Jemma Mrdak | Dak & Co
Jemma Mrdak is the founder of award winning style, wellness, travel and lifestyle blog A Stylish Moment, as well as social media agency, Dak & Co.
She started her blog whilst studying her Communications and Arts degree at the University of Canberra seven years ago and since then, has immersed herself deeply into the world of communications, public relations and social media. Through her blog and social media accounts, Jemma shares her daily inspiration and thought provoking opinions, style, health and wellness advice, and has grown a strong network of followers.
Through Dak & Co, Jemma specialises in supporting businesses with their social media management, strategy, copywriting and all other digital marketing needs. She help's entrepreneurs and business owners make an impact online by working with them to develop unique, creative content that can elevate and highlight their brand story.
Q&A
1. Tell me about yourself: who are you, what do you love etc?
I am the founder of award winning style, wellness, travel and lifestyle blog A Stylish Moment as well as the founder and director of social media management agency, Dak & Co.
I absolutely love what I do, and I really do have a passion for everything that I get to do with my blog and my business.
Outside of all of that, I have a strong love for fitness, as well as my two dogs, Rex & Marley who keep me very active! I am a big traveller as well, and am always either researching or booking my next trip!
2. What do you do?
I help business owners, entrepreneurs and anyone who wants to learn, how to use social media and digital channels to market themselves.
I mainly focus on providing social media assistance, whether it be through social media account management, content calendar and post development, as well as strategy - and I also host various workshops, events and other things.
3. What's your 'why’?
I want to be able to provide a difference to businesses and help them achieve their potential by educating and allowing them to utilise social media in an effective way.
I am passionate about what I do, because I know firsthand what it's like to build an online profile and presence (having done it with my blog, A Stylish Moment).
I really do love the process of working with clients to learn more about their business goals and motivations, so that I can best help them grow their online presence.
One part of my business is social media coaching, whereby I do one-on-one sessions with small business owners. This is something I absolutely LOVE to do, as it means I can see firsthand, the passion that those business owners have for their businesses, and that really lights a fire inside me and motivates me to help hem achieve the best results with their online presence.
4. What was the biggest turning point in your life?
For me it was when I was in my late teens/early 20’s when I was at my worst with my mental health and OCD - you can read more about it here.
I had experienced a pretty tough time, and for me a big turning point in my life was when I sought help for the issues that I was facing and learnt to put my hand up and get proper assistance. This then put me on a positive path to living a more happier and healthier life. Learning how to speak up about these challenges that I faced, and getting the incredible support that I did from so many people, really put me on the right path.
5. How did you get to the point you're at now?
Lot’s of late nights, long days, sacrifices and a TONNE of hard work - plus a lot of determination and resilience as well!
6. Is there any advice you can share or something you wish you knew?
There have been so many learnings along the way in my business journey, and I know that I’ll never stop learning too!
A key learning for me would definitely be in regards to finances and accounts, as this is definitely not my strong point. I learnt fairly early on to outsource the things that I don’t excel at, so for me it was getting an accountant on board to ensure that I was not only setting and achieving financial goals, but also complying with paying various taxes that are associated with running your own business.
Also, for small business owners, I always suggest starting small and taking gradual steps to success. I have heard too many horror stories of business owners who felt that they should do everything at once, and then it all falls apart because there was no plan or strategy in place. Slow and steady wins the race - and it’s the same when it comes to being in business.
Don’t ever think that anyone becomes a success overnight - there are always years and years of hard work, dedication and perseverance that happens in the background.