Welcome to the thirtieth instalment of Monday #MusicMatters as part of the JAMS Canada PRO Series – “Here’s What I Know”.
We caught up with Kerry Ramsay of Hello Boss Girl
How did you come up with the concept of Hello Boss Girl? Why is it important to you?
HelloBoss Girl began as a radio show a couple of years ago. As a serial entrepreneur myself, I was interested in interviewing other women about their businesses and the lessons they learned along the way. The radio show has since evolved into a vibrant community (now online due to COVID) of women entrepreneurs at various stages of business growth and development. As the founder of Hello Boss Girl, I’m thrilled to share the stories of the amazing women in the Quinte/Kingston region who are making an impact. Besides our social media platforms on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn, we also have a Boss GirlBreakthroughs Facebook group where our community engages on a regular basis.
What other projects are you working on?
My other passion project is my full-time work as Project Manager for the WE-CANProject which is led by Queen’s University and funded by FedDev Ontario. WE-CAN stands for Women Entrepreneurs Can! Our goal is to inspire and empower existing and aspiring women-identifying entrepreneurs by providing them with tools, resources, expert mentors, networks and community building to expand existing businesses and to launch new ventures.
In my spare time, I also advise my 16-year-old son as he grows his own business, Buzz Box Fun Kits for Kids. It’s been so exciting to watch him build his entrepreneurial skills to a point where he now ships his products across Canada and the U.S!
I’m also the super-proud mom of a first year Queen’s student (my daughter, Logan), and the wife of an awesome guy who keeps us all from losing our sanity!
What marketing and promotion tips can you share with musicians that they could apply to their music business?
My biggest piece of marketing advice is to focus on building a community of people who care about what you do and the impact it has on the world. Social media offers some amazing tools, like Facebook groups, where followers can become engaged and involved in your work. But it does require a lot of time and effort. Think about how you can offer value to others, and they will be forever grateful. Whether it’s offering a free tutorial, tip sheet or behind-the-scenes look at your work, humans want to buy from other humans. They don’t buy from logos and they don’t buy from companies. So don’t be afraid to show your face as often as you can! Be an honest human who is genuinely interested in other people, and you’ll build the connections you need to propel your art and business forward.
What is your best advice for women in business?
Surround yourself with like-minded individuals who will cheer you on, hear you out and lift you up. Since building my own community of boss girls, I’ve never achieved greater levels of success. Not only does my community provide me with endless contacts through a diverse network of professionals and subject matter specialists, it also helps me feel less isolated when it comes to the projects I’m working on. Being a business owner can be a super-lonely experience for all of us. There’s so much decision-making to be made on a daily basis. Becoming a part of a local business networking group, a professional association or a mastermind can help you gain traction and move forward, even during these challenging times.
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How has COVID-19 impacted you?
I’ve been working at home since March and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. I now have an office door that closes, so I can leave my work behind at the end of the day. For a while there, I wasn’t working from home; I was living at work! I’ve since learned to better balance my time. I’ve also become a Zoom expert (well, sort of an expert!) and have overseen the delivery of more than 30 virtual networking events and workshops for women entrepreneurs so far. It’s been a real learning curve, but along with everyone else, I’ve learned to look for the silver linings (they’re there!) and take time to acknowledge every day what truly brings me joy. There’s so much to be grateful for!
ABOUT Kerry Ramsay
Kerry Ramsay is the founder of Hello Boss Girl and a champion of women entrepreneurs everywhere.She is also the Project Manager for the WE-CAN Project led by Queen’s University which equips and empowers women to succeed in starting and growing their own businesses. She and her family live in Belleville, Ontario.
Find out more on Facebook, Instagram, Linked In: @HelloBossGirl
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BIO
JAMS Canada (Jeanette Arsenault Music Services) has set out her mission: “Helping Musicians Help Themselves” by offering consulting, resources & administrative support services.
Jeanette has over 30 years of experience as a singer/songwriter/performing/recording artist. She has independently released 8 albums, performed for the Canadian Olympic Team in Salt Lake City (2002) & again in Athens Greece (2004) and also opened the 37th World Congress of the Business & Professional Women International (BPW, 2011) and has produced/organized/performed in numerous benefit concerts/fundraisers/variety shows,
JAMS Canada can help you focus on what you want most – more gigs, more fans, more money.
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