Betting On Yourself: Finding Courage As A Creative Entrepreneur
Home decor and wellness creator Kelly Marcelo always wanted to be her own boss. “I never really wanted to have a job where I wouldn't be in control,” she says. She started a wedding photography business in college, added a photo booth rental business, and launched a t-shirt business with her brother. When the pandemic put events to a halt, she found herself at a crossroads. What to do next?
She decided to pour herself into her passion for home decor. She started posting several times a day on TikTok and finding a new outlet for her creativity. Within a few months, she had 10K followers, steadily built her following and hired a manager, and was recently chosen to decorate the White House for the holidays. “You have to ask that question, well, why not me?,” she says.
Check out Kelly’s colorful and creative world and how she’s making every move count in her business with the help of TurboTax, so she can focus on what she loves to do!
Don’t Wait for Perfection. In the first month of launch, Kelly’s goal was to post three times a day. “I was really trying to focus on getting as much out there at first, but then also being able to get that information to see what worked with people,” she recalls. That market research allowed her to build an audience, learn what her audience craved, and focus on the wins. “It was very intense at the beginning, and then I eased back. I'm like, ‘Okay, let me breathe, because it was not sustainable at all.’”
Refine and Strategize. To avoid burnout, she slowed her pace and stepped back to focus on the bigger picture. “I didn't pressure myself once I was on solid ground. I decided to focus more on refining the content, making it for the fun of it, and focusing on the strategy part.” Step back and analyze your learnings and decide how you want to move forward and grow.
Invest in Your Growth. Kelly joined a business accelerator for underrepresented creators in the middle of her journey that proved to be a smart strategic move. “I feel like that changed the whole course of where I am now, because once I was able to get support from them and talk to people directly after the program, that's when I got my biggest brand deal.”
Be Brave. “For me, it was recognizing that the fear was always going to be there,” says Kelly. “If you want to live a creative life, you're going to have to do something that's scary, and it's probably going to require steps that you don't want to take. For me, being on camera was very scary.” Growth happens outside of your comfort zone. Challenge yourself to take on moves that push your boundaries and help you develop new skills. Remember that being brave doesn't mean being fearless. It means acknowledging your fears but choosing to move forward despite them!
Photos: Courtesy of Kelly Marcelo
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