Chrishell Stause On How To Cultivate And Build Your Brand

For Chrishell Stause, an engaging digital identity has been essential in building her brand. The actress, realtor, and all around businesswoman was born into poverty in small-town Kentucky, yet now excels at tackling the demands of dual careers in entertainment and real estate. As someone who knows what it’s like to bootstrap your way to accomplishing your dreams, Stause is working with Adobe to give back to other small business owners and share the knowledge, tips, and tricks she’s collected crafting a seamless digital presence while using Adobe Express.

Pay Attention To Your Intuition

The greatest advice she’s ever received applies to pretty much every sector of life, but that’s what makes it so indispensable. “Trust your instincts,” Stause tells Bustle. “They’re there for a reason.” Whether it's knowing what to caption a post or deciding whether you’ll sign a risky contract, there’s power in going with the gut. With over 3 million social media followers, many would find the internet paralyzing if placed in her position, but she’s always known it was key to finding success. “At the beginning of my career, my digital brand was a little more all over the place,” says Stause. “As it’s grown, I’ve tried to be more intentional as I post.”

Take Advantage Of The Latest Tools

Intentionality is of the utmost importance in the digital age when things are so often misunderstood or simply unengaging. Stause collaborated closely with Adobe on designing custom templates for Adobe Express that are just as fun-filled and personal as they are professional - just like her! The colorful graphics she co-created with the brand strike the balance perfectly, allowing her and other users to celebrate professional accomplishments (or, in her case, listings) without feeling stiff or amateurish.

When building these tools, it was important to Stause that she create something that was both easy to use and top-quality. “I love that Adobe allowed me to put my own creative input in this process. That was really important to me,” the realtor and entertainer said. With a highly customizable interface that allow anyone to build off of Stause’s templates, other templates, or even create something from scratch, users can be confident that their unique identity will be expressed. “I think people are always looking for new and fun ways to communicate online,” Stause notes, “and I like the idea of being a part of that.”

To Stause, the best part of the tools that Adobe Express provides is customizability. “I love that you can use the tools however they work best for you and your brand,” she said. “You can be as hands on as you want, which can save us business owners a lot of valuable time.” As any small business owner knows, there’s always a lot to juggle, so creating an element that isn’t overwhelming was a must. Meta and Adobe have also teamed up, under the title Express Your Brand, to create a series of free training sessions that help small business owners to best understand how to engage customers and grow their brand on social media.

Champion Yourself

From her reality TV show to her upcoming memoir (currently titled Under Construction: Because Living My Best Life Took a Little Work), Stause’s honesty about her own personal journey is a large part of what’s allowed for her success. For someone who’s looked up to for her authenticity and humility, connecting online with her customers in meaningful ways is just as important as any other part of her job.

Even if it’s been an uphill battle for Stause to get to where she is in her two industries, the one thing that does make it easier is her proximity to close relationships in the workplace. While some of us may be dragged away from those closest to us in order to work long hours, Stause considers herself “very lucky that I get to work with so many of my friends so it blends together very effortlessly.” Especially when one’s personal charms and know-how are intertwined with work, it certainly helps to have a support network so close at hand.

“You have to fight to swim back to the top, but then you can float,” a Stause quote featured in one of the Adobe Express templates reads. When it comes to making it as a professional, Chrishell Stause proves that it’s all about resilience, self-belief, and of course, hard work.

Access Chrishell’s templates or create your own on Adobe Express today.