Vanessa Coppes of BELLA Media + Co on how determining who her customer was changed her business

Vanessa Coppes_Blog Header

Describe BELLA Media + Co in a few words?

Lifestyle media company sharing content and resources for living a beautiful life.

What made you take the leap to start your own business?

My mental health. Launching my business literally saved my life. I was suffering from postpartum depression and needed a creative outlet. I launched my custom jewelry business and blog simultaneously. My writing has been my saving grace. While my jewelry landed my brand in the hands of celebrities, my writing has sustained me since it’s launch in 2009.

What was your background prior to starting your own business?

I am a former ESL and High School English Literature Teacher. I did that for 17 years.

Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

Great question. I’ve had my own business since I was in 3rd grade. So yes, since I was 7 I knew I wanted to make my own money and call the shots.

Take us back to when you first launched your business, what was your marketing strategy to get the word out and did it go as planned?

I was all over the place until I hired a Branding + Marketing Coach. She walked me through what building a brand actually looks like and what and who my ideal customer was. The minute I connected to who I should be selling to and where, it changed the game. I needed to be where my customer was. So I did that and that’s truly when my hobby turned into a full fledged business that paid for itself and made additional income.

We always learn the most from our mistakes, share a time with us that you made a mistake or had a challenging time in business and what you learned from it?

Hire slowly and fire quickly. I heard that 3 years into my biz and it registered. Hiring the right people for my team had always been challenging in the beginning. I would like someone’s personality and didn’t give much thought to how capable they were of carrying out the tasks they had been hired for. I did a lot of hiring and firing in my first 3 years of business. It wasn’t until about 5 years into my business that I had more knowledge about who I needed vs. who I wanted.

What is the accomplishment you are the most proud of to date?

I bought the company I used to work for with the intention of changing the culture around women’s media. I am so proud of the vibe and the team that belongs to this greater mission of empowering men and women to live beautiful lives.

When hiring for your team, what is your go-to interview question? Please share any hiring tips you can share from your experience?

“Why do you want to work here?” The why tells you a lot about where people see themselves fitting into your vision. There’s a lot of glitz and glam and tons of fun involved in the work I do, but the why matters most. You have to love this industry and this work because it can be all consuming, just as your business can be. I also ask how people like to spend their free time. You can learn so much about others and what they value.

How has your business or industry been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic?

The first few weeks I think I was hours away from a full blown panic attack. The sole reason: I have people whose livelihood depends on what I pay them. I couldn’t stomach having an impact on someone not being able to pay their rent. The universe delivered so much grace to my company and my team. They are so committed and invested in the bigger picture, they wouldn’t let me quit. My team constantly reminds me of how much I motivate and inspire them. The truth is, they are my motivation to keep going. They understand why we do what we do, why we feature the people we do and how we do it all: with intention. That intention fueled our creativity like never before. We shifted our direction to people, feel good, impact and mission driven stories. We also created lifestyle products that helped amplify our brand. It’s what has kept me in business.

What’s next for your business? What can we expect to see over the next few years?

More fabulousness from everyone on the BELLA team.

What is the biggest lesson you have learned in 2020?

Truly that we have all we need at our reach to make anything work for us and others. Love, empathy, compassion and kindness will always win.

What do you know now that you wish you knew when you were first starting your business?

Your business is a reflection of who you are. I thought I had to separate from who I was in order to be “professional”. Turns out that felt inauthentic and made it hard for me to connect with others. Once I dropped the formalities and started to connect with others on a human level, everything shifted.

How have you managed to stay grounded this year?

My kids have always managed to do that for me. They keep me brutally honest and present. I also have never done so much yoga! Meditation has been a key part of my life since I was 13, but this past year I combined it with my yoga practice.

Do you believe in work/life balance? What are some of your best tips?

I believe you do what you can and what you need to when you can. Balance in my life does not exist. I am picking and choosing constantly and what I choose determines the rest. When you say yes to 1 thing, you are saying no to many others. For me, even when you don’t know what the next step is, you do the right thing. I believe in flow and manifesting and that things are what they are. We can only control our reaction to circumstances and if you are truly intentional, everything will work out for your benefit. Period.

What’s something our audience would be surprised to learn about you?

People are always surprised to learn I suffer from depression. I have learned tools and enrolled people in my life to help and support me through my bouts, but that has taken years to learn. And sometimes that’s even draining to acknowledge and manage. I have accepted it and do the best I can, every day.

What are your top 3 tips to stay productive each day?

Wake up early. Give thanks. Do one act of self-love/ self-care. Fill yourself up before you tackle everything and everyone else.

What does being an Entreprenista mean to you?

Empowering other women to build a business to serve a life they love.

Share it!

Posted in
Tags

Leave a Comment





Katia Conte Honors Daughter’s Legacy with Childhood Cancer Nonprofit

Hi, Katia! Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business: My name is Katia Conte, and I am the President/Co-Founder of the Daniela Conte Foundation. Our nonprofit organization is a beacon of hope for families battling pediatric cancer. Founded in 2020, our mission is deeply rooted in the memory of my daughter, Daniela,…

Kristen Chimack Provides Real-World Coaching for Success

Hi, Kristen! Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business: Hi, I’m Kristen. After a 30-year stint in corporate America, culminating in a whirlwind four years leading the public relations department at a Fortune 40 organization, I decided it was time to hang up my corporate hat and chase my true passions. In…

How Dr. Sophia Yen is Transforming and Investing in Women’s Health with Pandia Health

“One in five women with menopause have considered dropping out of work, have foregone promotion. And we are just at the top of our game and to take us out at 50 is not okay. It’s about empowering women to be the best that we can possibly be.” When Dr. Sophia Yen co-founded Pandia Health,…

Amy Rees Celebrates Solidarity With Personality Plates

Hi, Amy! Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business: Hi, I’m Amy. Women are at the heart of Personality Plates because I could not have gotten through my difficult divorces and heartbreak without my friends and chosen sisters. I couldn’t have raised my daughters as the strong, independent young ladies they are…

How Julia Haart Reinvented Her Life at 42 from Restrictive Upbringing to Fashion Leader

“Ignorance, people, is good! Jump in. Enjoy it. Ask the questions. Study. Learn. Be an eternal student. That’s how you succeed.” In this episode of Entreprenista, we sat down with Julia Haart, the founder of +Body by Julia Haart, a body-positive, technologically advanced shapewear brand that aims to empower women to unapologetically express themselves and…

The Most Common Mistakes When Starting a Business—and How to Avoid Them

When you’re first starting a business, there’s so much you don’t know you don’t know—like how to price your offerings, market your business, or hire people to support you. Every entrepreneur learns along the way, so why not save yourself some time and money (and potentially even business heartbreak) by learning from the candid stories…

Logan Rae on Her Journey to Founding a Digital Marketing Agency

Hi, Logan. Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business: I’m Logan Rae, I’m 29 years old and Founder & CEO of Argon Agency. Who are your customers? Mid-size businesses mostly in the behavioral healthcare field. What made you take the leap to start your own business? I had done entrepreneurship once before…

Jennifer Jank on Helping Entrepreneurs Reclaim Their Time and Energy

Hi, Jennifer! Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business: Jennifer Jank (JJ) is a productivity consultant helping business owners make more profit in less time and with better systems. Her goal is to help entrepreneurs, especially women, reclaim their time, energy, and attention away from busyness and towards joy… without sacrificing profits.…

How to Make an Impact as a Podcast Guest with Patrice Poltzer

“We’re being bombarded all day with so much content and noise. “Please, please. I need your attention here, here, here.” You really have to learn to think about who’s listening. Really ask yourself, what is the takeaway for the person listening? Why does that matter? And if you can’t think of that, then you don’t…

Andrea TheoJohn Helps Clients Grow and Market Their Brands

Hi, Andrea! Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business: Andrea TheoJohn, MBA is a marketing and branding professional with over 15 years of global and corporate experience. She’s managed over 70 brand professionals in 17 different countries, handled the branding and communications efforts for 160M Euro M&A ventures and now brings that…

How Laurel Mintz Is Empowering Diverse Leaders in Venture Capital

“We transitioned almost everyone out of the company and really flipped the entire company around. It was one of the most painful few months of my entire career, but also one of the most impactful. And if we had not done that, we probably wouldn’t still be standing today.” In this episode of Entreprenista, we…

Valeria Lasak’s Marketing Agency Focuses on Fashion, Beauty, and Personal Brands

Hi, Valeria! Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business: Hi, I’m Valeria. Cofounder of MKT Besties and Nomad, a marketing agency focused on fashion, beauty, and personal brands, I’m also a community leader with the New Miami Girls community and host the street podcast ‘Who Is She Miami.’ This project is especially…

Leigh Burgess on Her Passion for Consulting, Coaching, and Curated Events

Hi, Leigh! Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business: Leigh is a CEO & Founder and driven entrepreneur who is passionate about helping organizations and individuals achieve their fullest potential faster. By continuously stepping out of her comfort zone and pushing boundaries, Leigh has not only grown her own company into a…

How to Avoid Legal Challenges with Lauren Bercuson from Storylock Legal

“In the beginning, if you don’t have a team or a system or community around you, it’s very easy to feel lost. There are these amazing communities out there for amazing female founders that will really help guide and support you. So, the greatest lesson I learned pretty quickly was that you’re never alone. Or,…

The Secrets to Building a Community Led Business with Ingrid Read

“You really have to understand that, in order for you to scale, you have to learn how to do certain things and master them before you move on. If you don’t do that, then your audience is going to feel just as lost as you feel.” In this episode of Entreprenista, we sat down with…