Meet Amanda Lien, the Founder of Minutiae Content Co., a writing and strategy firm crafting thought leadership and marketing content for B2B and tech founders.
Amanda’s journey to founding Minutiae Content Co. was driven by her dedication to elevating underrepresented voices. Initially a self-employed marketing writer and strategist in college, Amanda has since navigated the industry with a focus on serving female, non-white, and LGBTQIA+ founders. Looking ahead, her vision extends beyond traditional success metrics, focusing on impact, client satisfaction, and connections. Under Amanda’s leadership, Minutiae Content Co. continues to be a trailblazer in the industry, passionately supporting and serving their clients.
We asked Amanda about the story behind Minutiae Content Co.’s founding, if she’s struggled with self-doubt as an entrepreneur, and what’s next for her and her company.
Tell us the story behind your company’s founding. How and why did you start working on Minutiae Content Co.?
Minutiae Content Co. crafts meaningful, impactful content that pairs strategy with authenticity so that clients and their companies reach the right audiences. To do this, I craft data-driven case studies that underscore a product or service’s impact, social media content that converts and engages, and ghostwritten thought leadership commentary that drives home my clients’ unique expertise.I started working as a self-employed marketing writer and strategist way, way back in college. I worked under my own name with a variety of fantastic clients in pretty much every industry imaginable. Minutiae Content Co. is the next chapter in that story—I’m still doing all the same work, now under a different name!With this new name comes a new focus. The B2B and tech spaces are notoriously dominated by white male voices, and I want to be part of leveling the playing field by focusing on serving female, non-white, and LGBTQIA+ founders, entrepreneurs, and their businesses. In these industries, as in every industry, those who are historically underrepresented deserve to have a voice. It’s my honor to play a part in elevating those voices by taking others’ expertise and turning it into content that can’t help but turn heads.
What makes Minutiae Content Co. different from others in the industry?
I’d like to think my background as a journalist makes me a thoughtful listener and a pretty darn good question-asker, which are essential to the work I do. I approach marketing with the philosophy that we’re all just people talking to other people—the strategy and story lie in how we speak to our audiences in the most impactful way. The combination of those backgrounds and approaches uniquely equips me to support my clients as they build their brands and market their businesses.
Did you always know that you wanted to be an entrepreneur?
Not at all. I always joke that business ownership was something that happened to me. While I’d always had content writing and strategy work as a side hustle, it wasn’t until 2020 that I started seeing that as a business I was building instead of a side thing. Growing up, I wasn’t really taught anything about entrepreneurship, and I always had the impression that business ownership was for people richer, older, and smarter than I was. Now that I’m older and wiser, I realize how important it is to represent all the different ways being a business owner can look. I’m proud to be an example of what a creative, chronically ill, eclectic founder looks like.
What’s one thing you wish you had known before starting Minutiae Content Co.?
Outsourcing isn’t a dirty word. For the longest time, I believed that I had to know, do, and be everything, from accountant and tax expert to contract negotiator and copywriter. While sure, there’s a lot that I want to do for myself, there’s nothing wrong with outsourcing where it makes sense. I now outsource my taxes and business accounting. Just that alone has made such a difference in my stress levels!
I approach marketing with the philosophy that we’re all just people talking to other people—the strategy and story lie in how we speak to our audiences in the most impactful way.
What’s been the hardest and most rewarding part of your entrepreneurial journey?
Being the face of my own brand. I’m an introvert at heart and struggle with showing up consistently as the face of the work that I do and the content company I’ve built. It’s been hard at times to give myself permission to show up as I am. It’s also the most rewarding thing I could’ve experienced as a founder. Allowing my dry humor and wit, my genuine passion for my craft, and my care for other human beings to shine through in the ways I show up professionally has been a really important practice. It’s fun, too!
Have you struggled with self-doubt as an entrepreneur? How do you navigate this?
Oh yeah. I feel like this is a common sentiment from women. We struggle with imposter syndrome, second-guess ourselves, and make ourselves smaller almost as a reflex. I remind myself often that even if I doubt myself, the people I serve with my offerings and services don’t doubt me. At the end of the day, it’s their name on the content I craft, so if they’re happy, so am I!
Has your definition of success evolved throughout your journey as a founder?
Absolutely. For a long time, I was fixated on hitting a certain income amount every month. I realized a few years ago that this wasn’t the best determinant of what success looks like to me. Success, to me, was about how much time and money I had available to spend taking care of my health, being with loved ones, and building relationships with clients and peers I could be proud of. I won’t deny that money is important, but now I track my perception of Minutiae Content Co.’s success by the impact my work makes and the clients I’m able to help drive results for.
How have you grown as a leader since starting Minutiae Content Co.? What experiences have contributed to this growth?
I’ve become a lot bolder, that’s for sure. My leadership style is very person-focused. I view myself as a partner and a service provider, and part of that is leadership. My leadership looks like asking a lot of questions with the underlying tone of wanting to help, hear, and support others. That said, I do try to keep conversations on track. I find that being able to boldly ask the questions that need to be asked to equip me to do my best work has truly made me a strong leader.
How would you describe the journey you’ve had in a few sentences? Would you do it all over again?
My journey has been a winding road, but one that’s been creative, exciting, and full of incredibly meaningful connections. I love leveraging my skills and talents to help businesses and their leaders tell stories about the impact they’re making within their industries. I would do it all again, absolutely.
What’s next for you and Minutiae Content Co.?
The Minutiae Content Co. rebrand just officially launched, replete with a suite of a la carte services and two offerings: a 15-minute call that results in a month’s worth of LinkedIn thought leadership content for founders, entrepreneurs, and other leaders, and a case study plus social content package for those looking for a minimum three-month partnership. I’m so excited to continue supporting and serving founders and businesses with my skills, and this rebrand and offer launch feels like the next right step.
