Kate Christy, Founder Folk Founded

Jul 19

Ever gone on my website and thought, "WOW! Such an amazing website! I wonder who did it?" Well on today's episode I have Kate from Folk Founded who designed my website and elevated my brand to what it is now. I can say so many amazing things about Kate but you just have to listen to the podcast to understand my love for her and why she is an important asset to your business brand identity.

listen

connect

Website folkfounded.com
Instagram @folkfounded

read

Kelly: Hello, welcome back to a very special new episode of creative direction with Kelly Bennett. This is someone who I don't wanna have too many feelings right off the, uh, first sentence here, but like has genuinely transformed my business without a shadow of a doubt. And who has given me so much confidence to share my website. I used to not for a while. I didn't even have a website. Then I had a website that I totally DIYed and it wasn't good. And I have piecemealed together websites over the years. And Kate Christie of Folk Founded. Was my game changer. She literally transformed my whole brand. And I know so many of you have slipped into my DMS and was like, holy shit, cuz they've seen my evolution over the years. They're like, what happened? Who did this? How do I work with her? And so I am beyond thrilled to have Kate on the podcast today. Welcome. Thank you. My game changer.

Kate: Oh thank Right back at you, you have been, uh, critical in my business growth over the last six months or so maybe. Yeah. More than that eight months um, so hopefully I can live up to the hype on this episode.

Kelly: You always live up to the hype. I you're one of the people that I always refer out and literally. I'm not just, uh, shitting you like people message me back and they're like, oh my God, Kate, Kate's the best. I'm like, no, I know like everyone. And okay. So before I gush too much, like let's get into the who you are, what you do, because you have, you have an interesting path to where you are now, and you also created a really cool niche for yourself that we're gonna get into, but what's the backstory. How did you get here?

Who is Kate Christie?

Kate: Right. Um, so I have been a designer as long as I can remember, as a kid, I was designing things, but, um, in the career aspect, I went to school for graphic design, and I got a job at a small print shop. Uh, Basically like a print shop, where I designed things that worked to be printed in house at this shop. So I didn't really start my design journey and, uh, in websites, which is pretty interesting, um, that I ended up here because, you know, when I was young, the goal was, oh, I wanna work in a magazine. Like that's gonna be classy. But, um, I ended up on websites, which I absolutely love. But starting in print, I found that it felt really limiting, like what I could accomplish with someone where it was kind of like one off projects where someone would come and say, I need a brochure for my business. I need a menu for my business. And it wasn't this kind of like holistic cohesive view. It's just kind of people coming in on an as needed basis. Mm-hmm . And then, um, once I left that Joby job, as I call it, I started my own, uh, studio and kind of. Opened up into websites and, you know, one day I probably shouldn't say this, but I'm going to, um, someone was like, can you do websites? I was like, sure. And so then I became a web designer, um, because I love it. I decided I was gonna learn about it and I did it and I absolutely love it. I. Um, I thought I would like the design aspect more, but I actually like the kind of like the coding and then the planning and the strategy and the nitty gritty of like what a website can actually do for your business. So it kind of just opened this, you know, whole new, uh, part of me and my creativity offering websites.

Kelly: I love that. And thank you for being honest, because I highly recommend to people I've done it when people are saying like, oh, can you do. This and you're like, yeah. And you like go home and Google how to do that thing. I, my first social media client was this international hotel and they say, can you get our business on Twitter? And I was like, totally without a shot of a doubt. And then I quickly ran home and Googled how to put a brand on Twitter but that was my first client. And I figured it out. And that was 12 years. And here we are. So I love that. That's part of your story, because I feel like that really gives you that passion and drive to figure it out because you are like, yep. You know, deep, deep down, you can. You haven't done it yet, but that's, we all have to start somewhere. So I love that lesson, everyone write that down because that is a really good lesson to learn. And then two, what I love about your story Kate, is that you've allowed yourself to. Test and taste and experiment to find your thing. I think that so many people put so much pressure on themselves to know exactly what they wanna do out of the gate day one. And what it sounds like with your story is that you've allowed yourself to shift and change to find now where you wanna be. So do you have any, any, any suggestions or any things that you would encourage someone to think about to allow themselves to make those changes? And to leave that job, that cushy joby job that you said mm-hmm and like do your own thing? Like, because it's a lot and, you know, everyone has different circumstances. So were there any little things that you felt in your gut or mentally helped you reset to allow yourself to do that?

Kate’s Entrepreneurial Journey

Kate: Yeah, well, the position I was in was, I was fortunate enough financially to be able to, you know, have a husband who also works. So I, I had that kind of safety of okay, someone's making income for our family. And, um, so I know that. That financial thing can be a really big, scary part of making a transition like that. Yeah, but it kind of got to the point where I just was like, at that ceiling where I was, and it was like, okay, on one hand, this is. A job with benefits, paycheck every other Friday kind of thing. But then on the other hand, it was like, that's all I'm gonna do with my life. Like if, so that kind of sucks. And so I hit that ceiling and I think because I'm a creative, I was like, you know, it started festering. Like I could do more than this. This is kind of. Stale to me, like, I'm not act like in this, the work that I was delivering too, was like, like, you know, just kind of putting stuff out there because I was supposed to, like, that was my job to do. Right. But it wasn't like I was involved in it. I was excited about it. I was, you know, hungry to. Come up with new ideas and explore concepts and things like that. It was just kind of like punching in, punching out. And that's not fair to anyone, you know, that's not fair to the client who's coming for creative work. That's not fair to the creative. Who's just kind of like turning and burning stuff out. Yeah. And so I kind of got to that point where. You know, it's like you, you do that pros and cons list where it's like pro I have a paycheck con, this sucks, you know, mm-hmm, like, there's more to life than this. And, um, so, you know, I just, I kind of said, you know what? I know I can do this. I want to do this. I will figure it out. I love it. And it's, I mean, like easier said than done 100% totally know that, but it was like, do this, like, what's the worst thing that's gonna happen. You're gonna fail. You're gonna learn. You're gonna make mistakes. You're gonna go get another joby job. Like whatever mm-hmm like, you know, the worst thing that would happen would be for me to stay and not to take a chance and grow and challenge myself. So that was the worst thing that could happen. So I dunno if that's advice.

Kelly: No, absolutely. That's. That is so freaking true when it comes down to it like worst case scenario, I'm still here. That's a really good indicator to get the hell out. so my question, did you start your business that is now folk founded on the side in the interim, or were you like. This is my last day, two week notice. And next week I'm hitting the ground running with my new business.

Kate: Yeah. Um, what really happened was I kind of got in that position where I like hit that ceiling and I went to my employer and I was like, I can do more for you. This is what I can do for you. And this is how much money I want to do it. And it kind of like got pushed to the side, not really addressed. And I was like, at that moment, I was like, no, one's going to do for me what I want them to do. Like I have to do that for myself in that moment. So I was like, I'm gonna quit and I'm gonna start my own business. There was no, like, it was, it kind of like reached that like boiling point where , you know, mm-hmm um, maybe it was reckless for me to jump ship, like, so suddenly, like I did, but it was, um, I just kind of, uh, left and was like, go on net. You will appear.

Kelly: Totally, I think everyone is, I think it's different personality types and different life situations. For me, I'm a, I'm a leaper. Like if I don't feel like everything's on the line, It's really hard for me to get into it. So I'm the type of person too. In 2020, it was the first real job I ever had. Like I've always been an entrepreneur, always freelance. And then I had like the first time I had like the fancy title of like marketing director and it was like the biggest salary I've ever had. And I was like, oh my God, I have a desk like it. I had a little team, you know, I never. I've always just been in like small business, making it happen. I've had cool titles, but like, that was the first quote unquote job that I had. Mm-hmm but then in 2020 I had the same feeling and there was some other stuff at play and I was like, I gotta, I gotta get the fuck outta here. And I was like, you know what, worst case scenario, I'm gonna live with my mom. And. Hang out with the dogs and I'll F I'll figure it out. So I also am that type of person of like, it's not for everyone, but if you have it in you and you're able to. I'm all for a good leap, because it really puts your back against the wall to figure shit out and you don't have time to overthink it. You don't have time to ponder too much. And I feel like just having that, um, energy, you, you tend to get the wheels going. I think a little bit faster maybe, but again, everyone's circumstance is different everyone's personality, but I'm a leaper like you yeah, gotta go all in.

Kate: Um, I was, uh, I'm, I'm not competitive with other people by nature, but I'm very competitive with myself as in like, I need to prove myself that I can do this. And so that was a big driving force. And, and aside from having that kind of financial. Safety net with my husband working, like I have a very close knit, supportive family. And so, you know, I kind of knew like nothing's gonna happen. Like they're gonna be here for me.

Kelly: I love that. I love that I have a very supportive family too. And I feel like that's such a huge, um, privilege too, as far as like having family that supports you. And that's also too, you and I really resonate with supporting other creatives because I could feel like we both know the impact of when you are supported, even if they don't know exactly what the hell you're even talking about or what exactly you're doing, but people who are just encouraging you and see you and support you. I think that's also such a game changer. Mm-hmm huge. So, okay. You, I know that over time you changed the name to folk founded, right. The business, which I absolutely love. And then you really honed in on design and then you really honed in on square space as well. Okay. What for you are the types of projects? You really like in this season now trying so many different things and really honing in now on what you genuinely genuinely love. What types of projects are like really lighting you up right now, or like even dream projects to be working on?

Upcoming Projects

Kate: Right. Um, so it really, I found boils down to not necessarily the business or the industry. It really boils down to the person mm-hmm and it's, you know, it tends to be those people who are kind of in the same boat as me kind of, you know, they're, they're in it and they're. They're working towards that ultimate goal, that ultimate dream, and, um, they're really passionate about what they do. And so I find that when people are really excited and passionate about what they do, they tend to be really excited about the things they have to do to get there too. You know, so they're not looking at the, as like the website or design process, is this kind of like, Burden, you know, they're looking at it as like, oh, I get to do this now for my business. Like, this is an exciting moment for me. This is something that they want to be involved in, that they want to, um, be like it's a collaborative process. Um, so I think that really makes for a fun project and you know, something I've been thinking about recently is. When there's something unknown, it tends to be scary. Right. And so I think when people get to something like a website for their business, a lot of times it's unknown, you know how to do it, what to do, what the right thing is and, or, you know, platform, whatever and it becomes scary. And then it becomes like this, this burden when it's like, you know, let's kind of like flip that script. Like this is exciting. Like this can be exciting. Um, and so that's kind of, uh, the energy that I, I want to bring to a project. And also that, you know, work when working with clients when they're bringing that energy, like that just makes for a really fun process for every.

Kelly: I love that so much because when I hired you from my website, I genuinely felt that too. I was like, Wow. I'm at the point, now that I can have design and branding and a beautiful website to really reflect this elevated experience that I wanna bring to creatives on helping them build their brand and their products and all that good stuff and the creative direction. And that was the feeling that I had. Working with you. It was genuinely like, it was one of the best investments I've ever made in my business. And I've told you this too. Like what I invested in the website and like the first month of sales was four times it and. I feel like a big part of that too, is that I felt so excited to share the website. I was sending that freaking link to everybody. I can think of and people were sharing it too. I've never had my I've never had my website also shared so much, you know what I'm saying? Like people were like, wow, look at Kelly's website. And I know people would say, oh, my friend sent me your website. It looks beautiful. I love what you're doing. And it was just, it was genuinely the moment that. I was also feeling that excitement about my business, cuz I'm like, okay, I'm really honing in on what the hell I'm doing similar to you have tested and tried different things over the years, but it was that moment of like, wow, this is, this is me. And it felt so good to work with you and to have that elevated look and feel and also function because one of that's like a whole other subject that I would love to touch upon. it's really hard to grow a business. If your website, especially now is really hard to click around to actually shop your brand. And so the fact that it was so seamless and so simple and beautiful, it was just so much easier for people to understand exactly what I was doing and to. By become a member of the incubator. That was the launch that I had coincided with the new website. Um, and I just realized just the ease prior to any other launch I've ever had. So it, it, it definitely has that elevated feeling and you it's very exciting, but also like behind the scenes, the function of having a beautifully designed website. Also makes a huge impact. Mm-hmm , it's both. It's both. Um, so if someone is curious, they're like, okay, I know. The stem website needs a makeover. I know that it needs to be better or maybe they don't have, I mean, so many creatives, I'm sure both of us know don't even have a website they've relied so much on social or maybe they do so much say events, but we know that especially the last two years, it's not an either or it's an, and like you need a proper website and do social and do events and do activations, right? It's it's not an either or anymore. You, you do need both. So someone's like, okay, I know I gotta do this. Or, you know, maybe starting from zero or has something now that's like trucking along, but they know they need to step it up. What does that process look like? And what are some things that you've found that really helps move that process? Forward any good things that someone could put on the radar now to get cook in so that when they do reach out to you to get a website you're able to like really hit the ground running?

Process of Building a Website

Kate: Right. Well, uh, one thing they can do is join your next round of the incubator to get it sorted out.

Kelly: Thank you!

Kate: Um, no, when you, if you're at that phase where you either have a website that you are embarrassed, by the way, it looks the way it functions or it just isn't working for you. Um, then you're kind of, you know, at that crossroads of like, okay, Where do I need to go with this? What needs to happen for it to look the way I want it to, to function the way I want it to, and kind of ask yourself, like, kind of do an internal audit. Your your brand and your website. And I mean, that's something that I do with clients also is just kind of go through and see, like what's working, what's not working. Um, but really it's, you know, before the website, it's, you know, making sure that you as. You know, a, a brand is aligned with, uh, with, you know, how you're showing up, regardless of your website. Like, are you, is your brand identity, your visuals, like what you're putting out there on social media or wherever you're showing up online, is that really aligned with who you are and what you're. Like what you're bringing to the table, whether it's a product or a service. So you kinda look at that and make sure, you know, those foundations are set and, you know, if they're not, that's a conversation that we have too. We, we go back and we start there. Um, and then also looking at the people that you're, you're working with, you know, I think sometimes. Kind of like a hitch in the giddy up with a website is maybe you're showing up online and you're attracting a certain type of client. And you're like, why do these people keep coming to me? But then you kind of go back and look at the website and you're like, oh, well, like maybe how this is set up or the copy of my website. It's, you know, it's catering to this person and that's why they're coming here. Even though in your mind, you're like, oh, I wanna be working with this person. Um, so just kind of really doing an audit of, you know, how you're showing up, who you are like, is that all aligned and then taking a look at, you know, who you want to be working with? Like, are you speaking to that ideal client, you know, is what you're putting out in the world, resonating with them. And that's really, you know, where you need to start. That's the hard work, you know, like coming up with, with the beautiful visuals and the functional website, like that's the icing on the cake that, you know, that hard work of making sure the internal foundations of your business are set really makes the possibility of having a beautiful functional website so much easier for you.

Kelly: I love that you said that too, because it's been really cool to see people who've gone through the incubator and has now that clarity on their brand's creative direction. And then when I send them to you seeing the, the design and the website, it's so full circle, it like makes my it's my favorite thing to see, because it's like, What someone came in with doing the behind the scenes work, but then working with you, which I feel like, I feel like what I do is like the behind the scenes kind of like the inner stuff. And then when they work with you, it's like the outward reflection of what they've been building and what they really wanna do moving forward. And when you get to see both of those things come together. It's so fucking cool. Mm-hmm it really is.

Kate: Love an incubator client.

Kelly: Oh, good. OK. That makes me happy. That's what I want you to say.

Kate: Because I mean, doing that stuff like that is hard work, you know, and I know working like working on your business or is, is something that we always put to the back burn, you know, trying to do stuff for yourself. That's, you know, that's always pushed to the bottom of the to-do list and that can be hard to find time, find energy to do. To do that work. So, yep. That's the hard part.

Kelly: It is. And that's, um, why I'm so passionate about too, of like, when you're able to work on your website or just like on your business and not in your business, like you have to do both, you have to be in the day to day, but you have to also take that step back to take time to reflect of like, okay, where the hell am I taking this? What do I, what do I really wanna do? Um, and on that note, I know some things that I've learned from you that are really helpful to get, um, aside from like CR just like the creative direction of the brand, but some really good tangible things that people could be working on to help move the process forward of building out the website. So what are some things that people can. Start working on now, aside from the creative direction, um, what are some other elements of putting a website together that people could get the ball rolling with?

Elements of Putting a Website Together for the DIYer

Kate: So the number like the top two things that you can be working on before you get to that, investing in web design and development is working on the content for your site, working on, you know, and this kind of is the result of doing that inner work too. Say you're a service based business. You need to actually be able to tell your website, visitors. Who you are, who you serve and what it is that you do, you know? So being able to write that in your website copy and being able to illustrate that on your website, that's something they can be working on. And, I know there's a lot of conversation about design first or copy first out there and I'm a very much a website copy first designer. So because I can really design around. The the copy. And so that's one thing. And then the other thing would be brand photography. You know, we're kind of at that point yes. In time where it's like, if you run a business, like that's, that's almost like a, you have to invest in custom photography, not saying that you need to go out and spend thousands of dollars on super professional photography. You can, you know, iPhones these days, uh, can take really great pictures. And, but just taking the time to invest in getting some pictures that really represent, you know, your brand on your website. There's, there's great stock photography sites out there, but you know, if you're, if you're selling a service. Chances are, if there's the human selling that service. So, you know, you need to show that human element, you need to show your face. You're not gonna find that in stock photography, if you're selling products, you have to have pictures of your products, you know? Yes. Um, so those two things are like, if you're thinking about website, think about these first. Think about. Getting, you know, website copy started and then also photography and that's, and also if you're in that phase where you're kind of like, I, I wanna start with a website, but I know I need these things, but I don't know exactly what I need reach out. I'm happy to have like a kind of a mini consultation with you and say like, what are you? What's the vision? Where are you going with this? Maybe I can give you some suggestions. You know, what to, what to work towards before we get to that web design phase, you know, totally. What types of images do you need? What type of, uh, content do you need for your website?

Kelly: I love that. And that's, to me that was something that I learned through the process with you of like how powerful copy is and also photography. Um, so I love that tip and I think that's a really important one to remind people before they get too much into the website. You know, I probably am was, uh, guilty of this too. When we get to the website part, we're like, ah, we made a website yesterday and so it's good to get. To help you feel that momentum, that you are taking steps forward. And those are really great, tangible things that you could also repurpose you could use for content, for marketing materials, for social. Like these are really great things to check off your list for your website and you could use it on the way in which, um, are great. Those are the types of things I love investing in because I know I could get so much use out of it. Um, so. Walk us through a little bit of the design process. Like what timeline is that? Um, what to expect? What's a little behind the curtain, if you will, of, of working with you on your website?

Behind the Scenes of the Design Process

Kate: Okay, so really we start with just figuring out who you are and how I can help you. You know, we talk about your business. We talk about where you are and where you're going. What are some sticky spots and pain points in your business, and really how we can use design to, to kind of resolve that. And so we start having a conversation, seeing really what you need and, um, I offer kind of really holistic packages when it comes to design. So depending on the assets that you already have in your business, if you have zero, we can do it all. If you're have worked with a designer before, and you have a really strong, great identity with, you know, set of logos, color spots, things like that, already established, we can work with that. If you have that and you hate it, or it's not really aligned anymore with your brand. We can resolve that. Um, so we kind of start with that discovery conversation phase to see, you know, what really is the ultimate goal and what would make this successful for your business, whether that's all, you know, brand identity website, social media templates, email marketing templates, any kind of scheduling integrations or membership platforms, things like that. So we had that conversation where it's. Very much dreaming and then also very much nuts and bolts like yep, you know what, what's the bullet list of what we need. And so then from there, we'll move into the design phase, which I typically start with creating kind of like a creative strategy and visual direction where I kind of. Outline, you know, this is the scope of the project. These are our goals. This is your ideal client, and this is how we're gonna connect with them. And then from there, and also do a visual, um, mock up like a mood board, kind of pull in some potential color palettes and fonts, certain visuals that I'm thinking are aligned with the direction that we're gonna go. And then from there, we'll hop into actually designing for your brand. And so depending on the scope of the project, if it's, if you need the brand identity element, we start there. If you have that content and you supply it to me, then jump right into the website, mock up and, um, I like to mock up really high fidelity, uh, wire frames or mockups of websites. So you can actually see that brand in action. See how the colors and font and everything gonna look before we hop into developing the website. Um, so we kind of really nail down that visual, like how it's gonna look and pretty much function, um, before we hop into development. And so after that signed off on, we hop into development and then we'll integrate anything that we need to, which can be, uh, scheduling if you, uh, sell like time slots for consultations appointments, things like that. And then also like Kelly has a member space. If you're integrating any kind of paid membership like that, um, an online store, if you're selling products or whether they're physical or digital, we'll, we'll get into those integrations. And then also email marketing, trying to set up a very simple funnel for getting people on your email list, um, because that's also something that it's kind of, you know, you have to get in that game the way that social media's changing. And, um, so I like to try to help my client set up like the bare minimum for that, um, to create a really great opt in or lead magnet to, uh, start building that email list of those ideal customers.

Kelly: I feel like I'm almost down the whole checklist of everything you've, um, said that you do . My goal is to have the trifecta of like all of folk founded services. Um, the, I have to say special shout out to the member space that you set up for me that also was a game changer. I've used other platforms. I've also worked. Many different designers over the years, many different website, people over the years. And what you did for the member space alone was a game changer. That by itself was such a game changer in my business. Be able to say like, you'll have this member space, you have a login, here's all the videos and the way that you designed it to look so beautiful and so cohesive, um, It was BEC it became a selling point that I didn't even realize was a selling point. So I highly recommend if you've been, if someone listening has been curious about how to do a membership, I've, I've experimented with so many different types of memberships, but definitely if that is something that you're like, I really wanna do definitely add that to your list when you talk to Kate, because what she did with my member space was really cool. So. I just wanted to give you a shout out with there. Um, also too, what types of, I know that you said it's not necessarily industry or, um, you know, specific type of business, but what types of creatives, um, are you seeking to connect with in this new growth of folk founded? Like what types of projects are maybe you're looking to connect with and work on and to help more people on their, you know, designing their business and brand just for someone listening to be like, ah, that's me. What are some characteristics?

Kate’s Ideal Clients

Kate: I would say you're definitely in that spot of your business, where you are kind of outgrown that DIY you've you've tested and tried things, and you figured out what works for you and what doesn't work for you. And you're kind of, you're almost at that, like, this is a big pain point for you because mm. You know, you're, you're at that growth spurt where it's like, you have to make that jump to, to start investing in your business to start, you know, you're, you're kind of pushed out, not pushed out. You're more pushed into like, I need to get in my. Uh, zone of genius in my business, and I need to stop futzing around with all these other things and trying to DIY a lot of stuff. So I think if you're kind of at that point in your business, like that's the perfect time to reach out, um, because you're, you're growing and you're expanding and you really need a bigger, more sturdy foundation for. To support that growth in your business, you know, in, in your website is your, is your online is, you know, your online brick and mortar. That doesn't make sense, but you know what I'm saying?

Kelly: No, I totally, I totally it's like your home online. This is like your store. This is your shop. This is your destination that you could send people to. So I, I actually like to think of it as like, uh, a store or brick and mortar, because sometimes. And that's why I even refer to services as products, just to put some boundaries on it. I think sometimes service or digital could feel so like floating in the ether, but like it's very, um, tactile and like, You, you need structure around it. Mm-hmm in order to really fulfill what you wanna do,

Kate: Right. Yeah. So you need to create that space. That's able to support your business, you know? Um, so I think when you're finding yourself at that point, like, that's really, when it's reached out to a professional reach, you know, invest that money in, in creative, in design and in development in your website. Um, because, you know, if, if you're a lot of times we start out DIYing stuff and like trying to kind of piecemeal things because time, you know, doesn't allow our budgets don't allow. Um, and that's, that's normal. Everyone does that, you know, and that's what you should be doing in the beginning because you need to kind of. Get in there and learn about your business and learn about, you know, who you wanna work with, who you don't wanna work, what services or products you wanna sell, what ones you don't, you know, so all of this, uh, kind of like that building phase of gathering all of this data, like once you hit the, the top of that, where you're like, I have figured this out and not to say that you figure it out, you're done. Like you're gonna sell that product or sell that service until the end of time. It's, you know, once you kind of plateau on that, this is, this is who I am, this is who I serve, and this is what I do. You know, that's really that point where you can build a really strategic and functional and effective, uh, brand identity and website and just that's that's really that point.

Kelly: A thousand percent and also too, just working with so many different brands. I also, like it pings when I see a brand that is really great quality or like really good at what they do. But the shopping experience and like the clicking around, or just the flow of the website, especially looking at, from when someone could look at your website from social, they click on the link, then it brings them to the full website, how it looks on mobile. If that is clunky. But I know that they have a good, say, retention rate with customers. And like when someone gets to their product or service, like they could sell, but the online experience is clunky to me. It's like your website is actually holding back your business. And I've seen so many small business owners in that space. I'm. It's you're you're you're not gonna move any further online in particular, if you don't change up your website, like your website is actually holding you back at this point, right. Where it may have helped you get to this point, but there's definitely that moment where it's actually holding you back and there's only so much you could do moving forward.

Kate: Yeah. And that's really where taking stock of, you know, who your ideal client is, who your customer is getting all of that data, gathering all that information so that you can build a website that not just works for you, but also works for. For them mm-hmm and, um, like one, one of my biggest pet peeves is, um, when a restaurant has a QR code menu, you know, they just have like the, to eliminate paper menus. Um, they have that to scan and then you scan that and then you go to a website that's not mobile friendly at all. And it's like, you know, it's like that. That's an investment that you have to make. If, if you're going to be, um, removing paper menus, which I'm all about, and then having this online experience, you have to make that a good experience like that is just as important in the scheme of a restaurant as like having a server with a good attitude, like mm-hmm, turning around, you know, drinks and appetizers, like in a timely manner. Like, um, that's something that is really important. And that's why kind of taking that step back and taking stock of, you know, what's, what's the journey. Like what's the experience that I want my customers to have when working with me, you know? So it's on what's that a thousand people remember what you said, but they'll remember how you made them feel like it's the same with a brand like. You know, you have that experience, like you're walking away with that feeling, you know, like what, what feeling do you want people to have when they, when they leave your website or when they have an interaction with your, with your brand, whether it's like in an activation or a brick, even brick and mortar, you know, I don't just work with clients who are online based. You know, I work with clients who actually have a physical space too, that we integrate design into.

Kelly: I love that so much. And I used to be a creative director and partner of a restaurant. And that was something that was really important to me, was having a menu that was easy to look at on mobile first. And I remember so many people were like, why do you care so much? They'll just come in and order. I'm like, no, you need to have it look good. Also online. Like that's where, especially restaurants now, like dietary. Restrictions or like, what's the vibe, what's the price point? Like people research before they go into a restaurant, I think now more than ever. And have your, if have website code

Kate: QR code.

Kelly: Yeah, exactly.

Kate: Menu. It's like, they're looking before picking where they're gonna go.

Kelly: Totally. And that's also a pep peeve of when you do that and it's like a PDF and you have to like slide it around. I'm like, oh my God guys let's change this up. Um, so yeah, I think those are really, I like that stuff because I feel like those types of tips help people tune in because we all know, I think best of like what we really deep, deep down need support with, or like where we are with our business. So those are really good things to be aware of. And when you're feeling those feelings. Take that next step, even just booking call and to take that next step forward, it just helps build up that confidence. You can have this, you can have this business, you really want, you can have it look beautiful. You can, you could do this, you know, and, and I love how you help give people that confidence. I know that you've helped me feel so much more confident too. And I feel like that's such a big part of what you do is just like feeling more confident about what the hell you're even doing. Because that's how you're gonna also sell better is when you feel good about how it all looks and how it all functions.

Kate: Well, it's such a snowball effect too, you know, it's like once, once you get that thing, you invest in that thing and you know, maybe it's just updating your logo and then you're putting that out there. And you're like, this really feels like me. This feels a line, I'm like really jazzed about this. And then it just kind of like, you start attracting those people because like you're. You know, you're in your element you're aligned with, with your business now. And so I think, um, just like, kind of like starting that, that, uh, that little, little ball to, you know, get to that big snowball, um, With the confidence with investing in your business and, you know, taking the time to, to nurture your business. I know that's something that every entrepreneur struggles with is yes. You know, uh, feeding the beast not just letting you run you.

Kelly: A thousand percent and that's something too that I'm really passionate about supporting people like sending out text reminders of like journaling prompts and things to remind yourself. Like, I really am so passionate about those behind the scenes things, because I feel like those are the reminders to help you get back to being the more intentional creative behind what you're doing and not let it take over what you're doing. I've been in both positions and the latter sucks. so much. I, and I feel like that's such a big part of why we don't have quote, unquote normal jobs. Like, you know, we, our work for ourselves, we are so passionate about what we do, but also making sure that you're creating systems and processes so that you can enjoy that more so than letting yourself be burnt out by it, which could easily happen. Right. Um, so. Any last notes of anyone who's ready to jump on or ready to get their website done any last minute reminders?

Kate’s Takeaways

Kate: I would say that. I feel like when we make decisions like this, we feel like we're making something. So, you know, finite, so set in stone that it's like, you know, everything has to line up correctly. Everything has to be perfect. And then you kind of that holds you back from taking that next step. And so I think just knowing. It's a fun process. It evolves, you know, it's not something that's one and done. Just, you know, let yourself be open to the process and let yourself enjoy the process because that's, that's really when, um, not so cheesy when the magic happens, you know, when when you're opening yourself up, um, to be part of it and not just kind of pushing it off on, on someone else. Um, so I think knowing that working on your brand and creatively, it's, it's kind of a living, breathing thing. That's gonna evolve and grow, you know, as we do in our business.

Kelly: So I love that. I love that. And how does someone get in touch with you? What's the best way?

Kate: On my website. I have a form. If you're interested in scheduling a call, I have a place where you can book a call, but then also have a form that kind of gathers a little bit more information about your business. And, um, so yeah, so either book a call or fill out the form and I'll be in touch.

Kelly: I love it. Thank you so much, Kate. Seriously, like, like I said earlier, everyone, Kate is one of the biggest people who've made an impact on my business and I'm just so grateful. And I can't say it enough and I'm not just saying it because she's virtually. In the room with me, but like I'm telling you if you want, and it's really unique that a designer could also do your website. I just wanna also point that out. Usually those are two separate people you need to hire, and it could be really fucking clunky. Putting those people together, I've had it and it sucks. And Kate does, does it all. And that's really unique. So if you're thinking about it around the cusp, like again, I'm not just saying it, Kate is amazing and I highly, highly recommend working with her. And I just appreciate you Kate so much. Game changer. And just thank you for everything that you do. You put so much love into it. And I know you're so humble when you say, but like, I know the hundreds of hours you put into stuff and it really like you, you could feel it and it's it, it shows so thank you. Thank you. You're welcome. All right, everyone. Thank you again for listening to this week's episode. Get your website in order content, contact Kate at Folk Founded. Thank you for listening and I'll see you next week. Bye Kate.

Kate: Bye Kelly.