Hi!!! Welcome to today’s podcast episode. On the show today, I have someone you are going to absolutely love. She is warm and welcoming, has incredible fashion sense, and is an a extremely talented graphic designer/digital marketing strategist/style curator. On top of this, she owns and runs the web design firm, Go Live HQ. Her client list includes Sophia Amoruso (THE girl boss herself), Randy Fenoli of Say Yes to the Dress, Elsie Larson of A Beautiful Mess and so many other inspiring entrepreneurs. This guests’ passion lies in helping creative girl bosses KILL it online in a simple, stylist and strategic way. So, welcome to the podcast, Promise Tangeman!!
WHAT YOU WILL HEAR IN THIS EPISODE:
- What is Go Live HQ?
- Mistakes Made in Graphic Design
- Where to start with Web Design
- Tips to refine and intensify a website
- Pros and Cons to running a business
- How to overcome comparison
What is Go Live HQ?
Go Live is a graphic and web design firm focusing on small businesses and mostly female entrepreneurs. Promise helps clients to launch a business doing what they love and continue to make progress in their business. Go Live creates website themes that allow clients to customize their own website and they also offer the service of creating a website for you from design to launch all within 5 days. The Go Live workshop helps attendees launch a new business website in just two days. Go Live really focuses on websites, whether template or customizable, as entrepreneurs we need the capability to make edits to websites as anything changes. Ultimately, websites are the digital storefront and done is better than perfect, it is important to just have a website up!
Mistakes made in Graphic Design
When Promise was growing up she was always extremely interested in art. But, when she began her career in design, realizing that design does not just exist to be pretty. Design involves so much more and has the potential to sell products, all depending on how you design and separate the information. Promise is a perfectionist, and felt like she had an elite sense of perception and felt like she saw things that others did not. But, being a perfectionist is actually about wasting time on things that do not matter. Now, Promise realizes that her time is best spent somewhere else in her business and helping others launch what they love. Not believing what you have what it takes, is another common mistake with business owners, especially when it comes to leading a team. In the beginning, Promise questioned herself and if she was meant to be a leader. Remember to stop thinking so hard, and just do it! Everyone has to start from the bottom and learn as you go. Leadership is a skill that requires experience, and getting educated from different places, is so helpful!
Where to start with web design
Promise suggests website templates to those just starting out with their web design. There are now so many templates to choose from with different customizable options, making it possible to really make the templates your own by the time it is customized. There are also different programs such as Canva and Over to create your own graphics for free. By using templates for web design, it makes it so much easier to stay up to date, especially since people are updating their sites every 1-2 years. When you first start a business, you have an idea of what your business flow will be, but not until you really get into your business will you understand what you actually need for your website.
Tips to refine and intensify a website
As a business owner, you know absolutely everything about your business, sometimes you may know too much. It is common that business owners end up sharing too much information on their website. At times, maybe even forgetting to simply state what the business does and what services are offered. Go Live HQ recommends a “Brand Bio” at the top of the website’s homepage. (Check out their website for a Free Brand Bio Formula!) This bio should state what makes you different in your company, and also simply state what you do and how the product will change the customer’s life. This can help avoid the common mistake of giving too much information, when all the customer needs are bullet points that are easy to understand. Also, be sure your brand looks like it has a personality. When someone goes to your website, they should immediately be attracted or repelled by your site.
Pros and Cons of running a business
As a business owner, you can dream and actually make something happen. When working for someone else, you may not have this option. Seeing your efforts pay off once you complete something, is such an amazing feeling! If something is not working for your company, then it is easily changeable since you have the power to alter the plan, rather than having to clear the decision with higher management. On the other hand, as a creative, you have to learn the business side of owning a business. While Promise does love the finance side of the company, she considers this a gift and something that she just needs to take control over. While leading a company there is always the feeling as if you are pushing a boulder up a hill. This can be exhausting, but most would not have it any other way!
How to overcome comparison
Promise has realized that in the moments where she compares herself to others in the industry, those are really the moments when she does not feel as if she has been disciplined in doing the things she has told herself she would do. When you are giving your best effort to your business, you will feel much less comparison to others in the industry. In those moments where you are tempted to compare yourself to others, do the work that you are proud of! When you do not have a clear direction of where you and your business are going, it is easy to get distracted by others and compare yourself to them.
“Design is creativity with strategy.” – Rob Curedale
CONNECTING:
Go Live HQ Website
Promise Tangeman Website
Go Live HQ Instagram
Promise Tangeman Instagram
LINKS REFERENCED:
Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear
Designer Vaca Workshop
Catalyst Workshop
How I Built This Podcast
Canva
Over
SPONSORS:
Showit – User-Friendly Web Design Platform: Use code MAGIC for 10% off your subscription!
Black River Imaging – High Quality Online Print Site: Use code MAGIC for 20% off your order!
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