Reggie is a talented videographer/photographer, and owns Karch Co. with her husband which sells blue light filtering glasses!
We dive into:
- The things she has done to make her business stand out/how to differentiate yourself in a saturated market
- Differences between owning/operating a service-based business vs. a product based-business
- Balancing two different businesses
- Working with a spouse
- Tips for launching a product based business and making necessary changes along the way
- Why she wishes she had dropped out of college earlier
Reggie has loved capturing moments through video since she was just a kid. (I’m talking she was editing videos when she was 11 years old!) She grew up watching and creating videos, and didn’t hesitate when the chance to video a friend’s wedding. From there, things got REAL. She realized video was her real passion, dropped out of college, and hasn’t looked back since!
Standing out in a saturated market:
- Show up consistently and show why YOU are passionate about what YOU DO
- Get off of social media if you need to
- Create before you consume
- Staying inspired + keeping your work uniquely YOU: Find inspiration through things like music or movies rather than the work of your peers
Write down things that you want your work to FEEL like - work toward what you want people to feel when they experience your work rather than what you want it to look like
Karch Co.
The launch was pretty basic: they started started with a website, the product, and an ig page, photos Reggie had taken herself, and they announced the launch only a week before everything went live.
One of the biggest things they quickly realized is that there are a lot more steps you need to take with a product business. Reggie says she has had a lot of people reach out hoping to “make some extra cash” with a side hustle but most people don’t realize “you have to invest so much in the beginning before you can even make a profit.”
Tips for launching + growing a product-based business:
- Know your target audience and put yourself in their shoes, and know who you are as a brand but don’t be afraid to make changes
- Stop mimicking what you see larger companies doing, and instead really hone in on who your target market is. Once they came up with the tag line “computer glasses for the digital generation” for Karch Co and dove deep into what that actually meant things started to change for the better. The “digital generation” isn’t middle aged people on their computers at work! It’s teens and college students with style. Once they realized THAT is who they wanted to appeal to, they could reflect what they woul resonate with in all of the content they put out. So their IG feed, their website, their messaging all changed to speak directly to that target audience. “Don’t be afraid to make those changes because there will always be changes that need to be made in your business” “knowing when you need to make those changes is so important”
- Provide an amazing, quality product. When they ordered samples for Karch Co, they put them through the wringer. They tested the blue light filtering capability, tried to bend and break them to test the quality and strength, wore them, etc. Testing your products allows you to feel more confident in what you offer and provide a better customer experience.
Working with a spouse: - “It’s just so fun to have something we can put our energy into together”
- Know eachother’s strengths and divide tasks that way
- “It’s nice to have someone who can help pump you up”
- Be patient and don’t take anything personally
- Some of the biggest differences between the product/service businesses
- The investment with a product based business is something you need to be aware of and it isn’t just a one-time up-front cost! If you want to grow, you invest the money you earn right back into the business
Advice for balancing multiple businesses/passions: - Sit down at the very beginning and make a business strategy + set goals
- Set aside time for each business m/w are for karch co, T/r/f are for photo/film and saturdays are personal days
Book Recommendations: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Girl Wash Your Face
How to Win Friends + Influence People
Podcast Recommendations: Goal Digger How I Built This What We Said Woke With Weslie
Advice
Take risks Be prepared to make mistakes but still give it all you’ve got
Connect With Reggie:
@reggieann_ @reggieannfilm.photo
@karch.co