Today we’d like to introduce you to Chloe Rose.
Hi Chloe, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I graduated in 2014 from Florida State University with a BA in English – Editing, Writing, and Media. I moved to New York City after college and began my career working at Hatch Collection, a direct-to-consumer e-commerce maternity clothing company based in NYC. I joined the company after it had been in existence for just three years, so I really got the opportunity to be a part of a growing start-up truly from the ground up. Because of that, I had my hands in many different departments, from customer service to logistics to social media and website, to brand and partnerships. I helped to develop Hatch’s first in-person shopping experience prior to the opening of their now three retail stores. It was exciting and a wonderful place to learn so much. I moved back to my hometown of Vero Beach, FL and found myself wondering what was next. I had left a job and company I loved and moved to a slower paced community without a clear path forward. When I sat down to think about what my career was going to look like, I realized that what I wanted to do was take the expertise I had gained in my time in New York and help other local and national small businesses get on the upswing. Hence, my company, The Upswing by Chloe Rose, was born.
Starting my company was not easy and I was terrified. Why would anybody hire me? Why would they take me seriously? I just decided that I had to take a leap of faith and try. An old high school friend saw my post on Linkedin that I had started a marketing, branding, and website consultancy and reached out to set me up with my first client – his mom. And once I landed that first client, I knew I could do it.
Over time, The Upswing has evolved and changed. The team has grown. We’ve now served over 25 small businesses, ranging in all industries from retail, food service, real estate, and non-profit. Looking forward into 2022, we’ll be shifting our focus to branding new businesses, rebranding established businesses, and building and updating websites for our wonderful clients. I am proud to be launching a Squarespace Template Shop along with our client-facing services and expanding into small-scale event activations and management as well.
Like for so many of us, the day to day can sometimes feel like a grind, but when I take a step back and reminisce on all I have done with The Upswing, I cannot help but be proud. I never thought I’d have my own business, but now I can’t imagine life without it.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No – if someone’s career and company path has always been smooth, can you put me in touch with them to get their secret recipe? No, but in all seriousness, while the road has had its wins and excitements, it has not always been easy. Honestly, getting started stands out in my mind is a tough part of the road. I had a lot of imposter syndrome. I was afraid that I didn’t know enough to really start this business or if anyone would actually have the confidence in me to hire The Upswing. I wasn’t even totally sure what services I would offer in totality, and that seemed to be a major roadblock for me. I felt like everything had to be perfect BEFORE I started. But once I bought a domain, made a quick website, and shared that I was starting – well, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.
One of the things I had to learn along the way was how to choose clients that we’re the right fit for The Upswing. At the beginning, I said yes to any client that wanted to work with me because I did not feel that I had the luxury to be choosy. The thing is, sometimes I am not what the client is looking for, or vice versa. When it hasn’t been the right fit, it has been so difficult to work with those clients. I’ve dreaded doing the work and the result is just not always something I am super proud of. I signed a client that I didn’t feel great about from the initial meeting, and the working relationship never quite gelled. In my opinion, the client had unrealistic expectations and after a touch-base meeting, I received an e-mail on a Saturday asking me to lower my fee in half or end the project, and essentially suggesting that due to my age, I didn’t understand what it took to hustle. I very quickly ended the project, not willing to lower my worth for someone who did not understand the value in what I was offering. I learned that to be successful, I have to be able to say no when it’s not the right fit and know my worth.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The Upswing specializes in branding, website design, and marketing. Some of my proudest projects are the rebrands I’ve done. I’ve helped some amazing, established businesses launch new names and new looks and seen them really thrive with their new identities. It makes me so proud to walk into some of their establishments and know I was able to help support them to make their dreams a reality. We offer full branding and rebranding services, from logo design to collateral design, brand kits, and more. We also build beautiful websites using the Squarespace or Shopify platform, depending on the needs of the client. It is so much fun to build these from the ground up. While we have moved away from offering social media and e-mail marketing services, we love to help plan and market brand events.
I am proud that over 60% of my clients have been female-owned businesses. While The Upswing does have some standard packages, at the end of the day, I tailor the experience to every client. This is not a big box agency that pumps out the same kind of work for insane prices. I work directly with each of my clients 1:1 to help them get the results they truly want. I serve businesses in all industries. When you work with me, you actually work directly with me, not an agency full of people, which means you really get that personalized attention and experience.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I honestly never thought I would be here, owning a business that I created from the ground up. I didn’t have money to put behind it, I wasn’t even sure I could do it, but I just said yes. It’s kind of amazing to me to look how far I have come and excited for what lies ahead. I really believe that the first step is just to say yes, and the rest will follow.
The Upswing is ready to help businesses of all sizes, no matter where you are located.
Contact Info:
- Email: chloe@theupswingbychloerose.com
- Website: www.theupswingbychloerose.com
- Instagram: @the.upswing
Image Credits
Kinosi Photography, Sydney O’Haire Photo
