Would you dare to close a successful business at the height of its success? When it was all but printing money? Not sell it for a big pay day. Simply just close the doors. Well, Chelsea Thomas did just that. And she’s about to share how she built her empire … and what led to its closing. It’s a very honest (and a little teary) episode 515 of The (11 year-old, award-winning) Small Business Big Marketing podcast.
Another big episode today
We catch up with leading social influencer and founder of I Heart Bargains’ Chelsea Thomas, who recently closed her burgeoning online empire at the height of its success.
This week’s motivated listener explains how she was inspired to make her brand more consistent.
And I let you in on next week’s 17 year-old guest!
A little more about I Heart Bargains Chelsea Thomas
Chelsea Thomas is the founder of I Heart Bargains, Australia’s largest online hub for fashion and homewares under $100. For the last 8 years, every day she’s been providing more than 150,000 women with unique social media and digital content.
Basically, she finds bargains, like say an $80 doona cover at Kmart, posts it on Insta, K-Mart sells out, Chelsea makes money!
She’s also worked with some of Australia’s leading brands to host and produce video and photographic content, making her a leader in brand collaboration.
Things were going beautifully for Chelsea until one day a few months ago, she had a breakdown. The business was growing at a rate of knots, she felt disconnected from her family, and she was exhausted.
At that point she posted a 15-minute video announcing she was closing the business …
View this post on Instagram
I warn you upfront, my chat with Chelsea is brutally honest and raw, covering everything from her breakdown, to how she built such an amazing business. So if you’re feeling a little vulnerable, either maybe listen to another episode, chat with a friend or call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
I started off by asking off asking Chelsea about how bad things got …
Timbo’s Top 3 Attention Grabbers
- I love her brutal honesty. As she said, more business owners should show their vulnerable side and be more authentic. Afterall, people buy from people.
- I love the idea of having a short tagline that very quickly explains what it is you do. Chelsea’s was Everything under $100. This is especially important if your business name is less than self-explanatory.
- I’m reminded of the power of a simple blog. That’s how I Heart Bargains started! There’s so much upside to blogging – it adds great content to your website, Google loves them, and writing a helpful blog post ensures you connect with and add value to your precious customers’ lives.
Resources & Links mentioned in this episode
Last week’s episode – Landing The Pentagon as a customer lead to this business being valued at $7Min just 4-years
Monster Prize Draw winner
Thanks for tuning in. May your marketing be the best marketing.
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