Meet Sera: Targeting Your Audience
Sera immediately caught my attention as a female entrepreneur because she is not focused on handing out information but rather is all about action for your business! Not only that but she has a proven track record herself with increasing her own sales and she is sharing those strategies with all of us through her business Sera Lo Design! Read on to gather insight into how her journey made this happen!
1. Tell us about who you are and your journey to where you are now!
My name is Sera and I am a brand & business coach from Singapore but am currently living in Cebu, Philippines because #digitalnomad, ha!
So I started Sera Lo Design back in 2017 initially as a brand and web designer. Prior to starting my own business, I was working as a marketing executive in a cosmetic company for a year. Whilst most people dreaded their 9-5, mine was just a teeny tiny different because I completely LOVED my job! I love it so much that I didn't mind working beyond my contracted hours.
But I guess this is the moment where most people can resonate with me was that no matter how many successful campaigns I helped launch for that company I previously worked in, something was missing. I can't quite put my finger on it but I just felt a lack of well-rounded fulfillment and I decided to tender my resignation letter which I'm not going to take the full credit for it - because my partner literally gave me a kick in the butt.
And, I decided to book a spontaneous flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia for a one-week volunteering trip which sparked the light that I wanted to do something for myself so I came back to Singapore and started my own business.
The first year into running my business, oh boy, it was really tough. Not only I had no idea what I was doing but I was told that in order to build a successful online business, I need to say this, not that. Or, I need to behave like this, not that. I was stuck at all things strategy and felt a lack of substance.
Furthermore, my business income was fluctuating so much that it made my lifestyle pretty unpredictable. On average, my business was bringing in $3000 on a good month, and sometimes, I get $0 for a few months... and that was certainly not a good sign.
Until one day, I decided that there must be MORE than just strategy. So I took a step back to look at my business model again from a bird's eye view. And realized the ONE most important thing was my personal brand, I realized there was a lack of foundation in my brand.
Since then, I worked on my brand (alongside strategies) and in LESS than 6 months... I finally cracked the code on how to attract my ideal clients!
That's the moment when things just kept growing, I started seeing tangible results and even hit my first 5-figure month in October 2018 which was absolutely crazy. *Gobsmacked*
And whilst yes, designing is something that certainly makes me happy. However, I felt this huge calling of mine that I am meant to do something way beyond designing. So, I followed my intuition to make this scary transition into who I am today, a brand and business coach.
This is something that I couldn't be any happier about - because not only am I doing something I love but I am also grateful to be making a positive impact on someone else's life.
2. What is the mission of your brand? How does it empower women?
My mission is to empower women to empower others.
I specifically help women to build their brand, attract their ideal client and continue to grow their income online. I 100% believe that all of us are meant to be do something extraordinary, as well as, I believe anyone can design a business around the lifestyle they want, at their own terms.
However, it pains me to see that there are still a lot of aspiring women with big goals and a beautiful message to share but they are letting their fear getting in the way. Or, maybe they don't know where and how to start.
So, as a brand and business coach myself, through my private Facebook Group, coaching programs, and online courses, it's now my intention to give them the tools they need to grow their brand and online business - so they can spread their message fearlessly. And, that, in my humble opinion, is how we start making a positive impact on this world!
3. How do you collaborate with women working towards a better world?
Such a great question!
So, it definitely depends on whether their business resonates with my mission, as well as my own core values. I'm someone who takes a lot of pride in transparency, it's one of the core values that I hold dearly to.
And I also love having deep conversations with people which... spoiler alert? I am launching a podcast really soon (this is SUPER exclusive to The Everyday Series) because I have yet to share it online except for my private coaching clients, ha!
So, this is something that definitely aligns with my mission and vision. I am really looking forward to connecting and collaborating with other amazing female entrepreneurs because I believe that even the best entrepreneurs can learn from one another.
4. What is the biggest challenge you’ve had to press through as a female entrepreneur and what are the steps you’ve taken to overcome it?
Wow. This is huge, I would say self-limiting beliefs.
We hear this all the time like...
Am I bringing enough value to others
What if I make a fool out of myself
Am I really meant to be an entrepreneur
I need to work hard for money
So and so forth...
It did took me quite some time to learn and face my self-limiting beliefs.
Until, I chanced upon the concept of law of attraction, as well as manifestation. So it did pique my curioisity and ever since, I have been appying some of the exercises and learning how to reframe my mindset has been a life-changing!
Because our brain is a really delicate yet powerful tool; it can either break you or make you.
So some of the steps are journaling and meditating which defininitely helps! So for instance, if I were to wake up one morning and feel like money is not coming my way because of whatever self-limiting beliefs I have, I would simply journal out what I think that could be causing that fear and then reframe with a positive affirmation like "I am a magenet for attracting money" and "my ideal clients flow to me with such ease", etc.
It's nothing woo woo or too spritual with the practical tips I have shared, I like to see it as simply tapping into our headspace and reframe our mindset for success.
5. What advice would you give to a female entrepreneur in the beginning stages of launching her brand or business?
Gosh, I LOVE this question so much!
So, I geuninely believe that no matter which stage you are in your business or even if you are an apsiring woman thinking to kickstart your own business is to uncover and always lead with your true intention - this is absoloutely powerful and transformative!
When it comes to uncovering your true intention, it's simply asking yourself this question, "out of all the infinite ways you can make money, why did you choose to pursue this particular business?" - now what seems like a really simple question, however, most people tend to overlook this.
Therefore, I challenge you to dive deep into your headspace and uncover what is your true intention.
And once you have uncovered that, it's now time to lead with your true intention because this will geuninely see you through a LONG way. Here's the thing - starting a business is easy, maintaining and growing is a different side of things.
Running your own business means a couple of things...
You will have fears
You will face setbacks
You will have doubters
You will feel like you want to quit
You will deal with toxic people
You will have (...am I allowed to swear here?) fu*k this shit moments
And here's where the magic happens; when you have your true intention in place and allowinf that to guide you through?
You will get up and fight back DESPITE all of these challenges. So, keep your true intention close to heart because this is the anchor point to everything you do within your business.
When you're guided with your true intention, you will succeed.
6. What sets your brand apart from others?
By simply being me.
Now, I understand this can be quite challenging to grasp for most people (myself included back in 2017).
However, the secret sauce if I can call it is by allowing my authenticity to shine. So, one of my core values is transparency. Which means, being honest with others and not afraid to share my thoughts, opinions, and beliefs. I not only like to share my wins but also the lessons I have learned with my audience, especially on my Instagram.
Some people might think it's a little silly to do that as we... y'know often hear that we have to keep "things" professional. Well, there is no right or wrong approach but seeing I am the ambassador of my brand and again, transparency is HUGE for me.
Therefore, I truly embrace the vulnerable side of me and when I share my lessons with my audience, it definitely helps to build a genuine connection with them because they resonate with my message. Of course, comes with my zone of genius, and combining it with my personal brand, I truly believe that ultimately, at the end of the day, people don't buy my products or services.
My clients and students choose to invest in Sera Lo Design are because of me - and this is something I am very grateful for and I wouldn't trade it for anything else.