Interview with the Tri-Village Chamber Partnership
Business, balance, and benefits!
Greetings!! If ya don’t know-- I’m Yasmine Robles of Robles Designs and the founder of Digital Hustle Tribe. I had an awesome interview with David Polakowski, the executive director of the Tri-Village Chamber Partnership. I am currently a member of the Chamber and am serving on the committee! We are all about uniting leaders to continue to build and develop our community. David and I talked about everything from secrets words of wisdom to the importance of communicating with partners. I’m here today to unveil some of our conversation!
WHO AM I!?
As you may know and like I mentioned, I own my own business where I glitter bomb websites and brands to help build digital empires. I usually work with businesses who are around 1-3 years old and my branding generally tends to attract female clients… hence the “glitter-bombing”. But, who doesn’t need a little bit of glitter in their lives?! Unbeknownst to some, I know how to have a good time. When I am not electrifying websites, I love to go Latin Dancing around Columbus!
Women supporting women. PERIOD.
David and I dove right into it when he asked me about why I am so passionate about this topic. I’m here to say that I am very pro-supporting women business owners. I learned from a client that women usually take on the mental stress of the household.
#InMyOpinion it is crucial to create a safe haven for women to network, learn, and talk with other women! Owning your own business can be lonely AF and having this support can make all the difference.
Balance? Never heard of it.
People ask me all the time how I balance my business/home lifestyle and David had the same curiosity. My simple answer? I don’t. Don’t be scared. I’ve learned to be comfortable without having total balance 24/7, 365.
I have also learned that when you own your own business, you go through phases. Sometimes I’ll be business, business, business. Other times I’ll be heavily involved with the kids (summer). BUT, my biggest lesson is that I have learned to integrate my family and my business. AKA, putting my kids to work when I host events at my house.
Communication = Key
Between me and my husband, I am definitely the planner. Yes, I am the person who had my 2020 planner in November 2019 and gets giddy over spreadsheets. My husband, on the other hand, is an amazing supporter. We’ve found a great system where I lay everything out and put down my most important days and then he will put down his.
Having a system = NO SURPRISES.
We also plan a couple of nights a week without the kids to binge-watch reality TV and eat junk food. Romance is NOT dead! #21stCenturyRomance
Why the Chamber?
One of my clients mentioned the Chamber to me and convinced me to go to a lunch-in. I instantly felt welcoming energy and warmth from the members. It wasn’t a question after that to go 100% all-in and get a membership. Now I’m serving on the committee!
Be genuine & authentic to rule the world.
… Or at least get your business started. David asked my biggest recommendation to young people looking into entrepreneurship and my answer was to START NETWORKING. Like, yesterday. Get on LinkedIn. Ask questions. See if it’s for you. I know it’s shocking but people in the real world are nice and you can make friends. Just be yourself and see how you can support other entrepreneurs.
Recommendations for your website: are you ready, or naw?
My biggest tip for those who are wanting to take the next step in their business and create a website is to try out different platforms and make sure that you feel secure/will be using it for at least the next few years. There are free trials to make sure that they are a good fit for you. Utilize them.
For those who already have a website but aren’t sure if they need a refresh or redo of the site, ask yourself if you are hitting your business goals with your current budget. Do you really NEED to upscale or are you just not going to networking events? If you aren’t sure, reach out to a web designer (AHEM @RoblesDesigns), and you will get support on whether or not you really need a new website. If not, I can refer you to someone for paid ads, social media, etc.
Get comfortable being uncomfortable.
Coming from an awkward introvert, put yourself out there, go to events/workshops, brag about your accomplishments, and then you’ll start seeing the change in yourself and your business.
One of our recent events included about 15 women, business networking, an opportunity to be authentic and… wine. A lil’ something to take the edge off. If that’s too much, start doing one thing every day that is out of the ordinary for you and your business. Baby steps.
Benefits of the Chamber
Some of the best speaking events I have ever been to include speakers that provide insights (more like little gold nuggets), that relate to both business and non-business lifestyle. These tidbits of advice will become a tool kit for you to use forever.
The people you will meet will allow you to create genuine connections with business owners and listen to their journeys. You’ll create real friendships, which can be difficult in the adult world.
Also, food and coffee. Always.
THANK YOU, DAVID AND THE CHAMBER!
I had so much fun speaking with David and am so grateful for the Chamber and the experiences it has brought me! As always, if you have any questions for me about website design or the Chamber, feel free to reach out to me or comment below!
