Marin Davis is the Founder of the branding and marketing agency, Local Collaborative. Local Collaborative pairs simple, creative approaches with strong, clear communication strategies to provide small businesses with the marketing and branding they need to succeed. Marin’s team collaborates with businesses to create a memorable brand people will fall in love with.
What is Local Collaborative all about?
My name is Marin Davis and I’m the Founder of the Branding and Marketing agency Local Collaborative. Since 2014 I’ve has worked professionally in the marketing industry with teams of creative professionals on brands like Cuties, Mighties, Panda Express and celebrities like Alex Borstein.
After marrying an Active Duty Army Soldier, my husband and I moved and I began working as an insurance salesperson (AWFUL) and a Marketing Manager for an author and speaker. When that job ended I was left with a decision that was simple to make: Start my own marketing agency or job hunt every time the military moved them.
In 2018 I founded Local Collaborative with one thing in mind: Pair simple, creative approaches with strong, clear communication strategies to provide small businesses with the marketing they need to succeed. Since being a military spouse requires constant moving and adaptation, I had a dream to collaborate with talented professionals I’ve worked with during my years in the advertising and marketing industry.
We actively seek out talent from work-from-home parents and military spouses who want to continue their professional pursuit while prioritizing family. Local Collaborative’s team collaborates with you to create a memorable brand people will fall in love with. We offer executive level results with a hometown experience because they don’t believe things need to be extravagant to make an impact. We love seeing the relief small business owners have after they take the stress and overwhelm of social media marketing off their overflowing plate. It’s time to get you back to working on what makes you happy!
What would you say are the top 3 skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur, and why?
- Resilience. Communication. Vision. Resilience is defined as the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties. There will be difficulties every day in your professional and personal life that will affect your business. Being able to learn quickly, problem solve and endure setbacks is how you turn challenge into opportunity.
- Communication skills are necessary whether you’re writing, speaking, work alone or lead others. The words you choose matter and the way you say it influences the outcome you’re looking for. Always keep your vision at the forefront.
- The motivation, confidence, possibly even the passion, won’t always be there. If you have a vision that was strong enough to start this, drive toward that always. You already know what your old life is like, you know what quitting is like. Let’s stick to moving forward.
What are your plans for the future, how do you plan to grow this company?
With everything demanding my attention in our current personal life, it makes the most sense to expand to courses, teaching, and coaching. We still have a team who helps our 1-1 clients but I am very excited about the expansion opportunities!
How have the pandemic and Lockdown affected you or your new business?
I like to say that we were working Covid style before Covid was a thing. I will say across-the-board marketing is usually the last thing a company invest in and the first thing that they cut from their budget. During Covid, we lost all but one client. Several weeks and months in, people realized how important social media was for selling in their business and how much of a difference it made to neglect or not have time for the appropriate focus and strategy it required.
We had our first son in October 2020 so that time period also taught me instant shifts in money and time management. I’m forever grateful for what I learned and see setbacks as more time with my kids. I don’t haggle for prices either. What my team offers is valuable and our work proves itself. I’m happy to work with you; not negotiate with you.
How do you separate yourself from your competitors?
We are different from competitors because we are 100% virtual and focus on hiring work-from-home parents as well as military spouses. Most people want a full-time commitment each week but we want to give a stronger purpose for the employees that are with our team.
What were the top three mistakes you made starting your business, and what did you learn from them?
We’ve constantly learned, adapted and evolved so it’s most important to remember that’s normal and to be expected! One of my biggest mistakes is not charging before services are rendered. Most clients you can trust (I know we want to trust them all) but remember you’re in charge of the client experience and will be more respected by holding to your policies. Going with that, have a signed contract for EVERYTHING. Expectations set at the beginning, late fees, or any other applicable info will help you both feel secure down the road.
Lastly, focus on quality not quantity. With your employees, your products and service offerings, your content…everything. Plan your money and efforts strategically so there is no remorse or ‘what ifs’ that haunt you down the road.
Tell us a little bit about your marketing process, what has been the most successful form of marketing for you?
Content Marketing has been one of the most popular services we offer. People either don’t have the time or the desire to learn and perform these tasks. Most are just out of ideas and need that creative third party to step in. Storytelling, Cause Marketing, Creative approaches and Campaigns have proven to be some of our most successful client work! In our Discovery Session we’re going to look at your short-term or long-term goals. We work backwards from your launch date, big sale or holiday promotion and can provide anywhere from a one-day or one-year organized plan. Hint Hint: One of our favorites is in our name! Collaborative approaches with other businesses to put on an event or launch a product bundle are beneficial for both brand’s audiences. The more it makes sense, the more impact your campaign will have for all involved.
What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?
My biggest challenges have come from behind-the-scenes and admin work. The taxes, hiring, legalities, and what I call the ‘nitty gritty’ are things that must be done to make everything else (that you actually want to do) happen. Thank goodness there are other business owners who love doing all of that! When in doubt, hire it out.
What was your first business idea and what did you do with it?
Looking back I was entrepreneurial before I understood what the word meant. I was tasked with doing laundry for the family in elementary school. I would collect everyone’s baskets, sort, wash, dry, and fold it all. Then I would charge for ironing, ‘delivery’ to their rooms and for anything from our store…which was what was left behind in their pockets. I was also a 4-Her so we were always caring for livestock we would later sell, veggie stands from our garden, working hard and seeking out opportunities.
What are you learning now? Why is that important?
Professionally, I’m doing deep dives into public speaking, branding, and other material I would like to teach. The more we seek out information, the more helpful we can be to clients and those around us. For the last several years I have made it a goal to learn one new thing a month. If you’re the best or smartest one in the room you’re in the wrong room!
If you started your business again, what things would you do differently?
I wouldn’t barter or negotiate my worth. There is something and someone for everyone. Many of us started our business to help people but we also need to earn an income. Offer what you can at their budget (because we also know what that’s like) or refer out to a trusted source. This is also a great way to serve a client you just don’t feel would be a good fit. YOU are in charge of YOUR business. Act accordingly.
What are the top 3 online tools and resources you’re currently using to grow your company?
A free and simple way to split your images is (pinetools.com). This is helpful for grid planning and pinned banner creation. Canva or Procreate are where we design a bulk of our material for clients and ourselves.
What’s a productivity tip you swear by?
Time blocking. Every single thing goes in my calendar. Drive time to and from an event, prep time and wrap up time from an interview, manually posting or checking on something, when to refill a content calendar….I even write my shower or kid’s baths in my paper planner just to plan that time out of my evening or day! Anything blocked on my calendar also makes me unavailable to book so I know I have some distraction-free drive time or a snack break built in. I’m not rushing around.
Can you recommend one book, one podcast, and one online course for entrepreneurs?
I love anything B School by Marie Forleo. Her podcast, YouTube channel and overall brand is something I greatly admire! I also recommend ‘The Hero and The Outlaw’ to anyone wanting to learn more about Brand Archetypes or branding examples.
If you only had $1000 dollars to start a new business, knowing everything you know now, how would you spend it?
I would hire help to double my time, capabilities, and income. They usually take over whatever is most time-consuming for me like a website update, graphic design or email marketing. By sending them my brand book and notes on my thoughts for the project, we maximize the working time as efficiently as possible!
What helps you stay driven and motivated to keep going in your business?
The thought of having to ask off work to take care of a sick child or a vacation with my husband is drive enough! I know we work nights and weekends, nearly 24/7, but the fact I can do that from wherever our home is drives me.
What is your favorite quote?
I am a quote junkie but a go-to is
“Be somebody who makes everybody feel like a somebody.” I also love ‘The Man In The Arena’ passage.
What valuable advice would you give new entrepreneurs starting out?
If you’re stalled out and just don’t know where or how to get out of it, hire a marketing team. The way you portray yourself, speak about yourself, or market yourself should be reflective of who you truly are and indicative of what to expect as a new customer of your business. If you’re not sure what’s the right move for you, book a Free Discovery Session with us. We’re happy to help!
Who should we interview next and why?
Michelle Berman Mikel is a good friend of mine and Founder of Berman Media Social. She focuses on the Real Estate Industry and Instagram.
What is your definition of success?
Freedom. The freedom to spend these precious years with my kids and be an active primary parent in their lives. The freedom to earn as much or little as I work for. The ability to grow something from the ground up and pass it on someday. I used to be glued to numbers and equated all of my success to if I met those numbers or not. That wasn’t freedom, that was just trapping myself again. If I say family comes first then that’s what I need to prove to myself, my family and clients consistently.
How do you personally overcome fear?
Fear has played an active role in my life from an anxiety disorder as well as OCD and several other life events. There will always be something to be afraid of. But fear can be a positive emotion to send us into fight mode or warn us of true, potential danger. We create more negative experiences in our head than there ever usually is in the reality around us. Sometimes it takes going outside without technology to get my mind right or sometimes I use a tapping method learned from EMDR therapy to physically calm and bring myself back to a rational state of mind. I imagine my kids watching me in all situations to remain calm and be brave.
How can readers get in touch with you?
We’d love to help you! Our website is www.LetsCollab.work and we’re most active on Instagram @localcollaborative. Whether you need a content calendar or brand refresh we’re ready to help.
