For many entrepreneurs and small businesses, social media can be an absolute game-changer! All it takes is one viral post and a business can suddenly take off.
At Like A Voss Social Media, we’re highlighting local businesses and entrepreneurs who are killing the online game. This week’s spotlight is on Kiara Varga + Lindsay Spanik, Owners of Hello Monday!
As busy mamas and entrepreneurs, Kiara and Lindsay were on the hunt for the perfect planner that works with their lifestyles. But after not being able to find one, they took matters into their own hands! They know that paper planners are still the most effective and preferable way to get organized. There’s just something about writing things down with a pen on paper, isn’t there!?
Hello Monday makes undated planners that allow you to start and stop WHENEVER you please, choose the best layout that works for you AND have lots of open space and dotted pages to include ANYTHING YOU WANT!
Our CEO Mandi interviewed Kiara and Lindsay about their secret to success in business and in life. We also got some awesome insights into what they think makes social media such an effective tool in business.
A Little Bit About Being a Female Entrepreneur
1: How long have you been in business?
We launched our business in August of 2020.
2: I know the backstory for Hello Monday, but know that you are entrepreneurs through and through. What was your first entrepreneurial adventure and what made you take the plunge?
Kiara – I had always dreamed of being an entrepreneur. I worked in the corporate world in HR and office management for about 10 years and decided to go to floral design school and start my own floral design business as a side hustle. After having my first child I took that on full-time and also dabbled in some Virtual Assistant work before Lindsay and I came up with the idea to start Hello Monday together!
Lindsay – I went to school for business and worked in the corporate world for many years in high level sales management and leading teams all over Ontario to be successful. After adopting my first daughter I knew I couldn’t go back to working the daily traditional grind, and had always wanted something of my own, that no one else could limit the potential on. I started an at home esthetics business as well as a side hustle of selling handmade hair bows. Kiara and I had already been friends and shared the same passion of wanting our own thing, so it was perfect to start something of our own.
3: What do you love most about being a female entrepreneur?
Being able to have a brand that’s only ours and we have full control over is awesome. We also love being a part of an amazing community of other female entrepreneurs.
4: What is the hardest thing you have had to overcome as a female entrepreneur? It’s fun to hear things that women did not foresee when they decided to forge their own path.
Marketing yourself! You really need to put yourself out there and that can be uncomfortable for a lot of people.
5: What is one thing about working in the planner industry – wait, is that a thing? Or is it the organization industry? Whatever it is – what would our readers be surprised to learn about your niche?
I would say we are part of both industries, but you are correct in saying planner industry. There is a whole planner world out there. I think most people would be surprised to learn that paper planning is still much larger than digital as advanced as we’ve become with technology. Writing something down on paper will never go out of style!
And Now Onto The Social Media Questions!
6: Do you have a favorite social media platform? Why?
Instagram is what we spend most of our time on as we find it brings in a lot of business for us, but we’ve been learning and loving Pinterest lately as well.
Instagram and Pinterest are great because they are free, they allow you to appeal to your industry and have so many resources built in to catch the eyes of people not following your business yet! It comes at a price though, between algorithms and billions of users, it can be hard to stand out and make your mark.
7: What made you decide to start using social media as a way to promote your company?
Promoting on Instagram came naturally to us from the start as we had the most experience with it.
8: How has social media impacted your business? Would you say that it’s an effective marketing tool?
Oh so much! Instagram was really the only place we marketed ourselves for the first few months and we have developed so many amazing connections through it. Each social media platform is so unique so we’re enjoying learning about how to use other platforms to develop connections.
9: What advice would you give to other businesses and entrepreneurs who want to use social media as a way to connect with customers?
Be authentic and provide valuable, quality content that really engages your audience. Also, developing meaningful business relationships is so important! It’s not about how many followers you have, it’s about how many engaged followers you have. 100 followers that don’t support your brand isn’t better than 50 followers that are engaged and care about what you are putting out there. Stay true to yourself and your brand!
A Little More About Kiara
I’m a mama to two incredible kids (Jax, 4 & Ivy, 2) and a wife to an amazing man who supports me in anything I do. I love spending time with loved ones, drinking cold brew coffee and going for hikes and walks around the city.
A Little More About Lindsay
I had my life planned out for me, met my best friend and amazing husband, got married and tried to start a family. We were faced with a lot of adversity following our wedding. I went through 5 years of infertility, a cancer diagnosis and loss, I had hit rock bottom emotionally and felt my life was nothing like I planned. But that is just it, we can’t plan everything and that’s funny coming from me because I own a planning business. Now we have two beautiful daughters K 3.5 and J 2.5 who joined our family through adoption and we are living our best life. My passions outside my business include getting creative with DIY projects, disconnecting and spending time at our family cottage, being around friends and family, and shopping! I am filled with drive and love business planning with my biz bestie Kiara!
Connect with Hello Monday
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Do you know a female entrepreneur who loves social media as much as we do? Contact us today – we’d love to tell her story!
