Meet Christine Le

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Christine Le. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Christine, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

Throughout my career in marketing, I have dealt with imposter syndrome because I don’t have a formal education in marketing. I realistically took one marketing course during my senior year of undergrad for my Bachelor of Science in Managerial Economics. However, that one course changed the trajectory of my life—it’s the reason why I pursued this journey.

Overcoming imposter syndrome required self-reminders of my why and shifts in perspective.

First, I often reminded myself why I wanted to be a marketer. I would think back to how I felt in that initial marketing course. Throughout my college experience, I didn’t know what to do after graduating. Moreover, I was in a major I didn’t pick myself (if you’re a first-generation Asian-American, you probably can guess why I didn’t major in whatever I wanted), so I worked hard to obtain high grades without the passion of retaining any information. I still can’t recall what I learned from my courses, but I have distinct core memories from that one marketing class. Everything discussed in that class spoke to me, and for once, I had a vision of what my life could look like after graduating.

Second, I reframed my perspective on expertise and viewed my knowledge gaps as opportunities for growth. It wasn’t until I met the love of my life, Andrew, that I learned the power and impact of supplementing my knowledge base with courses. Last year, during my most recent career gap, I obtained Google Career Certificates in digital marketing and project management. By learning the fundamentals, I no longer make decisions based on hunches and guesses nor feel like an imposter when someone says I’m an expert.

Today, while I occasionally experience self-doubt (it’s more about the lack of industry knowledge in certain situations over fundamental marketing), I no longer let it define or limit my potential. I’ve learned that feeling like an imposter doesn’t mean you are one.

I’ve come to embrace the understanding that imposter syndrome often accompanies growth and new challenges. Rather than trying to eliminate these feelings, I now see them as a natural part of professional development and use them to signal that I’m continuing to challenge myself and expand my capabilities.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I am the Founder & Proprietor of Say Front, a 100% woman-owned digital marketing agency based in Long Beach, CA. I simplify the digital landscape for local small businesses by turning opportunities into outcomes, leveling up their digital visibility, and strategizing to maintain momentum for sustainable business growth.

Since I was 18, I have dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur. As you just read, I found my calling in marketing and overcame imposter syndrome.

In 2018, I dealt with significant burnout as a solo marketer. Even during my two-week break from work, no one else took care of the company’s marketing while I was gone, so I returned to a pile of work that ultimately led me to quit entirely. Since then, I have dreamt of being part of a team, and because that is rare in the small business setting, the only way for me to do that was to build it myself. Say Front has been a vision awaiting action since. 

Fast forward to this past February in 2024 (during another career break after leaving a position that resulted in severe burnout), I was helping my friend and fellow small business owner with her website. I applied all the fundamentals I learned from my experience and courses, project-managed the tasks, and designed a website that landed her a prominent client. From that experience, I saw the need for my vision in waiting, and thus, Say Front started in March 2024. 

The pandemic created a unique problem for many small businesses that lacked digital presence. Now, having an online presence and, even more importantly, a strong brand is essential for survival and growth. Marketing has changed forever, and the digital landscape is constantly evolving. It can be hard to keep up if marketing is not your forte. I help small business owners who feel overwhelmed, overburdened, and downright confused about digital marketing breathe easier by simplifying it and strategizing the approach that best fits their needs, objectives, and goals.

Although it’s just me (for now), I become an extension of your team. We tackle things collaboratively, so you’re always in the know while having authority and ownership of all the marketing initiatives and content. 

If you’re wondering about the name, Say Front is a playful fusion of words; “Say” invokes a cheerful moment, like saying cheese when taking a photo, while “Front” challenges the notion of assuming a false persona. As advocates for authenticity and transparency with each other and our clients, our name embodies our commitment to integrity, and as supporters of positive change, there isn’t a front here.

The Say Front brand is ocean-themed—not only as an homage to our home in Long Beach but also because we help navigate our clients through this dynamic, ever-changing digital landscape with its vast seas of online content.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

While Say Front is still in its startup phase, I still have many areas to improve. However, along this journey thus far, I have three impactful things to note.

Speaking from the perspective of a B2B service-based agency, I found that to make meaningful progress, you have to:
1. Have the desire to keep learning and improving.
2. Be resourceful and open to help.
3. Know your baseline to develop a proper pricing strategy early on.

The desire to learn and improve helped me overcome imposter syndrome. It’s no longer a thought that runs through my mind.

Being resourceful means doing more with less and turning constraints into strategic opportunities for business growth and sustainability. There is so much free or low-cost help for small business owners. I recommend starting at the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). You can search for your local Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and resource partners.

Lastly, I have come across several B2B service-based small business owners who initially guessed at their pricing and inevitably felt like they underpriced themselves for the value they put in. If you see it from a strategic point of view, we all start from somewhere. Suppose you lowball yourself early to attract initial clients. In that case, as your service offering improves and becomes more efficient, you revisit your pricing to make adjustments, compare it against your competitors or industry data sets (you can find this via your local library), and make an informed decision so you’re not running on hunches and guesses. Your pricing is allowed to evolve as you grow and scale your business. With a pricing strategy in place, you won’t second guess yourself later, nor will your cash flow be constrained when scaling up.

How would you describe your ideal client?

The characteristics of my ideal clients are that they understand the impact of marketing but can’t do it all themselves. They see the value of hiring an expert who listens, collaborates, and values their feedback.

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