Haute Stock Member Highlight: Loran Geeter of Loran Elise Collective
Who or what inspired you to start your business?
I started my business after being laid off from my job in April 2019. Every time I would apply to jobs, it would take me forever to find one and I was tired of the broken job market. This time I was working at a law office and my boss would always try to encourage me to go to Law school. She used to always tell me: “you’re too smart to be here.” It stuck with me.
So when I got laid off, I decided to start my business as a Virtual Assistant. It took me almost a year to get hired at my last job and I couldn't afford to be unemployed that long. I started as a Social Media Manager and offering general admin assistance. Through this work I quickly learned that the real issues my clients were facing were their lack of systems and processes.
I was told this wasn't a good field to get into and that it wouldn't last long. I decided to do it anyway and it was the best decision I could have made. Here I am one year later with Loran Elise Collective, as a Workflow Strategist to Coaches and done for you service providers.
What was your biggest struggle when starting out?
My biggest struggle was how to stand out in the sea of other service providers, from the services I offered to my online branding. I also struggled with my ideal client and making a service that would fit them. Lastly, I struggled with knowing where to invest. There are so many things catered to people who are new and I moved past that phase rather quickly so I struggled with making the right investments.
What’s your favorite music to listen to when you’re creating graphics?
I'm a R&B and Neo Soul kinda girl. I love listening to my R&B playlist when I'm creating content.
How do you decide on what images to use for your brand?
I like clean images with a pop of a neutral color or my pink brand color. I tend to steer clear of anything with a ton of color or with too much happening in the image. I like clean images that have white spaces.
How has Haute Stock helped you in your business?
It has helped me make my brand cohesive and consistent. The images on Haute Stock are clean, clear, and professional. It has definitely elevated my branding and made my content more attractive. I used to switch between 2 other stock photo collections — now Haute Stock is the only one I use.
What has been your biggest business lesson learned?
The biggest lesson I have learned is do what feels good to you in your business. That goes for your services, client experience, branding, etc. Don't let anyone tell you that what you're trying to do won't last or that it won't work. If you constantly think about it, do it. If it excites you, do it. I was once told my branding was too "Pinteresty". My branding (and content) has helped me attract clients that make me $10K per month!