Maggie Sellers’ goal is to create content that inspires people to pursue their business goals and build a dream life, much like she built hers.
Maggie is an angel investor, content creator, and founder of Hot Smart Rich Media and HSR Ventures. Her specialty is working with consumer brands and technology companies, and she has invested in brands like De Soi, Deux, Alara and Nyx Lab.
Every day, Maggie shares articles such as tips for getting started in angel investing, brand marketing case studies, and daily videos with her 100,000+ TikTok followers.
Maggie offers her tips for taking your business to the next level in 2024.
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6 Expert Tips for Growing Your Brand
![Maggie Sellers leaning on a couch](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/1_a9279a33-ee9f-409f-b37c-cac46ea7cda4.png?v=1705086621)
Ready to take your brand to the next level? Maggie has helped many brands grow. Here is its secret formula.
1. Dream big
As an investor, Maggie says she’s always looking for a founder’s mission or purpose. “I’m trying to understand why this founder is sacrificing everything, sacrificing a salary to build this,” Maggie says.
Clearly understanding your “why” can guide you in many aspects of your own business. Not only will this help you sell your idea to investors, but it can also help you prioritize your goals, focus your content creation efforts, and refine your strategy. target audience.
2. Create content around a lifestyle
Whether you’re building a product or a personal brand, you’re probably not producing enough content. Maggie says small businesses and new content creators have the opportunity to stand out through organic marketing, but you have to be intentional about what you sell. “Don’t sell me your features and functions,” Maggie says. “Sell me the lifestyle. Sell me the ecosystem.
3. Set aside 10% to invest in yourself
Maggie encourages her audience, especially the women who follow her, to get involved in angel investing to build wealth, learn about business, and grow their network. She even came up with a new variation of the 50-30-20 budget to emphasize the importance of investing in yourself. Maggie’s 50-20-20-10 budget sets aside 50% for needs like rent and groceries, 20% for wants, 20% for savings, and 10% for goals.
![Maggie Sellers' 50-20-20-10 Budget](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/HSR_-_50-20-20-10_1000_x_1500_px_1.png?v=1705086684)
These goals do not necessarily have to include angel investments. This could mean setting aside 10% of your income to fund your side hustletake classes or get a subscription that will help you build your network.
4. Play the numbers game
If your goal this year is to get better at networking, be prepared to send cold emails and calls. You’ll probably get a lot of rejection, but Maggie says not to take it personally. Her advice is to set goals for the conversation and, more importantly, know the value you can provide in exchange for this person’s time and knowledge. This is where research about the person and their business can come in handy.
5. Develop your leadership style
No matter what stage you are in, leadership skills are crucial. When Maggie evaluates a startup, she looks for a leader who is open to feedback. It’s a balance between the ability to receive feedback and act on it and having a clear visionso you won’t be easily influenced by too many opinions.
“Trying to emulate the characteristics of successful leaders will give you an edge when trying to cultivate a true leadership perspective as a founder,” says Maggie. She recommends reading books about great leaders in history.
6. Be comfortable with controversy
In a time when it’s hard to stand out, challenge yourself to stop being like everyone else. “You have to be OK with the ruffling, you have to be OK with the hateful comments, you have to be OK with being misunderstood,” Maggie says.
Maggie’s videos about being a “sexy, smart, rich girl” are intentionally polarizing because they get people talking about her brand. And the audience that resonates with “hot, smart, rich” knows Maggie’s style. assignment goes well beyond the label.
To learn more about Maggie’s startup experience and hear her advice for founders, listen to full interview on Shopify Masters.