Founder Friday Recap: Valuable Business Insights from Comma's Founder, Crystalee Beck
Once a month, Utah Business hosts a free event called Founder Friday. This event series gives Utah-based founders a chance to share their wisdom, lessons learned, and valuable tips on how to grow a successful business with fellow entrepreneurs from various industries. On June 21, 2024, Comma Copywriters founder Crystalee Beck was featured as a guest speaker.
Here’s a closer look at Crystalee’s approach to leading Comma Copywriters and the lessons she has learned in eight years of owning and running a successful marketing business.
Balancing “Life-First” and Accountability Makes All the Difference
One of the key things that sets Comma Copywriters apart from other companies is its commitment to a “life-first” philosophy. When Beck was raising two young children and working in corporate America, she often felt like she had to choose between her family and her job.
Beck’s desire to achieve professional goals without sacrificing quality time with her family inspired her to leave her corporate job and put her family first. When she founded Comma Copywriters, she incorporated this “life-first” philosophy, offering freedom and flexibility to her team while empowering them to take accountability and ownership of the work they do.
Each month, Comma team members are asked to fill out a capacity survey where they can set their workload for the upcoming month. Since a lot of our team are working mamas or work a full-time job outside of the home, this freedom to set your hours empowers writers to be present and take accountability and ownership of their work. Plus, adopting a life-first approach also enhances writers' satisfaction and well-being, boosts productivity and engagement, and builds trust and loyalty.
To learn more about how Comma’s life-first approach has a positive impact on its writing team, we recommend reading the following blogs:
Don’t Let Money Rule Your Actions and Decisions
Comma Copywriters is proud to write content that is worth reading. We are intentional about who we partner with and only work with companies who respect our time and skills.
As Beck shared in her conversation with Utah Business Assistant Editor Savannah Beth Winters Taylor, “Not all money is worth it.”
Beck further explained how one of the most important ongoing lessons she encounters as a business owner is to not let money dictate your actions and motivations. When you let money guide all of your decisions, you run the risk of overcommitting to work and partnering with people who do not share the same values as you.
Her recent discovery of Joseph R. Dominguez and Vicki Robin’s book “Your Money or Your Life: 9 Steps to Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence” helped her reevaluate money and the role it plays in both her personal and professional life.
This philosophy has shaped how Beck shows up to work and supports her staff. She cares more about protecting her team and ensuring they have a positive experience than taking on clients who aren’t the right fit for the sake of making money.
When You Need to Have a Hard Conversation, Always Be Clear
No one ever said running a business is easy. At times, difficult conversations need to happen and tough decisions need to be made. One of the most valuable lessons Beck learned early on as a business owner was that “clear is kind.” It is much kinder to be clear and direct than to let the fear of having an uncomfortable conversation cause resentment or misunderstanding.
Keep Your Head Up and Stay Determined
Comma Copywriters wouldn’t be where it is today without determination. In 2022, Comma became a “two comma” million-dollar company. In that same year, four out of seven leadership team members had babies within six months of each other. Determination and a strong commitment to “life-first” values ensured the team had a plan in place for team coverage, delegation of responsibilities, and ensuring all deadlines were met while these mamas enjoyed quality time at home with their growing families.
Since then, Comma’s determination has helped the company win Utah’s “Best of State” in 2023 and 2024, was recognized as one of the inaugural 100 Companies Championing Women in Utah in 2023, and was named No. 17 on the 2023 Utah Business Fast 50 list.
Embrace Change and Don’t Be Afraid to Experiment
One of the greatest lessons Beck learned is to never take herself too seriously. “Everything is an experiment”, she states. The sooner you recognize this, the sooner you can adapt to change, explore new ideas, and learn from your mistakes. Plus, the longer you wait to try something new, the further away your dreams become.
To learn more about this Founder Friday conversation, check out Utah Business’ feature article.
Are you a values-based company in need of quality content? Schedule your free 20-minute consultation today to learn how Comma’s dedicated content marketing team can elevate your marketing strategy.
