Young Entrepreneur Spotlight: Anna Sullivan

Who are you and where are you from?

My name is Anna Sullivan and I live in Greensboro, North Carolina.

When did you entrepreneurial journey begin?

I have always had an entrepreneurial heart since 3rd grade when I sold school supplies out of my desk. From there I have had many “businesses” but it became more serious when I started taking entrepreneurship classes in college and joined the Entrepreneurship Club.

What inspired you?

I have always been inspired by myself, to always want something bigger and better and people inspire me as well. I am truly inspired by people that have a passion for something and are doing something to make their dreams reality.

Did you have a mentor or business support?

In college I had several mentors, but two of the greatest mentors I had was the Entrepreneurship Club Advisor and my boss at a boutique I used to work at. They strived to help me make my entrepreneurial dreams a reality and always helped me meet people, get involved in the community, and make things happen!

Tell us about your venture.

I have a passion for marketing and supporting local businesses. I do freelance work under my company, The Creative Exchange, to provide marketing services from graphic design, to websites, social media, and event planning. I have been really involved in the Greensboro community and know it’s hard for small and local businesses to survive, so I wanted to offer affordable marketing services to them.

What were your biggest fears before you began?

I am NOT a sales person and basically for this to work out I had to sell myself and services to local businesses. Luckily, I have made a lot of connections in the area and have really lived off referrals.

How is your venture evolving?

With more and more people starting to understand the ROI of social media, people are actually starting to look and hire experts like myself to do this for them and teach them about social media. I have gained more clients and more experience with different types of business because of this, and this has really helped my reach to different businesses in different industries.

Has the experience changed you as a young professional?

YES! I have really loved meeting so many new people and being able to help them. I learned that I would NEVER want to work for a corporation since I see how much life that small business gives and really gives the community happiness.

What have you learnt from the process so far?

I have learned that it takes a lot of work and dedication to make this work and I have enjoyed working hard and seeing the results of my hard work.

What misconceptions do you believe young professionals have about following their entrepreneurial ambitions?

A lot of people will try to scare you out of going after your dream since most people do in fact fail. However, people learn from their failures and only get stronger and better from there!

What are your ambitions for your venture’s future?

I would love to eventually employ more than just myself!

Finally, what advice would you like our readers to take away with them?

My advice: Don’t let anyone talk you out of your dream. And if someone does talk you out of it, you must have had your own doubts about it.

Where can your venture be found?

http://www.facebook.com/thecreativeexchangeco

http://www.thecreativeexchange.co (under construction) so you can view my services on   http://www.annaelizabethsullivan.com

http://www.linkedIn/pub/anna-sullivan/49/693/131/