Meet Promise Tangeman-Wurzell, a Designer and Digital Marketing Strategist passionate about helping people launch what they love through branding & web design. She’s the proud CEO and Creative Director of the Web Design Company, GoLive and has been featured in Forbes, Buzzfeed, Glitter Guide, Martha Stewart and Girlboss. Outside the office you can typically find her sunbathing in her southern California backyard, mixing new cocktails, and dreaming up new ideas with her husband Brian new baby boy, Quest.
We had a chance to chat with Promise, to learn a little about the her behind her brand.
Strut: How did you get started in your industry?
Promise: One year into my 9-5 design job, I quit and started to Freelance as a creative. I did photography, graphic design, fine art, and even sold dinosaur necklaces. I finally decided to niche down to only offer graphic design and web design and because of that, my business started to blow up (in a good way). As demand increased, I decided to assemble a team. 10 years later, we’re an all-female team of 14 located across the country and even the world.
Strut: Growing up, did you always imagine being an entrepreneur?
Promise: No, not really. But in hindsight, it makes sense. I had LOTS of businesses as a kid. My sister and I had a nail business, car washing business, hairstyling business, jewelry business, and even a bug exterminating business, believe it or not. And now, I’m horrified to remember the chemical insecticide we created; a concocted of my mom’s hairspray mixed with her nail polish remover. (something I DEFINITELY don’t endorse, and NO, she didn’t know we did that) LOL
Strut: Promise Tangeman-Wurzell, in the beginning, stages of developing your brand/business – what was your biggest struggle and how did you overcome?
Promise: I can’t just pin point one thing that was the BIGGEST struggle, however there are LOTS of little struggles. Even to this day. When I first started, it would have been deciding on a niche. As a creative I love doing ALL the things, and I wanted to have something to offer everyone.
It wasn’t until I niched down to just one trade skill and one service that I saw my business really take off.
Promise Tangeman-Wurzell
However my intention to create and help all the people actually hindered my growth as a small business owner. It wasn’t until I niched down to just one trade skill and one service that I saw my business really take off. Very counter-intuitive in my mind. But that’s what took my business to the next level. Today we’re a million-dollar business and I attribute that to staying focused and getting REALLY good at what we do.
Strut: Do you feel like you are pursuing purpose, Promise Tangeman-Wurzell? If so – how did you know this was your purpose?
Promise: I tackle this subject a little differently. I talk to so many creatives and aspiring entrepreneurs that aren’t moving forward in their careers or in their life in general because they’re “waiting to find their purpose”. My motto is, don’t wait until you find your purpose to start living!!
Start living with purpose in everything you do! It’s a beautiful mindset shift that will free you from yourself.
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Strut: Please tell us about, Go Live?
Promise: We are a branding and web design firm that specializes in creating websites fast. We primarily focus on helping female entrepreneurs launch what they love, so they can start living their dream. We create and sell Squarespace website templates and teach courses and classes for business owners that love a good DIY, but don’t want their website to look like one. And we also create completely custom websites for clients such as Sophia Amoruso of Girlboss, We Wore What, Sadie Robertson, Create & Cultivate, Jasmine Star, Marianna Hewitt, ABC’s The Bachelor contestants Michelle Money and Tenley Molzahn, and many others.
Strut: Running a business and a team, can be hard. What is the best part of Go Live? What keeps you motivated to keep going
Promise: I never would have imagined that helping people publish a website could literally change their life. But it’s true. When our clients have an effective website, it can change their business and therefore change their life. That sounds crazy or like I’m exaggerating, but some of our clients have been able to quit the job they hate to be able to pursue their passions full-time. They’ve been able to pay their mortgage bill from just their side hustle profits alone. They’ve tripled their business after their launch. They’re even hired on their husbands full time so they can both work from home. These stories get me up in the morning, make me excited, and keep me going. These stories are honestly, the REAL paycheck.
Strut: As an entrepreneur myself, I understand that sometimes personal life can get in the way of business. Have you encountered any personal hurdles that could have or did result in a business pivot?
Promise: When I first started my business as a freelancer I was a workaholic. However, I was newly married with no kids. But as I thought about my future and the desire to grow my family, I knew that I couldn’t sustain the pace I was running. I desired freedom and flexibility in my daily schedule and in my life. So, that is where the dream to have a team came into the picture.
I would say that my personal desire to have a family really altered my plans and changed my career from a freelancer to the CEO of a company.
Strut: During the pandemic, we’ve all had to adjust. How was this adjustment been for you and your brand?
Promise: Our custom design work has really slowed in the last few months. However our website template sales have really increased. People are realizing just how important their website is, especially if their brick and mortar has closed or they’ve lost their job and are now having to pivot.
We looked at the landscape of where people were at (mostly bored in the house) and realized that they needed help. Like major help in launching their brand and website. So my team and I have been hosting FREE workshops every Wednesday on various topics to help equip and empower small business owners so they can improve their online presence. We believe that when you freely GIVE, you will freely GET. What goes around comes around and we just wanted to utilize this time to be the most helpful that we could in this uneasy time.
Strut: Last question, what’s the most important piece of advice you could give to a young woman just starting her career?
Promise: Just start doing!!!! Get after it. Don’t become paralized trying to make the “best decision” but just make A decision and fully commit yourself. Nothing will work if you just give it a half ass effort. Give it everything you’ve got and I promise you, the results will blow you away.
- Connect with Promise:
- Instagram: promisetangeman golivehq
- Twitter: promisetangeman golivehq