Career Growth Advice from Corey Hudson, Digital Marketing Leader | Career Tips for Women in Digital Marketing

2B Bolder Podcast – Episode 35
Featuring Corey Hudson

Episode Title: #35 Career Podcast Featuring Corey Hudson, a Successful Pinterest Strategist and Consultant Who Loves Helping Others Grow Their Business

Host: Mary Killelea
Guest: Corey Hudson



Mary Killelea (Host): Hi there. My name is Mary Killelea. Welcome to the To Be Bolder podcast, providing career insights for the next generation of women in business and tech. To Be Bolder was created out of my love for technology and marketing, my desire to bring together like-minded women, and my hope to be a great role model and source of inspiration for my two girls and other young women like you, encouraging you guys to show up and to be bolder and to know that anything you guys dream of, it's totally possible. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the conversation.

Hi there. Thanks for tuning in today. Today's guest is Corey Hudson. Corey Hudson is passionate about helping entrepreneurs understand and leverage the power of Pinterest to grow their business. She is a Pinterest brand and marketing strategist who teaches bloggers, creators, and e-commerce business owners to grow their professional brands and drive more traffic. Corey, I am so excited to have you here. Thank you for joining me on the show.

Corey Hudson (Guest): Thank you for having me.

Mary Killelea: Okay. So truth be told, I came across you while I was on TikTok. I think it was a couple weekends back and I got sucked into your TikToks. I like started following you. I started like liking all your posts. I found you to be really authentic, totally relatable, and honestly, I loved the high value content that you were sharing. So I was excited when you agreed to be on and let's get into it.

Corey Hudson: Well, first, I'm so glad you found me on TikTok because I haven't been on there very long. And so it's nice to hear some feedback and know that I am helping people. That's the main goal. I try to give a lot of good content, but I'm noticing a lot of the viewers are newer to Pinterest. So, I'm sharing a lot of helpful stuff for beginners, but I also have a lot of knowledge for advanced users. So, if any of the listeners are advanced, I have way more information on my website for any more advanced users. But a lot of what we'll cover today is probably more beginner Pinterest stuff because I'm noticing that that's what the audience really likes on TikTok. And even my Instagram and Facebook, there are a lot of beginners.

Mary Killelea: Absolutely. And I think you can cover the whole spectrum here. I designed this show to really showcase women holding down and being successful in a variety of career paths. So, you know, there's not just one traditional career path. I mean, as we know, Pinterest and digital marketing and many of the things that we do now under the marketing umbrella didn't exist 10, 20 years ago. So, the show here showcases successful women trying new things, learning, teaching others. So let's start with your background. Could you tell us a little bit about your career journey? And then I know you had a previous business that you sold. So let's go into that and then we'll talk about the Pinterest business that you have today.

Corey Hudson: Well, I started with an Etsy shop. I live in a very small community in central California, and there's not a lot of jobs where I'm at. Like you're commuting at least basically 30 to 45 minutes to get a job both ways. So, I really wanted when my kids were born to stop commuting and work from home. So, I opened for some reason, I thought it would be a great idea, which it was, it ended up being a great idea to open a handmade baby bedding business. It was something that I was using and needing at the time. And I dove into just learning all things Etsy. And I realized soon that I needed to use social media to grow and get more sales. And starting on Pinterest, I eventually opened a Shopify site and grew both of those with the help of Pinterest, driving traffic to both the Shopify and Etsy, which made more sales. I soon found out though that sewing something is very time consuming. And even I started charging more and more outsourcing. It was just so overwhelming the amount of time with two young kids at home being chained to my sewing machine.

So, I had so many people constantly asking me like help with their Pinterest and their Etsy shops and communities I was online in, like Facebook groups and stuff. And I started realizing that I'd rather spend my time teaching people how to make money with Pinterest. So I ended up selling my whole brand and started. So this was two years ago, started helping people really with Pinterest and since then I take on clients, I do courses, I speak at retreats and conferences, actually doing a retreat next week. I did a few conferences, but this year, luckily, everything's starting to open up so I can meet some people and help them in person. So, I taught myself and then now I know by just using and helping, I've probably had hundreds of different clients in different niches and just have been on Pinterest so much. I know it forwards and backwards.

Mary Killelea: That is so fantastic. So, I have a couple questions out of that story. When you first started your Etsy store, were you intimidated by the thought of starting your own business? And if so, how did you have the courage or the confidence to say, this is what I'm going to do and I'm going to self teach myself and I'm going to dedicate so many hours a day to doing it? Because that can be quite daunting for someone who has the dream of staying home with their kids for the flexibility, but also knows she can be very successful in a business driven area of her life.

Corey Hudson: I would definitely say stubbornness and just the willing to succeed. I think when I first started my shop, even my husband and family members like, oh, you started an Etsy shop, didn't think it was going to go anywhere. And I wanted it to go somewhere, and I wanted to prove that I could do it. And knowing it just motivated me a lot more. Even my husband was a little like, oh, that's just your hobby. And I'm like, no, this is not my hobby. And I'm making it into a business and it just grew and grew and just realized the more work you put into it, it pays off in the long run.

Mary Killelea: And that's such a key thing that you said that no, it's not a hobby. Because I remember when I had my own business years ago, I think I even self-sabotaged myself in a way by saying, oh, just my business or oh, something. And later I broke that cycle and I saw what I was doing. And you have to have that mental shift to realize it's not a hobby. It is a business. And then that's how you'll be able to be mindful to take it serious and scale it and dedicate the time to it.

Corey Hudson: Yes, exactly.

Mary Killelea: Okay. So why Pinterest?

Corey Hudson: It's the easiest platform to get actual traffic from because it's more like a search engine than like a following. Like TikTok, you have followers. And Instagram, you have followers engaging with your stuff and you may be seeing you, maybe not. On Pinterest, people are going there and actively looking for something to buy or to read about or a project. So, you're more likely to actually get in a person who is more likely to buy from you or watch your video, read your blog post, whatever you're trying to get, because they're actively looking for that. They're not scrolling through, you know, while driving in the car, riding in the car, just scrolling, looking for whatever looks good in their feed. They're actively looking for you. So, you want to be found when someone's looking for certain things through search, which is why Pinterest is so good for small businesses and large businesses, no matter where you're at in your business journey.

Mary Killelea: So, is the idea to do the sales right there within Pinterest or drive traffic back to your main domain?

Corey Hudson: That depends on what your end goal is. If your end goal is a product sale, it doesn't matter either on Pinterest or off. But if say you're a blogger, I have, I also have a blog. My goal would be for you to get on my page and spend time on my page, see my ad, and then also sign up for my email or click on one of my affiliate links. So that is definitely, I would want you to go off Pinterest for.

Mary Killelea: Tell us about your consulting business. I know you said that you teach others and then you have some do it for you services. Tell us about the services and if you have like a favorite.

Corey Hudson: So probably my most popular is an account audit. It's where it's just me, you know, I know what to look for an account. I know what works and what doesn't. So, I offer that as an account on it, 30 bucks. And I tell you what I see that I notice can be fixed or worked on. My second most popular and my favorite service I offer is an account setup or optimization. It's where I make sure you have 10 boards that are going to perform for you. That it's the biggest mistake people make or they do the wrong boards for what they're trying to sell or their end goal. They're off niche or they're not key worded right. The descriptions are wrong. It's the one of the most important things is what board you're pinning to. And I know which ones work for which niches because I've just worked with so many of them. Then I know what's popular and what works throughout the year, not just certain seasonal boards as well. So those are my most popular ones.

I also offer coaching where if somebody else wanted to just learn how to do it so they can manage their own account for years to come, not everybody can afford to hire me and keep me on long term. Some of my bigger clients, bigger companies can, they don't want to mess with it all. They just hire me, and I continue managing it for them. But I also offer coaching sessions for entrepreneurs who want to just learn how to do it and they can take it over themselves and go for that.

Mary Killelea: Do you have an ideal client? Like do you like working with corporations, small businesses, or a little mix of both?

Corey Hudson: A little bit of mix of both. I like when corporations just say, can you handle it for me? And I go off and I do it. I do my magic. I work in the backgrounds because that's just how I prefer to do it. Where small businesses tend to be more eager for the sales. So, they're very, I don't want to say nitpicky, but they're watching what you do and asking a lot of questions, which is fine. I completely understand. It just ends up being a little more time consuming on my end. So, I like working with both, but I prefer working kind of like in the background and doing my thing because I don't always explain my process. We are working together and I'm coaching you. I don't always explain the ins and outs. Like I said, it's time consuming and I do have a lot of clients.

Mary Killelea: Yeah, no, I totally get that. Can you give us an example of like a typical day?

Corey Hudson: Depending on the day, I batch every day, but all of my clients. So each day, Monday through Friday, I have a certain amount of clients depending on the day. And I use Tailwind always. It's a must for me and my clients. It's a scheduler. So, I will schedule out either one week or two weeks, depending on how advanced their account is worth a pin. And then if they have tribes, I do tribes and keyword research. I add new pin videos, stories all in one day. And then I don't touch that account usually for another week or two, unless it's brand new and needs a little more love, then I'll go and I'll do it every week. But I batch multiple clients every single day.

Mary Killelea: So is that how you're able to scale your business and allow yourself to have some sanity with your family?

Corey Hudson: Yes, I am very strict and I've learned that the hard way. I now have people pay for my time. And it was a struggle in the beginning because I felt a little awkward, like, no, I'm sorry, if you'd like to jump on a phone call, it's going to be $100. And it has worked wonders for me to set boundaries and say, you know, I work business hours, I'm running a business and I'm working business hours. I return phone calls and emails during business hours. For the most part, if I'm working on a Sunday, then I'll jump on and return phone calls and emails that day or work on accounts just to catch up. But for the most part, I'm very strict about working normal business hours and I'm upfront about that with my clients.

I spend certain hours of the week, like today, for instance, I spend my afternoon doing other stuff like podcasts, or I'll work on TikTok videos, stuff like that, and later in the afternoon. And I definitely have a babysitter right now because with school from home and stuff, certain days I need the extra hours.

Mary Killelea: That is awesome. I remember hiring the babysitter when I was doing my meetings either from home or just needing a break for balance. What are some of the other challenges that you've faced as an entrepreneur?

Corey Hudson: Right now, it's probably just creation and videos and especially because I've been trying to do TikToks and then I feel like, reels, I'm trying to help my clients, but I'm also trying to grow my account myself. So it's just a mix of really trying to create quality content and not just waste my time. Like, I'm glad you like my videos and they're good tips because I feel like I need to give good tips, make it short and sweet so I can move on to my next project. I have to be very precise with my time management right now because my kids are at home with me most of the time.

Mary Killelea: Have you spent any time on Clubhouse yet?

Corey Hudson: I have been on there a few times, but I honestly, I don't like not being able to enter the conversation as much. Sometimes I get in some of the rooms and I just, I listen for a little bit and then I find myself not really paying attention because you hear the same people talk kind of over each other a little bit and then lose interest because I don't really have the opportunity to speak. And I feel like sometimes it's a lot of fluff.

Mary Killelea: It's very interesting. I tell you, it's like TikTok to me. It's a rabbit hole of just exploration. I love Pinterest and I could certainly probably use your help and that'll be a conversation for later. But that is one that I think is the purest around what I think social media should be and that's like sharing of ideas and it's not as narcissistic as maybe some of the other platforms. I don't know how you feel about that?

Corey Hudson: I have been in like certain Clubhouse meetings where I'm listening to people that I've met in person and heard speak at say a conference or a class that I've attended and they're talking the same way as they did in person. So, it's very good knowledge and tips that they are sharing. Sometimes I feel like you just have to find the right Clubhouse meeting for you to really get because I've been in some ones where I'm just hearing them talking about their days and it honestly was a waste of time. So, you just got to find the right people to follow in the right meetings and I think you can get some really good information.

Mary Killelea: What are a few of your top tips that you give for Pinterest? Like maybe one or two.

Corey Hudson: Besides scheduling like that's a must like you're not going to it's not going to be you're not going to be able to keep up with it unless you schedule it out. It would just be to make sure just like any other platform you're creating new content consistently. Instagram, TikTok they like new stuff so does Pinterest and it's okay to share your Instagram and your TikTok stuff to Pinterest as well. Videos do well on there just like the other platforms so just keep in mind you need to be consistent with it too. One of my biggest tips in the last couple years is don't be afraid to spend money or learn if you don't know about it. Like if you don't know how to create videos well, take class watch YouTube go to conferences networks stuff like that. Like don't be afraid to get out there and learn there's other people want to learn as well.

Mary Killelea: How do you personally define success?

Corey Hudson: Right now for myself personally I feel like I'm successful because I love what I'm doing and I'm able to help others love what they're doing and do what they want to do. Like you know you want to have your podcast and get it out to more women I'd love to help you do that and that is what I would say successful. You doing what you're doing and being good at it and I'm doing that as well.

Mary Killelea: For someone who's younger who's looking to get in a career similar to you and you're inspiring them to have a career within online marketing do you think it's necessary for them to have had a business in order to be almost a consultant to others?

Corey Hudson: That's a good question. I would probably say some type of business or some type of background in not only Instagram, like they need to have a blog or a shop like an e-commerce something like that doesn't have to be like a brick or mortar or like a previous marketing job, but they can't just expect to get on Instagram and start being an influencer. It doesn't happen overnight you have to learn and be taught how to be successful at it, and having a business well you've already learned so many things like about customer service and deadlines and stuff like that that you wouldn't know unless you had a business before.

Mary Killelea: Have you had mentors or people that you've looked up to and who have supported you with your previous business and your business now?

Corey Hudson: The person that comes to mind is nobody anybody else knows but it's my twin sister. We both do the same thing. She is a web designer, but it's somebody that I'm constantly like we like to learn we like to talk back and forth, we strategize we bounce ideas off each other, like she's my cheerleader, I'm her cheerleader. It's definitely something everybody needs a best friend like that like somebody to cheer them on and knows exactly what they're going through. Like no one of my other friends, not even my husband can understand what it's like to be on the certain things we have to do to be successful with marketing and social media, and how many hours a day it takes, so it's very nice to have somebody like that and constantly able to bounce ideas off of and vent to and share my successes with that knows how hard it is to be successful online.

Mary Killelea: That is very fortunate, that is very fortunate. Is there one pitfall that you've experienced over the years that you wish someone would have warned you about?

Corey Hudson: Probably that it doesn't happen overnight. I think in the beginning especially with my Etsy, it did start doing so well that I thought like oh, now I could just keep going and going. Even though I was growing and my sales were growing, I wasn't necessarily like working smarter not harder. Like I was definitely working really hard, but not smarter. Now I know to hire out certain things, to learn more, and to like really just constantly read and watch other people and network and go to conferences and stuff like that to learn because you can't scale your business unless you learn how to like it doesn't happen overnight. I wish I would have kind of known that in the beginning more and like learned more in the beginning.

Mary Killelea: As a mother do you have any advice to other women out there who are trying to balance being a mother and juggle a career or start a career or looking for a career change?

Corey Hudson: I have two things. One is don't be hard on yourself because I have been so hard on myself to where I cry myself to sleep because I didn't play with the my girls long enough today because I was busy you know with clients or orders. Just don't be hard on yourself. You're doing great and they'll see and remember that you're doing great. As they grow up they'll see you working hard. That's just as important. And two hire a babysitter. Like I said, at first I never wanted to because I was like oh, they're too young and I work from home, so I should be able to do both. No, especially now we're in a pandemic. I would say hire somebody to come to your house or even for you to go I do it two days a week now and it has helped me not only mentally, but my business just succeed that much more. Don't be afraid to ask for help if it comes to business help or daycare just don't be afraid to ask for help.

Mary Killelea: That's great advice. What does to be bolder mean to you?

Corey Hudson: Like just women helping women small business owners helping other small business owners. I just want everybody to help and learn from each other and grow together.

Mary Killelea: That's awesome. Yeah absolutely. I love everyone's different answer to that. What would you tell your 20 year old self?

Corey Hudson: That's a good question. I would probably say just keep at it. No matter what like there's days that will be good, there's days that would be bad, and there's days that are really really good. Just keep at it because when I was 20, there was things that I wish I would have kept at and not stopped and given up on, and I would definitely tell myself like just stick with it a little bit longer.

Mary Killelea: Have you ever had like self-doubt creep into your mind and if so how do you quiet those voices or how do you change that audio track when it creeps in?

Corey Hudson: Right now with social media and just like having to put your face out there, your image and your brand out there I definitely had a lot of self-doubt. I don't want to be like the face of my TikTok, but I just kind of told myself like it's okay like don't nitpick at all the little things, like there's so many videos I wanted to post, but didn’t because of this or that. It's okay if you're not perfect, nobody's expecting photoshopped stuff. Just be authentic and really give good content, and then that's what you're going to reap the benefits from.

Mary Killelea: Well like I said earlier, I thought you totally were authentic and completely relatable so keep on doing what you're doing.

Corey Hudson: Thank you. I am very blunt. I don't like to waste my time or other people's time, so I just feel like I'm going to be very blunt and very honest and quick to the point. So sometimes it gets me in trouble, sometimes it helps, but I'm glad it's helping you.

Mary Killelea: Yes definitely. Do you have any favorite business books or tools or resources?

Corey Hudson: One of my favorite books that I've used for my business was called Copy That Sells by Morgan Edwards. And it just talks about how your writing needs to reflect, really sell something and to ask it's something that I've been really trying to help some of my clients with. Like you have to ask for stuff, like you have to ask for the follow, ask for the click, ask for clients, ask for the sales. Don't just expect people to go click to buy without telling them why they need it, or why they can't live without it. That book helped me see a lot of that.

Mary Killelea: That's great. I hadn't heard of that one I'll have to look that one up. How can people get in touch with you?

Corey Hudson: Besides my TikTok which is Corey.Hudson on TikTok, I have a website which is pretty new because I've always just kind of hired my clients, and I used HoneyBook for that. But now I have my whole website set up and I probably have like 50 blog posts, and they're broken down for beginners, intermediate, and advanced users on Pinterest and my website is HudsonDesignCompany.com. Right on the home page, you can click on if you're a beginner, intermediate, and advanced users. I would just start reading as many blog posts as you can, and then I have my services section if you'd like to hire me. I can audit your account, fresh set of eyes, hire me to set up your account or coach you, can all be done via the contact or you could just buy the service right off my website. That's another thing on my website. I just tell you exactly what you get and the prices, so you don't have to follow the form and contact me later. So it’s all on my website at HudsonDesignCompany.com or find me on TikTok on um and my email if you guys prefer email is chudson9379 at yahoo or corey at HudsonDesignCompany.com whatever you guys put there.

Mary Killelea: This has been awesome thank you so much for taking the time to share your career with us, to tell us about your business. I wish you all the success and thanks again.

Corey Hudson: Thank you so much for having me.

Mary Killelea: Thanks for listening to the episode today. It was really fun chatting with my guest. If you liked our show, please like it and share it with your friends. If you want to learn what we're up to, please go check out our website at 2bbolder.com. That's the number two little b bolder.com