture with a minor in Business, and had my sights set on starting a studio one day. After a few years of working with other florists for experience, I decided it was time to start! I started my floral business in Georgetown, and ran it for five years before I felt like it was time to close it down. I’m glad I did because the chaos that was 2020 happened 3 months later. 😅 After pursuing other jobs for a few years, I still had that voice in my head telling me to just start my own business again. I honestly tried to ignore it, but it sure was persistent. At the time, I was working at a floral studio in Austin – and my husband had just started his shift work as a firefighter. I didn’t think it was going to bother me, but when he would be driving home from being gone 24 hours – I would be passing him on the interstate heading into Austin to work. It was awful. I knew I needed to do something, but I didn’t know what – so I started thinking about what I enjoyed doing at work…what did I get lost in…what could I do for hours without it feeling like work…and that’s when it hit me – Pinterest and blogging. Those two tasks are things I have done for YEARS – not only for my previous business but for other businesses I worked for. I knew the importance behind Pinterest and blogging and the massive impact it could have on business growth, and that I really enjoyed using my creativity in a different way through those avenues – but I wasn’t sure how to turn that into a business. So, I started researching. As it turned out, I realized that other business owners would actually be willing to pay me to help them take these tasks off their plates. So, I started making moves. I took courses to brush up on new Pinterest systems when I was at home and my husband was at work, I started building out my website, I bought my LLC, and I started getting prepared. After a few months of doing that, I decided it was time to test the waters and send out a few emails to see what would happen. Turns out, several people needed help! A couple of months later, I had to decide between serving my clients really well while continuing my full-time job, or taking a leap of faith. I chose the latter. 😅 I definitely didn’t have it all figured out at the time, but I knew I couldn’t grow my business to its full potential while continuing to have a full-time job and it be fair to anyone. I can’t believe it’s been over a year now! I am so grateful to have helped multiple wedding businesses in the Austin area, and now across the US! Being a part of the behind-the-scenes of encouraging, marketing, and being there as a business bestie for my clients is one of the most fulfilling and rewarding parts of what I do.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
For the most part, surprisingly – yes. I feel like my experience as a business owner before has really helped me navigate – even though this is a completely different kind of business (all online vs fresh flowers) – the foundation of business ownership is the same. The main thing I have struggled with is my confidence in what I’m doing. I’m an overachieving perfectionist, so most of the time I am putting way more pressure on myself to get results for my clients than they realize. I truly care about helping my clients grow, and when I don’t feel like I’m doing a good enough job – it’s hard for be to break out of that spiral of self-doubt. When I struggle with that, I just go read my reviews and positive emails to remind me that I’m actually doing great! 😊
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialize in Pinterest marketing, SEO blog writing, and SEO website updates for wedding professionals. After being a part of the wedding world for almost 20 years (yikes!), I know the ins and outs, the physical and mental intensity, and the type of client communication it takes to be successful as a wedding business owner. Yes, I did have my own wedding floral business – but I also worked for several other florists, but I was an event and wedding coordinator for a catering company. The wedding world is a beautiful, creative, intricate place – and being a part of it for so long has really helped me relate to and serve my clients well. I do have a few clients that are not in the wedding world, which has been a fun way for me to stretch my creative muscles.
Pinterest is one of the most underused tools for marketing. Think about it – millions of brides get on the platform to create their dream wedding boards, and start searching and pinning. The only reason there are pins is because someone took the time to pin them. If you aren’t taking the time to pin your work on Pinterest, how are brides supposed to find you? 🤓 I have been in meetings where brides come in with the Pinterest boards full of other local vendors’ work – and it’s not a good feeling. So, my job is basically to take all of my clients’ beautiful wedding galleries, and create pins with strategic SEO to help them get found and drive traffic to their websites. Yes, there is a lot of strategy behind this, and it can be a little complicated – which is why most wedding pros know Pinterest could help but never take the time to learn or get around to it. And that’s exactly why I started this business.
When it comes to blogging, again – wedding pros know this is important, but it gets pushed to the back burner. From what I’ve seen, most wedding pros will have a period of time where they blog like crazy – then it just drops off completely for years. There’s a lot more that goes into blogging the correct way than people realize. If you actually want your blogs to rank on Google – that’s what I help with.
I have also expanded into website SEO projects. This was a natural occurrence after several clients kept asking me if that was something I could help with. I knew the basics, but I wanted to expand my knowledge to make sure I was doing right by my clients. So I took an advanced SEO course from one of the top wedding SEO experts out there. I have applied those principles to all of my client SEO projects, and we are seeing amazing results across the board!
I believe what sets me apart is my years of experience in the wedding world, along with my genuine care for my clients’ businesses and overall growth. At the end of the day, I’m basically your marketing bestie – helping your business grow behind the scenes!
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
One of my favorite books is You’re Made for a God-Sized Dream by Holley Gerth. I also enjoy listening to podcasts with Mel Robbins and Ed Mylett. CrossFit is also a major factor in me doing my best in life and at work – I have made so many friends, met other entrepreneurs, and it has helped me gain confidence in myself – not only in the gym but in everyday life and business.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kellimichellecreativeco.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellimichellecreativeco/
Image Credits
Laura Morsman Photography & Hannah Gentiles Photography
