Brand Interview – Julie Steelman, Effortless Affluence and author of The Effortless Yes | Branding YOU Better!

Brand Interview – Julie Steelman, Effortless Affluence and author of The Effortless Yes

By Susan September 19, 2011 Blog, Brand-Interviews No Comments

Brand Interview – Julie Steelman, Effortless Affluence and
author of The Effortless Yes

I’m proud to feature Julie Steelman, Effortless Affluence, and author of “The Effortless Yes!” This is a Skype video interview.

How long has your company been in business? Please tell us a bit about your company, its mission, goals…
It’s Julie’s heartfelt mission to help women regardless of the size of their business find a path to profitability, so they can live that independent life they really create… become a woman of affluence… turn passions into profits.

Do you donate to charities? Tell us about that also and why?
Julie donates to two charities. One is the University of Santa Monica in L.A. where she received her masters degree in spiritual psychology. She says she wouldn’t be the person she is today… it lead to the life she has and wants others to have the same chances. She also donates to the San Diego Zoology Association, who takes care of animals and endangered species. She sponsored a Bongo while in Kenya last year.

How did you know what typeface (font) would be right for your company wordmark or logo? How did you decide on the right color palette to fit your company look and feel? How did you decide which type of designer to work with?
Julie says is all started with a color palette. The heart chakra is green, and money is green, and she wants to take businesses into the gold… so green and gold were the primary colors and she then added teal for playfulness and to add in the sky and water of Hawaii. She feels that she needed an experienced designer and that the power of a brand done well, gives the customer a viseral multisensory experience.

In what order did you present your company to the world? Did you start with marketing and products, website, blog or social media?
Julie saw a need for entrepreneurs who were struggling and couldn’t make the money they should, so she stepped forward and started with coaching services. Before writing her new book The Effortless Yes, she studied the market and soon will be launching an advanced program.

On social media, Julie started instantly, at the same time as the website, planting the seeds to generate interest.

Did you do research or study any software, take webinars, teleclasses, before approaching any area of your marketing or web presence? Do you advertise locally in newspapers and/or nationally in magazines? Are they effective? Do you advertise online using Google, Facebook or on other company sites?
Not really. Julie has a background in advertising, marketing and sales. After a year she started researching how to make the time on social media work for her. She doesn’t advertise locally (Hawaii) because that is not her market. She’s looking into strategic advertising and will call Facebook to discuss this.

When you printed your products, packaging, business cards and other print marketing, did you choose an online printer or visit a local vendor?
She went online, because the Hawaiian people are on “island time” and it was easier and more convenient to click and buy online, have it delivered to her.

Have you ever used “green” technology in printing, using FSC certified papers or recycled paper and if not, how likely are you at trying this on a next project?
Absolutely! Julie’s business cards are printed on recycled paper and used soy inks. She feels it’s totally worth the cost. She’s not sure if her book is “green” and will find out, meanwhile she has created the digital versions of her book.

Is there anything you haven’t yet tackled, but will want to do soon?
She is going to have a live event and retreat in Hawaii, combining swimming with dolphins, and other experiential plans, so women can become the women of affluence they want to be!