Join us as we dive into the inspiring journey of Crystal Childs, founder of Domorre and a leading figure in marketing services tailored for women-owned businesses. Crystal’s passion for empowering women entrepreneurs led her to establish Domorre, a marketing group focused on filling internal gaps within marketing departments to drive better results and prevent budget cuts. With a wealth of experience and a personal brand dedicated to mentoring and coaching women in business, Crystal has crafted the innovative BFFS Strategy™ and navigated the challenges of entrepreneurship with resilience and determination. In this exclusive interview, she shares valuable insights, success stories, and key lessons learned, offering a beacon of guidance for aspiring entrepreneurs in the dynamic world of marketing.
Can you share with us the journey that led you to establish Domorre and your personal brand in marketing services for women-owned businesses?
There was a long and emotional road that led to DOMORRE and I’m sure every business owner has a similar story. I was tired of CEOs with zero marketing experience telling their company to DO MORE with less. Less people, less budget, less of everything. But of course, expecting (read: demanding) the same results or better. This is common in marketing departments, unfortunately. A marketing department’s budget is one of the biggest, if not THE largest in the company. Because of this, CEOs automatically want to cut it when sales are down. So, I created DOMORRE a marketing group backed by a team of industry veterans with a model designed to fill internal gaps in marketing departments This results is a more powerful department driving better results so budgets don’t have to be cut.
My personal brand came from the desire to work with individual women in business, sharing my experiences in both marketing and business development to help them find their path and launch their brands. For years, I was the small voice in the corner of the room among a sea of men in suits – but not anymore. Now, I take what I’ve learned and work with women to not only develop their marketing strategies, but to mentor them, coach them, help them decide if their business idea is viable and so much more. It’s very rewarding and most clients become close friends.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced while starting your business, and how did you overcome them?
The most challenging thing is working by yourself, for yourself. Typically, until you get to the point you can grow a team, you’re alone in this. There’s no one to bounce ideas off of, to share the hard times with, to tell you whether you’re making the right decision or not and there’s certainly no one to lean on when you are feeling overwhelmed. Everything is on you and you alone. To overcome this, I surround myself with other business owners in the same situation. I get coffee with them often, text and chat with them regularly. I check in on them and they return the favor. We all know how hard and isolating it can be to start something on your own. If you’re lucky enough to have a business partner, that’s great. But that too, can bring its own set of challenges.
What inspired you to develop the BFFS Strategy™, and how has it impacted your clients’ businesses?
People used to say to me “fake it till you make it” and although I understood the sentiment behind it, I never liked the way the concept made me feel. The word “fake” has such negative connotations connected to it. I truly felt while I was “faking it till I made it”, that I was lying – not to mention how it can fuel the imposter syndrome we all have at some point. So instead, I developed the BFFS Strategy™. It stands for Borrow From Future Success. The idea is similar but we get into an entire marketing strategy using this method and it’s truly helped my clients get the attention of consumers they would otherwise struggle to reach. We find their businesses grow quicker and the future success they borrowed from, quickly becomes their reality.
Can you tell us about a moment or experience that taught you an important lesson about entrepreneurship?
Nothing comes before family. I opened a different marketing/creative agency in 2016. It was very successful right out of the gate. My daughter however, was in middle school at the time and was struggling severely with some mental health issues. I quickly realized there was no way I could cater to my clients and take care of her. So, I sold the business to another agency in the area. It pained me to do so but my daughter needed me and that’s all that mattered to me at the time. She’s now turning 20 years old and doing well, but my husband and her always come first. Entrepreneurship can consume you and it’s important to be mindful of any disconnect you’re creating with your friends and family around you. I could easily sit at my desk and work an 18 hour day – because I love what I do. But, I consciously make the decision to walk away when my husband gets home to spend time with him. There’s always exceptions if a client has a deadline, etc. but we support each other and work it out.
How do you balance being the founder of Domorre and managing your personal brand? Any tips for other entrepreneurs juggling multiple roles?
It’s not for the faint at heart, that’s for sure. But for me, I need projects to keep me going and keep me interested. It’s part of why I call myself a serial entrepreneur – and why I love working with clients on THEIR projects. But, I don’t recommend juggling too much. To help me, I’ve set my personal brand to run on automations and use it to support the book I’m writing, speaking engagements I get hired for, and to work with women-owned businesses all over the country. The most I do here is manage my personal brand on Instagram, meet with clients virtually, answer emails and schedule speaking engagements. DOMORRE is mainly for larger businesses looking for Fractional CMO services and agency services. Here, I have help – I’ve hired other consultants, and marketing professionals to assist and help manage clients and business growth. Such as my Chief of Operations, Karen Rossetti. She’s been instrumental in the growth and success of DOMORRE.
What advice would you give to aspiring female entrepreneurs looking to break into the marketing industry or start their own businesses?
Start small. If you’re working full-time, start with a few small clients you can meet during lunch breaks, weekends and after hours. Facebook and LinkedIn, yes Facebook, not Instagram will be your key to success here. Instagram is great for your perception, but you won’t get business from this platform unless you’re a mega influencer, I promise. Facebook and LinkedIn have the demographic of people looking for your marketing services. They’re millennials and older, they have money to spend and are at a point in their lives where they’re ready to invest in their business or themselves. But be prepared to utilize all social platforms as yourself as well as your business pages. Business pages just don’t get the traction you need anymore, so it’s imperative that you’re comfortable putting yourself out there personally. Once you’ve established a small client base, evaluate whether you think you could find success in the space. If you’re ready to take the leap, understand it will take time to build. Be prepared financially and give yourself a six-month or 12-month timeframe to evaluate again. Keep working on your brand, keep investing in yourself and be prepared to work hard.
Have there been times when you doubted your path or faced setbacks? How did you stay motivated during those times?
Every day! I never know if I’m making the right choice or on the right path. It helps to have a supportive partner, friends or family during these times. If you don’t have that, look for supportive groups on social media. There’s so many wonderful business groups for women that can be a helpful platform when you need to get through some self doubt. Threads has been an amazing experience for me and I’ve connected with so many supportive women to help me through my ups and downs.
How do you stay updated with the latest trends and innovations in marketing, and how do you incorporate them into your strategies?
I attend conferences, meet with industry leaders, consume marketing updates on social, listen to podcasts and read! It’s so important to know and be ok with the fact that you don’t know everything. Even after over 20 years in the industry, there’s no way that I could! Don’t listen to anyone calling themselves a marketing “guru”, either. The industry changes too much and too often for anyone to be an “expert” in it all. It’s important for you to have niche connections and contacts in every facet of marketing such as email, digital, public relations, social media, design. Learn from them on a regular basis.
Can you share a success story from one of your clients that highlights the impact of your services on their business growth?
I’ve seen a lot of success over 20 years but my favorite was a strategy we built for a small business that resulted in them having hundreds of orders in one hour after their product went live. They used the BFFS Strategy™ and today, it’s still my favorite “success story”. Clearly, they saw results but the real determining factor of the “success” for me, was the look on the client’s face every time their system chimed with a new order!
Looking back at your journey so far, what are some key lessons you’ve learned that you would like to pass on to others in the industry?
I have a few:
1. Don’t take things personally. Clients can be mean, don’t take it personally – but also don’t be afraid to say “we’re not a great fit”.
2. Building relationships with others will be your best marketing strategy. Meet with EVERYONE and anyone when you’re first starting out. Build relationships so those people think of you when the need for your services comes up in their every day conversations. Stay top of mind by checking in with them and being a resource.
3. You can proofread, re-read and proofread again, and there will still be a typo – just do your best. 🙂
You can get in touch with Crystal through the following links:
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