Today we’d like to introduce you to Abigail Hofrichter.
Hi Abigail, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My path, like many entrepreneurs, is not exactly linear. That said, I wouldn’t be where I am today if it was!
I started interning for a craft beer and alcohol website in Columbus, Ohio while finishing my senior year studying Journalism and Media Production at Ohio State. Little did I know that this part-time job would eventually turn full-time where I spent about 30% of my time focused on writing stories about the craft beer and restaurant scene in Columbus and the other 70% working on the other end of the company that focused on providing social media management and communication support for small businesses (most focused on craft beer, food, etc.).
After about a year or so doing this, I moved “home” to Cincinnati to work for a craft brewery as a sales rep and, eventually, their marketing coordinator. I loved my previous job but was looking to be closer to my family and boyfriend (at the time) as well as to explore another side of craft beer.
Fast forward a couple of years and skip some unnecessary-to-you (but vital learning for me) details, and I ended up BACK at my old job in social media. This time, however, I was working remotely, which allowed me the freedom to move in with my now-husband in Dayton, Ohio. After a while, it was clear my employer, whom I adored and owe a lifetime of gratitude for setting me on this path, and I had different goals for our future when it came to social media. After a hard-but-good conversation, she gave me her blessing to go out on my own and start my own social media agency. I took one of our clients with me, Ghostlight Coffee, as I had pitched our services to them and handled 99% of our work with them, and set out to fill my roster with other small business clients who were in need of support!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Looking back, I am tempted to say “yes” because I feel incredibly privileged to have been able to 100% support myself with my own business no more than six months after going solo… but that wouldn’t be entirely fair.
Working for yourself, working with others (especially small businesses), and simply balancing work you’re passionate about with being a human is never easy! There have been times I’ve questioned if it’s worth it… if my work is “meaningful” enough. There have been periods of overwork and a severe lack of boundaries that have led me to burnout, affecting not only my work life but my personal life. There have been clients that, looking back, took advantage of me, and there have been many hard lessons I had to learn.
I think all of the struggles I’ve faced are those that many folks/everyone faces at some point in their career, except that, when you’re on your own, it feels like life throws them at you a bit faster and, at times, all at once — haha!
As you know, we’re big fans of Hofrichter Creative LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?
I specialize in Social Media Management for small to medium-sized businesses in the Dayton region. As of now, we are focused specifically on Facebook and Instagram management (including Facebook ads and Instagram reels). The majority of our business comes from full-service management, meaning we do everything from strategy and copywriting to visuals and ad creation.
I’m pretty proud of two things right now: the first part of which would be our current client list and our dedication to them. I could (and maybe should for self-promotion purposes) sit here and rattle off our “impressive” cost-per-click averages or how our clients get customers coming in as a result of their social posts…. but that’s literally our job! The truth is I’m most proud of the way we nurture our client relationships and connect with them. My goal and “elevator” pitch when I started out was to bridge the gap between big-box social agencies and companies doing it themselves. I truly believed something in between was possible: an out-of-house agency that felt in-house… that companies trusted with their brand and their language… that clients actually ENJOYED working with! And I truly think we’ve done that 🙂
The second thing would be my employee, Emma. She’s doing amazing and I am just incredibly proud of her willingness to learn and be challenged while simultaneously owning her strengths.
The last thing I’d love for readers to know is that we will soon be launching a personalized Instagram Reels 101 Workshop and hope to follow that up with a workshop on Facebook Ads for Small Businesses/Independent Entrepreneurs…. and that we always want to know what it is other small business owners could use help with!
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
You can work with us in a number of ways (strategy session, personalized workshops, etc) all listed at https://www.hofrichtercreative.com
In terms of support: following @socialhoffboss on Instagram and recommending our services is huge! As is simply being an active member of your online community. Even if they’re not our clients: engage with the brands and businesses you love online! It does more than you may realize.
Pricing:
- Discover Session – FREE
- “DIY” Social Strategy Session – $350
- Instagram Reels Workshop – Coming Soon
- Social Media Management – $450-900/mo.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hofrichtercreative.com/services
- Instagram: socialhofboss
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hofrichtercreativellc/
Image Credits
Abby Hofrichter
