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Raise The Anchor
Raise the Anchor- is a transformative podcast hosted by Melissa Burbridge, where ordinary people share extraordinary stories of life-changing moments.
From overcoming health challenges like a life-saving liver transplant to bold decisions like a career pivot or adopting a life-altering diet, each episode dives into the pivotal moments that reshaped lives for the better. Through Melissa's thoughtful interviews and powerful narratives, "Raise the Anchor" inspires listeners to let go of what holds them back and set sail toward a brighter future.
Join Melissa each week for stories that will spark inspiration, ignite courage, and remind you that it’s never too late to rewrite your story.
Raise The Anchor
From Corporate to Entrepreneur with Allison Smith
This week we chatted with Allison Smith from Dandelion Digital, she shared the reason why she went from corporate to entrepreneurship. It might surprise those who know her it wasn't a path she intended to take, but one she is grateful for.
As the world opens back up you can expect to see Allison taking amazing photos. Check out a bit of her bio:
Dandelion Digital, led by Allison Smith, works with small business owners to post with purpose through photography & social media.
The previous 10 years of corporate experiences all had a common thread. Using my experience in photography & social media management to support local communities, businesses, and events. When relocating to Nova Scotia I went through the SEB program and launched Dandelion Digital in 2020.
Dandelion Digital helps small business owners post with purpose through photography and social media. We create photo galleries and content strategies to level up your brand visibility and reach your ideal client.
For more on Allison:
https://www.instagram.com/dandeliondigitalhfx/
Welcome to Season 3 of Raise the Anchor with your host, Melissa Burbridge. This season, we are going to inspire, ignite, and create space for you to go after the change you want with invigorating interviews and some deep diving into my personal story. We hope you enjoy... Welcome to this week's episode with the lovely Alison Smith. She is the owner and founder of Dandelion Digital. Welcome to the show, Alison. What is it that you do? Hi,
SPEAKER_01:Melissa. Thanks so much. I am actually a photographer. And so what Dandelion Digital does is we do brand photography and social media coaching so that entrepreneurs and small business owners can post with purpose through photography and social media. So really what we do is kind of a anatomy workflow right from the beginning so that we build galleries and strategies to help level up your brand visibility and find your ideal client, or more importantly, have your ideal client find you.
SPEAKER_00:Awesome. That sounds so interesting. What did you do before this? I just want to give our audience a little bit of your background. How far back?
SPEAKER_01:So I've had a camera in my hand since I was 16. I literally went through the high school co-op program. I spent a couple of years. My dad was actually, I'm a base brat and an army wife. And so I met my husband who's from Cape Breton in Germany when I graduated high school. So my first job was actually as a photo tech with the Air Force. And so I would work not to age me, but I worked in the dark room and loved it. I'm not a techie person, but I love the technical aspect of it, but also the creativity of just watching all of these photos come to light and how they've changed. But I also did a lot of photography within. So every week we had to rotate having the beeper for emergency services. So basically, I was a CSI photographer outside of work hours. And so it was such a great education and such a great experience. But then I went back to Canada to Ottawa to go to school, did my photography for a year before Steve and I got married. So then when we got posted back to Canada, I worked in photo studios. And then After we had kids and I went back to work, we were in Edmonton by this time. I went from the local newspaper to the local radio station where I did the evening news. Then I went to the local chamber of commerce where I was the marketing manager. And then I went to an event services company where I did event photography and social media management. So I always sort of was working within that space. media and events kind of sphere 10 years prior while having a wedding and family photography business on the side. And then my husband got posted to Halifax in 2018. And when I arrived at Christmas that same year, a little bit later, I didn't know what I was going to do, really. I was very fortunate that the event services company back in Edmonton kept me on as their social media manager because that was the brilliance of virtual. But when I first arrived, honestly, I went to Social Media Day Halifax. And I think everybody that I know now is one degree of separation or 100 degrees of separation from that one event. And I met a lady who told me about the SEB program, and I went through that to build an entrepreneurial business because I had gone through interviews and been shortlisted for events, social media, corporate work. And I'll be honest, when you come from Alberta and you get a hiring package in Nova Scotia that's half the pay, it's quite shocking. So I was... So I decided, no, I'm going to try it on my own. I have some skill sets that I think I can put to use for other people. So I went through the SEB program, which is a self-employment benefits program that's offered through Nova Scotia. And I did the whole business plan and everything based on event photography and social media management. And I got my business name registered, which is Dandelion Digital, which is a shout out to being a military brat. The dandelion is our official flower. And so January of 2020, I said, hey, event world, here I am. And then in March of 2020, the event world gave me the finger and said, sorry. So yeah, that was kind of the start and the end of that. And then You have the infamous accidental pivot.
SPEAKER_00:And would you say that that pivot was a welcoming change or would you rather go back to that event life?
SPEAKER_01:I think that the pivot was definitely a welcoming change. However, I am still looking forward to the return of events, mostly as a photographer. I think that the new direction of my business won't change when events come. with the social media management so much, but I'm really looking forward to getting back and shooting some events because that's just what I've always done, whether it was for the media or for the services themselves. Lots of trade shows and music festivals and beer festivals and all those things that just really brought people together and built that community.
SPEAKER_00:So what would you say is your life altering change? Would it be going out on business on your own? Would you say the move from Alberta to Nova Scotia? What would you say it is?
SPEAKER_01:Yes. I would say between the two of those things, neither of my business would never have happened. If I was still in Alberta, I loved my job. I was not eager to leave it. And I would still be there if If I was able. Now that company, of course, with COVID has had some changes. So I don't know where my position would have laid with that. But yeah, had I not moved, I would not have ventured into an entrepreneurial world.
SPEAKER_00:It's nice to see that switch. You didn't necessarily want the switch, but the switch happened to you. And instead of just caving in and going a completely different route, you stood to your roots and created something new, which is actually amazingly beautiful. So who do you help now? Now, I
SPEAKER_01:mostly, for the last year, I've really been working with a lot of women that... really were in the same shoes as I was. They were taking a lifetime of experience in a corporate world and transitioning that to something for themselves. I think COVID has really given us that opportunity. And a lot of people, whether out of necessity or opportunity, are making that change for themselves. But what happens is a lot of them, like me, coming from a corporate world, don't know how to go out and find work. Like they don't know how to bring in clients. And that was my largest struggle because I always had, I just showed up at work and the work was there, but they also don't know how to use social media for business unless that was actually their role. But most of the people that I work with, that wasn't their role. So for them, it's Facebook is about family time, right? It's connecting with friends and family, keeping in touch with people from high school or with grandchildren that are, you know, out of province or whatever that may be. So really, getting them comfortable with being the person behind their business, helping them understand that using their brand photography photos to showcase who they are, what they do, what they believe in, a little bit of their personality, what they offer, whether it's a service or a product, and how to build that into a scheduled, consistent social media presence that isn't just about, you know, sharing things with their family, but really about being found by clients that could potentially use their help or their product.
SPEAKER_00:Nice. That's beautiful. So that's how you bridge the gap between the photos and the social media for them. That's nice. And what would you say their biggest challenge is between bridging that gap?
SPEAKER_01:Comfort and consistency, just understanding each how to do it for their business and understanding that regardless of what they offer, unless it's like 100% unique, what's going to make the difference in people choosing them versus a similar product or service is going to be the person themselves. So really being the person behind the business is building that like no trust factor that we hear about, and showing behind the scenes and maybe sharing a little bit of your own expertise and your own process, that's what's going to make the difference. But then they're like, well, I don't want to brag. I don't want to, you know, show people, oh, look at me. And really just letting them be comfortable in their own professionalism and in their own expertise so that they can just be comfortable and consistent.
UNKNOWN:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:So before you said you had a block of attracting your clients, how did you overcome that? I'll let you know when that happens. It's not easy.
SPEAKER_01:I think you just kind of have to practice what you preach and do it yourself. When I did radio news, my station manager had plans to promote me to the morning news at some point because I don't know why I'll leave that up to him, but I refused it when he told me about it. I was like, no, he's like, why not? And I'm going, cause that's live. Right. I'm. And I've always been a very behind the scenes person, right. As a photographer, I like to be a behind the camera. I like to be, you know, in the editing suite, whether that was the dark room or Photoshop or whatever that is, I'm not a front and center kind of person. So I, now while social media has really turned towards video and live and reels and and and just you know speaking to the camera like this it's very out of my comfort zone and so learning to do that and honestly I'll tell you what I don't go live um I will if I'm doing a a video where you see me speaking to the camera, it is 100% always recorded. I think I have one live on my Instagram where I'm actually just sitting in my car waiting for a client to allow me in to come and do the photo shoot because we had to do the whole, still the social distancing and the minimum occupancy. And so I was just like, oh, I'll just do it, right? And it was like 30 seconds, but it still shows up in my Instagram tab. And so just letting people understand that, you know, it doesn't necessarily come natural, but it's what makes the difference. It's what people, it's what people, it's not so much what they maybe expect to see, which it is, but it's more about, it's how they get to know you. And right now where everything is all about zoom and, you know, there's so little face to face, it's kind of the new
SPEAKER_00:face to face. It is. It absolutely is. But there's one thing because I know you and our listeners don't understand how I know you. I don't think you give yourself enough credit. You do a lot of networking and you attract a lot of people in those networks, which is quite awesome to see. And you educate us as you network, which is also a great thing that helps not only you, it helps everybody in that network. So what are your best networks that you love?
SPEAKER_01:Like which groups? Yeah. Which groups do you love? Oh my gosh. Locally here in Halifax, Thursday mornings, Center for Women in Business Coffee Talk is a phenomenal group of female entrepreneurs across Nova Scotia. That's the one I try not to miss the most because it's just always, they go into breakout rooms and you get, you always just get support and you get great ideas. And sometimes you laugh and sometimes you cry. There's a new one now called 40 Cups of Coffee and I'll do anything that involves coffee.
SPEAKER_00:Yes.
SPEAKER_01:But it's, it's great too. It's the last Wednesday of each month and it's entrepreneurial, but you don't, it's not, you know, it's men, women, boys, girls, whoever. And they always usually have like a keynote type of guest speaker and it's run by, by two wonderful women who run the blue door marketing group. Those are my two favorite.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. I I've been to 40 cups of coffee and I love it. I just always have to, try and add it to my calendar. You know me, my calendar's all over the place. The Center for Women in Business, I do have to make more of an effort. I've been a member for a few months. I just keep not putting it into my schedule. I always seem to have something exactly at that time. So I think put it in my schedule.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I have it on. And actually I'm going to miss the next two months because I am doing a course through the Chamber of Commerce on the exact same time. So I have to prioritize that.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, it's always hard when we have to make those decisions. What advice can you give those who are going through the same thing that you went through? They've either had a big move and now they have to figure out a new career because that career isn't exactly offered where we're at, or it's not for the same compensation as we know. And I don't want to diss Nova Scotia, but a lot of times when you're in other provinces, they pay a little bit more than what you're able to get here. I know that from nursing, I lost$10 an hour moving from Ontario to here. Just that's what
SPEAKER_01:I
SPEAKER_00:was looking at was$10.
SPEAKER_01:And actually, it was$13 an hour, I was using half, which is a big sting. Yeah, it's huge. Yeah. I'll be honest, though, the only reason that I'm able to do this is because my husband is what he actually just retired 30 years of service. But he had a paycheck that we counted on and COVID did not interrupt that. So had there been, the timing of COVID was very, you know, if you either could or you couldn't, because my husband's paycheck was guaranteed, I could. If he was in a position where COVID would have threatened his paycheck, I would have had to have gone and that it would have been a non-issue. So the biggest thing is, make sure that you can survive, that you believe enough in it to go through not only the challenge of survival, whether it's emotional or mental or financial.
SPEAKER_00:No, that's good advice. So I know we asked this question before so that we could try and gauge your comfort level, but what motivates you to keep going? Because you said you had that block of not attracting your clients, what motivated you to keep going and not go back into corporate?
SPEAKER_01:That was my motivation, actually, was not having to go back and find a day job. I wanted to stay at home. And not because I have kids at home. My kids are grown. I only have one left at home. She's on her gap year. She's almost 19. But when we moved here... We literally were lucky we got in before this insane real estate growth. Where we live, I love it. We are just outside of Halifax. We are in a rural community. We have a beautiful tree-lined lot. I look outside at the trees all day. Actually, all weekend, I just made sure they didn't fall through my roof from the ice storm. But I have a home office that is, you know, shout out to IKEA. But no, I just... My motivation was to build something that I created because I'm a creative at heart that lets me just work for me on my terms, on my schedule, in my home, and be able to give back into my family without any kind of real pressure. stress on them, I guess.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, no, that's awesome. So where do you see yourself putting Dandelion Digital in the next couple of years? I know you have some exciting stuff coming on and you're welcome to share it if you would like.
SPEAKER_01:My business is a little bit unique, I think anyway, to me. And certainly in Eastern Canada, I've done a little bit of research and there are others like what I do in the States. But because I'm a photographer, and a social media coach or consultant or manager, my ideal key customer is that person that is local. And by local, I don't mean just in Halifax, but kind of that whole central Nova Scotia that is looking to build their entire business anatomy of their social media. So going through that whole photography and building a social media calendar and building, you know, a plan and a consistency for their social media presence. But that's just the local aspect of it. So the nice part is that with the social media consulting and coaching, that could be global. really. And now that we've spent the last two years online and built so many relationships and business connections through Zoom and LinkedIn and your Instagram direct messages and all of these different avenues, I'm really looking forward to building that aspect as well. So I'm actually working on a course to do just that, that you mentioned. It won't be out until probably late spring, but the idea behind it is for all the coaching that I do online here, live, the struggle with that is always being able to find times where everybody can connect and do it within a reasonable amount of time so that you're not, you know, okay, well, I have an hour here, but then I don't have an hour for another three weeks because this came up. And not everybody likes one-on-one coaching. Some people want to be able to do it on their own. I'm the opposite, right? I don't do well just here go and do it I do well with here let's do it together this is how it's done which is I think why I kind of built my business as I did so I'm bringing in a course for late spring that will cover everything from photography tips and even some do-it-yourself how to build your own product photos how to do your own flat lays how to build your social media calendar how to build an ideal client avatar so that you know who you're speaking to and then how to actually create a post and the anatomy of a post and what should be included and how to schedule it and all of these things. So again, full circle. So I'm really hoping that as much as I love to support local and build community locally, I'm also looking forward to that expansion.
SPEAKER_00:No, and I think that'll help a lot of people. As you mentioned, a lot of people are online and I'm really seeing a lot of people not wanting to go back into corporate and corporate saying, come back to the office or you're done. And they're just so comfortable now working from home. They don't want to. So I think you're going to see a rise of entrepreneurs. So I think your business will be a very helpful, welcoming business to help them getting online and getting noticed as they build those businesses. So I think it's a beautiful course and I can't wait to share it. I can't wait. I'm a big fan of yours. A lot of your photos are very beautiful. So before I ask the last question, which I know we don't have an answer to yet, so we'll talk it through. Where can people find you or follow you?
SPEAKER_01:I am at dandelinedigitalhfx on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. I'm Alison Smith on LinkedIn and I am dandeliondigital.ca on the interweb.
SPEAKER_00:Awesome. So the last question I like to ask everybody is who inspires you? It doesn't necessarily have to be a person. It could be a book. It could be anything. So what or who has inspired you? I
SPEAKER_01:can't pick one person. I think I am inspired by community at large. And I think that's almost been my struggle the last couple of years is that lack of community. You talked earlier about how I like to network. And before I came here, networking was a huge, huge part of just my everyday life. And I think that a lot of that was because I was that personality, right? Like people kind of just knew me around the community from, from my work or my volunteer work. And, and so I just, thrive on community. And I think that having built an online community has kind of saved me, really. I moved here. I knew no one. No one. I had no connections. I had no network. And right when I was ready to build one, we weren't allowed to go out of our house. And so having even an online community has just been so important to me. So I like to make sure that because I know the importance of having those connections in my life, I like to make sure that I'm there, not only so that I can gain the community of others, but so that I can give to the community for others. Community is huge for me.
SPEAKER_00:Well, that's a great inspiration. We all have our different inspirations. I think that is a great inspiration. I know a lot of people have single, they have an object. It's inspiration is different for everybody. A lot of photographers, it's being behind the camera. It's the canvas itself. For social media managers, it might be all of those gurus that they follow. Inspiration is definitely not defined by a person. So I always love asking that question because I love getting the different answers back. It's never the same. I don't think I've had two guests ever have the exact same answer as to who inspires them. For me, my inspiration is always different. It depends on what season of life I'm in. Right now, my inspiration is honestly my family. We've been... cooped up for the last few months one with COVID one with like different ailments going on so that always inspires me so thank you for telling us that community inspires you and I'm happy to be a part of that community I always love our talks I don't think we talk enough I think we need to figure that out more maybe you have to kick my butt into going to those Thursday morning calls so yeah I guess you can't be there for the next two months but you can always do that it's been a pleasure having you on thank you for sharing your story with us and we hope that it It inspires other people to come and follow you as they start their entrepreneurial journey.
SPEAKER_01:Thank you so much, Melissa. I appreciate it.
SPEAKER_00:Thank you for listening to Raise the Anchor, brought to you by Alizé Creative Solutions. We hope you found that story very inspiring. We look forward to bringing you more this week. Subscribe to the podcast to stay in the loop. Don't forget to leave a five-star review to spread the love even further. We hope you have a smooth day.
