How This Founder Built a $20K/Month Ghostwriting Business with Tiny Audience
Who is Kendall Cherry?
Kendall Cherry, founder of candidcollective.co, is a former corporate ghostwriter from Houston, Texas, who transitioned into entrepreneurship after realizing she was unhappy with her traditional career path. She leverages her background in liberal arts and corporate communications to craft authentic content while leading her business in Austin, Texas.
Kendall Cherry, founder of candidcollective.co
What problem does candidcollective.co solve?
candidcollective.co helps online businesses struggling to find their authentic voice in content creation, by crafting genuine narratives that resonate, enabling them to stand out, attract clients, and achieve financial success.
How did Kendall come up with the idea for candidcollective.co?
Kendall Cherry's journey to creating candidcollective.co began with a mix of personal experiences and professional introspection. Growing up in a blue-collar family where time equated to money, Kendall pursued a more conventional path into corporate America, only to find that it didn't align with her true aspirations. Her realization came during a high-pressure role at a Fortune 500 company, where she frequently felt like she was losing herself amidst the corporate climb. Despite achieving what many would call a dream career, Kendall felt unfulfilled and disconnected from her core values.
One day, Kendall decided to revisit her roots—those childhood dreams of being a creator and teacher, and the value of honesty instilled by her parents. This led her to identify a gap in support networks for those transitioning from corporate roles to entrepreneurship. Recognizing that no safe space existed for corporate dropouts wanting to pursue their own businesses, Kendall saw an opportunity to create a community that respects authenticity over corporate conditioning.
Before diving in, Kendall tested and refined her ideas through multiple iterations of her business models, each teaching her valuable lessons. She quickly learned that authenticity and a clientele aligned with her values were key. Her approach emphasized directness, not just in business dealings but also through creating content that genuinely resonated with others. Kendall faced skepticism and hurdles, but by focusing on candid storytelling and embracing the uniqueness of her approach, she built The Candid Collective into a space where every entrepreneur's story matters.
How did Kendall Cherry build the initial version of candidcollective.co?
Kendall Cherry built the initial version of The Candid Collective through a series of iterative pivots and careful audience engagement. The first iteration took a few months to establish, starting as a ghostwriting and digital marketing business. Using her background as a ghostwriter for a Fortune 100 company, Kendall leveraged her writing skills to distinguish her services in a crowded market. Her subsequent pivots were challenging, as she initially broadened her scope too much and then had to narrow down to ghostwriting, which turned out to be her core strength.
The process of refining The Candid Collective was not linear. It took approximately four different business models over the span of a few years until she focused on ghostwriting full-time in January 2024. This was following an experience where offering broader marketing services diluted her unique value proposition. Kendall's commitment to cultivating an email list, using LinkedIn engagement, and guest appearances on podcasts helped drive the targeted, organic growth necessary for sustainability. Her emphasis on genuine storytelling and avoiding reliance on referrals posed challenges but eventually shaped a successful business model centered on authenticity and clarity in communication.
What was the growth strategy for candidcollective.co and how did they scale?
Email Marketing/Newsletter
Candid Collective has primarily grown through an effective email marketing strategy, despite a modest subscriber base of 572. Their newsletter, Wallflower Fridays, doesn't rely on large numbers but on high engagement, boasting a 49% open rate. The key here is quality over quantity; subscribers are highly targeted as they're brought in by a lead magnet—Candid Collective's services guide. This approach ensures those who join the list have high intent to eventually use Candid Collective's ghostwriting services.
Why it worked: The quality of subscribers means that even a small list can drive substantial business, evidenced by generating $500,000 in ghostwriting services. By having the services guide as a gateway to the newsletter, Candid Collective smartly turns potential customers into engaged subscribers, proving that understanding customer intent is more crucial than just growing list numbers.
LinkedIn Engagement
Kendall Cherry leverages LinkedIn for organic reach by posting evergreen content about ghostwriting and engaging with the community. Instead of constantly creating new content, she strategically uses a library of content that she rotates, ensuring consistent visibility without burning out on content production.
Kendall's LinkedIn
Why it worked: This method allows Kendall to maintain a presence and engage with both existing and potential clients without the constant pressure of new content creation. Active engagement on LinkedIn has also resulted in direct inquiries from people who discover her expertise through her posts and comments, proving that strategic interaction can be as powerful as new content.
Podcasts and Guest Appearances
Kendall frequently appears on small podcasts, sharing her story and expertise. This exposure brings her into niche audiences where trust is already established between the podcast host and their listeners. As a result, listeners who resonate with her approach click through to her website and often convert into clients or subscribers.
Why it worked: Podcasts provide a platform where Kendall can offer value and demonstrate authority in her field. Even if they have smaller audiences, the trust inherent in podcast listenership increases conversion chances compared to cold traffic from other media. It's a cost-effective way to tap into engaged communities.
Anti-Referral Approach
Uniquely, Candid Collective doesn’t rely heavily on referrals—a common practice in service-based industries—but instead focuses on having control over their sales processes through direct marketing channels like their newsletter. They prefer direct customer engagement rather than waiting for clients to be referred by others.
Why it worked: This approach gives Kendall more control over her business pipeline and revenue, enabling her to project growth and adapt strategies instantly based on incoming data from her campaigns. Its success hinges on building a strong brand presence personally rather than relying on external sources, allowing for sustainable and independent growth.
What's the pricing strategy for candidcollective.co?
Candidcollective.co charges $20,000 to $35,000 monthly for ghostwriting services, utilizing a subscription model with less than 600 targeted email subscribers to drive sales.
What were the biggest lessons learned from building candidcollective.co?
- Persistence Pays Off: Kendall Cherry's journey with The Candid Collective shows that success often requires multiple pivots and perseverance. She redefined her business approach several times before finding what truly worked, demonstrating that persistence and learning from past failures can lead to success.
- Authenticity Over Referrals: Instead of relying on referrals, Kendall built her business by cultivating a strong, authentic connection with her audience through her email newsletter. This approach allowed her to have more control over her sales pipeline and ensure that her services were desired by those who already knew her value.
- Embrace Your Strengths: Kendall succeeded by focusing on her strength in writing and ghostwriting, positioning herself as an expert in this niche. By leveraging what she was genuinely good at, she was able to create a distinct brand identity and attract the right clients.
- Quality Over Quantity: With just 572 email subscribers, Kendall was able to generate significant revenue by ensuring her mailing list comprised high-quality leads interested in her services. This strategy highlights the power of engaging a focused audience rather than chasing large but disengaged followers.
- Be Willing to Shift Gears: Kendall's multiple business iterations—from a coaching business to a fractional CMO role to a ghostwriting service—demonstrate the importance of being adaptable and the willingness to shift strategies when the current one isn’t working. This flexibility was crucial for finding the right market fit and achieving business stability.
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More about candidcollective.co:
Who is the owner of candidcollective.co?
Kendall Cherry is the founder of candidcollective.co.
When did Kendall Cherry start candidcollective.co?
2019
What is Kendall Cherry's net worth?
Kendall Cherry's business makes an average of $20K/month.
How much money has Kendall Cherry made from candidcollective.co?
Kendall Cherry started the business in 2019, and currently makes an average of $240K/year.
