Q&A with female founder of Grow & Glow Vix Meldrew
In the current economic climate, an increasing number of Brits are starting their own businesses and/or looking to up skill to help them successfully navigate the fast-changing digital environment. Understanding that this is a daunting prospect for some, we sat down to talk to Vix Meldrew, an award-winning content creator and female founder of personal branding membership platform Grow & Glow to get some top tips for succeeding in business and conquering the e-commerce world.
Tell us about yourself and what you do professionally
I’m Vix Meldrew, female founder of Grow & Glow, a personal branding membership resource for creators and creatives who want to harness the power of their online platforms through content marketing to build sustainable and successful businesses and brands of their own.
How did you come up with Grow & Glow?
Back in 2015 I was working 70+ hours a week as a primary school teacher in London. Overworked, I craved a creative outlet. Following some devastating events in my personal life – including the loss of my parents and the infidelity of my then partner – I decided to start blogging. Initially a lifestyle blogger, I gradually began to write about my mental health, with a side of dating mishaps. I went viral with #VixSwipes, a weekly Twitter feature where I’d swipe on Twitter and share the awful profiles and messages I saw.
As my audience grew, I secured lucrative brand collaborations, awards and media opportunities which helped me move closer to my goal of becoming a full-time content creator. After two-and-a-half years, I left the classroom behind, but maintained my passion for teaching by creating ‘Exciting Emails’, an e-newsletter to share weekly tips and insights. Within three months, I had 3,000 regular readers and so I began working towards my goal to offer coaching, content creation courses and to have my own podcast.
By November 2018, the ‘Exciting Emails Podcast’ was #1 on iTunes’ business and marketing charts, and I’d spent the year coaching 50+ creators on building their personal brands. I knew I wanted my teaching to reach a wider network and so I gave ‘Exciting Emails’ a makeover.
Enter ‘Grow & Glow’. A runaway success, we launched to 100 members in under 58 minutes in 2019. We’ve since partnered with Pinterest and Shopstyle to provide expert trainings for our members and 18 months on, I’m incredibly proud that we have 600+ members in 16 countries including the UK, Canada and Australia.
How can a Grow & Glow membership help our readers?
A monthly membership provides the resources, training and support every individual behind a personal brand needs to GROW their online presence and GLOW for their audience or customers. Through monthly coaching, expert training sessions and access to exclusive opportunities and resources, we take you from strung-out to stand-out.
Our ethos is to provide a community of like-minded colleagues who believe in support, empowerment, furthering of skills and leaving an online legacy.
What advice can you give our readers on how to build a successful e-commerce business?
Before launching your business it’s important to:
- Identify the niche that your business is going to launch in
- Determine the demographics of your ideal customer base and take time to understand their pain points so you work out how the service your business provides can help them
- Evaluate whether your product or the service you plan to provide stands out. Does it provide something your target customers really need?
- Create a content marketing strategy making sure you choose platforms where your ideal customer hangs out. Instagram is typically a great place to start, but take time to consider whether your target audience might also be avid blog readers or podcast subscribers
From here, you can start reaching your target customer and educating them on you, your brand and how your product will transform their lives, and you can do all of that through authentic and engaging content.
Can you give our readers three tips on how SMEs can improve and enhance their digital presence?
- Show up daily on Instagram Stories to share value and provide context for your brand and business
- Create shareable content. On Instagram this can be videos, memes or carousel infographics – it’ll help you reach more people
- Collaborate with others in your niche for platform swaps and takeovers. It’ll let you tap into their audience and make them yours
Where can our readers find out more about Grow & Glow?
We’re re-opening our doors to new members on 1st November for £27 per month. Find us at https://growglow.co and on Instagram, I’m @vixmeldrew and @growglow.co.
Author Bio:
Splitting her time between working in PR and crafting travel and lifestyle features, Ella Jackson is passionate about exploring, be that at home or abroad, and discovering lesser-known destinations.
Photographs by Megan Gisborne Photography
Be the first to comment