Badass Boss Spotlight: Erin Zimmerman

Published in

Badassery Magazine

6 min readDec 28, 2018

MEET ERIN

Erin Zimmerman is the head honcho and Visibility Guide over at EZ Visibility, where she works with business owners to create a deeply personalized visibility strategy that takes the confusion and overwhelm out of the process and makes it fun and EASY to connect with their present and future fans, community, and clients.

We sat down with Erin for a badass interview to get to know her a little better.

TELL US A LITTLE MORE ABOUT YOU AND YOUR STORY?

Where to begin?! I grew up partially in northern California, and partially in Kansas City, where most of my extended family lived (and still lives today) with my twin sister Meredith, my little brother Ian, and two extremely loving and supportive human beings for parents. From a young age, my dad taught me loyalty and about loving your job through the work that he did for professional sports teams, AND he taught me so much more through being my coach — basketball, soccer, softball…and basically everything else. He taught me that repetition, repetition, repetition leads to mastery.

My mom introduced me to the entrepreneurial spirit (as a Mary Kay rep), as well as how to love, nurture, and lead through all of her school and community work. I also caught that darn multitasking bug through her!
The person who taught me how to stand out just by existence is my twin sister, as we spent the vast majority of our lives trying to figure out how to be individuals, often in spite of one another. Oh, but we teach each other about best friendship and patience daily.

When people asked me “what do you want to be when you grow up?”, I would always answer: a MOVIE STAR! My freshman year of college, I had a bit of a break down when I just couldn’t “figure it out”…but came out the other end with the decision that I wanted to be a filmmaker. I traveled abroad to study film, took advantage of a class at Sundance Film Festival, and developed an independent study curriculum alongside my sister where we created our very first film — from start to finish — in one semester. I traveled the US and abroad with some of my films, and was riding high! And, at the tippy top of that high, I decided to take a job working in the marketing department of a large movie theatre company.

And that is where I stayed for far too long. There were over-promises and many under-deliveries, and I finally thought: I can’t do this any longer. Plus? I hadn’t made any films since starting that job. In the week following my departure from the corporate world, I thought up and directed my first film in 4 years. And it won audience choice at the festival we played it at.

HOW DID YOUR BUSINESS COME ABOUT? WHAT MADE YOU START IT?

After escaping my 9–5, I ventured out as a social media manager with the first iteration of my business, Elephant Social. But, it turns out, I was holding on a little TOO much to my past in being a social media manager! The only reason I moved forward with that, is because I KNEW I was good at it. But, I quickly found out that I didn’t LOVE it, and I was attracting the wrong clients, as if to prove my own point! Yes, it helped me to break free of my traditional J-O-B, and allowed me some more time and space to make short films, but it wasn’t what I needed to be doing.

The current iteration of my business — the one that feels like I can be fully, truly me — started to percolate when I took a bit of a sabbatical to be with my grandma in her last days. I thought: “Wouldn’t it be wonderful to help people be seen and heard WITHOUT managing their social media, myself?” My priorities were beginning to shift. But, I kept on keeping on with the social media management…and then the Presidential election happened.

I was inspired to start moving forward with this idea that had been stuck in my head and ONLY work with marginalized voices. I offered just a few free sessions before it was solidified that this wasn’t just a silly idea. But, it wasn’t until my brilliant, scientist and professor aunt passed away, and it was mentioned multiple times at her memorial service how simple she made things for her students to understand that it clicked: I make getting visible simple. I make it easy (well, EZ as a play on my initials).

This is what I am meant to do.

WHAT IS YOUR BUSINESS’S MISSION OR PURPOSE?

EZ Visibility’s purpose is to help marginalized voices to realize how to get their messages/missions/visions communicated in a way that is fun and easy for them. No one who isn’t a marketer wants to spend 24 hours marketing their ideas. I help take the overwhelm and questions and concerns out of the visibility process and streamline things, so folx can break through the noise to be heard and seen with ease!

WHAT SETS YOU APART FROM OTHER BUSINESSES LIKE YOURS?

In addition to my personal experience as a filmmaker and marketer, I am not here to sell you more information or a “one-size-fits-all” shortcut to wealth. I am here to help you come up with a strategy that will simplify your visibility, making it fun, easy, and a LOT less daunting! Your visibility and marketing should fit YOUR personality, messaging, and schedule, not the other way around!

WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF BADASSERY?

My definition of badassery is the act of being fully YOU…the youest YOU you can be — unapologetically loud and proud!

WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF SUCCESS?

My definition of success is focussing ones’ efforts and practice in order to master one message, skill, or theme! In the words of my dad: Repetition, repetition, repetition! (but, in the words of me: not a CONSTANT hustle…but definitely consistency!)

WHAT IS ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU CAN GIVE TO OTHER ENTREPRENEURS?

SIMPLIFY! Whether it’s your business model, your offerings, your health or your home…paring down what you own, how you spend your time, who you spend your time with, and how you work will help make space in your life for your own growth! The less you have to worry about, the more space you can take up in this world!

IS THERE ANYTHING COMING UP FOR YOUR BUSINESS YOU’D LIKE TO TELL OUR READERS ABOUT?

Quarter 1 of 2019…look out! I am launching my weekly YouTube show: EZtv! Tune in to catch quick tips on simplification and visibility, as well as short interviews with amazing folx — from business-owners to tomorrow’s leaders! My last show — ChatConnect — had a very successful 2 seasons…but long-form episodes are out, and 5–10 minute bite-sized goodies are IN!

WHAT IS NEXT FOR YOUR BUSINESS? WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?

2019 holds the launch of my first group program, my working with 300 folx to help them be heard and be seen with ease, and a challenge to myself to hold 30 “Big O” Visibility Strategy Sessions in 30 days (look for that in Q1)! I will be working on more video and podcast productions, as well as starting to write my very first book by the end of the year! Look out, 2019, here I come!

SPECIAL OFFER FOR BADASSERY MAGAZINE READERS

FREE Big O Sessions for the Badassery Community/Readers! (valued at $149)
Schedule a FREE 30 minute call where we will discuss where you are, where you want to be, and start to create a visibility strategy together. Each person will walk away with at least 3 simple action steps to be seen and be heard with EASE!

Can’t find a time that works for you? Email erin@dbl-take.com for additional availability!

Connect with Erin at her website, on Facebook, and Instagram.

Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored post.” The company who sponsored it compensated Badassery Magazine via a payment, gift, or something else of value to write it. Badassery Magazine only recommend products or services we use personally and believe will be good for our readers. We disclose this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”