From her beautiful farm in Maine, Lisa is an author, 5th-generation chicken keeper, Master Gardener, “coop-to-kitchen” cook, and host of the Boston/New England Regional Emmy®-nominated TV show “Welcome to my Farm.”
Please tell us a little bit about your company – what is Fresh Eggs Daily all about?
Fresh Eggs Daily is the largest online resource for natural chicken keeping. Encompassing my website/blog, TV show, plus reaching nearly a million followers across my social media platforms, I share advice and tips for raising backyard chicken flocks without using chemicals, medications, or commercial products whenever possible and instead incorporate herbs, natural remedies, and edible flowers into my chicken keeping.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you started your company?
I grew up across the street from my grandparent’s chicken farm in Massachusetts and in a weird turn of events, as a young adult found myself back on a farm raising chickens in Virginia. Prior to that, I did a stint on Wall Street and owned a bookstore on Long Island for a while, but after meeting my husband who was in the Navy and relocating to the South, I started raising chickens back in 2009. I wasn’t working and backyard chickens were seeing a renewed popularity due to the recession. My husband suggested we get some chicks because I was bored and looking for a project or hobby.
By 2011 I had posted so many photos of my chickens on my personal Facebook page my friends started complaining, so I pulled the name “Fresh Eggs Daily” out of thin air and set up a business page. From there, people started following and I started answering their questions and at that point started my blog really only as an archive. So I could type out answers to common questions and then point followers there. I figured I would write 20 blog posts or so and be done with it. Meanwhile, 9 years and more than 600 blog posts later, I don’t think I’ll ever run out of things to write about!
Soon after I started my blog, someone mentioned that I could get brands to pay me for ads on my site and so I reached out to some of the companies whose products I used and loved and I think I charged them $100 for the year for an ad. As my blog got more popular and traffic increased, I steadily raised those rates.
It got into my head that I wanted to write a book, so I wrote a proposal, shopped it around, and sent it to four publishers. I got 2 “no’s”, one “maybe” and a year, and about a year later (in late 2013) my first book Fresh Eggs Daily: Raising Happy, Healthy Chickens Naturally came out. That was followed by Duck Eggs Daily in 2015, then four more books over the next five years.
I have also been hosting a local TV show for the past 4 years here in Maine. It’s a half-hour “chicken lifestyle” show that is also available streaming on YouTube.
Over the years I had worked on some co-branding with various brands but in 2018 I got serious and launched my own private label product line of all-natural poultry supplements. I started selling it on Amazon and on a few retail websites and early this year Chewy contacted me to start selling it on their site as well.
What would you say are the top 3 skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur, and why?
I would say that being passionate about what you are selling, whether it be a product or service, is the most important thing. Customers/followers/fans can spot it from a mile away if you aren’t genuine. If you don’t love your brand, your customers won’t either.
In this day and age, having somewhat thick skin is so important. Social media brings out the worst in people and you have to be able to handle the haters professionally and with grace.
And lastly, having a wide and varied skillset is important. There are plenty of talented people who can make and build things but can’t balance a budget to save their life or have no idea how to market what they’ve made. Entrepreneurs, at least in the beginning, have to be jacks of all trades.
What are your plans for the future, how do you plan to grow this company?
I would love to host a national TV show to reach a wider audience. I am also working on a cookbook for Harper Collins which will naturally widen my audience both geographically as well as appeal to a far wider readership than a chicken book ever could
How do you separate yourself from your competitors?
From the beginning, I have been one of the few “eggsperts” who focuses on everything natural. I’ve pioneered so many concepts and ideas – from fresh herbs in nesting boxes to herbal vinegar coop cleaners to homemade chicken treats. I always strive to be out in the forefront with new ideas or bringing back some tried-and-true, nearly forgotten old-timers methods. And I put emphasis on “pretty”, from hanging curtains in my coop to twinkle lights and bunting in my chicken pen, to pretty eggs and flower gardens. From the start, my message really resonated with my readers.
I am also a Master Gardener and avid cook/baker, so I draw those skills into my chicken keeping as well since the whole chickens/gardening/eggs relationship is extremely symbiotic.
I have also aligned myself with and formed relationships with, avian vets, poultry scientists, and other experts as well as poultry science departments at various universities which not only gives me access to expert advice but credibility with my fans.
What were the top three mistakes you made starting your business, and what did you learn from them?
I think my biggest mistake was not realizing the potential and/or value of what I was creating. I didn’t create Fresh Eggs Daily with the intention of turning it into a recognizable brand or really a profitable business. I had a slow start in that area. I think I only earned about $16,000 my first year of adding sponsor ads to my blog. And it took another year or two before I was actually earning a decent living wage! Related to that is not asking for what I deserved, not raising my rates to be commensurate with the value I was offering, etc.
Another mistake I made was not understanding the value of good SEO and blog ranking on Google. I left a lot of money on the table because my posts weren’t optimized and therefore when I did join an ad network, my posts weren’t earning what they could and should have been. (I’ve been working on that though and spending time cleaning up all my older posts)
I can’t really say that I’ve made any other terrible big mistakes! I think instead one of the smartest things I did – albeit involuntarily – was to choose the name Fresh Eggs Daily because instead of pigeonholing me into chicken keeping, the name worked when I started focusing on backyard ducks and now also still works for my cookbook.
How do you go about marketing your business, and what has been the most successful form of marketing for you?
I don’t spend any money on marketing. I don’t boost or promote social posts, I don’t buy Amazon or Google ads. All of my “marketing” is completely organic, so I’m super proud that my products rank #1 in most cases, but definitely the first page on Amazon for their keywords.
My most successful form of marketing has been to grow my social platform following and keep them engaged. Early on, my first publisher was pushing me to set up a bunch of book talks at local garden shops, libraries, etc. I showed him that I could sell more books with one Tweet than a whole week of traipsing around the country doing book signings.
I have also done well by appearing on morning talk shows, radio shows, podcasts, etc. That exposure sells books. The week after my first book was mentioned on The View, it sold more than 1,500 copies – which is more books than the majority of books published each year sell in their lifetime.
What must happen for you to consider your business a success? and when do you predict it will happen?
I actually already consider my business a success. My husband retired after my second book came out and we moved to a farm in Maine. I support us with my income. We have money set aside for a rainy day and no debt. I have earned over $2,000,000 blogging to date (after my extremely slow start!) and my annual income has been growing by almost 100% year over year.
Now I’m at the point that to grow much more I would have to hire “people” and of course, there’s headaches and expense involved with that, so I’m happy where I am now being able to handle everything myself and still earn a nice, comfortable income. I’m trying to figure out how I can continue to grow at a nice pace without becoming overwhelmed or having to have a staff!
I also think that by hiring out your social media you risk losing your distinct, unique “voice”. When even celebs handle their own Twitter and Instagram, it’s important that fans and customers know that they are connecting directly with you especially on those platforms.
What are the top 3 online tools and resources you’re currently using to grow your company?
Honestly, I am pretty cheap (thrifty). I use the free Blogger platform and don’t have a VA (virtual assistant) or use a scheduler. I manually post everything on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest as well as my blog. I take all my own photos. I have a good system so it’s completely doable. But I don’t pay for hosting or blog plugins, I’ve never taken a blogging or influencer class.
The tools I use are the social media platforms – mainly Instagram and Facebook at this point and my email subscriber list which numbers almost 45,000 subscribers.
What are three books or courses would you recommend to entrepreneurs?
I read a wonderful book years ago when I owned my bookstore titled “Why We Buy” by Paco Underhill. It’s about the psychology and science behind what motivates people to buy things.
I’m currently reading a book on food photography. In this age of social media, it’s imperative that anyone selling anything be able to photograph it well. Stock photos are too impersonal, photos don’t have to be perfect, but knowing the basics of prop styling and all that is important I think.
I have to make a confession. I mostly only read fiction. I read very little nonfiction. I can’t remember that last nonfiction book I’ve read honestly. I read for enjoyment at the end of the day, so it’s got to be light and entertaining.
If you had the chance to start your career over again what would you do differently?
I would have started a blog when I was 21, fresh out of college! I only wish they existed then. My biggest regret is that I didn’t start all this earlier! Had I started in my 20s, I can only imagine how far I could go.
If you only had $1000 dollars to start a new business, knowing everything you know now, how would you spend it?
Wow that’s a good question. I think I would invest in a good netbook, a Samsung phone – great cameras in Samsung phones – I would trademark my brand name and buy my domain…oh and I would buy stock in a coffee company! Honestly that’s really all you need to get started.
What is your favorite quote?
I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls.
– Audrey Hepburn
Who should we interview next and why?
Tara Grier from Fluffy Layers. She’s built a successful line of farm girl clothing. She is one of the hardest working, smartest women I’ve had the pleasure to meet. Over the years we’ve been able to bounce ideas off each other and vent to each other at times. Tarag@fluffylayers.com
How can we get in touch with you?
You can visit my website Fresh Eggs Daily, find me on social media via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. You can also email Fresheggsdaily@gmail.com
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