Meet Beth Loughman | Founder, Tiny Elephant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Beth Loughman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Beth, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?

At risk of sounding cliché, the Tiny Elephant Big Idea found me—I was looking for an outlet. Before the first lockdown happened in 2020, the year looked quite promising. Lots of great leads, solid contracts and connections. But as we all know- just a few months into the new year, projects suddenly hung in the balance and businesses stopped operating all across the world.

What I found so compelling about this time was how resourceful we all were (And are.) It’s what ignited my entrepreneurial fire. I saw us tying our roots together, so to speak. Communities started forming new systems of support and it gave me hope. I feel very fortunate to this day, because I was surrounded by people who didn’t want to slow down or give up.

TE formed while I was supporting a catering company in Hollywood. I had the distinct pleasure of co-founding a mutual aid effort called Fuel Them, along with OperationUSA. We brought organic meals & Rise© cold brew to fire stations and hospitals in underserved areas of Los Angeles County. It was an early-stage frontlines initiative, which meant we had to break a few rules along the way. We did our first few drop-offs renegade style: both the nurses receiving the meals and my team didn’t have clearance from the hospitals. But we tied our roots together and coordinated with staff. We took quality, ready-to-eat (RTE) meals and organic coffee, and went places we weren’t supposed to go because people needed help.

Once I realized I could just do things, other social impact projects – and production work – came across my desk. By August 2020, I bought my domain and coined the company ‘The Creative Impact Studio’ aka The Get Sh*t Done Studio. The reason behind the mascot, the tiny elephant, is a different story.

Please tell us more about your business. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today business-wise. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?

From time to time I like to remind people (and myself) how I never intended to build a 20+ person business. Organically it formed around and within me, a nexus point between purpose and execution while we were all in a global pressure cooker. The long hours and lean months rarely feel like a burden because growing this company is what I’m meant to do.

I’m excited to watch and participate in the genius that will unfold during this era of The Great Re-engagement. We will see curiosity, compassion, invention, and innovation on new levels, the more we expand into Web3 while simultaneously blending IRL experiences. There are myriad young companies popping up in the market as the creator ecosystem blossoms, while large companies struggle to retain talent, hit numbers, embody culture and remain trustworthy. It’s going to be an interesting few years.

To answer the question of whether it was easy or not? That is in the eye of the beholder. At times, being in my seat certainly feels challenging. For example, when I go to networking events I always expect a handful of men to use business conversation as an open door into how they’d like to take me out. Women have to peddle faster for many reasons, the least of which is because we have a smaller pool of quality leads in most rooms.

As for the brand story: What I want the world to know is the Tiny Elephant definition is altruism actualized. Do me a favor. Next time you see a tiny elephant, I want you to think of kindness, tenderness, creativity, reassurance, and protection. Because when you see a tiny elephant, it’s like you’re seeing an angel number. A little nudge and a hug from the Universe. I want you to believe fully in your capacity to do good things. That you can do everything you’re meant to do with fervor, self-love and humility at the same time.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

My favorite spots to hang out really depend on the season.

During the summer I love a Malibu day! I’d have us on the PCH early with great tunes playing in the car while we drive up to Lily’s for breakfast burritos and yummy lattes from Le Cafe de la Plage. We’ll snag spots at a little surfer alcove just past the Ventura County line where we can surf, swim, lounge, read, play a game or two. Once we’re feeling rejuvenated from sea magic, we’d head off to Broad Street Oyster Company for lobster rolls and a sunset. Live music is always a last stop no-brainer, or if I can find a spoken word event, we’ll head there.

During the colder months I love starting the day with a long hike in Topanga (where I live) before hitting an art gallery or museum visit. This would be followed by a trip to Sawtelle for badass ramen. The restaurants are cozy, perfect for people who really enjoy one another. I’ll always love Tatsu most, but Marugame is a life changer, too.

If we want to do something interesting and deeply satisfying, we’ll go check out Chromasonic in Venice or The Broad in Downtown Los Angeles. And if we’re feeling the call of the wanderer, we’ll pack our bags and head to Joshua Tree, San Luis Obispo or Big Sur.

LA neighborhoods are all special and unique, so we won’t go wrong wherever we land.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

My gratitude cup runneth over!

First shoutout goes to Daniella Soofer and Stephanie Dale, two great friends and colleagues I have had the distinct pleasure of collaborating with since the beginning. They are fiercely optimistic, kind, hilarious, powerful, intelligent; and they started TE along with me.

My second shoutout goes to all the other founding members of The Herd, which is our cohort of high-performers: Elliott Desai, Yasi Salavatian, Jon Gorski, Chris Kim, Natalie Buntich, Caitlyn Wells, Kate Moretti, Urielle Corcuera, Raquel Williams, Taylor Umphenhour, Drew Kapner & Ben DeJong, Tara Malek, Anthony Woodward, Liddy Seagar, and Rehan Merchant. Everyone is so talented, brilliant, and quick—it both baffles and inspires me.

Third shoutout goes to my beloved friends, family, teachers, healers, and spiritual guides who encourage, support, meditate, pray, and problem-solve in service of my dreams. I’m such a lucky woman to be held so well.

And last shoutout is for every soul in the world who wakes up and chooses to fight with The Light. Without you, this wouldn’t exist.

Website: www.tinyelephantstudios.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/te__studios/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethloughman/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/te__studios

Other: Web3: https://t.co/GEyfT5OJ7Y

Image Credits
Bobby Quillard