Lola Adewuya, Founder of The Brand Doula, on Building a Pandemic Proof Creative Agency by Putting People Over Profit

The COVID-19 pandemic reshaped industries, compelling businesses to adapt rapidly or risk failure. The onset of public unrest due to the murder of George Floyd and the escalation of police violence during the pandemic provided an opportunity for black creatives to thrive. Many brands reached out to work with businesses such as The Brand Doula, to create better experiences for black audiences. 

Lola Adewuya, founder of The Brand Doula, a creative agency, started when she was in college and has now since grown to 9 team members. The creative agency works with brands, particularly women of color-owned businesses, and specializes in services ranging from personal branding to social strategy. 

Lola uniquely runs her agency as a collective. She always prioritizes her team's well-being and needs first. She ensures her team feels they own the agency and are also responsible for its care and success.

‍People Before Profit: Cultivating a Creative Home

Whether a team member is full-time or a contractor, all are treated like they are part of the team. There is no differentiation between the two at the agency. There is also zero tolerance for signing on clients who treat members as second-class citizens. Fostering compassion and community is very important to continuing the positive team culture. 

Lola rethought how to structure and manage her team to build stronger relationships and a more effective work environment. This included paying fair wages, prioritizing the team's emotional well-being, and ensuring everyone had access to meaningful work that supported their livelihood.

Often, contractors are seen as lesser than or as "temporary" because they are typically hired for one-off projects and temporary work. They are subjected to harsh treatment and a cutthroat sentiment, wherein the most important thing is their work output. Lola is proud to run a welcoming agency where contractors or employees can sell their 1:1 services under the agency umbrella to generate more income during slow business periods. 

‍Tools To Run An Agency

Collaboration is one of the critical values at The Brand Doula. The agency took a brief hiatus, during which it conducted an internal audit of its operations. The team reassessed everything from communication tools to client management systems, leading to improved collaboration across the board. She provided the tools that are used to run her agency below:

• Communication: Slack for the primary mode of team communication + clients 

• Project Management: Notion for internal databases and resources

• Legal: Typeform for agreements, contracts, and invoices

• Creative: Figma for social media graphics and marketing

• Accounting: Novo to save money in different categories 

• Bookkeeping: Wave to manage annual and quarterly taxes for the agency

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Branding 101

Being a branding expert, Lola provided these tips to elevate your brand, whether a business or personal brand:

• Get clear on your competitive advantage and who you are serving using that competitive advantage. Your competition is different from brands selling the same products but brands selling the same product to your specific demographic. Then, deciding how you want to stand out would be best

• Identify the reason for having your business and the problems you are trying to solve

• Have high-quality visuals, such as your website and product packaging

• Ensure you have a great social experience, such as focusing on one social platform and doing it well. Second, you need a great shopping experience on your company's website, and third, you need an excellent product experience. Always remember that simple is best, and don't overdo it

‍How To Position Yourself on Social Media

Depending on the type of creator you are, Lola suggests that if you are a lifestyle content creator focused on Brand Partnerships, you should focus on building your audience on TikTok and Instagram. These platforms are designed to aid in building friendships and increasing visibility so that brands will want to work with you. 

If you are creative and looking to build your thought leadership, then you should focus on LinkedIn and YouTube. These two platforms are great for speaking or posting your expertise on a subject you want to be seen as credible. An in-between option is Substack. Substack is a platform where you can start a newsletter, build an audience, and monetize it. The old WordPress blogging days are making a comeback.

‍Looking Ahead: The Future of The Brand Doula

Since the beginning of The Brand Doula, Lola and her team have been focused on continuing to build a business that not only delivers for its clients but also supports its team. One of her main focuses is to onboard a business manager who will help her step away from the agency's day-to-day operations and specifically focus on growing the business.

With plans to refine the business's operations further and expand its reach, she's set on creating lasting impact—both within her team and in the wider creative industry. Her story inspires any entrepreneur looking to build a business that's not only successful but also sustainable and rooted in a deep sense of purpose.

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Take a look at Lola and her team’s work:

Instagram: @thebranddoula

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thebranddoula/

Website: https://www.thebranddoula.co/

Keep up with Hue Capital:

Instagram: @huecapitalco

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hue-capital-community/

Website: https://huecapital.co

Email: info@huecapital.co

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