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Client Love Post: “I wish all relationships were this easy” – Well Cate, you make it easy! An interview with Cate from Bene Media

Client Love Post: “I wish all relationships were this easy” – Well Cate, you make it easy! An interview with Cate from Bene Media

We love to feature our clients, especially the ones who are most “well behaved” – meaning they listen to us, and love to take what we have created for them as tools – and run with it.
One such client is Cate Meredith from Bene Media. She is actually based in Virginia, so we couldn’t meet her in person, and in fact we still haven’t.
Working with Cate was an absolute pleasure. She was so enthusiastic and easy going, and was so happy every time we showed her the next phase. We did all our meetings with Skype video and basically as
I went through each stage with her, there was always happy exclamations and appreciations. I loved working with her and can’t wait to meet her in person!

Cate filled out the form on our website, and we asked “how did you hear about us” and she said

“Thanks for your quick reply. I found your website because I asked on Twitter if anyone could recommend a website designer. One person recommended another English design firm which didn’t impress me. However, because my boyfriend is English I decided to google for other English designers. Your website and portfolio really impressed me. Specifically, your “A Business Innovation” website is almost *exactly* what I’m looking for. The usage of Flash in that site seems very subtle and gorgeous and it doesn’t suffer when viewed on my iPad. That said, I also like the Kell Skott movement too.”
I love how she calls the Kell Skott project a “movement” – it is a bit since they too have been amazing as clients!
We interviewed Cate to find out if she could put, in her own words, her experiences in setting up her new brand, website and business – a journey we are proud to have been a part of!

Our interview with Cate Meredith

What did you learn from us?

“I like the combination of creativity and work ethic that I saw in Top Left Design. Creativity is important, of course — it is what provides the spark and flair that makes marketing fun. But getting the job done requires “old-fashioned” dedication to work also — try, re-try — work, re-work. I loved the way that Top Left Design went through the iterations of the design process with me and was willing to re-work the product every step of the way until we were happy with the result. That is a mindset and a process I always try to use with my own clients.”
“What motivates you to do such a great job at your marketing?”
Let’s face it … there is an element of marketing that is just plain fun! And, for me, it is like detective work — I feel like Sherlock Holmes (or Nancy Drew) when I am working on a marketing problem. Finding those elements which put a business’ best face forward is like solving a fascinating puzzle. Sometimes the solution to the puzzle seems obvious, but sometimes it takes a while to crack. But there always comes a time when it all clicks … and the satisfaction for me when that moment occurs is truly one of life’s great enjoyments.

Why is it important to you?

“It is important to me because it is important to my clients. Clearly, marketing can (and often does) make or break a company. Nothing is sadder to me than seeing a company with a great product or service, and great employees, that fails because nobody hears about it or understands its value. Good marketing can prevent that tragedy.”

What time management tips can you recommend to other businesses?

“When you’re just starting out, you want to know EVERYTHING and you want it now. That eagerness can cause you to sign up for every free newsletter and webinar, every trial subscription and forum and website you can find. Resist that impulse. It will overwhelm you, weighing you down with time-sucks that you can never get back. Reading newsletters doesn’t necessarily lead to more customers. Focus on your core competencies and outsource everything else. I’ve recently begun to take advantage of all those people working as tax accountants and corporate attorneys and technology consultants, people with PhDs and MDs and so on. It relieves me of feeling like I have to do every single thing myself and frees up time to do the actual work that will get me where I want to go.”

How did you find out about us?

“I discovered Top Left when I was actively searching for a web design company to create my website. I had searched locally at first but was unable to find exactly what I was looking for – design with a difference. When I found Top Left, I was struck by the fact that the company’s portfolio was so varied and gorgeous. When I made my initial contact, I was happy to see that we worked beautifully together, though we were an ocean apart and there time differences to consider. I’ve found Keren, Nichaela, and the whole team to be brilliant to work with, eager to get the details right, always on time and on budget. I wish all work relationships were as easy as this one.”
Cate Meredith - Bene Media
Aww! Isn’t it all just so wonderful all around! Thanks Cate for being such a wonderful client (yes, we know you are reading this!)

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