Melina Peterson, Founder & CEO of Cornerlight Digital
I attended a workshop in Soho from Shopify and I had such an amazing experience that I wanted to share with you all today. I’m so excited to introduce you all to a special guest, Melina Peterson. She hosted the workshop I attended and enjoyed how she explained the breakdown of digital marketing and ads. In this episode, you will learn more about running ads in your business. Get your pens and paper out because you’ll want to take notes!
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TRANSCRIPT
This is a special episode because I have a special guest, Melina Peterson. I had the pleasure of taking a workshop from her at Shopify headquarters in Soho, and right when she started talking and sharing her philosophy, I was following her on all the social media channels and taking so many notes. She's the founder and CEO of Cornerlight Digital. She, honestly, everyone listen up because she really broke down digital marketing and digital ads in a way that I personally hadn't heard before because I used to be really overwhelmed with that process and thinking about ads, even though I've been working in marketing for many years, and the way that she broke it down, it made it so accessible and easy to understand. I was just really like, okay, I need to have you on your pod on my podcast, and I wanna hear your story and how you built your business and all the things. So thank you so much, Melina, for being here.
Melina: Oh my gosh. Thank you so much, Kelly. That is such a kind intro.
Kelly: You're so welcome.
Melina: No, I'm super excited to be here and, and just excited to dig in and, and share a little bit more about my work at Corner Light.
Kelly: Yeah. So let's just dive into it. I know that you were working in a corporation before you started your own business. And that also how you've been building your business and being aware of just being a human and taking care of yourself. I would love to hear the backstory of the buildup to launching Corner Light Digital.
Melina: Yeah, definitely. So it was certainly a journey taking the leap to start my own business. I think it was a really transformative time for me and probably one of the more challenging times in my career. I think before I even dive into, you know, how I took the leap to start Corner Light. I'll give a little bit of background on my career story. So yeah, I started my career in, I'm currently based in New York, but was living out in Los Angeles. Worked at Guess Jeans for their headquarters, managing their social media and digital advertising. And this was very much in the early days of social media. And digital marketing where digital was an afterthought. And we were, you know, the team in the room that was trying to get our point across and everything was still very much geared towards traditional marketing.And so, That was a, a really interesting to experience in that this kind of pivot point, let's say like 2013, that era onwards. To see really how things were starting to transform. And so that job took me to New York, where I then, kind of took my brand side experience, moved to New York to work at a larger agency, where, and it was actually. Specifically focused on paid social, which again, this was, I moved to New York in 2016 and this was now looking back very much like the early days of paid social as well. 2016. And it's interesting cause like, you know, when you have the, the context of how things have changed, it's interesting to see, but, but at the time it was this growing industry and so because I had worked in the, in the fashion and retail industry, worked with a lot of clients, that were also fashion brands, beauty brands.
So work. Tori Birch, Barney's, New York, RIP when they were still around, right? Estee Lauder companies. And so really got like this, kind of deepened my experience in the industry, but specifically in paid social, which was, um, you know, at the time felt a little bit niche for an agency to be focused on. But I was really able to see that growth. So, the reason why I give that background is kind of to set the stage for me taking the leap to, to transition out of that agency to start Corner L ight. So I was at that agency for about two and a half years. Or so I remember, maybe actually almost three years. And I would say about honestly about a year in, I knew that it wasn't going to be my long term career, and I think in general, you know, the way that people approach jobs today, it's not, it's not like our,
Kelly: It's not a forever generation.
Melina: It's like, right. My dad was in his job for, for 25, 30 years. But I knew pretty quickly, you know, I wanted something different, but I didn't. I really at the time only saw a few possible pathways. It was like the, the agency was either a feeder into working at a, a social media platform, like on the platform side or working, back at a brand managing their digital advertising or you could, of course go into a similar agency role. And none of those really resonated with me. And I think that the, the main reason was because, Aside from, you know, wanting to switch up my day-to-day, I was looking for some, like more intangible in terms of the freedom and the flexibility that having my own business or going out on my own would afford me. And so I didn't have this vision like I'm gonna start Corner Light Digital. I'm gonna build up an agency for myself. I just knew I wanna have more control over the clients that I take on the way that I work the team that I build. I wanna have more, I don't want my calendar to just be open for anyone to book at any given time. I wanna kind of like figure out how to curate my schedule. And so that, I think was like honestly, the biggest motivation. For starting to figure out, okay, how do I take a, a slightly more uncharted path in terms of, you know, when I think about the, the coworkers that I worked with, like nobody was really going out on their own as, as their, their next job. And It was uncharted territory for me.
So I, I really took it took a lot of kind of mental agility and strength and belief in myself that I could take the leap into something that felt a lot more unknown and, and financially was also, much more of an unknown. And, I really took about a solid year of overlap in terms of starting to build up my own kind of freelancing roster and taking on freelancing side projects while I was working at the agency, and honestly, at the height of it was probably working like 70, 80 hours a week. Which is not sustainable at all.
Kelly: No, that's not sustainable.
Melina: Yeah. So I don't recommend it, but it was something that I felt like being someone that I almost. I take calculated risks, so I felt like I needed to have some sort of traction before I took the full leap, but eventually I got it.
Kelly: Thank you for sharing that because I feel like so many people put pressure on themselves that if they wanna start their own business or they really wanna be an entrepreneur, they have to burn everything else to the ground before they start. And I really like how you broke that down and like gave yourself that year of saying, okay, I'm gonna start and I'm going to get to a point where I have to choose, but I'm gonna bet on myself that once I get to that point, I'll feel more confident taking that leap. Does that resonate?
Melina: Yeah. And, and I think that even just. It can give you this little boost of confidence. And you can, I almost think about it, you know, it's like training wheels, learning to ride a bike. You still have the security of, okay, if that project doesn't land cool, I've got my, my nine to five job. I think that the one thing I will say is the challenge with doing it the way that I did is you may find yourself working two jobs at once, right? But that almost is a forcing function to then to your point, force you to choose because it isn't sustainable. And then, you know, at one point you will likely be pushed towards the path that you're, you know, meant to go on.
Kelly: I love that. And also to test to see if you wanna be a small business owner. It's not forever.
Melina: Definitely it's not.
Kelly: It's really not. So I really like how you approach that because I think a lot of creatives could resonate with that. Especially service-based, right? Yeah. And also figuring out how does it work with you? What is your process? What's that container you work with someone in? And really flushing that out before you go all in on it to try to sell and market it full-time and have that be the main source of your income. Being able to flush that out while you have the nine to five is really smart. I love that approach. What helped you start getting those freelance clients in the beginning? Because I'm sure it was like wearing your corporate hat for your job. But then also you have to put on your other hat of like, no, you could hire me freelance, and like I could help you with your business. So how did you start navigating with that? Because I feel like for most creatives I talk with and work with, that's really a challenge of stepping into that role.
What helped you get freelance clients in the beginning?
Melina: Definitely I think that the really network and community has been everything for me. It has been, I would say where, you know, over the course of since starting Corner Light have gotten like 90% of my clients and, and so really I, leaned into just putting it out in the world that I wanted to, you know, try something new and that I was open to taking on new projects. And so my, first project was actually with an old colleague of mine who used to work at Guess who started a early stage startup. And I got, sort of comfortable with how to structure working on a brand on the side, what that would look like. And then from there, I think my next, small project was my partner's friend of a friend who had a company. And you know, just by putting, like telling the people that are closest to you, first of all, hey, you know, just putting on your radar. I'm looking for this. But then I think that, there's also the power. So I was a sociology major in sociology in college. And something that I think about a lot is, this concept of the strength of weak ties. So that's like a sociological concept where it's the idea that actually your wider network may be, more helpful or you may get more opportunities from people that like you maybe don't even know as well.
And so the way that I capitalize on that was I joined a women's entrepreneurship community, where there were a lot of, female business owners. Some of them were doing it full-time. Some of them were doing it on the side. And so that was actually this, this perfect opportunity where we would go to, you know, networking breakfasts and introduce ourselves and there were. Be people who were starting small businesses. And then I was saying, you know, hey, I have this skill set and, and I really just took it project by project. And I think that something that that helped me is, is just seeing like it's all this cumulative effort and so you really have to start somewhere.You, you set a price, whatever you feel at the time, you know, that you're, you're confident enough to ask for, you get a yes from that person, then your next project maybe you realize, oh, you know, I undercharged, I, you know, I didn't, I could have adjusted my services differently, and then you just like slightly adjust for the next project. And so, yes, it was really this like step-by-step process.
Kelly: Thank you again for sharing that transparency, because I hear that a lot from creatives who are starting service-based businesses of like, well, what should I price it at and how should it work? I like, choose something that makes sense enough off of what you've already done and what you feel like the market could say yes to, but most likely. You're going to adjust and refine as you go. And if you're not, actually that's a little bit of a red flag because yeah, you always wanna be refining your business and your craft and just keep getting better and better at it. So thank you for sharing that. I think we just put so much pressure on ourselves that it has to be perfect right out of the gate.
But it's something that's a living, breathing thing also like us, like humans. That will always be evolving as we evolve. So thank you for saying that. I think that's a super helpful, I'm gonna like circle that and highlight that. A s far as like advice, if you are a creative listening, which I know so many are, Who are starting service-based small businesses. Take that advice. That's so solid.
Let's talk a little bit more about Corner Light Digital and what you do. Again, I was such a nerd in your workshop. I took so many notes. I was literally also texting with clients. I'm like, I'm in this workshop. Oh, I was, I was, it was like a live feed. I'm like, I'm in this workshop. I'm taking all the notes. You need to also follow her. Look up this business. So, Could you break it down a little bit more? Because again, like anything else, once it becomes popular, it's like you hear all these myths and tricks and hacks and blah blah. Can you break down just like the basics of running a good ad and like how to wrap your head around getting started running ads?
What is the breakdown of the basics of running a good ad when just getting started?
Melina: Yeah, definitely. So, just to give a little background on Corner Light and kind of the work that we're doing. So we are. A paid social advertising agency. And what that means is we work with different businesses to figure out how we can leverage the advertising capabilities on social media platforms such as Meta, so Facebook and Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, LinkedIn, you name it. Anything that is in that sort of social media sphere that is based off of like audience-based buying, meaning that you're targeting audiences of people who are spending time on those platforms and you are serving them specific creative for your business. We figure out the best way to leverage those targeting capabilities based off of a brand's business goals. So really work with, with companies across different verticals. Have worked with large media companies like Forbes to, retail brands, Guess Jeans became a client.
Kelly: Okay wait, that's a full circle moment! Okay.
Melina: I just wanted to, that was a full circle moment.
Kelly: Okay. That's really fucking cool. I'll just say that.
Melina: I will say, going back to the money conversation, it was also a full circle moment to realize the entry level salary that I had as an assistant. Social media assistant at Guess, compared to the agency retainer that you can charge as a business owner. I mean, it was just a huge unlock for me in terms of how to think about money and business and the difference between a, you know, salary for a full-time employee versus a service based business. So, that was a, a big moment for me.
Kelly: ll the, I love.. Okay. That is so good. Okay, keep going. Sorry, I, Give that shout out. Yes.
Melina: And then let's see where, oh, so the last thing I'll say is wellness companies like Sakara Life was a long-term kind of ours. Oh, cool. So definitely dabble across many different industries, which keeps things very interesting. I think Kelly, to answer your second question around, you know, how businesses can think about, running advertising and, and running you know, successful full ads. And something that I talk about in, you know, the training that you attended with Shopify, and a lot of the workshops that I run is really breaking it down to understanding your marketing funnel and understanding that you wanna reach people, like not everybody is ready to buy right this instant. And so you have to meet people where they're at in their customer journey. So what that might mean is there's gonna be people who are like, think about it like a concentric circle. Like there's this inner circle which includes your best friends, your parents. People that know you really well, that are gonna buy anything that you sell, right? So that's your warmest audience. Then as we move out, you then are finding people okay, who, you know, they're, they're in your target market. Let's say you have a dog accessory brand. You're like, okay, there are people who just got a puppy.
They are fashion forward and wanna have cute accessories. They're gonna be, you know, in that next target market. But then there's gonna be all these other people that may. Not necessarily be know about your brand. Maybe they, you know, are just a little bit outside of that target market that you still, they may eventually become pet owners. They may eventually be ready to buy, but you wanna ensure that you are delivering different messages to those different people. And you can also do that by, running different types of campaigns against those different audiences. So I think just, kind of taking a step back and thinking like, okay, who is my target audience? Who do I wanna reach? And starting from summer, so maybe you know, in this example of this dog accessory company, maybe you're like, cool, I wanna focus on new pet owners who have, you know, who live in cities who have more of a fashion forward lens. And from there you can then curate an ad that's going to really speak to those people. And, the big thing about ad creative that is really important is you wanna ensure that your ad is answering a few questions for people upfront. So you wanna make sure it's clear. This is a dog accessory brand, so you can buy, you know, leashes or colors.
You wanna ensure that you are, you know, showcasing the product and also delivering on like, What problem is this solving in people's lives? Like, what is the benefit to purchasing your product? What are the, you know, ultimate results of them? Maybe it's just a happy puppy or you have a cute dog, but, ensuring that that is very clear in really like the first three seconds of your video. Because it, and always looking at any sort of ad from the context of like, how would someone who doesn't know my brand perceive this ad and is it clear what I'm selling right off the bat?
Kelly: I love that. I took, see, I told you, I take so many notes when I'm listening to you, what you're sharing in your philosophy on it. It's so good, and also you make it feel a lot more approachable. I've been in many rooms. You're welcome. I've been in many rooms when people are talking about ads and it gets really into, I mean, numbers and data is important. Yes. So data driven that as a creative, it just is like, whoop, I, I lost the plot. I'm not quite sure what's happening anymore, but if you could wheel it in a little bit. But, so that's why I also love how you approach it. You make it feel really creative and you make it feel really, tangible to wrap your head around that it's not some mystical thing that you hit, you know, publish for an ad and then it. Does this mysterious thing. Yeah. Like there's strategy, there's a curation of a story. So I, I really, really love your approach. How does a brand know that they're ready for that next step? Like, what do you look for? Like, Ooh, okay, you all are ready. Let's get started. Curating campaigns and digital ads, like, what is that cusp? Because I think someone also listening could be like, okay, I am on that step. This is the next step for me.
How does a brand know that they are ready for paid advertising?
Melina: Is the question more, ready to actually dive into paid advertising?
Kelly: Yes.
Melina: Yes. I will say that it is something that you can really start right away. Okay. It isn't necessarily something you need to wait for, however, it's gonna depend on your business model and the, and kind of your customer acquisition strategy. So for example, there might be a small business that initially garners all their customers from word of mouth, from partnerships, from maybe you have a brick and mortar store where people are just passing by. And so in that case, I think like, lean into what feels most natural as a means of like how people are finding you. And that isn't always gonna be paid right off the bat.
However, if let's say you start your company and you are finding that you are not getting a lot of traction, maybe you've done the word of mouth marketing, you've reached out to your network, you've connected with different business communities and, and people and, and you're still, you're kind of hitting a wall that's usually an indicator of, okay, maybe that organic route isn't necessarily gonna be the, the thing to really take off your business. And it's like finding, a way to layer in paid advertising almost like a parallel path while you're also diving into building up your brand organically. So, I guess that would be like one example of, of how to like an in indicator essentially that, that it might be time to explore different channels.
Kelly: I think that's a great way of looking at it. And I think for many creative, small business owners could feel very intimidated running ads or even stepping into this space because they're like, I don't know if I'm ready. So I think you are just breaking down, like, you could be ready from the beginning. And there's not necessarily like a magic moment for it if you, I love how you saying, running parallel to organic cuz that's what I really focus on. And helping people organically tell their story organically. Build community. Cuz I feel like you need both, even if you have awesome ads, but you don't have anything when people start clicking around and looking at your business and brand. Right. So I think that it's a really good thing for people to start wrapping their heads around like, this is really important and here's when you could get started and it's, you could get started now.
Melina: Yeah. And the, the last thing I'll say on that is, a lot of the actual early work that I did with smaller brands and startups was using paid social as a means of like early market testing.
Kelly: Ooh. Oh, okay. Tell us more.
Melina: Yeah, this can be really interesting, especially as you are figuring out, the kinds of creatives that you wanna invest in. Whether that's even like you know, your, your brand identity, the, the just general types of creatives you're putting on your site as well as organically. So, there are ways that you can, you know, you can run a campaign even before you've launched your brand where, let's say you put different types of messaging, in different ads and maybe you're testing. Okay, let's see. I'm going to create an ad with maybe it's a, a founder story and it, it feels very more like, U G C or user-generated content. It feels a lot more, natural and organic. Then you're gonna do like one, you can do a test shoot where you do something in studio. And you can then actually run ads kind of like almost behind the scenes where you're reaching new audiences and you're seeing like what drives a higher clickthrough rate, what messages are people, you know, resonating with? And that could actually help inform a larger creative strategy of what you wanna invest in. And, and this doesn't require a ton of money. I mean, you could spend a few hundred dollars even just to get something initial, like click based data. Um, but I've seen that work well especially for small businesses that are just getting started of just doing a little bit of testing to start.
Kelly: I literally just put stars all around what you just said, and I'm going to add that to my to-do list because that is so brilliant. I love that. And again, making it feel really approachable and tangible to get started. It doesn't have to be this big, scary, daunting thing. That's a really great example of how to get started in testing to get it going.
Melina: Totally.
Kelly: Thank you so much. This is, oh my gosh. I know people are gonna, I'm. I know they're gonna be obsessed with this episode and they're like, okay, I could get my head around this now. Yes, absolutely. So to close off this episode, I could talk to you for hours. I think you're so interesting. What are some things that you do just to help yourself stay creative.
What do you do to help yourself stay creative?
Melina: Yeah, definitely. Well so I actually, I forgot to mention this at the beginning, but aside from Corner Light Digital, I have, I've always had kind of creative side projects over the course of, really since I was in college, starting with, you know, back in the day OG fashion blog when blogging was a thing, you know, 2011. One thing that helps me is. Having a creative outlet that is different from the business work that I'm doing. So, I have a site and social accounts called Fifth Floor Walkup, that are all about like home decor. So it, you know, I was inspired to move to New York, decorating my apartment. Now, I’m moving to Brooklyn. I now have a third floor walkup, so I love it. It's still somewhat relevant. And that has been an interesting way to just like almost build my personal brand in a way that is adjacent to the work that I'm doing at Corner Light. But not necessarily directly related. And I find that, you know, so the agency work that we do with coronary light is actually quite creative. Especially when we're strategizing with clients on, you know, the best types of ads to run and we're figuring out, you know, how do we match that audience with the right type of creative. But I, I would say it probably leans a little bit heavier, like data driven. So having this outlet on the side where, you know, I'm posting about my plants, like the one In the background,I started following.
Kelly: Huh. It's awesome. I love it.
Melina: Yes. Mm-hmm. So, that's been nice to just have something that feels a little bit separate. And I think that that really prioritizing and giving myself the space for that. And then I, I'll also say, and this kind of relates to creativity, but having a, like spiritual or wellness practice, that really helps ground me has been so key in navigating life as a small business owner And also staying creative. Something Right.
Kelly: Tell us more.
Melina: Right. So it's a non-negotiable for me at this point. Yeah. And, and the big thing for me has been yoga. So I have been practicing really consistently since 2017, but, I would say, especially starting at the beginning of the pandemic, it became, something where rather than seeing it as, oh, like I have to work out. I need, you know, I have to work out after I work. Right. It's like almost a precursor. Like if I don't do my yoga practice, I will not be able to work, I will not be able to be creative because it is just such a game changer in terms of the shift that I feel. When I am, you know, in the flow, do you know, and, and also like before my yoga practice and after.
And I actually find it's a great way to even creatively, like problem solve. I know that, you know, you're probably supposed to like clear your mind during a yoga practice, but I kind of just let the thoughts free flow. And I find that something I may have been spending hours sitting at my laptop, like not able to, to troubleshoot or problem solve, right? Just totally unlocks when I am, you know, out, away from my desk in a true, like, flow in, in many ways. And so that has been huge for me, both for mental health and then also kind of like, leaning into more creative work.
Kelly: Thank you for sharing that because as we mentioned earlier, when you are a creative building, a small business, and it's really based off of your creativity, like the, I think there's such a nuance to having a cre, you're a creative and you have a creative small business, right? Right. It's like you are the business. The business is you. And so I really like how you say to that. So for you to get grounded for you to. Just collect yourself to be able to show up more for your, your life and for your business, and to have more of that creative flow. That's such a great reminder because I know for myself, I could get caught in the loop of being on my computer all the time, being on social all the time, and then you're like, Reacting to everything versus being more intentional. So I really like how you said that and then that's a great reminder. I know so many creatives could get burnt out or feeling stuck or frustrated. So like coming back to themselves and having some sort of spiritual wellness practice before they start their work, I think is such a great tip too.
Melina: Yeah. And, a big thing for me has been building it into my schedule and managing, almost like using your schedule as this blank template to lean into, you know, creativity or deep work or calls. And so, so the way that I do that is like certain days I really only take calls on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and those are my call days. Those are not really my creative days. And then, you know, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, that leaves more space as you know, whether it's separate creative work, separate from Corner Light or more like, larger level strategy. Just having that built out into the schedule. And then also having the yoga blocks, whether it's a planned class or recording that is in my schedule, like a meeting where, you know, it really, unless I need to shift it by like 30 minutes, like it doesn't. Move and that has helped me just kind of like almost operationalizing my type day, to ensure that I'm actually making it happen.
Kelly: I love that and I have a very similar schedule of like, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday I have calls, but Mondays and Fridays I don't. Unless I'm like recording a cool podcast, then I'm like, okay, that's a fun, creative thing I could do on a Friday. Everyone we're recording on a Friday, but I don't take calls because I agree. Like it's a different part of my brain. And for me to be creative, I need days where I don't have to talk to anyone, and I could just, like, do my thing. So I think that's also a really helpful, piece of advice where when you are a small business owner, you have that flexibility going back to your first original point of why you got started. You can make those rules, you can set your schedule that you talk to people on Tuesdays and Thursdays if that works best for you. And I think sometimes we just need those reminders like, you have permission to build a business that really aligns with your creative flow and like how you show up best.
And I would say sooner than later, building that in. So thank you for sharing that because I know so many people will find that really helpful by just being like, okay, I can do this. And like feel good about creating those boundaries. You know, when you're in a small business, you feel like maybe you have to do everything for everyone. So creating those boundaries and sticking to them consistently sounds like that's been a really impactful way that you've been growing.
Melina: Yeah, definitely.
Kelly: I love it. Well, thank you so much. Seriously, this was so helpful and so insightful. How can people connect with you personally, your, business and also your creative side projects that I'm also following that I love?
Melina: Yeah. So, let's see. On social media, you'll find probably me personally as well as Fifth Floor Walkup. My home decor, creative project. So, um, on Instagram it's Melina_Peterson, and then, Fifth Floor Walkup blog. And then I'm also navigating and dipping my toes into TikTok, so. Similarly, just getting started on my personal TikTok, Melina_Peterson, and then it's just Fifth Floor Walk on TikTok. But for Corner Life Digital, we're not as active organic. Technically on social media, I feel like we're just like busy behind the scenes running all the ads for, for all of our clients. So we focus our energies there. But, you know, if you're interested in the work that we do, just head to our website, cornerlightdigital.com. There's also a kind of new client questionnaire, intake form that you can fill out, if you're interested in working with us. And then, myself or someone on our team will, will send more information just about our pricing and the work that we do. But that's probably the best way to, to get in touch, from the business side.
Kelly: Love it. And anyone listening who's in New York, definitely check out Molina's workshops because they're so helpful. Get a pen and paper and you are going to nerd out and learn so much. Honestly, your one class that I took was such a game changer for me. So if you're listening and you're in the city, definitely look for upcoming workshops.
Melina: Yep. Really excited. Hope to have some more at Shopify in Soho in the spring.
Kelly: Okay, perfect, perfect. Well thank you again for coming on the show. I really appreciate your time and insight and thank you everyone for listening. Bye. Thanks.
