What It’s Really Like To Be a Female Entrepreneur: RGNN Alum McKenna Smalley on Launching Her Own Business
We launched ROOSTERGNN Academy back in 2016. Only a few years later, our students are working at some of the most important media outlets, fashion companies, attending amazing events, and more! We are so proud of all of you! Follow along and read all of our Alumni Spotlights here.
McKenna Smalley completed our Fashion and Luxury Brand Management Internship and Mentoring Program in Madrid, Spain, in 2019, where she trained under the mentorship of our experts Leonor Delkader (Vogue Spain, Harper’s Bazaar, Netflix) Helena Montes Ruiz-Gálvez (Carolina Herrera, Pepe Jeans), Paolo Scalia (Dolce & Gabanna) and Denis Doyle (Getty Images, AP, New York Times, LA Times).
She has been working hard towards her future ever since, and just launched her own company, Howdy Studio (@howdystudioco), which is all about social media, content creation, branding and web design. In a previous post, we already got the rundown of what she wears to work, and now comes the really interesting part – her career advice on how she went from intern to business owner. Read all about it in this exclusive interview below!
What was your favorite part of the Fashion and Luxury Brand Management Internship and Mentoring Program at RGNN in Madrid?
I absolutely loved the Fashion and Luxury Brand Management Internship and Mentoring Program at RGNN in Madrid! I would have to say my favourite part was the incredible workshops with the experts. They were so knowledgeable and it was a true pleasure learning from them. The workshops were exciting and I still look back on them! It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from these experts.
How did RGNN’s Internship and Mentoring Program help you prepare for your future career?
Before the RGNN Internship, I wasn’t 100% sure what I wanted to do with my career. This internship paved the way for following a creative career! Through the Internship, I gained confidence in myself. It was a different learning environment than inside a classroom that allowed me to get a taste of my career. I remember we created a Strategic Development Plan for a (made-up) business which was an incredible experience! In it were elements that are a part of my career today like target audience, social media platform analysis, brand voice and story, and content creation.
You just launched your own social media, branding and design company, Howdy Studio. How did you get your first clients?
I first spent some time building my portfolio which I highly recommend for anyone starting out, it’s an essential for booking clients! In my portfolio, I included social media, branding and design projects that aligned with my target audience. My first clients came directly from social media. I cannot express enough the power of social media for creatives! Most of my inquiries come directly from Instagram & TikTok. My strategy for getting clients from social media was using a consistent posting schedule (4-5 times a week) and posting content that would drive my target audience to book so showing my work, what makes me standout, etc.
What does a typical “day in your life” as a social media/branding/design manager look like? (If there even is a typical day!)
Every day is so different! I always start my day out with admin work so answering inquiries, replying to emails, answering DM’s stuff like that. I always make a daily and weekly to-do checklist and I have a big whiteboard calendar in my office to track client timelines so I can stay organized. On a typical day, I will be working on a client’s social media which can be anything from content planning to engaging on their accounts, or I will be doing design work which is typically designing a client’s branding or their website. With all of this, strategy is a big part of each of the services I offer so I always make time to stay up to date on current trends, conducting audience research, etc. On a typical day, I will usually have a call so that could be a discovery call with a potential client, or a creative direction check-in call with a branding client, it really varies on the day. Essentially, my day consists of admin work, calls, and creative and strategy work.
Before launching your own business, you also served as Marketing and Public Relations Officer for the Writers Collective of Canada. What did that job entail? Do you have any advice for students who want to pursue a career specifically in writing/journalism?
Yes, I did! It was my first job after graduating university and it was a great experience! The job focused on strategizing and creating content for social media campaigns. I created a thorough social media strategy that was executed through their social media platforms. I also did other various marketing work like email marketing, I was responsible for the weekly e-newsletter. I also strategized and created a Google Ads campaign which was great experience in paid ads!
My best advice for students wanting to pursue a career in writing/journalism would be to build a portfolio! A portfolio holds a lot of value and speaks for itself in the industry. For instance, I wrote articles for RGNN after my Internship which I featured on my LinkedIn and portfolio! With writing these articles, you are also building a niche for yourself which will help you stand out!
– McKenna Smalley, RGNN Academy Alum and now business owner
To get back to what you love most, social media, what advice do you have for students who want to launch their own social media business?
My best advice is to just go for it! Stop waiting for the “perfect moment” and just start! Create an account on Instagram or TikTok and just post. Be consistent, and post strategic content that shows off your unique skillset, creativity and experience. In itself, your profile will be your portfolio!
Want to train under the mentorship of our prestigious Experts and Mentors? Head on over to ROOSTERGNN Academy programs here!
