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Rachel and I were first introduced through a mutual friend in the before-times. We met at a coffee shop to get to know each other and talk about our mutual love of marketing (and summer camp, as it turns out). At that time, Rachel was newly married and contemplating making some other sweeping changes to her life; namely, leaving the 9-to-5 world and going out on her own as a one-woman marketing machine. We talked in great detail about the pros and cons of running your own business, but I'm pretty sure by the end of our time together we had landed on the fact that working for yourself is a *mostly* positive experience.
It took Rachel a little bit of time to fully commit to going out on her own, but once she discovered Squarespace, it gave her the push she needed to do it confidently. Once she niched down, the business took off. We've remained good friends through it all and have even gotten to work together on client projects over the past few years. Now, Rachel is about to embark on a whole new challenge in her business: becoming a mom. I can't wait to watch her shine in that role as well.
Rachel Seid: Mrs. Bright Seid
What is the name of your company and what do you do?
Mrs. Bright Seid! I’m a Squarespace web designer focused on building beautiful, easy-to-use sites that foster authentic connections between you and your community.
How long have you been in business?
I started this business in 2018 and have been cobbling things together ever since. 4 years and growing!
How did you decide to launch your own business?
Well the short story is that I couldn’t find a job. The longer story is that I was working for a local Jewish non-profit, and I hadn’t gotten any appealing offers after six months of job searching. So I decided to take the leap and start my own thing.
At the time, I had been planning for two possible futures: the one where I got a new job, and the one where I started my own business. I ended up being somewhat prepared to start a business but I also see now that I had a lot to learn.
What challenges did you face in the process of launching your business?
At first, I offered services as a one-stop-shop digital marketer. I would do any digital marketing project that came my way. At a certain point, my biggest challenge was also one of my biggest strengths: I’m super adaptable. Within my first year I had 12 different clients at one time, each with different payment structures, different internal communication methods, different email marketing and website back ends… It was a lot. I was making the right amount of money, but I was wasting time switching between all those systems. I barely had time to get all the work done, let alone find and acquire new clients.
Did you feel as though there were resources available to you, specifically as a woman business owner?
I tend to be exceptionally resourceful, and I’m definitely a glass half full kinda girl… I have always found helpful resources throughout my career! Around the time I started realizing that my business had production issues, I discovered all these courses for establishing your Squarespace web design business. In some ways, I was already doing a lot of the things they were teaching, but I learned that I could be more efficient and effective if I moved clients through my systems instead of trying to adapt my systems to fit each client.
Do you have a mentor?
I’ve been lucky to have a lot of helpful mentors throughout my career. I wouldn’t be where I was today without the people who showed me the way! In the year before I started my business, Ennis Carter at Social Impact Studios taught me to be a designer and a stronger, more responsible communicator. That same year, Rachel Dukeman at R&R Creative taught me to think like a marketing strategist, and showed me how to actually run a business and manage difficult clients.
Since starting my business, I’ve learned a ton from Sarah Zero and the other small business owners in the Wellstruck community. And Sophia Ojha taught me to distill my Squarespace web design offerings into a neat and tidy 2-week package.
All along the way, I’ve had one-off relationships with smart, impressive people who have already accomplished goals that I’m currently working toward. I like to think of them as north stars… These people illuminate where I might go next, and show me the paths they took to get themselves there.
Books you recommend?
Lately I’ve loved Profit First by Mike Michalowicz, Everyone Should Be A Millionaire by Rachel Rodgers, and Everything Is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo. I’m currently reading Atomic Habits by James Clear, hoping that maybe it’ll help me troubleshoot my habit of always hitting snooze…
What do you love most about running your own business?
The flexibility and autonomy! I love being the one who makes big decisions and steers the ship.
What is your least favorite aspect of running your own business?
I miss having coworkers. Working alone makes it much harder for me to motivate myself every day.
What is your best piece of advice for other women who are thinking about launching a business?
Just start somewhere! Everything builds on itself over time, nothing needs to be perfect, and day-to-day baby steps become giant leaps over years. You’re doing great, just keep going!