Today we’d like to introduce you to Saundra Nash.
Hi Saundra, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
Well for starters, I broke my business. I tore it all down. I know you’re probably a little confused but just ride with me for a second…
I am an entrepreneur and creative by nature. I’ve been creating and selling stuff since I was a little kid. I really decided I wanted to be an entrepreneur in high school. While I excelled in all of my classes, Cosmetology was my favorite. I had an amazing cosmetology teacher as well.
She was literally building the only salon on Beale Street at that time and she taught me everything she learned in real-time. I gleaned so much knowledge from her and she nurtured the aspiring Cosmetologist and Spa owner in me. I had a full business plan and building layout designed at 17 for my own luxury spa.
However, my school’s college and career counselor told me I was “too smart to just do hair” and that I should go to college. I was lowkey offended but also respected her opinion, so I decided to go to college.
Fast forward to 2015, I’m approaching my last semester and I took a job at a boutique as the Marketing Manager. The boutique was really struggling with conversions and attracting the right customers before I got there. I jumped in and started creating and implementing strategies to increase brand awareness, attract the right clients, and increase sales.
There was another young lady that started at the same time and we worked so well together. We could bounce ideas off of each other, strategize and create together. Sometimes we would literally finish each other’s sentences! After a few months of us working together, I asked her if she would like to do this for other business owners. We thought that business owners needed to focus on what they do best and we could alleviate the frustration of branding and marketing.
She agreed and we launched Novateur Brand Architecture on 12/31/2015. Since then, we’ve been working with small business owners to establish and grow their brands, hosting classes (in-person and virtually), and expanding our services. Surprisingly, our biggest year was 2020! But then it broke…
We were learning as we went, building processes on the fly and basically just winging it. So it broke.
Sometimes you can grow too much too fast and you’ll quickly realize there are some things that must change. So, we are currently rebranding and restructuring. And I am looking forward to this next part of the journey!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Can I put lol here? Lol… IT HAS NOT BEEN A SMOOTH ROAD AT ALL!
I have had clients default on payment agreements regardless of contract. Partnerships gone awry. I even had one person call me a scammer – which is absolutely not true!
The scammer situation probably took the biggest toll on me as a business owner. I work so hard for and with my clients. I guess in my mind, that being in internet land would tarnish my brand forever. In retrospect, I understand that these things just come with the territory of business. My contracts were solid and her claims were disproved.
But these bumps in the road have made me a better person and business owner. Had I not experienced them, I wouldn’t be able to coach my clients through these types of adversities. Entrepreneurship is a literal roller coaster and I’m down for the ride.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Novateur Brand Architecture?
Novateur Brand Architecture is a full-service branding and marketing agency. Novateur (NOVA-Cher) means innovative in french and “Brand Architecture” means brand building, so NBA literally means innovative brand building.
We specialize in building luxury brands, magnetic marketing campaigns, and streamlining tools and tech to automate your business.
Our all-inclusive white-glove branding experience is unique and second to none! We have a specific photographer and videographer that we work with to capture the highest quality visuals. We also creative direct all media shoots to ensure the visuals illustrate the brand’s story.
I am extremely proud of the clients we’ve worked with thus far who are thriving and killing their business goals. We have watched clients increase profitability by 5- 10x, launch at $20K, and grow their teams! We’re excited to see their growth!
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Stay ready and you won’t have to get ready!
This old adage has never been more relevant. Document everything. When it was time to apply for SBA loans, we were unable to benefit from this due to the lack of proper documentation. We will never get caught slipping like this again.
Think Quick. Pivot. Don’t Quit. We helped a lot of business owners pivot and maximize their digital real estate during covid. Covid was the perfect opportunity to innovate and build online communities. We did that using Clubhouse, Instagram, Tiktok, and Facebook.
Price:
- Consultations: $99
- 90 Day GPS (Brand + Launch Strategy): $777
- Brand it, Bank It (Brand Strategy Session): $499
- Branding Packages: Pricing Varies $5k(+)
Contact Info:
- Email: maximize@nbabranding.com
- Website: www.nbabranding.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/nbabranding
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NBAbranding
Image Credits
Marcus D. Porter Studios
