MEET SOCIAL BY SINEAD
FOUNDED BY
SINEAD GILLESPIE
LOCATION: Boston, MA
@socialbysinead
THE INTERVIEW
Written by Boston Women’s Market
BWM: First the fun stuff; how do you enjoy spending a weekend in Boston? Any favorite spots or recommendations?
Sinead: I love going into Back Bay for some shopping and lunch! However, I live in Quincy so I mainly stay local. Some of my favorite Quincy spots are Alba, The Fours, Brick & Beam and The Pour Yard
BWM: What's your favorite Podcast or Book of the moment?
Sinead: I LOVE podcasts! Here are some of my favorites - The Boss Babe, How I Built This, The Influencer Podcast and Stevie Says Social.
BWM: Do you have a favorite go-to business tool or resource you can recommend to the BWM community?
Sinead: I would not be able to run my business with Planoly which helps me schedule out social media content for myself and my clients. I also use Canva to design my graphics and the Pro version is 100% worth the extra money every month.
BWM: Ok, let's get down to business. You recently left your 9-5 job. What did taking that leap feel like?
Sinead: Honestly, it just felt right. I have had so many new clients and amazing opportunities come my way since I quit my 9-5 a few weeks ago that I honestly haven't even thought about my old corporate job much.
My grandfather and my father both own their own companies so they were a big inspiration to take the leap and just go for it and I'm so glad I did.
BWM: When did you start your business? What was your "Aha" moment that helped you find this path?
Sinead: I started my business in August 2019. A few months prior I was helping a spa with their social media more as a hobby and then I had that "aha" moment when I realized they had a lot of new clients coming in the door because of social media and that what I was doing was really making an impact. It made me want to start my own business so I could help other female entrepreneurs grow and succeed through social media as well.
BWM: Can you tell us a little about your specialty in helping small businesses find their voice through Social Media?
Sinead: The first thing I do before I even sign on with a client is to make sure we get on a call or meet in person to see if we would be a good fit to work together. If we are then we go over a lot of information and I ask a lot of questions the first month to make sure I personalize their social media posts to sound like them and not a robot. I specialize in organic engagement meaning I spend a lot of time on clients accounts each day engaging with their target market to not only keep their current audience interested but also trying to get new eyes on their page daily.
BWM: The past few months have forced all of us to pivot, creating opportunities and challenges that may not have revealed themselves before. How has COVID affected your business this year? How are you pivoting?
Sinead: I'm lucky enough to say that during the pandemic my business has grown tremendously. A lot of businesses realized they needed to get online ASAP and everyone seemed to be on social media while they were stuck at home. I'm honestly not sure if I would have quit my 9-5 yet if there wasn't such a surge in business because of COVID. I was always fully remote for this job so I didn't have to change up too many things.
BWM: What positive opportunities have revealed themselves due to the pandemic?
Sinead: My business has skyrocketed beyond my wildest dreams, I was able to quit my 9-5 to run my business full time, I have collabed with a few organizations including BWM which is amazing and I've connected with so many amazing female entrepreneurs these past few months who are so inspiring!
BWM: If you could give one piece of advice to another woman wanting to kick start their passion, what would that be?
Sinead: You have to be ALL in. You have to set goals and aim high. You need to keep track of those goals and continue to check things off your list every month. If you want it bad enough you will succeed.
My business grew quickly but that's not to say it wasn't hard. For the past year I have stayed up until 1 AM working almost every night and I'm back up at 6 AM to do it all over again but I love what I do so it never feels like work to me.
Find something you love and work ridiculously hard at it. Manifest those dreams and watch yourself succeed!
SERVICES WE LOVE
Social Media Coaching Sessions
It doesn’t matter if you are already established on social media or if you’re absolutely clueless. Sinead will customize every coaching session to your unique needs and goals.
Every 90 Minute Intensive Coaching Session Includes:
Full social media audit
Hands-on virtual coaching session from learning the basics to creating a marketing strategy customized for you
And so much more!