• Episode Summary & Player
• Show Notes
• Wild Business Growth Podcast Summary

Episode 134: Shondell Varcianna – Balanced Blogger, Founder of Varci Media

Shondell Varcianna, the Founder and CEO of Varci Media, joins the show to share her journey from telemarketing for the Bank of Montreal to taking her content writing company from side hustle to dream business. Hear how to blog specifically to your target customers, create more engagement with your blog posts, benefit from joining Facebook Groups, hire a team and delegate tasks, and the craziest things she heard while telemarketing. This episode covers everything from a newspaper route to Shondell’s move from Canada to the U.S. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:

• What got Shondell into the finance industry in the first place
• How do you take your side hustle to full-time business
• How do you get to know your target customer
• How do you get involved in Facebook Groups
• What’s involved in hiring a team
• SuperNichedAndFocusedWoman
• A spontaneous “Just Do It” when talking about Nike
• Saying the word Eh, eh

Connect with Shondell on LinkedIn and at VarciMedia.com.

Enjoy the shooooow! Check out the show notes below for much more detail.

Show Notes

• Intro & Working at Financial Institutions
  • [0:28] Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool
  • [0:43] Connect with Shondell on LinkedIn and at VarciMedia.com
  • [1:33] Finance, Content, Blogging
  • [1:53] Target Customers
  • [2:09] What pulled Shondell into the finance and banking space
  • [2:28] Telemarketing
  • [2:51] Bank of Montreal
  • [3:05] Mortgage Loan Originator
  • [3:11] Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), PMI (Private Mortgage Insurance)
  • [3:26] Mortgages
  • [4:12] Personal Finance
  • [4:31] Audience
  • [4:40] Radio Stations, Magazines
  • [4:45] Gail Vaz-Oxlade, Suze Orman
  • [4:59] Business
  • [5:51] Newspapers
  • [5:59] What did Shondell learn from telemarketing
  • [6:14] Blushing!
  • [6:29] Part-Time Job
  • [6:55] Product, Service
  • [7:25] Entrepreneur
• The Varci Media Story & Blogging to your Target Customers
  • [7:55] How was the transition from side hustle to full-time business
  • [8:02] Business Owner, Employee, Staff
  • [9:06] Startup, Capital, Hiring, HR (Human Resources), Advertising, Marketing
  • [9:49] What was another adjustment to being a business owner
  • [10:07] Marketing Degree, The 4 Ps
  • [10:19] The 4 Ps of Telemarketing
  • [10:30] Leads
  • [10:48] HR Minor
  • [11:08] Churn
  • [11:19] Contracts
  • [11:28] Non-Disclosures, Non-Solicitation
  • [11:37] Clients
  • [11:59] Taxes
  • [12:33] Content Creation, Financial Institutions, Rich Content
  • [12:58] How do you keep your target customers front and center when blogging
  • [13:15] Industry
  • [13:39] Ideal Customer
  • [14:07] Rental Properties
  • [14:24] How can you check if your blog post is speaking to your target customer
  • [14:46] Analytics
  • [14:54] Research, Pain Points
  • [15:48] What is the best way to understand your target customer
  • [16:12] First-Time Home Buyers, Repeat Buyers
  • [16:21] Facebook Groups, Niche, Forums
  • [17:29] Search Bar
  • [17:58] Brand, Facebook Page
  • [18:11] Website, Opt-In
  • [18:32] Podcasting
  • [19:03] Podcast Movement Group, Podcasters
  • [19:15] MaxPodcasting, My Blog Posts about Podcasting Tips
  • [19:52] Moderators
  • [20:18] Down Payment, 4-Plex, Quad
  • [20:48] Application
  • [21:00] Engagement, Shares, Publicity
  • [21:14] What helps blog posts get more engagement
  • [22:35] Call-to-Action (CTA), Views
  • [22:53] Internet
  • [23:03] YouTube Creators
  • [23:34] GaryVee (Gary Vaynerchuk)
  • [23:58] Videos
  • [24:11] Russell Brunson, ClickFunnels
  • [24:18] Russell Brand, Forgetting Sarah Marshall
  • [24:41] How much writing does Shondell do these days
  • [24:52] Writing, Editing, Social Media
  • [25:08] Podcasts
  • [25:24] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool

• Inspiration & Creativity: People, Hobbies, and Resources
  • [26:02] How do you be and stay creative
  • [26:33] Morning Person
  • [27:06] How does it feel to get a task accomplished before everyone else wakes up
  • [27:24] Personal Trainer
  • [28:33] Peloton
  • [29:38] Mental Stamina
  • [30:12] How do you get yourself to hire help for your business and personal life
  • [33:39] Chef
  • [32:48] Superwoman, SuperNichedAndFocusedWoman
• Wild Business Shoutout of the Week
  • [33:16] Creative Marketing
  • [33:22] Serena Williams, Nike Ad
  • [33:42] Voice-Over (VO)
  • [33:58] Wimbledon
  • [34:53] Nike
  • [35:23] Coaching
  • [36:23] Journal
  • [37:22] Mat Leave (Maternity Leave)
  • [37:49] Just Do It! Naturally

• The Unusual: Pet Peeves, Quirks, and Weird Talents
  • [38:23] What is a quirk Shondell has, eh?!
  • [39:07] What is a weird talent she has
  • [39:23] Ballet, Tap, Jazz
  • [39:26] What type of dance is the most difficult
  • [40:18] What is a pet peeve Shondell has
  • [40:44] Twitter
  • [42:09] “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin
• Rapid-Fire Q&A
  • [42:2] What is the biggest adjustment moving from Canada to the U.S.
  • [43:00] Small Business, Corporations
  • [43:22] Cost of Living
  • [43:42] Minimum Wage, Inflation, Self-Employed
  • [44:19] How do you avoid crashing when getting barely any sleep the night before
  • [45:03] Binge-Watching Netflix
  • [45:12] Teresa Heath-Wareing on the Wild Business Growth Podcast
  • [45:43] What has helped Shondell from her background studying HR
  • [46:01] Behavioral Questions, Interview
  • [46:32] Resume
  • [46:53] Zoom Interviews
  • [47:01] Virtual Assistants (VAs), Virtual Business
  • [47:29] What is the most ridiculous thing to happen on the other end of the line when telemarketing
  • [48:37] Connect with Shondell on LinkedIn and at VarciMedia.com
  • [49:03] What are Shondell’s final thoughts
  • [49:27] Subscribe to the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a friend about the podcast
  • [49:37] Check out the Wild Business Growth Podcast on GoodPods, where you can see what your favorite people are listening to
  • [49:44] Connect with me on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn at @MaxBranstetter
  • [49:48] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool
  • Theme music: Freestyle Percussion Magik – Jungle Tribe – provided by Jamendo

What is the Wild Business Growth Podcast?

Wild ideas. Wild growth. Every Wednesday morning a new entrepreneur or innovator joins the Wild Business Growth Podcast to share the crazy creative and unusual ways they grew their business, and provides tips for you to do it, too. Hear the woman who became the voice of Siri, the man who’s reinventing the sandcastle, how GaryVee’s partners are turning the wine world upside down, and more wild stories. Hosted by Max Branstetter (that’s me), Founder and Podcast Producer at MaxPodcasting.

How do you start a podcast?

Interested in starting a professional-sounding podcast for your brand, but don’t want to deal with the time commitment? I’ve got you covered. Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool.

Thanks for listening to Shondell Varcianna on the Wild Business Growth Podcast. To hear more Wild stories like this one every Wednesday morning, subscribe to the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a friend about it. Until next time, Let your business Run Wild…and Bring on the Bongos!!

What is the Wild Business Growth Podcast?

Wild ideas. Wild growth. Every Wednesday morning a new entrepreneur or innovator joins the Wild Business Growth Podcast to share the crazy creative and unusual ways they grew their business, and provides tips for you to do it, too. Hear the woman who became the voice of Siri, the man who’s reinventing the sandcastle, how GaryVee’s partners are turning the wine world upside down, and more wild stories. Hosted by Max Branstetter (that’s me), Founder and Podcast Producer at MaxPodcasting.

Episode 123: Katie Witkop – Founding Designer of Faire, Side Hustle Florist

Katie Witkop, the Founding Designer of Faire, joins the show to share her journey from packaging design to leading the design of the online wholesale marketplace. Hear what’s driven Faire’s growth, how to build a team from the ground up, construct a creative work environment, adjust your brand and site design over time, and the type of flower she can’t get enough of. This episode covers everything from building a startup to the oddly satisfying. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:

• Packaging Design vs. Website Design
• How did Katie start her career before joining Faire
• How do you hire the right employees
• What has led to Faire’s growth
• How did Katie’s job interview go
• What makes a creative office space
• Calm vs. Headspace
• What is the funniest product ever sold on Faire

Connect with Katie at Faire.com, on Instagram at @KatieWitkop, and on LinkedIn.

Enjoy the shooooow! Check out the show notes below for much more detail.

Show Notes

• Intro
  • [0:28] Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com for help using your podcast as a business-building tool
  • [0:42] “ABC” by The Jackson 5
  • [0:51] Connect with Katie at Faire.com, on Instagram at @KatieWitkop, and on LinkedIn
  • [1:02] Faire valuation
  • [1:32] Faire
  • [2:05] How does designing physical products compare to designing websites
  • [2:20] Williams Sonoma, Packaging Designer
  • [2:37] SKUs (Stock Keeping Units)
  • [3:28] Punchcut
  • [3:35] Agency
  • [5:18] How did Katie’s early career experiences help her become a Founding Designer
  • [6:02] Trade Show Booths, NY NOW
  • [6:18] UX (User Experience), Credit Karma
  • [6:37] Faire is based in the Bay Area (couldn’t resist)
  • [6:58] What made Katie switch from packaging design to digital design
  • [7:58] iOS, Android
• The Faire Story & Being a Founding Designer
  • [8:41] How did Katie hear about Faire in the first place
  • [8:55] Print Design
  • [9:09] Square, Max Rhodes
  • [9:15] Yes, my name is also Max
  • [9:21] Y Combinator
  • [9:47] How did Katie’s other interview with Max go
  • [11:46] What was her first project at Faire
  • [12:08] Keynote Presentation, Wireframe
  • [12:41] Microsite, Nike
  • [13:22] Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
  • [13:39] How did Katie build the design for Faire’s portfolio while keeping it delightful
  • [14:26] Customers vs. Consumers
  • [15:17] What was a key learning early on that made Katie adjust the design
  • [16:48] Hero Image
  • [16:59] Makers, Brands
  • [17:58] Logotype
  • [18:52] Sales
  • [19:06] How has Katie adjusted the design as site traffic increased
  • [20:10] Sub-brands
  • [20:15] Customer Interviews, Retailer
  • [20:43] Commerce
  • [21:03] Tech (Technology)
  • [21:16] Apple
  • [22:35] How do you build a team from the ground up
  • [23:08] Design Team
  • [23:32] Recruiting, Head of Design
  • [24:13] Robin Bigio
  • [24:29] How does Faire’s hiring process today compare to the start
  • [25:00] Biz Ops (Business Operations), Data Scientists, Engineers
  • [25:48] How has Faire been able to achieve their growth
  • [26:13] Work Ethic
  • [27:08] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool

• Inspiration & Creativity: People, Hobbies, and Resources
  • [27:50] What makes a creative work environment
  • [28:45] Mission, Brit Epperson, Interior Design
  • [30:41] HQ (Headquarters), Founder
  • [31:16] How do you create a successful and positive work environment
  • [32:18] What are Katie’s favorite hobbies
  • [32:42] Side Hustle Florist, Floral Design
  • [33:12] Marina of San Francisco
• Wild Business Shoutout of the Week
  • [35:15] Calm
  • [35:22] Instagram, Headspace
  • [35:38] Instagram Video Ads
  • [36:19] Pee-wee’s Playhouse (AHHHHHHHH!)
  • [36:24] Oddly Satisfying
  • [36:32] Did the ad make Katie switch from Calm to Headspace
  • [37:23] Marketing
• The Unusual: Pet Peeves, Quirks, and Weird Talents
  • [37:49] What is a quirk Katie has
  • [38:10] Katie’s Corgi Watson
  • [38:21] Co-Worker
  • [38:50] Email, Slack, iMessage
  • [39:19] Social Media, MaxPodcasting
  • [39:35] What weird talent does Katie have
  • [40:14] Photoshoots
  • [40:51] Stylist
  • [41:13] What is Katie’s biggest pet peeve
• Rapid-Fire Q&A
  • [42:29] Transamerica Pyramid
  • [42:36] What is a photoshoot styling tip
  • [43:52] 2020 Dumpster Fire Ornament
  • [44:06] Garden Roses
  • [44:15] David Austin Roses
  • [45:01] Connect with Katie at Faire.com, on Instagram at @KatieWitkop, and on LinkedIn
  • [45:26] What are Katie’s final thoughts
  • [45:34] Buckminster Fuller
  • [45:51] Subscribe to the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a friend about the podcast
  • [46:02] Check out the Wild Business Growth Podcast on GoodPods, where you can see what your favorite people are listening to
  • [46:05] Connect with me on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn at @MaxBranstetter
  • [46:08] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool
  • Theme music: Freestyle Percussion Magik – Jungle Tribe – provided by Jamendo

How do you start a podcast?

Interested in starting a professional-sounding podcast for your brand, but dreading the time commitment? I’ve got you covered. Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool.

Thanks for listening to Katie Witkop on the Wild Business Growth Podcast. To hear more Wild stories like this one every Wednesday morning, subscribe to the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a friend. Until next time, Let your business Run Wild…and Bring on the Bongos!!