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Growing a Social Media Agency: The Digital Matchbox Story of Liz Azyan

Are you a solo entrepreneur with dreams of growing into a larger social media agency?

Are you a small social media agency looking to scale and build out your team and gain larger clients?

Listen in as we cover the Digital Matchbox success story with Liz Azyan who has done all of the above!

Liz Azyan is a UK based social media PRO STYLER. She'll say more about exactly what that means in the interview but suffice it to say she helps rising entrepreneurs and businesses "style" and leverage their online presence to attract the right clients and build their brand online. Liz started out a few years ago as a PhD candidate in academia and ultimately evolved into a solo entrepreneur, and has now grown Digital Matchbox to be a strong multi-team member digital agency.

This episode is her story... and for all aspiring online business owners and social media marketers trying to scale their business, this is great stuff to learn from and to spur you on!

Listen Now:

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Growing a Social Media Agency: The Digital Matchbox Story

This week I am joined by Liz Azyan. Based in the U.K., Liz is a globe trotter having been born in Malaysia and then spending significant time as a youth and undergrad in Canada, she eventually found her way to the U.K. where she's been based for a number of years. Like her evolving life travels, Liz has a business growth story of moving, shifting, evolving, and adapting that is more common in this digital age and which many would say is necessary to successfully grow a business! Liz adapted, pivoted, and with savvy and pluck has grown from ground up her agency to be a team serving clients around the globe!

More than just a interview about Liz, this interview is her story along with keys that she's learned and is ready to share about building a online business today.

Covered & Answered in this Halftime Mike Interview:

The Story

We dive into the background of Liz starting online with her 2009 Twitter Ph D research assignment with governments - how that grew and evolved based on relationship connecting.
How Liz evolved and began to grow her personal brand, being asked to speak and tweet/live blog at events and how that parlayed into digital work for government agencies.
The move from student to solo-preneur.
The shift to broaden to private sector work as well as the founding of Digital Matchbox.
How Digital Matchbox grew from digital and word-of-mouth marketing.
How Liz managed work when solo and how she scaled to meet the needs of growth. We dive into what the team looks like now compared to a year ago.

[Tweet "TIP from Liz: perfection is SO overrated. This can seriously slow you down! via @Liz_Azyan"]

The Business Learnings

What are the main challenges of scaling and how to overcome them.
The digital tools Liz and her team us to make the managing of team members, client work, and tasks easier.
1. TIP: Her "go to" project management tool is Teamwork.
Knowing what type of company culture you want to create within your team is critical
Training up your team is paramount to success!
Keys for communications within a virtual team.
What's Important: Documenting the processes and holding team members accountable to deliverables
1. TIP: Have a folder system!!!
Managing your expectations on your team members and yourself when expanding your team
Hiring Right is Critical! Making sure you’re hiring the right people that fits your company culture and you’re taking time to make those hiring decisions
The Hiring Process - Liz has a specific process we cover that involves designated time blocks and delegating of tasks right away
1. Have a process to test your new hires on smaller and variety of different tasks to discover their strength and weaknesses and ability to carry out their tasks.
The importance of investing in the long term vision of your company
Resisting the lure of the big paycheck that could steer you from your vision!

All this and more covered! Including some of these gems:

Liz debunks some myths about scaling and growing around WHEN solopreneurs should scale or grow. i.e. Have you ever thought....

“I’ll scale when I get a big client.”
“I can’t afford to scale or hire people.”
“Building a team means hiring people.”
“I haven’t documented my processes yet.”

Learn from Liz how these can be limiting to your business!

Liz Azyan's Best Tips

Some of her best tips for those that are starting out and who want to skyrocket their personal or biz brand using social...

[Tweet "TIP: "Do small and fewer things but in a big and consistent way." via @Liz_Azyan #halftimemike""]

Do small and fewer things but in a big and consistent way.
Social media allows you to be inspired by others. Putting yourself within the same circles of those who take action, can help you hugely!
Continue to educate yourself on your art, skills and on how to run a business from those who have walked the same path you wish to be on.
Don’t be distracted by what OTHER PEOPLE are doing. Focus on your vision and goal and try not to compare yourself to others.
Be realistic. When you’re starting, it’s all about giving and getting social proof.
Use social to build your network, understand your art and create opportunities to get to know people on a deeper level. When you meet someone IRL, find them on social and continue the conversation.
Pay attention to the do-ers (advanced social listening)
Watch videos that help you learn and grow! http://startupclass.samaltman.com/
Hardest lesson: To learn that perfection is SO overrated. This can seriously slow you down. To try to achieve perfection. It doesn’t exist.
Join Liz's group for tips to build your business facebook.com/groups/highachieverclub

LIZ AZYAN DIGITAL MATCHBOX RESOURCE LINKS:

Next Doable Task:

It’s always about taking away learnings and applying them!

What’s your key takeaway that you need to do in the next 24 hours based on listening to this? Are you looking for a social media agency to assist your business, consider this great social media agency directory!

What's your biggest takeaway? Share below!

Next Doable Task:

It’s always about taking away learnings and applying them! What’s the key takeaway that you need to act on in the next 24 hours based on listening to this?

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Why the Halftime theme Mike?

I’m an Indiana Hoosier native where basketball is the top sport. Every team heads to the locker room at halftime to evaluate the first half and create a updated plan for the second half. That plan includes adjustments based on reviewing what worked and what didn't. The “halftime” is a key review point where the game stops, the team pulls away to huddle in the locker room away from the fans, and they come out prepared and ready to succeed in the second half.

That’s what this podcast is all about, taking the time to pull away for a bit to evaluate, learn, and set some strategies for your business to succeed in the second half. Join me by subscribing and let me be your “business halftime” to help you find great success going forward!

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