Creator Spotlight: Kerstin Martin
I’m so happy to have my friend Kerstin on the blog. A few years ago when I transitioned from WordPress to Squarespace, I took her Squarespace SEO course and was very impressed. Kerstin is both a wonderful teacher and a lovely human.
Hi Kerstin! Tell us a little about yourself.
I'm a Squarespace Expert and Online Business Educator who's been teaching all things Squarespace since 2015. I work with web designers and course creators, helping them build professional websites, launch profitable online courses and grow thriving web design businesses with Squarespace. I'm also the creator of the Eule Planner®, an analog business planner that I designed specifically for digital entrepreneurs.
How did your business get started?
I'm an accidental entrepreneur. I’ve been blogging since 2005 and web design quickly became my creative outlet. You could always rely on me to redesign my blogs! When a friend asked me to build a new business website for her in 2014 I jumped right in. My husband and I had just relocated from England to the US and the plan was for me to find a new job. But then we launched my friend’s Squarespace website and it was a huge success, so I decided to become a web designer instead! I was in my early 50s at the time and that was the best professional decision I ever made.
How did you come to work with Squarespace?
When I started blogging in 2005 I used Blogger, Typepad and Wordpress for a few years before discovering Squarespace in 2008. They were still on version 5, remember that? It's been a love affair ever since! I just love the ease of use, the stylish templates and intuitive website builder as well as the awesome 24/7 support. Since those early days Squarespace have grown into an impressive all-in-one platform, I and many of my clients use it for everything from hosting websites, courses and online shops to email marketing, CRM and online scheduling. Squarespace have become an amazing technology partner for us entrepreneurs and they've helped me significantly simplify and optimize my business.
Is there a course you've created that you're particularly proud of? Can you tell us a little about its main benefit and target audience?
Thank you for asking this! As an online business educator, I offer courses for both web designers and course creators. I think the one I am most proud of is my BizBox course which teaches creatives how to make a great living and life as a Squarespace web designer. I put my heart and soul into this course which has helped 100s of entrepreneurs build highly profitable and sustainable businesses with Squarespace. Seeing my students go from empty nesters, struggling artists or trapped corporate employees to becoming thriving business owners fills me with so much joy and pride.
What is the best piece of advice you've ever been given as a designer/developer?
"Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works." — Steve Jobs. He obviously didn't tell me this in person but I always thought this was great advice! I took it seriously and when I was still designing custom websites I not only made sure that they looked great but also that everything worked as intended. Meaning: I always checked all the links on the websites I was working on, tested the forms and plugins, made test purchases if there was a shop, tested any email marketing auto responses and sequences, made sure that my processes and automated workflows are tight. Of course I still missed stuff and learned a lot along the way. But by using as much diligence as possible upfront I became known for delivering high quality websites and products and that's been instrumental for my business growth.
If you had a piece of advice for developers or designers, or something you wish you'd figured out much sooner than you did, what would it be?
This is more general advice for online entrepreneurs who feel overwhelmed by hustle culture: put on your business blinders! FOMO is real and it thrives on lack of focus. It is so easy to get distracted by every shiny new (old) thing that others put out there, so easy to get distracted by watching others soar and thrive while we are still trying to get a foot in the door. Horses wear blinders to block out potential distractions and keep them on track. We can do the same in business. We can stop listening to the noise by unfollowing the people who make us feel bad or inadequate. Or we can simply acknowledge that they exist, maybe even cheer them on if we like them, and then refocus on our own stuff. We can cease spending our energy in everyone else’s space and put it back into our own business. Whenever I go down the FOMO rabbit hole I literally tell myself: “Blinders, Kerstin!”
When you’re not creating amazing Squarespace courses, how do you like to spend your spare time?
When I am not teaching all things Squarespace, I enjoy going island hopping in our plane ‘Ginger' (my husband is a private pilot) and cooking delicious German meals for my friends and family. I love going for walks along the sea, riding my bicycle around Bellingham and Vancouver, curating our cozy home with lots of plants and quirky art work, and hanging out with my husband and our fluffy grey cat.
What is your go-to karaoke song?
As a 70s disco girl I'd have to say anything by ABBA!
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
I'd love to invite you to subscribe to my Studio Notes newsletter! Once or twice a month you'll receive Squarespace news, insider studio and community updates as well as my candid musings on business & life.
