Community Highlights: Meet Kristen Day of Affinity Media

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristen Day.

Hi Kristen, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My name is Kristen Day, and I am a digital marketing + online business strategist specializing in web design, social media strategy, and data analytics, who works with + educates driven entrepreneurs to create a holistic, effective and profitable process they actually want to use. I relieve business owners of the stress + overwhelms caused by their online space by translating + simplifying the digital dictionary using the Clear as Day Digital System.

During the first few years after graduating college, I bounced around from company to company due to my now husband’s job, which moved us all around the country. All of those jobs were, in some way, inside the digital space. From creating websites and designing company content to online marketing and analyzing customer data, I learned a lot.

Since my degree was not formally in these areas, it forced me to teach myself these skills in order to perform the jobs well, as there was no real training from the companies. This provided me a first-hand experience of how people with no formal training have to learn these skills – through trial, error, and a lot of frustration. I do love to learn and have fallen in love with the online space, but for those who are not interested or are easily overwhelmed by these projects, it can be truly discouraging for them to want to use these tools. I was finally able to secure a remote position with an ad agency as a data analyst. This allowed me to stop moving from company to company and develop two of the most important skills I use today.

#1. Working from home in an effective and manageable way that is productive and focused.
#2. Seeing first hand the major gaps in the online service industry with regards to providing business owners a holistic, effective and profitable digital process they can actually understand AND use.

I watched over and over again as my employer would onboard an eager new client into a multi-year contract, promise them amazing results, build them a website, run ads on Facebook and other platforms, and then… little to no real results. Worse than getting less than optimal results, the client didn’t own the rights to anything. The contract they signed gave the agency ownership over the clients’ assets. If they wanted to take their business elsewhere, they lost everything they had paid for and had to pay extra to get out of the contract. Even if they could get the website into their name, they had no idea how to use it.

When I asked someone why things were done this way, the answer was essentially, “this is the best way to make money.” I hated that answer. I hated seeing this play out again and again for business owners, good people trying to embrace the digital landscape so that their business could survive, who just needed help. I hated the feeling of supporting a business model that held clients hostage over their assets and perpetuated gaps in customer knowledge.

I left that job and opened my company with the intention of bringing a kinder, more compassionate, and giving mentality to how these services are provided to our community. Having personally been in the position of having to trudge through learning the skills and seeing the prevalence of the people we are meant to serve being taken advantage of relentlessly, I strive to not only provide holistic service but also to educate entrepreneurs about their digital landscape. I have been blessed to be surrounded by talented, successful, and generous entrepreneurs that have guided and supported me. I have also been graced with a partner and family who believes in and supports me fully. Without this support, I fully recognize that I would not be where I am today.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s important to recognize that it has been a smoother ride for me than I think it is for most. I have been incredibly fortunate to be in a position that allowed me to take my time to grow my business. We have not been dependent on my company’s income, and the space and patience that has been granted to me is something that I cannot express enough gratitude for.

I do think every entrepreneur faces very real struggles around making the transition from having a job to running a business successfully. The horrible circumstances surrounding 2020 and COVID-19 reinforced my conviction that business owners should be equipped with the knowledge to leverage their online space. While I did struggle to be profitable in 2020, this was another blessing in disguise, as I was gifted the opportunity to take the time necessary to find a coach and support team to continue my smooth path forward.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I am a digital marketing + online business strategist, specializing in web design, social media strategy and data analytics, who works with + educates driven entrepreneurs to create a holistic, effective and profitable process they actually want to use. I relieve business owners of the stress + overwhelm caused by their online space by translating + simplifying the digital dictionary using the Clear as Day Digital System.

My company stands apart from others with the following aspects: One of my first clients approached me with a website that they had hired another company to create, that they were paying monthly for maintenance. The website was four blank pages. When I asked why they went with that company, the owner said, “I just don’t know anything about this stuff.” The original website provider took three weeks to respond to us to make the transition of ownership, and they had not performed work on the site in over three months. In six weeks, my client had a fully functioning website and a team member fully trained to make any changes they wanted at any time. I build entire digital systems that are easy for people who describe themselves as “technically challenged” to use.

Another client that I worked with needed a site that was not hardcoded that they could update and use. The catch? Their emails were tied to the company who built their website (built before 2010). When they asked to have ownership of their website, the company threatened to terminate their emails as well and refused to help transfer them to a new system. We were able to not only build a website that they manage themselves, but they now own everything they have. When you work with me, at the end of our time together, you, or someone on your team, will be able to use every single digital asset that I build for you. You will also own every single asset to take wherever you like.

I currently work with a business owner to create a plan that aligns with their goals over the entire year. We set a theme every month and make sure that their digital space consistently presents a unified message to their clients. This is done in a short amount of time and helps them focus less on the overwhelm of getting their messaging out and more on serving their clients. My focus is on creating more than “just a website.” I want you to have a step-by-step plan that’s easy to understand, easy to maintain, and doesn’t take hours every day or even every week.

Lastly, helping clients have a smooth and easy process is as important as supporting our community of amazing entrepreneurs. If you need another service, such as branding, copywriting, photography, etc. I help you connect with local professionals so that your process is seamless. You don’t have to go find those services on your own.

I’m most proud that my brand is unapologetically not afraid to give the power to the business owner and their team, should they want to have it. We should not shy away from empowering others to succeed, and we should call out those that feel the need to keep it to themselves. Ultimately, I want the industry to embrace this concept. By educating those who are using these services, we help them feel confident and capable of making better decisions for themselves and their business. I feel incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity and the privilege to bring this conversation about the online space to the table.

I want readers to know that there is a version of their business online that is not overwhelming, not scary, and not overly frustrating. There is a world where that piece of their business is manageable, profitable, and understandable.

We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
1. I love to scuba dive. Sharks and turtles are my favorite animals to see. 2. I do not have a marketing degree. I am completely self-taught in the areas that I help business owners with, which I think gives me a very unique perspective on helping them.

Contact Info:

• Email: kristen@affinitybyday.com
• Website: https://affinitybyday.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehomegrind/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehomegrind

Image Credits
Alex Bays Nicholas Day