EPISODE 17: A Young Survivor In Business While In Lockdown During A Pandemic

“Do you want to work for a company and be a number, or do you want to go out and be your own boss, do your own thing, and do what you love?” —Sabrina Leeder

Whether you’re working your side-hustle or running your own business, you know that you don’t have to be a number — an unappreciated cog in the corporate machine — to make big numbers…
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…but you do have to take a big risk and put in the work. 

Sabrina Leeder is the Toronto-based founder of BiA Photography and a photographer for the Hockey Hall of Fame. 

A strong believer that art should be enjoyed by all, she is the Artist in Residence and owner of Preston Gallery in Uxbridge, Ontario — an accessible space for Canadian artists at any career level to showcase their work. 

Sabrina knew the journey wouldn’t be easy when she took her father’s advice and decided not to be a number, but she didn’t anticipate that she would be forced to completely overhaul her brick-and-mortar business to an online shop when Covid-19 put our lives on lockdown. 
Sabrina’s passion for art and belief in herself took her from pop-up to permanent photography gallery, but it was her social media strategy that grew her business — from showcasing a couple of local artists to hosting over 50 names! 

She met the challenges of changing every aspect of her business to not only survive, but thrive — with in-person shows, expansion to new regional spaces, and online and in-person classes planned. 
Join us on this episode of Strategize Your Business Online, as Sabrina shares her story — a powerful reminder about the resilience we all must face as entrepreneurs — and the power of social media strategy to succeed even when the odds are stacked against you.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• How to get get creative with video content that serves a variety of audiences
• Why you should automate your brick-and-mortar business to operate fully online as a back-up system to prepare for unforeseen obstacles
• That you can still support and serve your local community — suppliers, customers, and small businesses — while catering to online clients

I’d love for you to rate and review the podcast — and make sure you’re subscribed for more ways to strategize your business online! 

Highlights: 

• 02:17 Sabrina’s journey 
• 06:04 Opening night 
• 07:38 Safe space 
• 08:16 Pivoting in the pandemic 
• 11:30 Online shopping & shipping 
• 13:31 Serving local businesses, artists & customers 
• 15:12 Big business plans 
• 18:13 Entrepreneurial lessons learned 
• 19:03 Connect with Sabrina! 

Links: 
Preston Gallery: https://prestongallery.com 
Find Preston Gallery on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gallerypreston
Visit Preston Gallery on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gallerypreston
Connect with Sabrina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/biaphotography 
Work with me: http://www.deeboswellbuck.com 

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