Alli Hill is a freelance writer, content marketer, speaker, coach, and founder and director of Fleurish Freelance. She’s built an illustrious global client list in tech, healthcare, eCommerce, travel, and hospitality, helping brands and businesses to increase their visibility and credibility online. When she’s not working with clients, Alli helps other freelancers start and grow profitable one-person ventures. She lives in Georgia and spends her free time hiking, biking, kayaking, and exploring.
Tell us about your childhood and where you grew up
I knew I wanted to be a writer at age 4. Books were always my escape, and I’ve always had a strong vocabulary and penchant for words. Growing up in a small town in South Carolina, I had to work extra hard to master the mechanics of grammar, spelling, and word choice (people in the south have their own language rules). I was always a bit eccentric as a kid — very quiet, a little too serious, hardworking, and not afraid to do my own thing my own way. Some things never change.
How did you get started as an entrepreneur?
I started my business out of revenge. A couple of years prior, I found what I thought would be a great step into a writing career at a local marketing agency. Turns out, there was very little writing involved, despite “writer” being in the job title. The dominoes kept tumbling — over time, my work day got extended, my lunch hour was cut in half, several paid holidays were eliminated, and duties were added without extra pay. When my then-boss purchased a content marketing course for me to enhance my current role, I started thinking about how I could turn it into my own business. Within a couple of weeks after completing the course, I landed my first client. I started working nights and weekends to grow my business while working full-time at my regular job. I was also a mom to two-under-two at the time, which gave me very little extra free time to build my business. But within a few months, I had enough clients to fully replace my income. I waited a few extra months before I quit to make sure this wasn’t beginner’s luck and make sure I could sustain my success. And within 3 years, I had tripled my previous salary.
What is one business lesson you would tell a startup founder?
Take baby steps to consistently go farther. Entrepreneurs have a lot of pressure when they’re building a business without having a predictable income. They’re trying to do all the things at once. They’re often working alone because they can’t afford to pay anyone for help. They’re trying to reach that next level of success by taking giant leaps hoping they’ll make faster progress. But I’ve found that small, consistent steps help to reduce this pressure and make whatever I’m doing more sustainable. I didn’t leave the safety net of my job until I knew I had a predictable way to get more clients and fill gaps in my schedule. I didn’t go all in on digital marketing to grow my brand. Instead, I started by mastering one approach and building it into my routine, then moving on to another, etc. It’s okay not to do all the things at once. Small, consistent actions add up over time.
