Rising Stars: Meet Allie Coutts

Today we’d like to introduce you to Allie Coutts.

Hi Allie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I founded Coutts Creations LLC in 2020 following the launch of The Fun with Friends Podcast in 2019. After over 10 years of federal employment, I decided it was time to turn my ideas and passions for photography, marketing and branding, and podcasting into a full-time business. 

Through all of my ventures, my goals are to encourage others to be bold and try new things, whether that’s starting a business, starting a podcast, or just trying something new.

I’ve always been creative and have dabbled in everything from dancing to writing poetry and fiction to illustration and photography. I’m really just in love with the act of storytelling, no matter what form it takes.

I also enjoy teaching others how they can share their stories through branding and marketing, graphics, social media, or podcasting. I love creating safe and fun spaces for my clients to be fearless and express themselves and bring their ideas to life.

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?
The main struggles have been finding my rhythm and focus as a small business owner. It’s ingrained that we should be working a 9 to 5 and working for someone else, and it can be challenging to get out of that mindset. I’ve felt a lot of guilt and shame around starting my own business, as well as feeling “lazy” because I’m not adhering to what others see as “normal.” This is a topic that we cover a lot on my latest podcast, The Wandering Creatives Podcast. Many small business owners and artists experience these feelings when they decide to start their own businesses.

I’m not going to lie. It can also be challenging to find clients. I live with my best friend and her husband, so I have low overhead costs. Suppose I were doing this on my own, with my own place, rent, etc. I probably wouldn’t be doing it. I’m lucky to have supportive and willing friends to help me pursue my goals and passions.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
What am I known for..phew, that’s a good one.

I am a podcaster, first and foremost. It’s my passion, and I don’t know where I would be without it. Currently, I have three podcasts: My first podcast, The Fun with Friends Podcast, my summer break podcast, What Ya Streamin’?, and my latest podcast, The Wandering Creatives Podcast. I’m so very proud of every one of my podcasts because I never thought it was something that I would be doing and enjoy so much.

I’m most proud of my latest podcast, The Wandering Creatives Podcast, because it’s all about sharing the voices of the creatives and makers behind the products you love. I get so much joy from meeting other creatives and hearing their stories, and I love being a platform for them to share their voices and love what they do.

I’m also a branding and marketing specialist focusing on social media management/marketing and developing visual brand identities for my clients. I also focus heavily on education, especially for small business owners and creatives. 

For example, when I do social media management for a small business, I not only ensure that they have a solid visual brand identity across social media platforms, but I also give them the option to learn how to create graphics, what makes good captions, how to do hashtag research, how to optimize their bios, all of that fun social media stuff! My goal is to educate them on how to do it all themselves so that they don’t have to spend their funds on someone doing it for them unless they want to, of course! 

I am also a photographer, published author, and illustrator. I spend several days a month out at local craft markets selling my wares, so come and see me! 

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Well, when it comes to podcasting, all I can say is that it is just getting started! There has been a steady rise in the creation and consumption of podcasts, and it’s only going to go up. I believe that everyone should have a podcast. It’s a fantastic tool for small businesses to reach a larger audience and is also excellent for creatives.

Subscription or pay-to-listen podcasts are becoming more popular, especially in the last year. These are again a great way for creatives to monetize their expertise. I can’t stress it enough. You can have a free podcast feed and then give your audience the option to pay extra for additional or ad-free episodes.

I also want to stress how important it is to explore different avenues of reaching your audience. Let’s take the recent incident with the Facebook and Instagram shutdown, for example. How many small businesses and creatives rely on those social media platforms to reach their audience?

A lot, maybe all. Setting up something like a podcast allows you to build your community and audience outside of social media, leading to more engaging and authentic interactions.

Pricing:

• Free 30-minute business or podcast coaching session
• Social Media Management Starting at $300
• Social Media Education Courses start at $300
• Podcast Coaching begins at $250/mo

Contact Info:

• Email: couttscreationsllc@gmail.com
• Website: www.couttscreations.com
• Instagram: @coutts_creations, @funwithfriendspodcast, and @wandering_creative_
• Other: https://wanderingcreativespodcast.buzzsprout.com/