If you have spent any time as a service provider, you have probably been asked, “but, who is your ideal client?” Hopefully you have put some real thought into this question and have an answer ready to go, because although it might feel a little weird and creepy (just being honest here…), having a fictional person in your mind during all things business, really does help to drive your brand and your business forward.

Now, ideal clients come in all shapes and sizes. Some business owners prefer to have a range of a group of people, while others have a fully made-up imaginary best friend with a name and everything. Although it can be really daunting to narrow down your ideal client, the more narrow you get, the more likely you are to attract that exact person. Call it manifestation, or just good marketing, but it really does work.

Now, by no means do you need to share your ideal client with the world. Your instagram bio probably won’t (and shouldn’t) say something like “Floral designer who only works with 27 year olds named Katherine.” But today, I am going to share the nitty-gritty of who my ideal client is in order to show you all the basics of finding your own.

So here goes nothing. I present to you, my ideal client:

My Ideal Client

Name: Mackenzie Johnson

Age: 29

Profession: Owner and designer for graphic design company focusing on helping women entrepreneurs design merchandise for their own companies.

Backstory: Formerly was a teacher trying to do it all. She loved her job, but knew something was missing. She started an Etsy shop in 2019 offering custom mug designs for $25. After two years of running her Etsy shop and teaching full time, she decided to start taking her graphic design business more seriously. At the end of the 2022 school year, Mackenzie left teaching to take on design full-time. (If you know my own story this one is eerily similar…)

Interests: End of summer/early fall days where you can get hot coffee in the morning but then crave an iced tea by noon. Books that fall into the “self-help” or “business mindset” category… but goes through spurts of *actually* finding time to read. Her favorite color seems to change every season because, there are so many good colors! But in general, she is decisive and a logical thinker. Loves to take road trips and travel whenever her business allows, and is really hoping to find a groove in her business to load up the car and hit the road more often.

Pain Point: After spending years working two jobs, Mackenzie finds it hard to figure out how to balance her time. She is terrified of failure and so nervous to get remarks like “should’ve stayed in the classroom…” She believes that the more hours she puts into her the business the more likely she is to find success, but she can already feel herself burning out and losing passion.

Top Need: Freedom. Both financially and with her time, Mackenzie is seeking a life that allows her the freedom to live it as she chooses. A life she couldn’t find with teaching.

How I can serve her: Although Mackenzie is a graphic designer, we specialize in different areas. I want to give her the time and creative freedom to work on her client work, while I take over her brand and website design. By creating a website outside of Etsy, I can also help her set up direct ordering through her site, which will allow her to cut out the middle man and drive higher profit.

Have I Met My Mackenzie Yet?

Okay, I told you I was getting into imaginary friend status.

I will tell you that at this point, I have not met my Mackenzie yet. But I have come close. I have worked with several creative entrepreneurs that started a side-hustle and were looking to go full-time. I have come across clients that share the same pain point as Mackenzie. And those that have asked for my help to serve the same need as Mackenzie.

Sometimes, it feels scary to appeal to only certain kinds of clients. “But doesn’t that make it harder to find them?!” Oof, I have had the same thoughts too. But, I have found that when you truly know who your ideal client is, you get closer and closer to working with that type of person. And you love what you do because of the clients you get to work with!

The clients I have absolutely loved working with come from industries ranging from wellness to weddings. They don’t have the same job title, but they share similar stories and a go-getter personality. Knowing who your ideal client is doesn’t mean you need to turn away anyone that isn’t the exact mold, it just means you know the type of person you are trying to attract. After all, you have one ideal client, but hopefully you book more than one client in your career.

So, How Do I Find My Own Ideal Client?

Unless we are twins separated at birth, it is highly unlikely we have the exact same ideal client. So how do you go about finding your own?

You really have two options.

First, do it yourself! You can research everything you want to know about finding your ideal client. There are countless books, YouTube videos, blog posts, etc. If you have more time than money, this might be the best option for you right now. Plus, I have a free download available to help guide your search.

OR

Hire a brand strategy expert (eh-em, my email is kelly@kellykellyryann.com). A good brand strategist will include alllll of the details in finding your perfect match ideal client (among many other things, like business goals, next steps, where to focus your energy, and more). If time is the last thing you have right now, this is a better step for you.

Ready to get started? Let’s sign you up, even if your name is not Mackenzie, at www.kellyryann.com.