My favorite thing about being a new business owner is crossing paths with people I might have never met otherwise. Making connections with interesting people and seeing them interested in what we're doing is one of the many things I cherish about our local community.
In March I was invited to participate in a graduate level Integrated Marketing class at a local university. As the co-owner of SBK I would be their client for the term, and each team would develop a strategic marketing plan for our business. I love school. I would stay in school forever if my resources allowed it. So of course I couldn't resist an opportunity to be back in the classroom and mingle with grad students! As a startup business owner and former M.A. student, I was excited to talk about our company and product. As a stay at home mom transitioning back into a career outside of my home, I was much more excited just to talk!
Being approached for this project was quite an ego boost for me. It probably has something to do with having a voice and knowing that people want to experience what I have to offer. I was eager to help this class learn about marketing! Funny thing is, like most educational relationships–at least those worth their salt–I learned much more from these students about marketing than I might ever be able to teach them about kombucha or running a business. Most of them had years of experience in various careers including branding and marketing, graphic design (or other computer stuff I can't articulate), project management, and even journalism.
I had fun, and I left the class with several solid ideas we will likely be implementing in the future. I'm grateful these individuals willingly spent their time and talents on a project that offers the simple satisfaction of helping someone else as a return on their investment. And I value the wisdom I gleaned from their knowledge and experience.
Community is one of our core brand values, and this project is a perfect example of why. In order to be successful we need our community. Conversely, our community needs us to be successful. This symbiosis bears a striking resemblance to the culture we use to make kombucha. And that is no accident!