EP #59 Behind the Scenes with Golden Hour Media

Ever wondered what it takes to make your business shine online? Claudia Stockli, founder of Golden Hour Media, has the answers you're looking for. As your "social media's ride or die" and "internet's bestie," Claudia brings a refreshing perspective to digital marketing that transforms how small businesses connect with their communities.

Growing up in New York City with entrepreneurial parents, Claudia inherited both business savvy and a deep appreciation for small business impact. Her journey through Virginia Living Magazine and Yelp equipped her with marketing expertise, but it was a pandemic layoff that unexpectedly launched her entrepreneurial path. When her chiropractor mentioned needing social media help, Claudia took a leap of faith—without even owning a laptop—and Golden Hour Media was born.

What sets Golden Hour apart isn't just social media management; it's comprehensive digital storytelling. Claudia debunks the myth that social media success comes from simply posting pretty pictures. Instead, she emphasizes strategy, authentic connection, and finding someone who genuinely believes in your vision. "Social media isn't scary," she reassures, advocating for an approach where you "show up for yourself" and enjoy the process of building something people want to be part of.

When she's not transforming clients' digital presence, Claudia embodies her "work hard, play hard" philosophy through travel, photography, and family time. These adventures double as inspiration, as she collects ideas from advertisements and menus encountered on her journeys. Her advice to aspiring entrepreneurs? "Just go for it"—embracing the inevitable trial and error that comes with growth.

Ready to elevate your online presence with a partner who sees your vision? Connect with Claudia on Instagram @itsgoldenhourmedia, visit goldenhousocialmedia.com, or simply say hello when you spot her downtown. Your digital transformation might be just a conversation away!

Claudia Stockli

Golden Hour Media

goldenhoursocialmedia.com

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
This is the Fredericksburg Neighbors Podcast
, the place where localbusinesses and neighbors come
together.
Here's your host, Dori Stewart.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Welcome back to another episode of the FXBG
Neighbors Podcast, where weshare the stories of our
favorite local brands.
Joining me on the podcast todayis Claudia Stockli.
She is with Golden Hour Media.
Claudia, welcome to the podcast.

Speaker 3 (00:30):
Hi, I'm so excited to be here.

Speaker 2 (00:32):
Well, I'm excited you're here and I can't wait to
learn about you and yourbusiness.
So let's start there.
Share with us a little bitabout Golden Hour Media yeah
sure.

Speaker 3 (00:44):
So Golden Hour is basically your social media's
ride or die is what I tellpeople.
I'm your internet's bestie, sostarted out in straight up
social media management and wedo still do that.
But now we just go a littledeeper.
So we really learn yourbusiness story and, with my
background in marketing andphotography and being a big tech

(01:07):
nerd, we kind of just bringthat story to life right.
So everything's done in-houseyour video is formatted for
social, cleaning up your Googlepage, running your ads, you name
it.
We kind of just really takecare of your digital presence
and we're all about like honingin on your social media and your
digital presence so that you'reshowing up exactly how you want
to online.

Speaker 2 (01:28):
Amazing, amazing.
So I'd love to learn more aboutyou.
Tell me, tell me about yourjourney.
How did you get into it?
What's your backstory?

Speaker 3 (01:36):
Yeah, so I actually grew up in New York city.
I was born there.
I my grandmother still lives inthe city.
I very much go visit all thetime but I grew up in a family
of small business owners.
My dad ran restaurants, mygrandma had a cleaning business
in New York, my uncle was acontractor, so really I feel
like it's kind of just like inmy blood but I've always really

(01:59):
loved this hustle and understoodhow important small businesses
are to our communities.
I went to school up in RhodeIsland for college and I loved
it there.
But I did end up coming back toVirginia where I landed a job
with Virginia Living Magazine.
They're based down in Richmondand I was on their marketing and
sales team.
I worked on these really funissues like their best of

(02:22):
Virginia and their weddingissues, and I just saw the
excitement that like these smallbusinesses had to be a part of
that story.
And then that's kind of where,like I really fell in love with
like the small business aspectof it.
And then from there I actuallyworked for Yelpcom.
I was on their marketing andsales team but during the

(02:43):
pandemic, big tech had all thoselayoffs, so I was part of that.
But it was a blessing indisguise because one day, like I
really went in for achiropractic appointment and my
chiropractor who's still myclient, but she ended up being
Golden Hour's first client.
She was like I really feel likewe need to like go into social
media.
And then that conversation kindof opened the door for me and

(03:06):
really in that like moment I waslike I could do this myself.
So I started working with herand like learned a ton through
trial and error and kind ofrealized how much I loved
helping small businesses andthen Golden Hour was born there.
So yeah, I haven't looked backsince.

Speaker 2 (03:23):
I love that.
I love your origin story.
So let me ask you this do youfind that there are any
misconceptions when it comes toyour business or the industry?

Speaker 3 (03:34):
yeah, um, I think one of the biggest myths is that
social media is maybe justposting pretty pictures and the
followers start to roll in, um,and then I think that the truth
is that there's just a wholestrategy behind it, right?
So it's storytelling, it'sconnecting with your audience,
it's getting in front of theright people and, honestly, I

(03:54):
think that you know, connectingwith a social media agency, that
makes sense.
That person running your socialmedia should click with you and
see your vision and be a fan ofyour work.
I think that's really it.
Whether it's someone thatyou're hiring in-house, I think
they really need to be a fan ofyour work and see the vision.
And, yeah, social media isn'tscary.

(04:16):
I think that's a big thing.
I meet a lot of people on mydiscovery calls that are like oh
, like I hate doing this and Iget it.
Like you can very much not likedoing it, but I think just
showing up for yourself and likeyou need to be a fan of your
work and you need to havesomeone on your team like
rooting for you.
And, yeah, the best resultscome when you actually enjoy the

(04:38):
process and building somethingthat people want to be part of,
and that includes your socialmedia page.

Speaker 2 (04:43):
Yeah, yeah, that's such good advice.
It is.
It's so hard to put yourselfout there, but I think you have
to flip the script and thinkabout I'm not doing this for me.
I'm doing this to help otherpeople, and having a team like
you who are cheering you on issuper important.

Speaker 3 (05:01):
So I love what you're doing.
Yeah, thank you.
It's fun, I have fun doing it.

Speaker 2 (05:03):
That's awesome.
Speaking of fun, when you'renot busy working with your
clients on social media, whatare you doing for fun?

Speaker 3 (05:10):
Oh man, I am a very big person on you, work hard,
play hard, so I like to have fun.
I love traveling.
I'm really really close to myfamily.
I'm one of three, I'm theoldest and my siblings mean a
lot to me, so they're both downin Richmond.
I go down to Richmond quite abit.
We like to travel.

(05:31):
Like I said earlier, mygrandmother still lives in the
city, so I love to go visit herand take her out while she's
still mobile and can do all thethings.
And yeah, my husband also lovesto travel.
So we like to book little trips, even if they're day trips.
It's also a way that honestlykeeps me motivated.

(05:52):
I have my entire phone ispictures of different ads or
different menus that I've seenin my travels and I kind of
bring that back toFredericksburg and kind of like
let my clients do what they wantwith it, but I'm like, hey, we
should do this.
But yeah, I definitely like todisconnect.
I love photography.

(06:14):
That's kind of like the mix andwith Golden Hour right, as we
also do branding.
So I have been starting todabble in some film photography
and that's kind of like where myfun is is just learning new
cameras and learning new tricksand traveling, yeah, and then I
have two doggies that you mighthear barking, but I just got a

(06:36):
mini Dachshund last year andhe's a lot of fun.
So family travel of many docs inlast year and he's a lot of fun
, so family travel cameras, allthe things and docs.

Speaker 2 (06:44):
I love it.
I love it.
So let me ask you this Ifsomeone listening is thinking
about starting a new business,what advice would you give them?

Speaker 3 (06:56):
I think you just got to go for it.
I know that's so cliche andthat might sound silly, but I
think that my favorite people towork with and I and myself too,
like I think you just have togo for it.
I think you there's a little,there's a lot of truth actually
in the fake it till you make it.
I don't know that golden hourwould have been as successful if

(07:20):
I didn't listen to myself atthat chiropractic appointment
and I just was like, well, I cando it for you.
Like I don't even think I had apersonal laptop at that point.

Speaker 2 (07:29):
But I.

Speaker 3 (07:31):
I masked up and went to the Apple store that next
week and I was like we're doingit.
You know what I mean.
So, and there's been times,like in in my, in my journey,
just even before this, whereI've like shown up and I'm like
I don't really know what I'mdoing, but I feel like I it's
just going to come to me and itdoes like sometimes you fall on

(07:51):
your face.
But that's part of the trialand error and you're going to
face it, whether it's now ordown the road when you own a
business.
So, yeah, I'll just say rip thebandaid off.
That's like I'm.
I'm too much of an anxiousperson to to to just wait around
and see if it works out.

Speaker 2 (08:05):
It's like let's just go for it.
Yeah, it's how we grow.

Speaker 3 (08:19):
Yeah, for sure I love it.
So what is something that youwish the listeners knew about?
Golden hour media?
Yeah, so, um, like I said, I Iwish people knew that social
media can be fun.
That's really the the stickhere.
I guess it's a huge part ofyour digital presence, whether
you think you need it or not.
The truth is you do so.
You kind of.
The truth is you either getwith it or you get lost, both in

(08:40):
people's minds and in thealgorithm, and it doesn't need
to be scary.
So at Golden Hour we break itdown into bite-sized pieces and
give you a white glove socialmedia experience.
We're a small business, not acontent factory, so you're not
getting cookie cutter Canvatemplates Not that there's
anything wrong with that, but Iagain, our story is to tell your

(09:00):
story, so everything we do istailored so your brand actually
comes across loud and clear andthat you show up for yourself.

Speaker 2 (09:08):
Nice nice, I love that.
So if the listeners want tolearn more from you or connect
with you, where can they findyou?

Speaker 3 (09:16):
Yeah, so you can find me.
My social media is it's at it'sgolden hour media and then our
website is golden hour socialmedia.
com.
So you, there's a content or acontact form in there that you
can fill out and send us anemail, or you can always send me
a DM.
Also, I'm always arounddowntown, so if you see me, like

(09:41):
please come say hi and justpick my brain about social media
, we're going to start doingsome like content, like
workshops around town, so Iwould suggest to come to those
and those and, just like I said,just please reach out.

Speaker 2 (09:55):
I'm always here to help Nice.
Amazing Claudia, thank you somuch for joining me on the
podcast today and sharing GoldenHour Media with us.

Speaker 1 (10:04):
Thank you, Thank you for listening to the
Fredericksburg Neighbors Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go tofxbgneighborspodcast.
com.