Tell us your name and a little about yourself.
I’m Sophie, that brit who built a business online so that she could travel the world and work from home in her pants.
What exactly does your company do?
Branding, social media, and marketing for entrepreneurs. Since being a social media hero at Miami As School, I created a step-by-step downloadable guide for aspiring Instagram influencers. Check it out on my website.
What were the biggest challenges you have faced and how did you overcome them?
Working with clients with no defined brand. That’s why I started selling branding strategies years ago. It’s impossible to create a social media strategy with an end goal for a brand that has no identity or niche.
What piece of advice do you wish someone had given you at the start of your career?
Price your worth. Don’t offer less than your worth just to get your first few clients. You’ll burn yourself out and it will take a lot of time to shake off the clients with no budget. A lot of business will come via referrals. So go for clients that have the budget, and they’ll send you more of the same. You can get amazing results for them and it’s so much more fun and rewarding.
Who are your biggest influences and people you admire and why?
Loren Ridinger is my major inspiration and one of the most iconic female entrepreneurs of the century.
I’m also a die-hard Richard Branson fan. I love how he’s always challenged the business status quo.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are?
My early client’s when I first launched my agency 6 years ago. They took a leap of faith in me. Also, my uncle – he’s always been my biggest cheerleader and when I started my first business aged 23 he gave me some cash to stay afloat and advised me on the stuff I hate (accounting).
What do you see as your greatest success in life?
Achieving what I set out to do – being successful enough that I could quit teaching and travel the world, working from different cities. Before relocating to Miami 3 years ago, I lived in Morocco for 2 years and Australia for a while too. After struggling for the first few years (rice and sweetcorn for dinner again, anyone?) there is no greater success than being able to pay all your bills early, live in a beautiful house with a pool, and go shopping without having to look at price tags. I’d have to add still having a good heart Capable of so much love too. None of us get past age 30 without experiencing people who had bad intentions towards us who potentially turned our worlds upside down. Being able to let go and move on from people like that without spite with a heart still capable of kindness and love is a success in itself.
Please list your social media URLs
Instagram: @sophiecbowman
Twitter: @brandbranding
