Ep. 038 - Amber Campbell, Owner of Do Communications & GoSouthSeattle.com

THE SEA-TOWN PODCAST: Interviewing Seattle's Business Leaders and Entrepreneurs

This week’s guest is Amber Campbell, Owner of Do Communications & creator of GoSouthSeattle.com (previously known as the Rainier Valley Post). She is a marketing consultant with 20 years of experience helping small and medium size businesses. Highlights From This Episode: Amber is a marketing consultant with 20 years of experience helping small and medium size businesses and used to run the Rainier Valley Post, working some with West Seattle Blog's own Patrick and Tracy. The Rainer Valley Post has now transformed into the vibrant GoSouthSeattle.com. Go South Seattle is based on three things: a community blog, a business directory (funded by business sponsorships), & an online store to sell Go South Seattle merchandise & business gift certificates and such. Amber's marketing business not only does 1-on-1 marketing consulting but also provides turnkey digital marketing tools to small businesses that don't necessarily have the time or budget to hire a full-on marketing consultant to help them get in front of those who people who live in their same zip code. She will work with business's goals to develop a marketing strategy and how to implement that strategy. Amber got started in marketing originally in a round about way, as an ambassador or sorts, for low-income elementary school's in Tucson Arizona for her University, The University of Arizona. Amber was the first person in her family to graduated from college. This experience helped her see the value in being able to highlight the best of something and communicating that value to others... and that's what she sees marketing as, highlighting the best of something. Amber came was recommended as a guest on the podcast by Erin Williams (Ep. 33, Owner of Pier Coffee) After 7 or 8 years of running the Rainier Valley Post, working twice as hard but still not making any money, she was referred to Ventures Non-Profit (Ep. 28, Ventures ED Beto Yarce) to help her build her ideas (where she met Erin and tons of other great people). Not only did going through Ventures's classes really help her but now she teaches one of their marketing classes and Amber says that "Erin has changed my life" and is her bookkeeping coach for Amber's business.

• What do you love most about owning your own business? Being able to have the flexibility to be there for her kids and family.
• What was most surprising or unexpected with opening your own business? How hard it is and how time-consuming it is. Initially, Amber didn't realize that there is a difference between creating a job for yourself and growing a business.
• What is Do Communications known for? 1-on-1 marketing consulting... with additional more affordable turn-key marketing options via the Go South Seattle platform.
• What is your greatest strength? I don't give up!
• What habit do you wish you had? Being prompt.
• What are you passionate about? Making sure my kids have the kind of opportunities in their lives that I did not.
• What boundaries have you setup to keep from being distracted by technology or other time suckers? I use a time-keeping app open on her desktop as she is working on client's projects and is very focused on only doing one thing at a time.
• What is the most challenging aspect of owning and running your own business? Self discipline & being straight about staying focused with what you are doing in your business.
• What is the best advice you have ever received? As she was considering going to college (as the first person in her family to go to college, there wasn't any emotional or monetary support from her family), she was starting to get cold feet as she was looking over the student loan numbers when someone who was previously in her position told her that "they can't take it away from you". They can take away a car or other physical positions but they can never take away your education, knowledge or college experience. She was told not to let the scary big numbers scare her away from going to college and the opportunity it presented. This gave her the courage to go though with it, become the first person in her family to get a college degree and she now knows that this person was right and she is so glad she went through with it.
• Do you listen to podcasts? What are your favorites? Serial, Left, Right and Center & Welcome to Nightvale.
• What is your one book recommendation for our listeners? The E-Myth by Michael Gerber

Episode Links & Resources:

• Guest's Website: DoCommunications.net & GoSouthSeattle.com
• Like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/docommunications/
• Guest's recommended books/tools/resources: The E-Myth by Michael Gerber
• Guest's favorite podcast(s): Serial, Left, Right and Center & Welcome to Nightvale.
• Learn more about Christian, Sea-Town Real Estate and more at: www.Sea-Town.com

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