[ DPA INTERVIEW ] Yuval — From struggling employee to successful digital planner business owner
Yuval Hacohen is one of our star students in our signature program, Digital Planner Academy®. Thanks to this program, Yuval has successfully started her own online business, Demiz Designs, selling digital planners to Hebrew-speaking students.
Our amazing Pinterest and marketing expert Claudia took the time to sit down with Yuval once she completed Digital Planner Academy® and talk about how running her own business changed her life after she applied what she learned in this program. If you're here to just skim for the gems, this is what you should know about Yuval's story...
Yuval had lots of struggles before joining DPA – from wondering how to step up her shop to struggles with SEO, Pinterest, and Instagram – she wasn't sure how to use these tools to promote her business
Despite her struggles, with the help of DPA, she was able to launch her website and get all her traffic from social media
Yuval made her investment back in August of 2022 by making $3,000 in one month from the gap she identified in the market: a Hebrew digital planner for students!
She's most proud of finally being able to stick with running her business and wakes up excited to go to work every day since she loves what she's doing
As an online business owner, Yuval doesn't feel alone. Instead, she has made many new friends and colleagues that have opened many doors for her!
In 2023, Yuval is expanding her team to include three new members that will help her continue serving her customers in an even better way.
Yuval would tell anyone who isn't sure about joining DPA that they don't need to think twice, they should do it! It's changed her life and allowed her to run her own business, which is possible for everyone reading as well!
"Could you tell us more about the types of products that you have in your shop?"
"The products I have in my shop are digital planners, but I also sell digital notebooks, digital stickers, and templates."
Yuval offers a variety of products to the Hebrew-speaking students she creates, but her most popular offering is her digital planners. Yuval knew that she wanted to create a planner that was solution-based, so she asked the students in her audience what they wanted in their next digital planner. These students sent her sketches of their ideas and what they needed in a planner, which allowed Yuval to create a digital planner centered around their needs.
Pro tip! You can use the same method as Yuval and perform market research to figure out what your audience is struggling with to create a solution-based product that transforms lives. We teach you how to perform market research and use the data you gather to grow your business inside Digital Planner Academy®. You can learn more here!
"How did you discover The Pink Ink®?"
"From Pinterest! I bought my new iPad and when I wanted to get a digital notebook, I wrote in Pinterest "digital notebook" and she's a star on Pinterest, so I mostly saw The Pink Ink, and when I started searching the web, I saw that you have the Academy."
Yuval didn't join Digital Planner Academy®, it took her a minute to decide that it was the right program for her. Yuval tried the DIY route first and downloaded some digital stickers, a Digital Planner Kit, and our course that teaches you how to use a Kit effectively. Yuval has been a member of The Pink Ink® community for over a year since she first discovered us, and since then, she has completed two courses and successfully started her own business!
Psst! It's completely normal for it to take time before you decide that Digital Planner Academy® is the right program for you. We suggest downloading one of our free products or taking one of our free quizzes before investing. This will give you a chance to join our email list and get to know who we are and what we do before making a big commitment!
"Was there anything in particular that inspired you to enroll in Digital Planner Academy®?"
"I really wanted to know how to create [a digital planner] from scratch. And I love the way Shay teaches, so I was like, "I must enroll to the Digital Planner Academy®!"
Yuval had a super positive first impression of The Pink Ink®. The first product she ever bought was an Etsy planner from our Etsy shop. She remembered the great customer service experience she had, which resulted in her sticking close and being part of The Pink Ink® community for over a year before taking the jump and investing in Digital Planner Academy®.
Don't forget!
If you're a new business owner, don't underestimate the power of doing the little things right. Creating an amazing digital unboxing experience, talking to your customers personally, and paying attention to little details like these can help you form loyal bonds with your customers that will keep them coming back each time you release a new product.
"How do you find the interest in digital planners?"
"It's blew up in here. I am the first one in Israel to create this kind of business."
Yuval got a lot of support from people she met online that encouraged her to take control of the digital planner niche in Hebrew since it was something that hadn't previously existed. As a result, she created her very first digital planner in Hebrew and it went viral! These Hebrew planners that she made are now more popular than her English products, further proving that by creating a product that filled a gap in the market, she was able to create an in-demand digital planner that allows her to reach her income goals!
Pro tip!
Filling a gap in the market is one of the best ways to ensure the success of your products when you're first starting out! Think about the things you've wanted in a planner and haven't been able to find or the struggles you've dealt with personally and the products you wished had existed when you needed help. These things can serve as inspiration as you think about what kind of signature planner you want to create.
"Were there any struggles that you had before joining Digital Planner Academy® that you've overcome thanks to the program?"
"I had lots of struggles before joining DPA, like how to set up my shop, how to do SEO, how to use Pinterest, how to use Instagram to promote my business, and and how to create digital stationery."
Yuval struggled, not only with the design side of creating products, but running a business as well. Digital Planner Academy® not only teaches our signature six-step design process that helps you become an expert at creating stunning and functional products, but it also teaches you the skills you need to become your own boss and run a business effectively. This side of business education helped Yuval understand how to price her products.
Not only was Yuval able to improve her business management skills, but she saw a drastic increase in her design skills as well. When Yuval started Digital Planner Academy®, she didn't know how to use Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, or InDesign, all popular design tools. DPA helped her learn how to use Apple Keynote and apply the same design principles to the Adobe Suite where she now creates her bestselling products!
"Do you feel more at ease now with that you've got your own job and if so, like how do you feel like being your own boss?"
"I feel amazing being my own boss. I have a mental illness and it was so hard for me to stick to another job, as an employee. Since starting my own business, I'm blooming. That's the only job I stick to!"
It took Yuval about a month after setting up her online shop to sell her first digital product, and when she first heard the sound of the Etsy transaction going through, she was so excited that her hard work was paying off.
✨ Follow along with Yuval Hacohen!
Don’t miss out on any of the amazing things Yuval is doing and show her some support by connecting on social media and exploring her shop!
Instagram: @demizdesign
Shop: Demizdesign.com
TikTok: @demizdesign
Listing on Digital Planner Creatives Directory
Design a life you love with Digital Planner Academy®
You can be just like Yuval and see results from the time you spend applying strategies inside Digital Planner Academy in just one month as well! This isn't just a miracle that happened to Yuval, it's a result of her hard work. If you put in that effort and have that same passion, this can be you! Learn more about Digital Planner Academy here.
