Inspiring Conversations with Taylor Ridge of Brand Angels

Today we’d like to introduce you to Taylor Ridge.

Hi Taylor, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My authentic code has always been rooted in ‘freedom’ and ‘legacy’. If you recognize those words, we may just be kindred spirits. My greatest desire in life, even as a little girl, was simply to be free… and the only way I knew how to achieve those two words was through entrepreneurship. I wanted to build a career that granted me permission to live out my truth (freedom & legacy), and that’s what led me here. I’m a brand coach & strategist and founder of Brand Angels, a program designed to give you the blueprints to a successful, scalable, and profitable online business that pays you to live the life of your dreams; however that looks for you.

I always knew I wanted to be a businesswoman. I looked up to my parents and grandparents. My grandmother came to this country from Mexico and supported our family with her one-woman cleaning business; an entrepreneur in her own right. I knew entrepreneurship was in my DNA, I just wasn’t quite sure how it would play out for me.

When I turned 16, I competed in my first ever beauty pageant, Miss California Teen USA. What I didn’t realize is that behind the sparkly curtains, pageants were just more than pretty dresses and rhinestone stilettos to me: they were the start of my career in branding & marketing.

My career continued to unfold as time went on. I was offered jobs, positions, and opportunities that I couldn’t have ever imagined. I’ve worked closely with Inc. 5000 companies and served as Director of Marketing for 7-figure brands that went on to be featured in Vogue (amongst other publications), and had a knack for copywriting and developing brand messaging. I was able to create irresistible offers that drove 6-figure monthly sales and grew numbers left & right, but I was always left with a lingering notion that no matter how proud I was of my work, something just wasn’t right. I knew what my gifts were and how I could use them to help propel others forward in their careers, which is why I created Brand Angels (my then-side hustle).

Though my soul was thriving with Brand Angels, it was almost like I was living a double life. On my job side, I dreaded the 9-to-5 (that was more commonly known as “9-to-7” as the years went on), my soul was crushed a little more every time I had to ask for time off, and I dreamt of traveling the world but felt chained to a desk that wasn’t even mine. After years of developing my client roster, I realized it was time to fully honor my authentic code and turn that side hustle into my main focus.

Nearly nine years after I [unofficially] began my career in the world of branding, I decided to take a calculated risk and devote myself to my company and my clients, which is what my current focus is today.

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?
Definitely not! While freedom is something you simply can’t put a price tag on, in the same breath, it’s something that comes at a cost. That cost is usually in the currency of long hours, a constant hustle that can lead to burn out, lack of creativity, isolation, facing potential judgment, and so much more.

One of the biggest struggles that came with the territory of building a side hustle were the long, long, long hours that came with it. I’d wake up, go to my job that I gave all of myself to for 40-50 hours a week, come home and nap for about an hour, then was up again to burn the midnight oil… and repeat. Everyday.

Burnout is a sad reality, and unfortunately, it’s been overly glamorized by many in our society. I’ve been there, done that, but I never want to do it again. With this new phase of my career, one of my biggest focuses is balance.

Finally, the biggest obstacle I faced in my career was myself. I used to let fear creep in and gave way to inconsistency: “What if I didn’t make it? What if I failed? Who am I to teach these things?” In a way, I felt as if my lack of consistency was almost a defense mechanism for facing the uncomfortable (i.e., potential greatness). Putting yourself out there, showing the world a side of you that not many have seen, opening yourself up to criticism… and another personal favorite, carrying guilt, shame, and fear that no one asked you to carry (but you take on, anyways) because you let the “imposter syndrome” take over. ⁠Once I notated that, I decided to make a change.

I’m now choosing to show up for myself, my clients, and my audience. Why? Because I’d rather fail than never try.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I’m a brand coach & strategist and founder of Brand Angels, a program designed to give you the blueprints to a successful, scalable, and profitable online business that pays you to live the life of your dreams; however that looks for you. I’m here to meet my clients at any step of their journey, whether they’re just dipping their toes in the sea that is entrepreneurship or they’re seasoned entrepreneurs simply looking to take their business to the next level.

Through Brand Angels came my first digital e-course, The 7 Day Brand Bible: Part I, which is a blueprint for building a successful, scalable, and profitable online business that pays people to live the life of the dreams (minus the stuffy cubicle and PTO approvals). Through this, students have access to me as their brand coach & strategist to help them navigate the tricky waters of entrepreneurship.

I offer 1:1 coaching and have a select group of clients that I exclusively work with on their brand strategy and implementation. My services include working with clients to narrow down their ideal prospect, building an engaged community, creating irresistible offers that their prospects simply can’t refuse, growing email lists with people who are just dying to purchase their products or services, and giving clients the A-to-Z on how to build a business that pays them to live the life of their dreams (mine looks like a white sand beach & a margarita in-hand).

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I’m a huge believer in energetics and the process of “manifestation.” As silly as it sounds, it’s all rooted in neuroscience! It involves a lot of inner work and reflection around your self-worth and choosing to believe that your wildest dreams are, in fact, possible. I did a lot of this work through a program called To Be Magnetic (tobemagnetic.com created by Lacy Phillips) and have been able to check off so many of my career and life goals within the year (and it wasn’t just any year – it was 2020!). Because of that, I sing Lacy’s praises to the highest. Between the inner work, the hustle, the dreams that lived inside my heart, the support of family and friends, & meeting the right people at the right times, I’d say it’s pretty certain that the stars have aligned.

Pricing:

• 1:1 Coaching – Free 30 Min. Consultation
• The 7 Day Brand Bible: Part I – Free

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://offer.brandangels.co/sales/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylorridge/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/taylormridge/