MWH 220 : How She Made 6 Figures In 5 Months Using Instagram with Dong-Maria Le

There are so many things that are possible for your business when you use Instagram as the vehicle. It’s TRUE! And today’s podcast guest is going to prove it because she made SIX FIGURES in only 5 MONTHS using Instagram.

Woot woot!

Today’s guest is Dong-Maria Le. Dong-Maria is the founder of BabyDonkie, which launched in 2012. Her business is a sweet online space dedicated to making shopping for beautiful, high quality organic children’s clothing, sustainably created eco toys and kids décor a simple pleasure.

During this episode, Dong-Maria is going to share her best advice for women starting their own business and how her mentality has shifted, grown and changed as she travels along her business journey. You’re going to learn so much from her.

Let’s get into it!

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

[0:33] This episode of the Mums With Hustle Podcast is proudly Social Method Society is designed for female entrepreneurs growing heart centered, impact driven businesses using Instagram. And I’m honestly so excited to let you know that you have your chance to get inside the Society is happening this week!

>> [1:50] So if you’re wanting to get more business, elevate your brand on Instagram, and turn followers into eager buyers who rave about you, then you need to join the Society. Head over to the waitlist and pop your details in. Doors open for a limited time throughout the year, so get on the list and I’ll let you know when they’re open.

ABOUT TODAY’S GUEST:

[1:40] I’m truly pumped for today’s episode because today’s guest is actually a Member of the Social Method Society annnnnd in 2019 she made 6 figures in just 5 months using Instagram. Today’s guest is Dong-Maria Le! Dong-Maria is the founder of BabyDonkie, which launched in 2012. Her business is a sweet online space dedicated to making shopping for beautiful, high quality organic children’s clothing, sustainably created eco toys and kids décor a simple pleasure.

[2:20] At BabyDonkie, their philosophy is simple. They believe in purchasing beautiful things that have been made to last. Each designer has been chosen for on trend aesthetic, incredible quality and true value for money. These are pieces you’ll want to hand down to siblings or friends. And the eco-friendly values of all their brands means you can feel good about the purchases you make.

[2:54] During this episode, Dong-Maria is going to share her best advice for women starting their own business and how her mentality has shifted, grown and changed as she travels along her business journey. You’re going to learn so much from her.

[4:00] Dong-Maria started her business as an e-bay store and it was a side hustle for her.

[7:37] If you’re thinking of starting of business, you do not have to give up everything or give up your job to do so. You can make it work! Patience is a great virtue when starting a business.

DONG-MARIA’S BEST PIECE OF ADVICE

[8:22] You should get really clear on your niche and understand your target market! Set yourself up with the best processes and systems that you can afford at the time then improve/scale as you grow.

For the longest time Dong-Maria was handwriting addresses on satchels but when she finally bought a Dymo labeling machine she wished she’d bought it sooner!

[9:38] E-mail marketing is a massive part of online marketing! Dong-Maria is using Instagram to build her e-mail list.

[11:35] Invest in your learning through the Social Method Society, and tap into a support network of like-minded entrepreneurs. And lastly, just give it a go, if you don’t try you will never succeed.

DONG-MARIA’S INSTAGRAM & SOCIAL METHOD SOCIETY JOURNEY

[14:40] When Dong-Maria first joined the Society, she was at the beginning of stage 4 but she must admit that she went back to Stage 1 and worked through the stages as she didn’t want to miss anything!

[17:13] One of the main reasons Dong-Maria joined the SMS was that she knew she wasn’t leveraging the power of Instagram enough or keeping up with the changes. As part of the Success Path, she tried things outside of her comfort zone like doing her first IGTV and the IG Make Money Challenge and immediately saw results.

DONG-MARIA’S MINDSET SHIFT

[20:30] One of the defining moments for Dong-Maria was shifting her mindset when she updated her LinkedIn Profile to include BabyDonkie. Before then, she thought including a “side hustle” on LinkedIn would not look professional but she realised that was her self limiting belief and actually the skills she has learnt as a business owner would benefit her career.

[22:50] Dong-Maria made over six figures in five month. During that period, she can contribute the results to 2 major strategies:

She launched a new brand/product on presale plus some new releases from existing brands that did really well.
She was part of a (paid) Christmas Gift Guide organised by a huge influencer with an extremely engaged audience in my target market – the baby and kids space.

HOW IS DONG-MARIA USING INSTAGRAM TO GROW HER BUSINESS

[27:50] Instagram is one of Dong-Maria’s top sources of revenue and her main social media platform that she uses. She uses Instagram to drive traffic to her website and to create trust and brand awareness.

She shares new products and restocks, behind the scenes and snippets of personal/family life, images from customers using her products.
Dong-Maria posts beautiful images created by their brand reps and accounts she has collaborated with featuring their products.