Finding and Sharing Your Story With Amy Draheim Founder of ABD Creative Agency

Brava listeners, meet Amy Draheim, a dynamic leader, author, entrepreneur, and podcast host that specializes in storytelling. She is the founder of ABD Creative Agency, a boutique agency that specializes in storytelling and developing brand strategies for businesses in the travel and hospitality sector. Amy is also the founder of the innovative tool "Marketing in a Box", a one-of-a-kind subscription based model she created among the pandemic to help small hotels reach their marketing goals.

Tune in below to hear how this multi-faceted leader began her career, her advice for entrepreneurs, and how she stays motivated to continue learning and growing.

SHOW NOTES:

Ok, so have you ever wanted to kill an ex-boyfriend? [I know, you heard and read that right!] Well, Amy Draheim started her career off with just that as inspiration! (But not quite literally…) What started out  as just therapeutic journaling after bad first dates, ended up as her published novel Jenny Green's Killer Junior Year. Incredible! (1:30.)

“There’s always a story to tell. There’s always a voice to get behind to craft a story. ”

— Amy Draheim

10 years after her book released and after years working in corporate, Amy took a leap of faith and started up her own creative marketing firm for hotels (7:30.)

Amy admits that when taking a leap of faith, such as changing your career, it is expected to get messy! But, if you do what you truly love and are passionate about it, you will be successful (9:20.)

To make sure she stays on track with all her moving parts, Amy relies on the project management tool Asana, to hold herself accountable (11:50.)

Due to the turn of events COVID-19 created, like many industries, marketing for hotels depreciated. Rather than letting the pandemic run havoc on her marketing firm, as many companies furloughed their marketing managers, Amy created an innovative tool: Marketing in a Box. (13:30.)

Marketing in a Box provided her clients with a toolbox of how to market on a budget (16:00.)

“2020 forced a lot of growth and learning to take inventory of what’s working but also what is not working and continue to grow and adapt. Otherwise you may shut your doors and who knows if you will come back. ”

— Amy Draheim

Having a work-home balance is non-negotiable for Amy. To do so she hired a marketing manager to help business run smoothly without having to put in excessive hours or compromise her quality of work (20:35.)

In the future, Amy aspires to keep up her agency, travel, give a TedTalk and go full circle by writing another book about her personal journey (29:35.)

Want to continue to follow Amy’s career? Be sure to follow here! Interested in learning more about marketing, hospitality, and storytelling? Check out her own podcast show, “How To Share”!

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What from our conversation inspired you today? What do you hope to hear next? Tweet or message us on Instagram @BravaPodcast to tell us what you want to hear, even if it’s your own story!