This is a very special week for us because we have officially been running this series for ONE WHOLE YEAR.
And you know what happened, in Slack we were chatting and realized that in this entire year we never highlighted the female entrepreneur at the head of Like A Voss……say wwwhhhaatttt???
That being said, time to change that.
At Like A Voss Social Media, we have been highlighting local businesses and entrepreneurs who are killing the online game. This week’s spotlight is on the one and only Mandi Relyea-Voss, Owner and CEO of Like A Voss Social Media.
We think that you should all know this by now, but in case you don’t….
Like A Voss Social Media is here to make sure that your voice is heard, your values are shared, and that you’re using social media in the best possible way to help you reach your goals—as an individual or a company.
Our vision is to inspire creativity and new ways of thinking for the current and next generation of marketers, social media professionals and businesses, and our mission is to free up time for you to spend doing what you do best!
Our girl Sabrina interviewed our amazing boss, Mandi about her secret to success in business and in life. We also got some awesome insights into what she thinks makes social media such an effective tool in business (and yes, she is biased).
A Little Bit About Being a Female Entrepreneur
1: What made you decide to take the leap into entrepreneurship?
I knew this was coming but I decided to open this and do it all in ONE sitting without editing so I don’t chicken about saying stuff.
Truth…because the CEO of the company that I was working for said “no” when I asked him if I could do some social management on the side. There was really no planning or plotting or anything, just went for it. That being said for the first few months I DID work as a car salesperson because I was not making enough money to not have another job.
2: Were you afraid to make that change? What helped you overcome it?
Not at all. That is hard to believe but I was just like “might as well give this a try” which to me was not scary, just what had to happen at the time.
3: What is the one thing you would tell your younger self that you wish you knew at that time?
HIRE A BOOKKEEPER IMMEDIATELY WHEN YOU START MAKING MONEY. Sure, I stumbled my way through a couple years of doing it myself and paying for taxes to be filed but I would have learned so much early on if I’d had a professional helping me make better money decisions (even though it was not really much money for the first while).
4: What is the proudest moment of your life? (Can be professional or personal life) That made you do a happy dance!
BOOOOOO. That is not fair! 🙁
I cannot choose ONE between business and personal. So I am going to go with business and it was officially hiring my FIRST employee—woohoo Melanie. She was my intern and she made herself INDISPENSABLE so at the end of her internship I had no choice but to offer her a job. Best decision I ever made and the most instrumental in growing the business too.
5: If you knew you couldn’t fail, what’s one project you would work on?
I want my company to manage the social media for Ottawa Senators. BHAG! I know, but, UGH, it would just be……soooooo fffuuunnnn!!! I don’t think that it would ever be outsourced though because they have a HUGE budget. MAYBE they would let an agency do fan engagement? Even that would be a FT job I think.
But yes, run social media for the Ottawa Senators. <3
6: Success comes in many different forms, how do you define success?
This is a short answer for me. Success is being able to design the life you want. And that does not look the same for everyone.
For me it’s a fluid schedule, working only with clients that light me up, and being turned on creatively day-to-day.
7: What would you tell other entrepreneurs who sometimes fear celebrating their success because they think it’s being “too braggy”?
OMG Sabrina, this means that you totally saw my Facebook post from the other week when IIIII asked everyone in my network this question. Honestly, I did not know the answer so I am going to pull from what they said and quote them directly. Oh, and ALL of these women have previously been featured in the series – makes me smile because we did create a family with this initiative.
“There’s a difference between celebrating your accomplishments or hard work and being a “bragger” in my opinion. Everyone should celebrate their wins and be proud!” – Brooke Miller, Owner of Runway Bridal
“I will also say, I think bragging comes from a certain personality and celebration comes from authenticity. Mandi is one of the most authentic people so I don’t think it would come across as bragging!” – Jesse Whale, Owner of ClosettCandyy
“No way!! It’s called CELEBRATING.” – Ena Holtermann, Owner of Hair Candy Extensions
“We should be supporting and lifting each other up! So celebrate and shout out all your success Amanda Relyea-Voss! You deserve anything BIG that comes your way!” – Debbie Fisher Goulding, Owner of Debbie Goulding Makeup Artist
And Now Onto The Social Media Questions!
8: We know that your favourite social platform is Instagram! But what is your favourite feature?
Okay. So – for those who have been around for a while you may remember one of my old employees, Jennifer. She was referenced but never really shown (as per her request) but she TRULY encouraged me to start a “new” Instagram so that I could “be better at it”. And this was when I was fighting against it with all my might…but once I got hooked WAS I EVER HOOKED.
And anyone that follows me knows that stories are my jam. Like, if I could ONLY post in stories forever I would. It lets me just share whatever I want without thinking too much about it and then talking myself out of it.
But that’s just me personally. I would answer differently if it was framed as a “what is the best feature for business”…..no wait, I might still say stories. LOL. Depends on the business + their goals with social.
9: What made you decide to start using social media as a way to promote your company?
Hahahaha…..should this even be asked? Sabrina. Can I tease you about this?! I started as a social management company so stands to reason we would have to be on it at least TRYING stuff out and learning the platforms. Hahahaha. But I knew a lot already when I started. 😉
10: How has social media impacted your business? Would you say that it’s an effective marketing tool?
I think that we use it differently than some other companies. I am not trying to win business with social media, but educate and create community. I don’t even know how often we even MENTION what we offer? I guess that is a question for the girls. But, we really want to teach people about social media and how it can help – so for us, it’s allowed us to do just that. “Practice what you preach” or so they say.
11: 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! I have been saying this FROM THE BEGINNING. It’s “trendy” now to talk about authenticity on social media but honestly…I have been trying to drill this into clients for years. It’s the #1 thing I say in discovery meetings when they ask “how to be better”. You are a real person, your company is run by real people, and NO ONE is perfect/presentable and polished all the time.
Be real and raw instead of polished and perfect. And that applies to WAY more than JUST social media. Show up that way in the world and you’ll see how many people it helps, and how it can help your business and brand really make an impact.
12: What is your favourite quote that you turn to, to motivate you during your work day?
I don’t really have one. 😛 Should I?
“YOU CAN DO IT!”
“Being beautiful isn’t just about what’s on the outside.”
“Be kind.”
Although those are just things in general and not a particular quote.
A Little More About Mandi
I have a puppy named Cleo that I LOVE SO MUCH. She has the same colour hair as me and is the cutest puppy in the world…yesh I know that everyone says that but in this case it’s true (yes I know that everyone says that too).
My family is just my Mom (Jill), my Dad (Burkhard), my brother (John), and my sister (Melanie)…although my sister lives in Germany and my Dad spends most of his time in the UK with his partner Anita….so I only really see Mom and John. The biggest reason that I came here was to be close to them.
Music is the most important thing in my life, the thing that I cannot bear to live without and without it I would be totally lost. I also have MANY hobbies, but I won’t list them all here.
I am living my “be kind” motto all day everyday and sometimes it’s really hard and am currently doing a LOT of self-work to unpack some past trauma and try to move forward. It has not been an easy road but it’s my path and I am just starting to OWN it now (only took 32 years, jeeeez.)
I am an open book—so if you want to know anything reach out to me in Instagram DMs and we can chat. My hope is only that sharing my journey will help at least ONE person.
Connect with Mandi
Instagram
Twitter
LinkedIn
Facebook
Know Any Voss Babes?
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!
