How We Turned a Dry Erase Idea Into a Business Model

Earlier this year, it became clear that we wanted to scale a production arm of TE&Co. In many ways, it was right in front of us: we view ourselves as great storytellers, we produce network television for Fox Business and Bloomberg, we co-write scripts for a talk show series, we have written speeches for University presidents and Fortune 500 executives, we media train all of our PR clients, and we consult our clients on their external communications strategies (which often includes social media and website content strategy).?

At first, it didn’t have a name. In fact, internally, we called it “the video thing” or “studio day,” until we landed on “Personal Brand in a Box.”

The idea was to “deliver” personal branding —?photo, video, brand positioning, and visual design all “in a box.”? You know, like Amazon.?

Naming aside, a lot went into launching this new service. We thought it would be worthwhile to share how a simple idea, a lot of planning, and a bit of luck would become a core offering as part of our services here at TE&Co.?

Here is the “how” behind the launch of TE&Co.’s Personal Brand in a Box:?

1. Study Our Client’s User Experience?

The first step was to ask a lot of questions. These questions helped us to get a stronger sense of what our clients' past experiences were while working with us on their personal brand. We asked questions like, ‘Which tools have been most effective for you as part of your personal branding?’ and ‘How much time would you like to invest in your personal brand.’?

What we heard was this: Interview-style, produced content and editorial photography were the most effective tools in communicating a personal brand. Further, time is of the essence, most busy professionals don’t have a lot of spare time to commit.?

Our takeaway was to create an all-in-one experience that captures our clients story through videography and photography —?and do it with one hour of their time. This meant a strategy-heavy process on the front end, and a well-run schedule. Check and check.?

2. “Practice, Practice, Practice”

The next step was to measure and outline our ‘way’ or ‘process’. We outlined the vision, timeline, and budget of what we had in mind on the front end, and invited two individuals from our client network for complimentary sessions with awareness that a) this was a beta and b) we would be asking for feedback to help refine the service.?

The test-run days went off without a hitch.?

There was a spark in all of us —?including the clients. Not only did it become the highlight of everyone's week, we were able to deliver a service that was effective for our test-run clients.?

The drawing board wasn’t done just yet. Our team rehearsed and shared the step by step process we took. Intangible things like greeting our clients at the door and taking everything off their hands in exchange for a cold water bottle or drink of their choice. We wanted to capture the luxury feel and give an attention-to-detail experience.

3. Brand It?

This was the fun part. We love all things brand, for ourselves, for personal brands, for startups, and corporate companies alike. We quickly put together an easy to navigate website, wrote out the description, and took breaks in between to stay creative. We created social media accounts, and began to capture our clients' personalities within the content. They are —?and always will be — our primary focus.?

4. Go-to-Market?

Although there wasn’t a specific launch day, we did start promoting ‘Personal Brand in a Box’ right away. We felt ready. By the time we started selling — things sort of fell into place.?

We relied on our financial advisor, Pablo Sampaio for guidance on how to price the services, and gained insight from Burnout Coach Neha O’Rourke on how much to take on in order to scale in a smart and strategic manner.?

**this article was published in The Creatives Issue of TE&Co. https://www.tamaraedwards.co/magazine