Today we’d like to introduce you to Jill Colby.
Hi Jill, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
After I received my associate’s degree, I took a few years off to work a variety of jobs to figure out what I wanted to actually do. After exploring many career paths, and not finding a good fit, I realized that I longed to do my own thing. I wanted to go back to school for Business Management, but I didn’t want to go into loads of debt.
My husband and I decided to get really creative– we bought a camper trailer, moved out of our ridiculously expensive apartment, and moved to Deer Creek State Park to be camp hosts. We liked to say that we retired early. We had a free place to stay, and free utilities, and in return, we just had to put in some hours at the camp. We also both worked full-time at a nearby resort, so instead of what we were paying in rent, we put it into savings. Within two years we had enough money to pay for my bachelor’s degree in cash and also put a down payment toward a house.
Moving into a house in the city was sort of a culture shock. We missed living in nature and among wildlife. We both had also switched jobs and were working way more than what we considered healthy. We gave the jobs and lived at our new house a year before we said enough was enough. In the summer of 2019, we decided to rent out our home, start a business, and travel. We still had some savings to live off of, but it really felt like we were jumping off a cliff. At the same time, I was really excited, and maybe slightly delusional.
We founded our business with a desire to live our lives with more creativity, freedom, and the ability to spend more time doing what we love. Wild Optix started out solely as a photography and videography business. Our first project was filming an American Bison hunt in remote Utah. This was a two-week film expedition and it was an incredible experience, to say the least. We learned and experienced so much. The best part about it was meeting some really amazing people.
When I was going to school for my bachelor’s, I had a hobby of coming up with fake businesses and designing a website to go with them. During that time, I would just help friends and family with their websites. Shortly after we released our buffalo film, we connected with a Lodge/Cafe that needed a website.
It was our first paid job. Eventually, our business grew by word of mouth, and the website design requests have continued coming in. Social media marketing was a natural progression from designing websites. Marketing is essential for discovery and we wanted to equip our clients with powerful tools to grow their businesses after their website was live.
Because we were willing to take the leap, our passions turned into a way of living. We are so grateful that we are able to turn what we love, and what we are good at, into a creative and sustainable business. Looking back, jumping off our cliff could have been disastrous, but it wasn’t. We have more freedom and discretionary income than we have ever had before. I absolutely LOVE what I do.
My work brings me a lot of fulfillment and I am proud to say that I can offer employment to other people as well.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Running a business is extremely stressful. People always say that “I want to be my own boss.” The reality is, that when you go into business for yourself all of your clients become your boss.
You go from having one boss to dozens of bosses. Yes, you have more control and the ability to set boundaries, but you still have deliverables and expectations. The pressure to perform well is a lot higher. My philosophy is to work closely with clients so that we can have long-lasting relationships.
I see many of my clients as close friends and I treat every business as my own.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We are a design and marketing agency. Our team specializes in social media management and growth, public relations and networking, website design and SEO, copywriting, and branding.
Our passion is helping businesses grow and thrive in their industry. We are dedicated to helping businesses create a brand that they are proud of.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
The best advice I can give is to hire a really good accountant right away! A worthwhile accountant is expensive, but they can help you save A LOT of money in taxes.
You want someone who does more than push paper- you need someone who cares about saving your business money and reaching your goals. Make sure whoever you hire has a second or third pair of eyes to prevent mistakes in filing and missing something in the ever-changing tax codes.
The next bit of advice I have is don’t be afraid to hire help. Having a qualified team with diverse skills can help grow your business to new heights. As a business owner, you need time to grow your business!
If you can figure out how to charge the right prices, find the right help, and then have a little extra time to focus on your own business growth, you are on the right track. Paying for help also offsets taxes a lot.
I would rather offer work to someone else than see that same money go towards taxes.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@wildoptix.com
- Website: https://www.wildoptixdesigns.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildoptixdesigns/
- Facebook: Facebook.com/wildoptixdesigns
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/wildoptixdesigns/
