Category: Small Business Success

Introducing Perspective Based Guidance for Small Businesses

I’ve sat on this for a while. 

Waiting until everything felt “ready.” Waiting until it all looked just right. 

But my mom’s voice kept coming back to me…strive for excellence, not perfection. 

So… here I am. 

Seven months after graduating with my BS in Communications, I was hired as a small business marketing counselor. I was able to work three days at home, and two days in-office, an accommodation that was made because I care for my adult daughter who has exceptional needs.  

This job didn’t create my love for small businesses—it just gave it a place to land, because that love is what sent me back to school at 44. (I remember the actual business that finally made me decide to enroll in school…all from an article in the local newspaper about them.) 

I’ve always been drawn to entrepreneurs.

The ones who take a chance.
The ones who stay up late figuring things out.
The ones who carry the weight of it all and keep going anyway. 

There’s something about that kind of grit that sticks with you.  Motivates you.  

My time as a counselor was funded by a grant, so eventually, it came to an end. But those 2.5 years? I wouldn’t trade them for anything. I had the best supervisor & coworker (I’m forever grateful to you two!), and clients who trusted me with their businesses. Many of those clients became friends and are blessings in my life.

A New Chapter

In 2024, I stepped into something new—content creation. And I love it. 

I love creating.
I love sharing.
I love Appalachia. 

So, I built Rob & Teresa in Appalachia—our YouTube channel, Facebook page, TikTok, our store 304 in the House, and even a few books through Kindle Direct Publishing. 

It’s been a different way to do what I already love.  It’s also been the catalyst to what I’m doing here.

When Robbie and I travel, we don’t seek out chains. We look for locally owned restaurants and shops. I’ll research Google Business Profiles, check out their social media pages & channels, look at photos, read reviews… (oh, the wonderful people we’ve met!), and every single time, I catch myself thinking this is so good… I wish more people knew about it.  Or oh, I could help them with this. 

Not in a critical or “let me fix you” way, of course. Just… from experience. From seeing it. And now, doing this myself—I get it.  It’s hard to step back and look at your business the way a customer does. 

So last year, I started paying attention to that, writing things down, asking myself what this could look like. Not as “marketing consulting.” 

That’s not what this is. 

Well, what is it? 

This is about how your business shows up. Because whether we realize it or not, people are making decisions about your business before you ever speak to them. 

They’re looking you up.
Scanning your page.
Glancing at your photos.
Reading your reviews.
Walking through your door. 

And in a matter of seconds, they’re deciding 

Do I trust this place?
Does this feel right?
Do I want to spend my money here? 

That’s where I come in. 

I look at your business the way a customer does—with a fresh set of eyes. When you’re in it every day, it’s hard to see what stands out… and what gets missed. I focus on how your business feels, in person and online. 

What people see first
What feels clear… or confusing
What builds confidence… or quietly turns people away
What makes someone stay… or leave  

And then I show you what I see. 

Simple as that.
No jargon.
No overwhelm.
No 47-page strategy plan you’ll never use. 

Just honest, practical perspective. The kind that makes it easier for people to find you, feel confident choosing you, and recommend you without hesitation. Most of the time, it’s not that a business isn’t good. It’s that it’s not being experienced the way it deserves to be. 

So… I’m offering Perspective Based Guidance. 

And it’s exactly what it sounds like. 

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering why more people aren’t coming in…
or why it feels harder than it should… or what you might be missing… even if you feel like you’re doing all the things…

You might not need to do more. You might just need to see it differently. 

That’s what I do. 

Most of this can be done online, but if you’re local—or I’m in your area—I’m always open to meeting in person.  If you’d like more information, you can email me at
perspectives@sincerelyteresa.com 

Sometimes it’s not about doing more. It’s about seeing what’s already there in a different way. 

Goodbye Comfort Zone

As some of you already know, I recently became unemployed for the first time since 2011, so Robbie and I have begun content creating.  (He’s more part of the content, and I, the creator.)

In May 2024, we became Rob & Teresa in Appalachia.

I’m not a pro at it.  Heck, I’m not even great at it yet—especially the videography part.  Interestingly, I lack in the promo part, too.  This is odd, because for the past 4 years, this is what I’ve done—either teaching marketing or doing it; however, I’ve never done it for myself.

Honestly, it feels odd.

But if I want our endeavor to grow, I’m gonna hafta.

Wow, This Takes Time

Content creation can be monetized (I’m hoping that ours will supplement my staying at home and being available for Britni 100% of the time), but for it to start earning money, we need subscribers, followers, likes, comments, watch hours, etc.  For instance, on YouTube, we need 1,000 subscribers and 4000 valid public watch hours in the last 12 months.  Yes, that’s a lot.  But not impossible.

Content creation takes time.  First, you have to get the video (which, for us, happens after weeks of planning to get to the place where the videos are shot—we have to coordinate Britni’s care with my parents and Baxter’s stay at the resort).  I get home with at least a few hours of raw (unedited) content.  This is when the real work starts.

Did you know that on average, editing takes about 1 to 1.5 hours per minute of video.  My most recent fifteen-minute video on Cool Cruisin’ Nights took about 30 hours to edit.  Now, the more I do it, the better and quicker I’ll get, but even professionals would have taken about 15 to 22 hours to edit it.  I worked during the early hours of the morning before Britni woke up, and a couple times had some creativity left in me at night after she went to bed to eke out a few more edits.  Video editing requires—for me, at least—an unbroken stream of thought.  Big chunks.  Four or five hour stretches.  I’m more of a “morning & earlier in the day” creative person anyway.

None of this is said with resentment or disdain.  I love doing this.  I’m just sharing what the editing part involves. Mad props to those content creators who are making a living from it—you are definitely earning it! Other places I can monetize are my blog and through my Amazon Associate store.  When you order from an Amazon link I post, I earn a small commission on eligible purchases.

Doing What I Love

In 2019, I finally earned my BS in Communications with an emphasis in Public Relations, Persuasion, and Advocacy from ODU (go, Monarchs!)  I’m tapping into that degree now…. using what I went to school for…and looking at every avenue for potential income supplements.

When I love something, I want to share it with everyone–I get passionate about it.  Whether it’s

Cooking

Great shopping finds

Fishing

Gardening

Advocating for individuals who have exceptional needs

Music

Cars

Appalachia

Our beloved West Virginia

Our amazing Queen Britni…

And doing it—sharing & promoting—takes a bit more fancy footwork for us than your average folk.  Besides Robbie & me, my Mom & Dad are Britni’s only caregivers, and they live an hour away.  Britni doesn’t travel well without them with us, so when we make our short trips, she stays with them.  For a two-night getaway, we must first ensure they’re available to care for her, then make sure there’s availability for Baxter to stay at Goin’ to the Dogs Pet Resort, then check for accommodations at our destination.  As newbies, our outgo is more than our income because we have to spend money to get the content, from which we’ll eventually see a return (you see how I’m thinking positively?).

Makes Me Nervous!

Put $ out to bring $ in? This is way outside of my comfort zone.

But I’m 53.

It’s time.

Plus, the higher the risk, the greater the reward.

And since I’m already out of that comfort zone, I figured I’d go ahead and ask.

Would you like to show your support, and do it at zero cost to you?  All it takes is a click or two.  A tap on a screen.  Perhaps a comment and a thumbs up (I’m not forcing a “like”, but those are much preferred over the ol’ thumbs down).  And shares.  When you share, it helps us reach people we never would otherwise.

Here’s How

Helping with our YouTube channel is easy.  Subscribe, like, comment…and when you set notifications to all, you’ll get an email letting you know when we posted another video.  (You can see how to do it here.)  The time watched, too, is counted, which goes toward our being eligible for the YouTube Partner Program. Like I said, 4000 watch hours and 1000 subscribers in 12 months is a lot, but it’s not impossible.

Facebook—like the page, like and comment on posts, share on your page.  Instagram—leave us a comment, hit that heart.

Just engage.

When you do, it shows these platforms we’re relevant, and they’ll keep pushing our content out there for more people to see.  Your engagement doesn’t happen in a silo…it creates a ripple effect.  And it is much appreciated.  Not only does it help us, we love hearing from you!  We love learning what others’ likes and opinions are just as much as we love sharing ours.

If you’re trying to get your business, or your content out there for the masses, feel free to share this information with your audience.  Let them know how important these small, quick, and free actions are to you.  Things that are too simple often seem like they don’t matter.

But they do.

And for each of you who has read through to this part, and subscribed, liked, shared, and/or commented, we are eternally grateful.

Robbie, Britni, and I thank you!