July 20, 2025 • 36 mins
Company: Bubbly Creative
Guests: Cara Chatellier
Year Started: 2020
Employees: 1-10
When your brand is an extension of who you are, the work becomes deeply personal and powerful. In this episode, Cara Chatellier, founder of Bubbly Creative, shares how she built a values-driven agency that puts relationships first and strives to deliver marketing that actually connects. If you're tired of generic content and ready to build something more authentic, this one's for you.
Episode Highlights
- Why saying yes to everything early on creates long-term problems
- The hidden cost of generic marketing, especially in the age of AI
- A simple but effective approach to building trust through brand authenticity
- How knowing your own values makes it easier to attract the right clients
Details for an agency planning workshop event November 10th and 11th 2025.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:02):
Welcome to An Agency Storypodcast where we share real
stories of marketing agencyowners from around the world.
From the excitement of startingup the first big sale, passion,
doubt, fear, freedom, and theemotional rollercoaster of
growth, hear it all on An AgencyStory podcast.
(00:24):
An Agency Story podcast ishosted by Russel Dubree,
successful agency owner with aneight figure exit turned
business coach.
Enjoy the next agency story.
Cara (00:41):
Ever felt the nudge to take a leap even when you're
scared?
Welcome to an Agency Storypodcast, I'm your host Russel.
In this episode, I sit down withCara Chatellier, founder of
Bubbly Creative, a vibrantmarketing agency serving health
and beauty brands.
From teaching English and Madridto launching a Brooklyn based
agency with a big personality,Cara shares how she built a
(01:03):
business rooted in authenticity,relationships, and celebrating
her client's unique voices.
Whether you're pivoting,niching, or simply trying to say
true to your brand, thisconversation is a reminder that
clarity and courage go hand inhand.
Enjoy the story.
Russel (01:19):
Welcome to the show today everyone.
I have Cara Chatellier withBubbly Creative with us here
today.
Thank you so much for being onthe show, Cara.
Cara (01:26):
Thank you for having me.
I'm excited to be here.
Russel (01:28):
I'm excited to have you.
I have no doubt there is anendless amount of fun topics
that we'll get to today.
But before we get to all that,I'd love to just get a quick
what does Bubbly Creative do andwho do you do it for?
Cara (01:39):
Bubbly Creative acts as a outsource marketing department
for service-based businesses.
Basically, when you think ofanything, digital marketing,
content marketing, we do it.
Social media, blogs, webcontent, creative, all of the
above.
We primarily do it for femaleowned service-based businesses
and we're looking to niche,niche down a little bit further
for health and beauty femaleowned service-based businesses.
(02:03):
We do that out of Brooklyn,where is, which is where I live,
and then Boston, which is wheremy two employees are.
Russel (02:09):
All right.
Those are big cities with lotsof opportunity there, and I've
been told I should ask this morewhen we get to when you're
actually forming the agency, butI just want to know sooner than
that.
So I'm gonna ask now, what isbehind the name Bubbly?
Cara (02:20):
I don't know if it comes across by voice or by video, but
um, I kind of have this bubblypersonality.
I've had it my whole life.
My family, friends, people whomade me have always called me
bubbly and one day it was thatthing where, you know, you're in
the shower and you're like, ah,that's it.
Um, I was thinking of startingan agency and the name came to
me and in addition to it being,you know, my personality and
(02:43):
kind of how I am, it's just sucha great way to market because
you think bubbly, you thinkcelebration, you think fun.
I think marketing should be funand exciting and you know,
Bubbles rise to the top and theypop, and I just thought it would
be a really cool name for abusiness.
Russel (03:00):
I love it.
I actually think it was broughtthis up not too long ago on an
episode of just, I'd almostwanna just do a whole side
podcast where I talk to agenciesabout how they came up with
their name and their wholenaming journey,'cause a lot of
agencies even change their namesover time because of, they just
stop liking what they came upwith and, and want something
new.
It's just always fascinating tohear that the naming story.
(03:21):
Um, And I would agree with that,that, uh, that your personality
definitely represents your brandname.
When we match all the brandingelements we're winning.
Cara (03:27):
For sure.
Thank you.
Russel (03:29):
Absolutely.
We'll get to more of all thingsBubbly Creative, but I would
like to hear about young Caraand who she wanted to be when
she grew up, and how she walkeddown that path.
Cara (03:41):
It's funny, I was talking to my friends the other day
about a journal entry I foundfrom, it was like a school
mandated journal.
I was like, freshman year ofhigh school and I had written in
there about like what, how I sawmyself growing up and I think I
was like, yeah, 14 or 15.
And in it, it said that I, itmakes me laugh at my younger
(04:01):
self, but I wanted to carry abriefcase.
That part's really important.
Russel (04:05):
Okay.
Sounds official.
Cara (04:06):
Exactly.
Wanted to work in a city and Inever wanted to rely on a man
for money, so I didn't know asfar as like what my career path
would be, but I knew thosethings, which I find hilarious.
So far, so good.
Minus the briefcase.
I use a backpack, but that'sfine.
Russel (04:23):
Oh, darn it.
You're letting young Cara downtremendously.
No, just kidding.
I'm just kidding.
I'm just kidding.
Cara (04:29):
But in addition, additionally, like when I was in
college, I wasn't really surewhat I wanted to do.
I majored in communication, uh,but I, I thought about
broadcasting, so I had someinterest in broadcasting and
radio.
So like Podcasting could be a, agood, like maybe something I'd
be interested in the future.
But, um.
Yeah, so I guess I always wantedto do something a little more
(04:52):
creative, a little less officey,a little less corporate.
That never really appealed tome.
I guess listening to, likehearing that I, I wrote that I
thought like maybe anentrepreneurial route is
something I always had in mind,but I don't know.
I never really thought I'd be abusiness owner.
It just kind of happened.
Russel (05:09):
Okay.
Yeah, I think it's all theeighties and nineties business
movies just, just glorified thisidea of a briefcase.
There was always something cooland important in a briefcase
that really just clearlyembodies something,'cause I was
probably the same way.
I thought a briefcase was likethe coolest thing you could own.
Now it seems like the lamestthing you can actually own.
Cara (05:27):
That's how you know you made it.
I think they do.
I feel like it's like acorporate gift people get after
like five or 10 years, maybelike an imported one or
something.
I don't know.
Russel (05:40):
Yeah, as you said, and I think you've made young Cara
proud.
Lead us up to what was the, thetwinkle in the eye, let's say,
maybe not actually starting yourbusiness, but what was, when did
that twinkle in the eye startof, you know, I might be going
down this entrepreneurial path?
Cara (05:54):
I graduated in peak recession time, so I had that
communications degree, which youknow, doesn't really give you a
very defined path about what youshould be doing after you
graduate.
It was 2009 and jobs were hardto come by and basically if you
were outgoing, you went intosales,'cause those are the only
things that were hiring.
(06:15):
I started my career in sales andit was very much.
Russel (06:17):
Selling what, by the way?
Cara (06:19):
Started with advertising, so selling advertisements for
like, it was a small businessdoing kind of like, it was like
a Groupon competitor.
I was doing that.
I think I did that for like ayear or two and then I went into
recruitment.
Recruiting salespeople forpermanent placement positions,
and this was at an agency.
Both jobs I was like, I got to apoint where I was like, I mean,
(06:39):
I, I hate this job.
Work is so bad, having a reallyhard time, super miserable.
It was very like, the type oflike sales environment where
they're tracking all your callsand how like, submittals and dah
dah.
Russel (06:53):
I think the recruitment industry has to be the worst.
I can't even imagine.
Cara (06:56):
It was rough and it was like very startup mentality, so
like, very aggressive, if you'rethe first person to leave,
everyone's like, oh my God, Ican't believe they left at 5:30.
This is ridiculous.
I was like, this is not for me.
I'm having, uh, I was, It wasrough.
But then, um, I started workingat a university doing corporate
relations and marketing and Ithink probably my, like a little
(07:19):
twinkle there for myentrepreneurial mindset.
I started reaching out to peopleto do informational interviews
and it was pretty aggressivethat I wanted to work in higher
ed.
I kind of just felt likesomething like blew in the wind
one day and I was like, I haveto work in higher ed.
I need to make this my career.
Not sure why.
I think I wanted to work withlike really intelligent people.
I went to higher ed and I didthat.
(07:41):
And then same thing started tohappen where I was like, I hate
this job.
I'm so bored, I gotta get outtahere.
And um, I had lived inMassachusetts my whole life, so
I'm from Massachusetts.
I was living in the Boston areawith all my friends from college
and they were all gettingmarried and having babies, and
we were in our late twenties andI decided there's gotta be more
(08:01):
to life than this.
I need to make a change.
And I decided to move abroad, soI moved to Madrid and started
freelancing on the side anddidn't really even know, like
freelancing was a thing.
I found Upwork.
I had like Googled it maybe,like how do you make extra money
on the side.
and.
Russel (08:21):
So did you like move before you really had an income
plan or anything along thoselines?
Cara (08:25):
Yeah, I was like, I had gone on a volunteer trip, uh, to
Costa Rica, did a solo trip andtaught English volunteering, and
I was like, oh, maybe I could dothis abroad.
Maybe I can do this in Europe.
It was like, oh, that should befine.
I'll take a course when I'mthere.
Took a course while I was there,but it was always freelancing.
Turns out Eng, teaching English,same as all my other jobs, I
(08:46):
hated it.
But I liked the marketing, so Iwas like, I could do this
full-time and started doing itfull-time.
Cost of living in Madrid is alot more affordable than it is
in the Boston area or New Yorkor many other places in the US.
So I could take riskier choices,make riskier, riskier choices
rather.
Yeah, so I started freelancingon the side.
Found some clients I actuallystill have today, which, um, is
(09:07):
kind of crazy.
That was really how I startedworking for myself.
Russel (09:11):
Wow.
I'm just so enthralled and I'vehad a few other people on the
show that have, you know, didthe whole abroad thing and I
just, I think that takes suchguts, says really a lot about
your personality.
Makes sense why you alwaysfought this working in a
corporate role sense that you'vegot this adventurous ambition
about yourself.
Ah, tell me, Tell me a goodMadrid story so I can just live
vicariously through you.
Cara (09:31):
Oh, gosh, there's so many.
The thing about Madrid that'samazing is they, the sun stays
up like in the summer, the sunis up until, uh, honestly, And
even in February, which, likefor me, I'm from Boston, so the
Boston area, if you say you'refrom Boston, you actually have
to be from Boston proper.
I don't want anyone to send mehate mail.
I'm from the Boston area, northof Boston.
(09:54):
Sorry.
But it's so cold in, in thewinter, but in Madrid, even if
it's February, if the sun's out,you can sit outside on a terrace
and have wine with your friendsand eat olives.
It's just such like a nice, likewalkable, fun culture.
The, like, I would have peoplecome visit and there's not
really landmarks there thatyou're super psyched to see, so
(10:14):
we would just be like, you justneed to experience the culture,
which is sitting outside on aterraza, having wine hanging
out.
It's just the best.
I love that European lifestyle.
and that like if Stories, Icould definitely give you one,
gimme a genre though.
Like I need to think.
Russel (10:29):
Oh man.
Like a culture, not a cultureshock, but like a culture clash
where it was a, a lesson learnedin, in non-American culture.
Cara (10:38):
Oh God.
I'm trying to think of somethingthat was, um, good.
Oh, this is really silly butthis is like, it's like just one
that came up to me'cause I wasjust talking to my friends about
it.
I had a couple friends who wereEnglish, Spanish, what have you,
different countries around theworld, which is nice when you're
living in a, you know, a ci, aninternational city, there's
people from all over the place.
We were having like a littledinner party and I was like, oh,
(11:01):
I'll bring an app.
And you know, my friends didn'tsay anything and I showed up and
I was like, oh yeah, I made thislike spinach and artichoke dip.
They were like, oh my god.
We thought you meant a phoneapp.
We had no idea what you weretalking about.
I was like, appetizer, app,like, you know, and they like,
no, we don't call it that.
I was like, oh, sorry.
(11:23):
I had no idea.
Russel (11:24):
Oh, man.
B-Y-O-P-A.
Bring your own phoneapplication.
That makes total sense.
Cara (11:30):
They're like, sure.
Yeah.
You're so generous.
Russel (11:33):
All right.
Books flight to Madrid is now onmy task list.
I love to see the sights when Igo travel overseas or whatever,
but I actually think all myfavorite moments are when I just
chill for a day.
And I haven't gotten to donearly enough of that.
I have really limitedexperience, but, uh, you've
certainly sold me on it andmotivated me to do that more.
And go to Madrid, by the way.
Cara (11:51):
It is the best, you gotta.
Russel (11:52):
All right, well, I'll, I'll hit you up for all the, the
hot tips there when I head thatway.
Okay.
Again, courageous, adventurous,doing this thing, making this
kind of a full-time.
I don't know that it really is adefining moment per se, but
when, when would you say youquote unquote, officially became
an agency?
Cara (12:09):
I moved home from Madrid in December of 2018.
Russel (12:14):
How long were you there, by the way, total?
Cara (12:15):
Three years.
Russel (12:16):
Three years.
Oh my gosh.
That is quite the abroadjourney.
Cara (12:18):
But I will say I initially went, I tipped, dipped my toe
in, and I was only supposed togo for six months, and then I
just kept extending it.
Russel (12:25):
That's fair.
I see why.
Cara (12:27):
I moved home at the end of 2018, so all of 2019 I was, um,
you know, thinking about it.
Basically I was working with alot of my clients that I had
found, a lot of them via Upwork,some via word of mouth, some via
referral.
I was making a full-time salarythat I felt comfortable with.
I was able to buy, um, a condoon north of Boston, which is
(12:48):
where I was living.
But I was kind of coming toterms with the fact that I had
a, met amazing people livingabroad that were also
freelancing, and either theywere designers or writers or all
of these talented people.
I also was talking to my clientsand telling them, branding so
important, leaning into yourbrand, knowing who you are, you
(13:09):
know, using that to reach yourideal, uh, target market.
Having this brand consistencyand this cohesive message that's
threaded through your social andyour website and all your
written content is incrediblyimportant.
And I realized I wasn'tpracticing what I preached at
all.
I was just, you know, operatingunder the name Cara Chatellier
(13:30):
and I wasn't a brand.
I decided to change that andlaunched Bubbly Creative's
website, logo, all of the abovein February of 2020, so.
Yeah.
I was like, okay, here we go,big event, da, da, da, and then,
um, obviously pandemic happenedin March.
(13:52):
I lost one client off the bat,which was hard, like a, a bigger
retainer client.
I just remember such significantanxiety, like anxiety I'd never
felt before, which obviouslyeveryone had that.
I can't like compare what I feltto doctors or people who are on
the front lines.
But I think just like being ababy business owner and being
(14:13):
like, oh, I have no idea what'sgonna happen.
Russel (14:16):
Yikes.
We know how this plot goes alittle bit, at least
Cara (14:20):
it was definitely scary.
And looking back on it, I'm justlike, oh, I think I like blocked
a lot of that out'cause it wasjust like pretty stressful.
Russel (14:26):
Hopefully we're not, we're not triggering any, uh,
PTSD by, by going through thishistory lesson here.
Cara (14:31):
Not yet.
Russel (14:32):
No?
Okay.
It's interesting.
It's a very common path foragencies to start, right, of
this, this, lost a job orsomething like that.
Now I'm in the market and I justneed some income replacement.
That was your journey to startabroad.
That's some learning process andhelps us get our feet under us,
but this idea of you took a stepback and you said, hey, what am
I doing?
What is my brand?
What do I believe and want tocreate in the world?
(14:54):
And I always I think that's,that's, that's the part that
sometimes folks don't go backand do is, is be very
intentional about their ownbrand and their own product even
if they didn't start that way.
Um, so it, it, let me, Let meask now, to jump forward just a
little bit with this question.
Do you still practice what youpreach in terms of your
intentionality behind yourbrand?
Cara (15:13):
Definitely.
Even more so now where brand isso important.
I was actually, I was, uh,listening to one of the pods
today, one of the Agency, AgencyStory pods, and someone was
talking about creating thisamazing video and it going on a
client website that was built 20years ago.
It's like you have this gorgeousvideo that's on this really
(15:34):
shitty website and that you justneed, everything needs to
connect, everything needs to beelevated and like that's
something that we live andbreathe all the time.
With Bubbly, well, we, ourbrand, if, you know, I'm sure
you know if I'll send people tothe website, but it's like very
pink, very like fun, very likekind of girly,'cause we do, we
(15:55):
are targeting women.
That's who I am and I wanted itto be very representative of me
and feel like fun and somethingI was excited about.
We're also able to help brandsbe exactly who they are.
It's important for us to get toknow people really well and
relationships.
In order to get people knowpeople really well, you have to
(16:15):
get to know them.
Every time we start working witha client, we dive in so deep to
who they are.
We ask them 1 million questionsand sit with them for two hours,
ideally face to face, and um,I've always been very much a
relationship person.
I grew up in a family with twosisters.
We're extremely close.
I've like really valued myfriendships and relationships
(16:37):
and I feel that way aboutclients where I really get to
know them on a friendly basis aswell as a client.
To be able to properly representtheir brand, you have to do
that.
Brands need to communicate withclients, prospective clients,
current clients in a way thatfeels comfortable and
approachable.
I think the way we do things isvery warm.
(16:58):
An example, and I actually don'teven know if I'm answering the
question, I think I'm answeringanother question that I asked
myself.
Russel (17:04):
That's all right.
This is where we get to newtopics.
Cara (17:06):
One of our favorite clients came to me and they are
an OB-GYN practice north ofBoston.
They have four different officesand they came to us and were
like, our website is so cold.
We're getting some bad reviews.
We need to really elevate ourlook and reach a, a clientele,
that is women and people who areabout to give birth.
(17:27):
We need to build trust.
Can you help us do that?
We were like, absolutely.
First things first.
Did a man build your website?
And they're like, yeah, we havea male run agency.
I'm like, okay.
I can tell instantly when I lookat it that a man who has never
stepped foot in an OB-GYN officehas built this because it's so
clinical.
Stock photos.
It doesn't evoke trust.
(17:47):
It doesn't make you wanna go andvisit this practice like at all.
So I feel like the first thingwe did was, you need a
professional photo shoot.
We didn't change the logo oranything, but we were like, we
need pictures of your actualstaff smiling.
We need pictures of your brightsunny office.
We need to take your social tothe next level where we're
including individuals andpersonal quotes that of why they
(18:11):
love working at this practice.
We need to highlight thesetestimonials.
You have these stories of peoplegiving birth.
'Cause if you think aboutsomething that's like, so
personal, so important, soimpactful.
It's people trusting you todeliver their children.
This is huge and we don't see anounce of this on your site.
I feel like being able to threadthat needle throughout a brand's
(18:33):
entire picture is so importantto building trust, to getting
their, their clients that theywant and need.
For us, it's like that is verymuch relationship driven, but
it's also like, you think aboutthe business at the core of who
they are.
Us getting to know that is soimportant.
'Cause a lot of times they don'teven know
Russel (18:52):
It sounds like you know yourself really well, um, and
adopting that in your own brand,which allowed you to take that
same thought process andmentality to your clients.
you know, Just to recap a couplethings there I think are, are,
are really important.
In, what year are we in?
2025?
The importance of connection andauthenticity and representing
that.
I mean, right.
Think about it like, who usesstock photos in 2025?
(19:14):
We all know that nobody wants tosee the next stock photo.
Those were cool in the late2000s, but we're trying to
create, uh, via, initially,digitally a relationship here,
which isn't done with, it's likecat, it's, was it catfishing?
It's like catfishing.
No catfishing in 2025.
Cara (19:30):
Yes, exactly, but you still see it so much.
It's crazy.
I always push professionalphotography because it is so
important and, but it isexpensive, too, to have it done
well.
I think like there is like thatwhen you're starting out, you
can be strategic about the stockphotos.
There is a fine line between aterrible stock photo and a
passable stock photo, right?
Russel (19:52):
There's a place here, here and there.
but, uh, I came across thiswebsite the other day and I
think it was a construction,like a new home construction
company.
There wasn't a single picture,there wasn't a single name on
the whole site and everythingwas like, we have all this
experience and we, and we, andwe, we, I'm like, who is we?
I can't even tell you.
I'll go look up that company,I'll give them your website.
They clearly, clearly need you.
Cara (20:13):
Send him over.
Who knows, they might be good atbuilding houses though.
They're just bad at doingmarketing.
Russel (20:17):
I guess that that is true.
This is why we all need ourexperts in all the different
spaces, um, too, because it, it,I think it just, to that end.
I talk a lot that marketing in2025 is so noisy, it's so
clouded.
That's why this is all the moreimportant than it's ever been in
the history of the world, whenyou talk about brand and
authenticity and it's, it's likehaving a PhD now.
(20:38):
The world doesn't think of thatquite yet, but it's that
complicated and you shouldn't berolling your own really in that
sense.
Cara (20:43):
Totally, but also think about like AI and how that is
just making things more genericand people are just posting the
same things as other peoplearound the country.
It's crazy.
Wait, can I tell you a storyabout an AI driven thing that
happened to a client?
Russel (20:58):
I want to hear this story very much.
Yes.
Cara (21:00):
This is like a, an offshoot, but I had this client
and they, there was, uh, Ialmost wanna say the name, but I
won't.
This client's a dentist and theyended up hiring this firm that
promised they could likeabsolutely skyrocket your SEO
results.
They would do all your socialmedia, they would do your Google
business.
They would put all these systemsin place.
(21:20):
My client fell for it and hestarted paying them on retainer.
Eventually he was like, I don'tknow, something's wrong.
Something's not working.
So like When I started workingwith him, I was like, let me
look into this and what theywere doing.
I found out that this companywas giving the same exact
content to hundreds of dentistsacross the country.
(21:43):
Same content on Google business,same content on social media.
Same website content.
Once Google started crackingdown on AI, all of these like
companies, these local dentists,their search results were
absolutely tanking and they hadno idea why.
'Cause they're dentists, they'renot good at marketing.
They're incredibly intelligentpeople, but they don't know how
(22:05):
to market.
They don't have time to do it.
These dentists just had the sameexact content, all, some of them
in the same town, same content,same terrible stock photos, same
generic videos that like, theywould be like super vague like,
but about like dental implantsbut not mention the dentist, but
the description would have thedentist.
It was just the worst marketingI've ever seen, and these
(22:27):
dentists were falling for it andthey were just printing money.
A scam.
Russel (22:31):
Scams.
I'd say one, SEO especially islike, man, I, I need to be able
to trust who I would let do SEOon my website the same, well, I
need to trust someone to watchmy kids.
We never want to get burned bythe Google machine.
I know a lot of people outsidethe agency space probably don't
listen to the show, but the onesthat do is find a company you
know you can trust that youwould leave your kids with.
Because there is no cheap routein 2025, if it's too good to be
(22:54):
true, the reality is it is.
Cara (22:56):
Yes, and maybe ask someone you know who does marketing to
just, to run, run it by them.
Russel (23:02):
That's a that's fair advice.
Good advice.
All right.
So, So the pandemic was its ownlittle rough spots.
Clearly you made it out.
I imagine like a lot of folkstoo, you got to experience the
digital rush of late 2020 and2021.
I would imagine maybe like your,your story and like a lot of
others that you, you know,you're just happy to take on
business that may seemedinteresting or exciting, but
(23:23):
that it seems like you'restarting to lean into more of a
positioning path and, andgetting more specific about what
you do.
Just talk to me a little bitabout your positioning journey
and, and what that's been likefor you.
Cara (23:32):
For sure.
When I was starting out, Ipretty much was just saying yes
to everything.
If someone came, a lead cameinto my website or someone
reached out to me, I was justsaying, yes, absolutely I can do
that.
With not a real regard for if itwas of interest to me, it was
just kind of like, okay, I needto grow.
I need to pay my employee.
I need to do X, Y, and Z.
Keep the lights on.
Russel (23:53):
Gotta feed the machine.
Cara (23:54):
Totally, so you're just saying yes to everything.
I think that it got to a pointwhere I was realizing, it was
last year, I believe, I wassitting in my Subleted apartment
and I was like, wait.
I don't like what I'm workingon, and I was like, this is my
business.
I don't have to work on things Idon't wanna work on.
(24:16):
I can change this narrative.
I can change who I'm workingwith, and I like working with
this type of client, which islike the female owned health and
beauty.
I like working with that type ofclient.
Why don't I focus on workingwith them?
I kept coming up against thisfeeling and then realizing I
needed to make some big changesin order to get there.
(24:37):
Last year I moved, I moved toNew York in January of 2024, and
I did that after, I, I wasliving in north of Boston and I
went through a big life changingbreakup, a huge breakup where we
had bought a house together andthen we had a dog and I was
(24:57):
living on a, in a single familyhouse in a Massachusetts suburb
being like, um, I don't thinkthis is right for me anymore and
decided to move to New York.
With so much personal changehappening, I didn't really focus
on business.
And then I decided in 2025, thatwas gonna be my business focus
(25:19):
time, and that's where now I'mreally making that big push to
focus on these types of clientsbecause I think when you own a
business, sometimes you have to,you're working in it constantly,
right?
It's hard to work on it becauseif you're working in it, days
can just fly by and you're,whoops.
Oh wow, I forgot to make thosechanges.
So You have to take the time towork on it, and I really just
(25:41):
did not have the bandwidth to dothat in 2024 so I'm doing that
in 2025 and realizing like,okay, I have a lot.
I have the control to do this.
It's gonna take time, and I needto be strategic and I need to
seek out these individualsrather than just letting people
come to me, which I've been verylucky to have people find me,
have referrals.
(26:01):
That's been something that hasbeen so great for me, but it's
also not a great scalingstrategy.
Russel (26:06):
I talk about it a lot that this idea of, call it the
referral wall, and it, it issuch a wall that I think is not
often seen by agencies because,or maybe this happens in other
business sectors as well, butthis idea of that, you know,
I've been in business forhowever long and I make however
much money, but you really areclose to step zero in terms of
your own marketing and brandingand getting yourself out there.
(26:27):
I think that's really hard forpeople to see it, really.
It's almost an invisible wallbecause it, it does take, you
know, as you said, working onthe business a, a decent
investment to move in thatdirection.
It sounds like you're, you're inthe early stages of that, but
you're, you seem like you'resolid and dedicated to that
effort.
Cara (26:44):
Definitely dedicated to it.
I think it's the, the rightchoice for us.
In addition to working withwomen owned businesses, we're
also open to, you know, workingwith marginalized parties,
people of color, uh, the LGBTQ+community.
Not that I would, if they, if a,a male owned business reaches
out and it feels like a goodfit, then it's definitely not
someone we would like turn away.
(27:04):
It's not like we won't work withmale owned businesses or
anything, but I think for usit's just really important that
a business and their mission andtheir values align with ours.
We wanna make sure that we'relifting up people that align
with us and that we feel needthe support and that we can very
much help them in their missionand who they're trying to, to
(27:27):
find.
you know, the OB-GYN example,that they sought out a male
advertising marketing agency.
It's just like, I feel like thatI, that just makes no sense to
me.
They could have had an allfemale staff and maybe that
would've been great.
They didn't, and I just thinksometimes you just need that
touch of like, okay, weunderstand your customer because
(27:48):
we are your customer.
Russel (27:49):
And I think that is, you know, in a couple instances, I
can appreciate about what you'veshared about your journeys.
One, seems like you're reallygood at recognizing your own
feelings, where you're at in anygiven time, and not being afraid
to make a change or pivot ormove something that's gonna be
in the direction that's morealigned with your skills,
talents, desires, values,beliefs.
I think that's never a bad thingin this world that we should do
(28:10):
the work that matches that.
We should find other people thatmatch that.
I think that's a great thing,whatever that is.
I guess as long as it's nothurting people, but that's,
that's what we should all bedoing.
This is too hard of work, uh,too difficult of a journey not
to actually, not to be rowing inthat direction.
Cara (28:26):
But it's important to note that I'm very scared of these
things.
I've always been scared.
Russel (28:32):
That's okay though.
Honestly, I think, because thatmeans you're not doing it
flippantly.
You're making a big change.
You're not just like, oh, I'lljust move over there.
It's like you're, that causesyou, I imagine being scared is
what probably prepares you to,to make those big leaps, which
are really important.
I think if you're not pivotingin this space, in this industry,
you're gonna fall behind.
If you're willing to shed what'snot working for you sooner than
(28:53):
later, you're gonna move fasterin that direction.
So I'm, I'm all for it.
Cara (28:57):
Totally.
Russel (28:57):
I think you've got a good recipe going here.
And so far it's, it's workingout really, really well for you.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
It's all about thosefundamentals.
You know, when you think about,Obviously you're making
concerted effort to work more onthe business, which I think is a
big important part of this nextphase.
It sounds like you're in foryour business but just gimme a
sense of what does the futurelook like?
What are you trying to achieve?
(29:18):
What's the 10 year plan, orfive?
What's a five year plan?
That's what they say in themovies.
What's your five year plan?
Cara (29:22):
Five year plan, I've had Bubbly for five years, so that
would be five years in thefuture is crazy to think about,
but exciting.
2030.
I can't believe that.
Russel (29:32):
Business years are like dog years, so that's actually,
it's the equivalent of 35 yearsfrom now.
Cara (29:37):
Seriously, it feels like, I'm like, oh, the amount of
things we've learned and the,like, the things we were putting
out back then, it's just crazyto think about, but, okay, so
five years from now.
I would like to have a New Yorkoffice.
And a Boston office, at least aplace where people can go that
feels they're with their teammembers.
(29:58):
It is so important to havein-person spaces and places
where clients can come andvisit.
I would love to take on largerprojects and have an on staff
photographer, on staffvideographer and be able to do
really fun content shoots.
We oversee those now, but Ithink having those on staff
would be really great.
I would love to be justoverseeing everything and I'm,
(30:21):
I'm trending towards that now,but I think having a more
robust, more full team, beingable to pay everyone so they
feel that.
They're making a lot of money.
They love what they do, theyfeel really happy and they think
everything's really fun and goodand working with clients that
we're excited about.
And I think, like, I know that'snot really saying like clients
(30:42):
we're excited about is a littlevague, but I think it really
depends because I say health andbeauty.
It could be slightly adjacent.
As long as it feels like, okay,these, this is a, a business
that is doing something webelieve in and we wanna support
them.
So growth, more money,supporting businesses we love.
Maybe some office space.
Russel (31:04):
You're checking all the, I think, the life happiness box.
Work with people you wanna workwith, both on your team and as
clients, and if we can have somecoin in our pocket to go do
other fun things along the way,then, then we're winning at this
game of life and business, andthat's all we need to be doing.
Cara (31:18):
Exactly.
And I'd love to be on morepodcasts, more speak at events,
all those sorts of things too.
I think that's fun.
Russel (31:25):
I'm sure that will all happen for you.
I guess then one last bigquestion for you, Cara.
Are entrepreneurs born or arethey made?
Cara (31:33):
So I was thinking about this one after doing some
podcast listening, and I thinkthey're made, but I also think
that there are some elementsthat you may be predisposed to.
So when you're born, I'm,there's some people where, you
know, I guess it's a natureversus nurture question, right?
But I was thinking back to whenI was younger.
(31:56):
I wasn't like a lemonade standgirl, but I remember thinking
about this question.
When I was in elementary schooland with my neighbors, we
started a hair salon where webought L'Oreal Kids, um, shampoo
and gel and would style theother neighborhood kids hair.
Russel (32:16):
I need pictures of this.
This would have to have beenepic.
I hope there's pictures of this.
Cara (32:20):
So I was like, oh, maybe I was entrepreneurial back then.
I don't know.
Russel (32:24):
That's better than a Kool-Aid stand.
That's innovative, right?
There's a billion Kool-Aidstands.
Cara (32:28):
Right.
We just love the products.
I don't know if you rememberL'Oreal Kid shampoo, but they
like smelled so good.
Russel (32:34):
I'm sure it was.
That is something, man.
I bet that had to be a realsight, uh, because I'm, because
I'm guessing at that point too,the talent might not have been
there and you might have beentrying to do something a little
creative.
I bet there was some interestinghairdos running around your
neighborhood.
Cara (32:46):
The talent was 1000% not there.
But, um, it was really fun.
I'm sure my parents were at workand had no idea.
But I think overall, made.
I, in like Outside of my hairsalon beginnings, I, I learned a
lot from like doing thingsscared and doing things that
felt really outside of mycomfort zone, that I could take
(33:09):
risks and that when I did takebig risks, they paid off.
Knowing that, okay, I could staystatus quo, I'm gonna be
miserable, so I need to justpush myself.
Do it scared is something I verymuch live by.
I also, this is like Tina Feyand Bossy Pants wrote like say
yes and figure the rest outlater.
And I very much subscribe tothat.
Yeah, I think a combo of both.
Russel (33:30):
All right.
I love it.
Very great stuff.
If people wanna know more aboutBubbly Creative, where can they
go?
Cara (33:35):
Well, They can visit our website, www.bubblycreative.com.
We're Bubbly Creative onFacebook and LinkedIn and
@BubblyCreativeMa on Instagram.
Russel (33:44):
Perfect.
I think you summed it up a fewseconds ago in, in the big
takeaway from today.
Take big risks and be scaredwhile doing it, and you'll
probably end up in a good place.
But recognize your feelings.
Don't be afraid to, doing workfor those you love and with who
you love.
That's the recipe for greatsuccess.
Really appreciate you taking thetime to share all those
(34:05):
wonderful nuggets with us today,Cara.
Thank you so much for being onthe show.
Cara (34:08):
My pleasure.
Thanks so much for having me.
We hope you've enjoyed thisepisode of An Agency Story
podcast where we share realstories of marketing agency
owners from around the world.
Are you interested in being aguest on the show?
Send an email topodcast@performancefaction.com.
(34:30):
An Agency Story is brought toyou by Performance Faction.
Performance Faction offersservices to help agency owners
grow their business to 5 milliondollars and more in revenue.
To learn more, visitperformancefaction.com.
Sometimes we'll have clients who want us to order
(34:52):
print collateral for them sowe'll order like envelopes or
stationary, just'cause we do allthe outsource marketing.
So We had this one client whosaid, can you print us this,
these postcards, these notecards?
We're like, yeah, sure.
We, um, worked with Moo, this,you know, fabulous print brand
and um, we sent them the sampleand they took a look at it and
(35:14):
she said, okay, I like it.
But the back of it, if youclosed your eyes and touched it,
you might think it was shiny,even though it doesn't look
shiny.
We were like, okay.
I don't know how to explain thatto the, the printer, but that's
a problem for you?
They were like, yes.
We just don't want it to look orfeel shiny.
(35:36):
We were like, okay, so youclosed your eyes and touched it.
And that is a pro, okay.
Yeah, no, that makes perfectsense.
I'm a people pleaser, so like, Iwas like, you know, whatever you
need.
Some people are difficult.
Russel (35:48):
That is true.
Clients can be like kids, youjust never know what they're
gonna say next.
Unfortunately.
Cara (35:53):
Very true.
Welcome to An Agency Storypodcast where we share real
stories of marketing agencyowners from around the world.
From the excitement of startingup the first big sale, passion,
doubt, fear, freedom, and theemotional rollercoaster of
growth, hear it all on An AgencyStory podcast.
(00:24):
An Agency Story podcast ishosted by Russel Dubree,
successful agency owner with aneight figure exit turned
business coach.
Enjoy the next agency story.
Cara (00:41):
Ever felt the nudge to take a leap even when you're
scared?
Welcome to an Agency Storypodcast, I'm your host Russel.
In this episode, I sit down withCara Chatellier, founder of
Bubbly Creative, a vibrantmarketing agency serving health
and beauty brands.
From teaching English and Madridto launching a Brooklyn based
agency with a big personality,Cara shares how she built a
(01:03):
business rooted in authenticity,relationships, and celebrating
her client's unique voices.
Whether you're pivoting,niching, or simply trying to say
true to your brand, thisconversation is a reminder that
clarity and courage go hand inhand.
Enjoy the story.
Russel (01:19):
Welcome to the show today everyone.
I have Cara Chatellier withBubbly Creative with us here
today.
Thank you so much for being onthe show, Cara.
Cara (01:26):
Thank you for having me.
I'm excited to be here.
Russel (01:28):
I'm excited to have you.
I have no doubt there is anendless amount of fun topics
that we'll get to today.
But before we get to all that,I'd love to just get a quick
what does Bubbly Creative do andwho do you do it for?
Cara (01:39):
Bubbly Creative acts as a outsource marketing department
for service-based businesses.
Basically, when you think ofanything, digital marketing,
content marketing, we do it.
Social media, blogs, webcontent, creative, all of the
above.
We primarily do it for femaleowned service-based businesses
and we're looking to niche,niche down a little bit further
for health and beauty femaleowned service-based businesses.
(02:03):
We do that out of Brooklyn,where is, which is where I live,
and then Boston, which is wheremy two employees are.
Russel (02:09):
All right.
Those are big cities with lotsof opportunity there, and I've
been told I should ask this morewhen we get to when you're
actually forming the agency, butI just want to know sooner than
that.
So I'm gonna ask now, what isbehind the name Bubbly?
Cara (02:20):
I don't know if it comes across by voice or by video, but
um, I kind of have this bubblypersonality.
I've had it my whole life.
My family, friends, people whomade me have always called me
bubbly and one day it was thatthing where, you know, you're in
the shower and you're like, ah,that's it.
Um, I was thinking of startingan agency and the name came to
me and in addition to it being,you know, my personality and
(02:43):
kind of how I am, it's just sucha great way to market because
you think bubbly, you thinkcelebration, you think fun.
I think marketing should be funand exciting and you know,
Bubbles rise to the top and theypop, and I just thought it would
be a really cool name for abusiness.
Russel (03:00):
I love it.
I actually think it was broughtthis up not too long ago on an
episode of just, I'd almostwanna just do a whole side
podcast where I talk to agenciesabout how they came up with
their name and their wholenaming journey,'cause a lot of
agencies even change their namesover time because of, they just
stop liking what they came upwith and, and want something
new.
It's just always fascinating tohear that the naming story.
(03:21):
Um, And I would agree with that,that, uh, that your personality
definitely represents your brandname.
When we match all the brandingelements we're winning.
Cara (03:27):
For sure.
Thank you.
Russel (03:29):
Absolutely.
We'll get to more of all thingsBubbly Creative, but I would
like to hear about young Caraand who she wanted to be when
she grew up, and how she walkeddown that path.
Cara (03:41):
It's funny, I was talking to my friends the other day
about a journal entry I foundfrom, it was like a school
mandated journal.
I was like, freshman year ofhigh school and I had written in
there about like what, how I sawmyself growing up and I think I
was like, yeah, 14 or 15.
And in it, it said that I, itmakes me laugh at my younger
(04:01):
self, but I wanted to carry abriefcase.
That part's really important.
Russel (04:05):
Okay.
Sounds official.
Cara (04:06):
Exactly.
Wanted to work in a city and Inever wanted to rely on a man
for money, so I didn't know asfar as like what my career path
would be, but I knew thosethings, which I find hilarious.
So far, so good.
Minus the briefcase.
I use a backpack, but that'sfine.
Russel (04:23):
Oh, darn it.
You're letting young Cara downtremendously.
No, just kidding.
I'm just kidding.
I'm just kidding.
Cara (04:29):
But in addition, additionally, like when I was in
college, I wasn't really surewhat I wanted to do.
I majored in communication, uh,but I, I thought about
broadcasting, so I had someinterest in broadcasting and
radio.
So like Podcasting could be a, agood, like maybe something I'd
be interested in the future.
But, um.
Yeah, so I guess I always wantedto do something a little more
(04:52):
creative, a little less officey,a little less corporate.
That never really appealed tome.
I guess listening to, likehearing that I, I wrote that I
thought like maybe anentrepreneurial route is
something I always had in mind,but I don't know.
I never really thought I'd be abusiness owner.
It just kind of happened.
Russel (05:09):
Okay.
Yeah, I think it's all theeighties and nineties business
movies just, just glorified thisidea of a briefcase.
There was always something cooland important in a briefcase
that really just clearlyembodies something,'cause I was
probably the same way.
I thought a briefcase was likethe coolest thing you could own.
Now it seems like the lamestthing you can actually own.
Cara (05:27):
That's how you know you made it.
I think they do.
I feel like it's like acorporate gift people get after
like five or 10 years, maybelike an imported one or
something.
I don't know.
Russel (05:40):
Yeah, as you said, and I think you've made young Cara
proud.
Lead us up to what was the, thetwinkle in the eye, let's say,
maybe not actually starting yourbusiness, but what was, when did
that twinkle in the eye startof, you know, I might be going
down this entrepreneurial path?
Cara (05:54):
I graduated in peak recession time, so I had that
communications degree, which youknow, doesn't really give you a
very defined path about what youshould be doing after you
graduate.
It was 2009 and jobs were hardto come by and basically if you
were outgoing, you went intosales,'cause those are the only
things that were hiring.
(06:15):
I started my career in sales andit was very much.
Russel (06:17):
Selling what, by the way?
Cara (06:19):
Started with advertising, so selling advertisements for
like, it was a small businessdoing kind of like, it was like
a Groupon competitor.
I was doing that.
I think I did that for like ayear or two and then I went into
recruitment.
Recruiting salespeople forpermanent placement positions,
and this was at an agency.
Both jobs I was like, I got to apoint where I was like, I mean,
(06:39):
I, I hate this job.
Work is so bad, having a reallyhard time, super miserable.
It was very like, the type oflike sales environment where
they're tracking all your callsand how like, submittals and dah
dah.
Russel (06:53):
I think the recruitment industry has to be the worst.
I can't even imagine.
Cara (06:56):
It was rough and it was like very startup mentality, so
like, very aggressive, if you'rethe first person to leave,
everyone's like, oh my God, Ican't believe they left at 5:30.
This is ridiculous.
I was like, this is not for me.
I'm having, uh, I was, It wasrough.
But then, um, I started workingat a university doing corporate
relations and marketing and Ithink probably my, like a little
(07:19):
twinkle there for myentrepreneurial mindset.
I started reaching out to peopleto do informational interviews
and it was pretty aggressivethat I wanted to work in higher
ed.
I kind of just felt likesomething like blew in the wind
one day and I was like, I haveto work in higher ed.
I need to make this my career.
Not sure why.
I think I wanted to work withlike really intelligent people.
I went to higher ed and I didthat.
(07:41):
And then same thing started tohappen where I was like, I hate
this job.
I'm so bored, I gotta get outtahere.
And um, I had lived inMassachusetts my whole life, so
I'm from Massachusetts.
I was living in the Boston areawith all my friends from college
and they were all gettingmarried and having babies, and
we were in our late twenties andI decided there's gotta be more
(08:01):
to life than this.
I need to make a change.
And I decided to move abroad, soI moved to Madrid and started
freelancing on the side anddidn't really even know, like
freelancing was a thing.
I found Upwork.
I had like Googled it maybe,like how do you make extra money
on the side.
and.
Russel (08:21):
So did you like move before you really had an income
plan or anything along thoselines?
Cara (08:25):
Yeah, I was like, I had gone on a volunteer trip, uh, to
Costa Rica, did a solo trip andtaught English volunteering, and
I was like, oh, maybe I could dothis abroad.
Maybe I can do this in Europe.
It was like, oh, that should befine.
I'll take a course when I'mthere.
Took a course while I was there,but it was always freelancing.
Turns out Eng, teaching English,same as all my other jobs, I
(08:46):
hated it.
But I liked the marketing, so Iwas like, I could do this
full-time and started doing itfull-time.
Cost of living in Madrid is alot more affordable than it is
in the Boston area or New Yorkor many other places in the US.
So I could take riskier choices,make riskier, riskier choices
rather.
Yeah, so I started freelancingon the side.
Found some clients I actuallystill have today, which, um, is
(09:07):
kind of crazy.
That was really how I startedworking for myself.
Russel (09:11):
Wow.
I'm just so enthralled and I'vehad a few other people on the
show that have, you know, didthe whole abroad thing and I
just, I think that takes suchguts, says really a lot about
your personality.
Makes sense why you alwaysfought this working in a
corporate role sense that you'vegot this adventurous ambition
about yourself.
Ah, tell me, Tell me a goodMadrid story so I can just live
vicariously through you.
Cara (09:31):
Oh, gosh, there's so many.
The thing about Madrid that'samazing is they, the sun stays
up like in the summer, the sunis up until, uh, honestly, And
even in February, which, likefor me, I'm from Boston, so the
Boston area, if you say you'refrom Boston, you actually have
to be from Boston proper.
I don't want anyone to send mehate mail.
I'm from the Boston area, northof Boston.
(09:54):
Sorry.
But it's so cold in, in thewinter, but in Madrid, even if
it's February, if the sun's out,you can sit outside on a terrace
and have wine with your friendsand eat olives.
It's just such like a nice, likewalkable, fun culture.
The, like, I would have peoplecome visit and there's not
really landmarks there thatyou're super psyched to see, so
(10:14):
we would just be like, you justneed to experience the culture,
which is sitting outside on aterraza, having wine hanging
out.
It's just the best.
I love that European lifestyle.
and that like if Stories, Icould definitely give you one,
gimme a genre though.
Like I need to think.
Russel (10:29):
Oh man.
Like a culture, not a cultureshock, but like a culture clash
where it was a, a lesson learnedin, in non-American culture.
Cara (10:38):
Oh God.
I'm trying to think of somethingthat was, um, good.
Oh, this is really silly butthis is like, it's like just one
that came up to me'cause I wasjust talking to my friends about
it.
I had a couple friends who wereEnglish, Spanish, what have you,
different countries around theworld, which is nice when you're
living in a, you know, a ci, aninternational city, there's
people from all over the place.
We were having like a littledinner party and I was like, oh,
(11:01):
I'll bring an app.
And you know, my friends didn'tsay anything and I showed up and
I was like, oh yeah, I made thislike spinach and artichoke dip.
They were like, oh my god.
We thought you meant a phoneapp.
We had no idea what you weretalking about.
I was like, appetizer, app,like, you know, and they like,
no, we don't call it that.
I was like, oh, sorry.
(11:23):
I had no idea.
Russel (11:24):
Oh, man.
B-Y-O-P-A.
Bring your own phoneapplication.
That makes total sense.
Cara (11:30):
They're like, sure.
Yeah.
You're so generous.
Russel (11:33):
All right.
Books flight to Madrid is now onmy task list.
I love to see the sights when Igo travel overseas or whatever,
but I actually think all myfavorite moments are when I just
chill for a day.
And I haven't gotten to donearly enough of that.
I have really limitedexperience, but, uh, you've
certainly sold me on it andmotivated me to do that more.
And go to Madrid, by the way.
Cara (11:51):
It is the best, you gotta.
Russel (11:52):
All right, well, I'll, I'll hit you up for all the, the
hot tips there when I head thatway.
Okay.
Again, courageous, adventurous,doing this thing, making this
kind of a full-time.
I don't know that it really is adefining moment per se, but
when, when would you say youquote unquote, officially became
an agency?
Cara (12:09):
I moved home from Madrid in December of 2018.
Russel (12:14):
How long were you there, by the way, total?
Cara (12:15):
Three years.
Russel (12:16):
Three years.
Oh my gosh.
That is quite the abroadjourney.
Cara (12:18):
But I will say I initially went, I tipped, dipped my toe
in, and I was only supposed togo for six months, and then I
just kept extending it.
Russel (12:25):
That's fair.
I see why.
Cara (12:27):
I moved home at the end of 2018, so all of 2019 I was, um,
you know, thinking about it.
Basically I was working with alot of my clients that I had
found, a lot of them via Upwork,some via word of mouth, some via
referral.
I was making a full-time salarythat I felt comfortable with.
I was able to buy, um, a condoon north of Boston, which is
(12:48):
where I was living.
But I was kind of coming toterms with the fact that I had
a, met amazing people livingabroad that were also
freelancing, and either theywere designers or writers or all
of these talented people.
I also was talking to my clientsand telling them, branding so
important, leaning into yourbrand, knowing who you are, you
(13:09):
know, using that to reach yourideal, uh, target market.
Having this brand consistencyand this cohesive message that's
threaded through your social andyour website and all your
written content is incrediblyimportant.
And I realized I wasn'tpracticing what I preached at
all.
I was just, you know, operatingunder the name Cara Chatellier
(13:30):
and I wasn't a brand.
I decided to change that andlaunched Bubbly Creative's
website, logo, all of the abovein February of 2020, so.
Yeah.
I was like, okay, here we go,big event, da, da, da, and then,
um, obviously pandemic happenedin March.
(13:52):
I lost one client off the bat,which was hard, like a, a bigger
retainer client.
I just remember such significantanxiety, like anxiety I'd never
felt before, which obviouslyeveryone had that.
I can't like compare what I feltto doctors or people who are on
the front lines.
But I think just like being ababy business owner and being
(14:13):
like, oh, I have no idea what'sgonna happen.
Russel (14:16):
Yikes.
We know how this plot goes alittle bit, at least
Cara (14:20):
it was definitely scary.
And looking back on it, I'm justlike, oh, I think I like blocked
a lot of that out'cause it wasjust like pretty stressful.
Russel (14:26):
Hopefully we're not, we're not triggering any, uh,
PTSD by, by going through thishistory lesson here.
Cara (14:31):
Not yet.
Russel (14:32):
No?
Okay.
It's interesting.
It's a very common path foragencies to start, right, of
this, this, lost a job orsomething like that.
Now I'm in the market and I justneed some income replacement.
That was your journey to startabroad.
That's some learning process andhelps us get our feet under us,
but this idea of you took a stepback and you said, hey, what am
I doing?
What is my brand?
What do I believe and want tocreate in the world?
(14:54):
And I always I think that's,that's, that's the part that
sometimes folks don't go backand do is, is be very
intentional about their ownbrand and their own product even
if they didn't start that way.
Um, so it, it, let me, Let meask now, to jump forward just a
little bit with this question.
Do you still practice what youpreach in terms of your
intentionality behind yourbrand?
Cara (15:13):
Definitely.
Even more so now where brand isso important.
I was actually, I was, uh,listening to one of the pods
today, one of the Agency, AgencyStory pods, and someone was
talking about creating thisamazing video and it going on a
client website that was built 20years ago.
It's like you have this gorgeousvideo that's on this really
(15:34):
shitty website and that you justneed, everything needs to
connect, everything needs to beelevated and like that's
something that we live andbreathe all the time.
With Bubbly, well, we, ourbrand, if, you know, I'm sure
you know if I'll send people tothe website, but it's like very
pink, very like fun, very likekind of girly,'cause we do, we
(15:55):
are targeting women.
That's who I am and I wanted itto be very representative of me
and feel like fun and somethingI was excited about.
We're also able to help brandsbe exactly who they are.
It's important for us to get toknow people really well and
relationships.
In order to get people knowpeople really well, you have to
(16:15):
get to know them.
Every time we start working witha client, we dive in so deep to
who they are.
We ask them 1 million questionsand sit with them for two hours,
ideally face to face, and um,I've always been very much a
relationship person.
I grew up in a family with twosisters.
We're extremely close.
I've like really valued myfriendships and relationships
(16:37):
and I feel that way aboutclients where I really get to
know them on a friendly basis aswell as a client.
To be able to properly representtheir brand, you have to do
that.
Brands need to communicate withclients, prospective clients,
current clients in a way thatfeels comfortable and
approachable.
I think the way we do things isvery warm.
(16:58):
An example, and I actually don'teven know if I'm answering the
question, I think I'm answeringanother question that I asked
myself.
Russel (17:04):
That's all right.
This is where we get to newtopics.
Cara (17:06):
One of our favorite clients came to me and they are
an OB-GYN practice north ofBoston.
They have four different officesand they came to us and were
like, our website is so cold.
We're getting some bad reviews.
We need to really elevate ourlook and reach a, a clientele,
that is women and people who areabout to give birth.
(17:27):
We need to build trust.
Can you help us do that?
We were like, absolutely.
First things first.
Did a man build your website?
And they're like, yeah, we havea male run agency.
I'm like, okay.
I can tell instantly when I lookat it that a man who has never
stepped foot in an OB-GYN officehas built this because it's so
clinical.
Stock photos.
It doesn't evoke trust.
(17:47):
It doesn't make you wanna go andvisit this practice like at all.
So I feel like the first thingwe did was, you need a
professional photo shoot.
We didn't change the logo oranything, but we were like, we
need pictures of your actualstaff smiling.
We need pictures of your brightsunny office.
We need to take your social tothe next level where we're
including individuals andpersonal quotes that of why they
(18:11):
love working at this practice.
We need to highlight thesetestimonials.
You have these stories of peoplegiving birth.
'Cause if you think aboutsomething that's like, so
personal, so important, soimpactful.
It's people trusting you todeliver their children.
This is huge and we don't see anounce of this on your site.
I feel like being able to threadthat needle throughout a brand's
(18:33):
entire picture is so importantto building trust, to getting
their, their clients that theywant and need.
For us, it's like that is verymuch relationship driven, but
it's also like, you think aboutthe business at the core of who
they are.
Us getting to know that is soimportant.
'Cause a lot of times they don'teven know
Russel (18:52):
It sounds like you know yourself really well, um, and
adopting that in your own brand,which allowed you to take that
same thought process andmentality to your clients.
you know, Just to recap a couplethings there I think are, are,
are really important.
In, what year are we in?
2025?
The importance of connection andauthenticity and representing
that.
I mean, right.
Think about it like, who usesstock photos in 2025?
(19:14):
We all know that nobody wants tosee the next stock photo.
Those were cool in the late2000s, but we're trying to
create, uh, via, initially,digitally a relationship here,
which isn't done with, it's likecat, it's, was it catfishing?
It's like catfishing.
No catfishing in 2025.
Cara (19:30):
Yes, exactly, but you still see it so much.
It's crazy.
I always push professionalphotography because it is so
important and, but it isexpensive, too, to have it done
well.
I think like there is like thatwhen you're starting out, you
can be strategic about the stockphotos.
There is a fine line between aterrible stock photo and a
passable stock photo, right?
Russel (19:52):
There's a place here, here and there.
but, uh, I came across thiswebsite the other day and I
think it was a construction,like a new home construction
company.
There wasn't a single picture,there wasn't a single name on
the whole site and everythingwas like, we have all this
experience and we, and we, andwe, we, I'm like, who is we?
I can't even tell you.
I'll go look up that company,I'll give them your website.
They clearly, clearly need you.
Cara (20:13):
Send him over.
Who knows, they might be good atbuilding houses though.
They're just bad at doingmarketing.
Russel (20:17):
I guess that that is true.
This is why we all need ourexperts in all the different
spaces, um, too, because it, it,I think it just, to that end.
I talk a lot that marketing in2025 is so noisy, it's so
clouded.
That's why this is all the moreimportant than it's ever been in
the history of the world, whenyou talk about brand and
authenticity and it's, it's likehaving a PhD now.
(20:38):
The world doesn't think of thatquite yet, but it's that
complicated and you shouldn't berolling your own really in that
sense.
Cara (20:43):
Totally, but also think about like AI and how that is
just making things more genericand people are just posting the
same things as other peoplearound the country.
It's crazy.
Wait, can I tell you a storyabout an AI driven thing that
happened to a client?
Russel (20:58):
I want to hear this story very much.
Yes.
Cara (21:00):
This is like a, an offshoot, but I had this client
and they, there was, uh, Ialmost wanna say the name, but I
won't.
This client's a dentist and theyended up hiring this firm that
promised they could likeabsolutely skyrocket your SEO
results.
They would do all your socialmedia, they would do your Google
business.
They would put all these systemsin place.
(21:20):
My client fell for it and hestarted paying them on retainer.
Eventually he was like, I don'tknow, something's wrong.
Something's not working.
So like When I started workingwith him, I was like, let me
look into this and what theywere doing.
I found out that this companywas giving the same exact
content to hundreds of dentistsacross the country.
(21:43):
Same content on Google business,same content on social media.
Same website content.
Once Google started crackingdown on AI, all of these like
companies, these local dentists,their search results were
absolutely tanking and they hadno idea why.
'Cause they're dentists, they'renot good at marketing.
They're incredibly intelligentpeople, but they don't know how
(22:05):
to market.
They don't have time to do it.
These dentists just had the sameexact content, all, some of them
in the same town, same content,same terrible stock photos, same
generic videos that like, theywould be like super vague like,
but about like dental implantsbut not mention the dentist, but
the description would have thedentist.
It was just the worst marketingI've ever seen, and these
(22:27):
dentists were falling for it andthey were just printing money.
A scam.
Russel (22:31):
Scams.
I'd say one, SEO especially islike, man, I, I need to be able
to trust who I would let do SEOon my website the same, well, I
need to trust someone to watchmy kids.
We never want to get burned bythe Google machine.
I know a lot of people outsidethe agency space probably don't
listen to the show, but the onesthat do is find a company you
know you can trust that youwould leave your kids with.
Because there is no cheap routein 2025, if it's too good to be
(22:54):
true, the reality is it is.
Cara (22:56):
Yes, and maybe ask someone you know who does marketing to
just, to run, run it by them.
Russel (23:02):
That's a that's fair advice.
Good advice.
All right.
So, So the pandemic was its ownlittle rough spots.
Clearly you made it out.
I imagine like a lot of folkstoo, you got to experience the
digital rush of late 2020 and2021.
I would imagine maybe like your,your story and like a lot of
others that you, you know,you're just happy to take on
business that may seemedinteresting or exciting, but
(23:23):
that it seems like you'restarting to lean into more of a
positioning path and, andgetting more specific about what
you do.
Just talk to me a little bitabout your positioning journey
and, and what that's been likefor you.
Cara (23:32):
For sure.
When I was starting out, Ipretty much was just saying yes
to everything.
If someone came, a lead cameinto my website or someone
reached out to me, I was justsaying, yes, absolutely I can do
that.
With not a real regard for if itwas of interest to me, it was
just kind of like, okay, I needto grow.
I need to pay my employee.
I need to do X, Y, and Z.
Keep the lights on.
Russel (23:53):
Gotta feed the machine.
Cara (23:54):
Totally, so you're just saying yes to everything.
I think that it got to a pointwhere I was realizing, it was
last year, I believe, I wassitting in my Subleted apartment
and I was like, wait.
I don't like what I'm workingon, and I was like, this is my
business.
I don't have to work on things Idon't wanna work on.
(24:16):
I can change this narrative.
I can change who I'm workingwith, and I like working with
this type of client, which islike the female owned health and
beauty.
I like working with that type ofclient.
Why don't I focus on workingwith them?
I kept coming up against thisfeeling and then realizing I
needed to make some big changesin order to get there.
(24:37):
Last year I moved, I moved toNew York in January of 2024, and
I did that after, I, I wasliving in north of Boston and I
went through a big life changingbreakup, a huge breakup where we
had bought a house together andthen we had a dog and I was
(24:57):
living on a, in a single familyhouse in a Massachusetts suburb
being like, um, I don't thinkthis is right for me anymore and
decided to move to New York.
With so much personal changehappening, I didn't really focus
on business.
And then I decided in 2025, thatwas gonna be my business focus
(25:19):
time, and that's where now I'mreally making that big push to
focus on these types of clientsbecause I think when you own a
business, sometimes you have to,you're working in it constantly,
right?
It's hard to work on it becauseif you're working in it, days
can just fly by and you're,whoops.
Oh wow, I forgot to make thosechanges.
So You have to take the time towork on it, and I really just
(25:41):
did not have the bandwidth to dothat in 2024 so I'm doing that
in 2025 and realizing like,okay, I have a lot.
I have the control to do this.
It's gonna take time, and I needto be strategic and I need to
seek out these individualsrather than just letting people
come to me, which I've been verylucky to have people find me,
have referrals.
(26:01):
That's been something that hasbeen so great for me, but it's
also not a great scalingstrategy.
Russel (26:06):
I talk about it a lot that this idea of, call it the
referral wall, and it, it issuch a wall that I think is not
often seen by agencies because,or maybe this happens in other
business sectors as well, butthis idea of that, you know,
I've been in business forhowever long and I make however
much money, but you really areclose to step zero in terms of
your own marketing and brandingand getting yourself out there.
(26:27):
I think that's really hard forpeople to see it, really.
It's almost an invisible wallbecause it, it does take, you
know, as you said, working onthe business a, a decent
investment to move in thatdirection.
It sounds like you're, you're inthe early stages of that, but
you're, you seem like you'resolid and dedicated to that
effort.
Cara (26:44):
Definitely dedicated to it.
I think it's the, the rightchoice for us.
In addition to working withwomen owned businesses, we're
also open to, you know, workingwith marginalized parties,
people of color, uh, the LGBTQ+community.
Not that I would, if they, if a,a male owned business reaches
out and it feels like a goodfit, then it's definitely not
someone we would like turn away.
(27:04):
It's not like we won't work withmale owned businesses or
anything, but I think for usit's just really important that
a business and their mission andtheir values align with ours.
We wanna make sure that we'relifting up people that align
with us and that we feel needthe support and that we can very
much help them in their missionand who they're trying to, to
(27:27):
find.
you know, the OB-GYN example,that they sought out a male
advertising marketing agency.
It's just like, I feel like thatI, that just makes no sense to
me.
They could have had an allfemale staff and maybe that
would've been great.
They didn't, and I just thinksometimes you just need that
touch of like, okay, weunderstand your customer because
(27:48):
we are your customer.
Russel (27:49):
And I think that is, you know, in a couple instances, I
can appreciate about what you'veshared about your journeys.
One, seems like you're reallygood at recognizing your own
feelings, where you're at in anygiven time, and not being afraid
to make a change or pivot ormove something that's gonna be
in the direction that's morealigned with your skills,
talents, desires, values,beliefs.
I think that's never a bad thingin this world that we should do
(28:10):
the work that matches that.
We should find other people thatmatch that.
I think that's a great thing,whatever that is.
I guess as long as it's nothurting people, but that's,
that's what we should all bedoing.
This is too hard of work, uh,too difficult of a journey not
to actually, not to be rowing inthat direction.
Cara (28:26):
But it's important to note that I'm very scared of these
things.
I've always been scared.
Russel (28:32):
That's okay though.
Honestly, I think, because thatmeans you're not doing it
flippantly.
You're making a big change.
You're not just like, oh, I'lljust move over there.
It's like you're, that causesyou, I imagine being scared is
what probably prepares you to,to make those big leaps, which
are really important.
I think if you're not pivotingin this space, in this industry,
you're gonna fall behind.
If you're willing to shed what'snot working for you sooner than
(28:53):
later, you're gonna move fasterin that direction.
So I'm, I'm all for it.
Cara (28:57):
Totally.
Russel (28:57):
I think you've got a good recipe going here.
And so far it's, it's workingout really, really well for you.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
It's all about thosefundamentals.
You know, when you think about,Obviously you're making
concerted effort to work more onthe business, which I think is a
big important part of this nextphase.
It sounds like you're in foryour business but just gimme a
sense of what does the futurelook like?
What are you trying to achieve?
(29:18):
What's the 10 year plan, orfive?
What's a five year plan?
That's what they say in themovies.
What's your five year plan?
Cara (29:22):
Five year plan, I've had Bubbly for five years, so that
would be five years in thefuture is crazy to think about,
but exciting.
2030.
I can't believe that.
Russel (29:32):
Business years are like dog years, so that's actually,
it's the equivalent of 35 yearsfrom now.
Cara (29:37):
Seriously, it feels like, I'm like, oh, the amount of
things we've learned and the,like, the things we were putting
out back then, it's just crazyto think about, but, okay, so
five years from now.
I would like to have a New Yorkoffice.
And a Boston office, at least aplace where people can go that
feels they're with their teammembers.
(29:58):
It is so important to havein-person spaces and places
where clients can come andvisit.
I would love to take on largerprojects and have an on staff
photographer, on staffvideographer and be able to do
really fun content shoots.
We oversee those now, but Ithink having those on staff
would be really great.
I would love to be justoverseeing everything and I'm,
(30:21):
I'm trending towards that now,but I think having a more
robust, more full team, beingable to pay everyone so they
feel that.
They're making a lot of money.
They love what they do, theyfeel really happy and they think
everything's really fun and goodand working with clients that
we're excited about.
And I think, like, I know that'snot really saying like clients
(30:42):
we're excited about is a littlevague, but I think it really
depends because I say health andbeauty.
It could be slightly adjacent.
As long as it feels like, okay,these, this is a, a business
that is doing something webelieve in and we wanna support
them.
So growth, more money,supporting businesses we love.
Maybe some office space.
Russel (31:04):
You're checking all the, I think, the life happiness box.
Work with people you wanna workwith, both on your team and as
clients, and if we can have somecoin in our pocket to go do
other fun things along the way,then, then we're winning at this
game of life and business, andthat's all we need to be doing.
Cara (31:18):
Exactly.
And I'd love to be on morepodcasts, more speak at events,
all those sorts of things too.
I think that's fun.
Russel (31:25):
I'm sure that will all happen for you.
I guess then one last bigquestion for you, Cara.
Are entrepreneurs born or arethey made?
Cara (31:33):
So I was thinking about this one after doing some
podcast listening, and I thinkthey're made, but I also think
that there are some elementsthat you may be predisposed to.
So when you're born, I'm,there's some people where, you
know, I guess it's a natureversus nurture question, right?
But I was thinking back to whenI was younger.
(31:56):
I wasn't like a lemonade standgirl, but I remember thinking
about this question.
When I was in elementary schooland with my neighbors, we
started a hair salon where webought L'Oreal Kids, um, shampoo
and gel and would style theother neighborhood kids hair.
Russel (32:16):
I need pictures of this.
This would have to have beenepic.
I hope there's pictures of this.
Cara (32:20):
So I was like, oh, maybe I was entrepreneurial back then.
I don't know.
Russel (32:24):
That's better than a Kool-Aid stand.
That's innovative, right?
There's a billion Kool-Aidstands.
Cara (32:28):
Right.
We just love the products.
I don't know if you rememberL'Oreal Kid shampoo, but they
like smelled so good.
Russel (32:34):
I'm sure it was.
That is something, man.
I bet that had to be a realsight, uh, because I'm, because
I'm guessing at that point too,the talent might not have been
there and you might have beentrying to do something a little
creative.
I bet there was some interestinghairdos running around your
neighborhood.
Cara (32:46):
The talent was 1000% not there.
But, um, it was really fun.
I'm sure my parents were at workand had no idea.
But I think overall, made.
I, in like Outside of my hairsalon beginnings, I, I learned a
lot from like doing thingsscared and doing things that
felt really outside of mycomfort zone, that I could take
(33:09):
risks and that when I did takebig risks, they paid off.
Knowing that, okay, I could staystatus quo, I'm gonna be
miserable, so I need to justpush myself.
Do it scared is something I verymuch live by.
I also, this is like Tina Feyand Bossy Pants wrote like say
yes and figure the rest outlater.
And I very much subscribe tothat.
Yeah, I think a combo of both.
Russel (33:30):
All right.
I love it.
Very great stuff.
If people wanna know more aboutBubbly Creative, where can they
go?
Cara (33:35):
Well, They can visit our website, www.bubblycreative.com.
We're Bubbly Creative onFacebook and LinkedIn and
@BubblyCreativeMa on Instagram.
Russel (33:44):
Perfect.
I think you summed it up a fewseconds ago in, in the big
takeaway from today.
Take big risks and be scaredwhile doing it, and you'll
probably end up in a good place.
But recognize your feelings.
Don't be afraid to, doing workfor those you love and with who
you love.
That's the recipe for greatsuccess.
Really appreciate you taking thetime to share all those
(34:05):
wonderful nuggets with us today,Cara.
Thank you so much for being onthe show.
Cara (34:08):
My pleasure.
Thanks so much for having me.
We hope you've enjoyed thisepisode of An Agency Story
podcast where we share realstories of marketing agency
owners from around the world.
Are you interested in being aguest on the show?
Send an email topodcast@performancefaction.com.
(34:30):
An Agency Story is brought toyou by Performance Faction.
Performance Faction offersservices to help agency owners
grow their business to 5 milliondollars and more in revenue.
To learn more, visitperformancefaction.com.
Sometimes we'll have clients who want us to order
(34:52):
print collateral for them sowe'll order like envelopes or
stationary, just'cause we do allthe outsource marketing.
So We had this one client whosaid, can you print us this,
these postcards, these notecards?
We're like, yeah, sure.
We, um, worked with Moo, this,you know, fabulous print brand
and um, we sent them the sampleand they took a look at it and
(35:14):
she said, okay, I like it.
But the back of it, if youclosed your eyes and touched it,
you might think it was shiny,even though it doesn't look
shiny.
We were like, okay.
I don't know how to explain thatto the, the printer, but that's
a problem for you?
They were like, yes.
We just don't want it to look orfeel shiny.
(35:36):
We were like, okay, so youclosed your eyes and touched it.
And that is a pro, okay.
Yeah, no, that makes perfectsense.
I'm a people pleaser, so like, Iwas like, you know, whatever you
need.
Some people are difficult.
Russel (35:48):
That is true.
Clients can be like kids, youjust never know what they're
gonna say next.
Unfortunately.
Cara (35:53):
Very true.
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I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.