Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in digital marketing but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Patty Radford Henderson, Founder & CEO of Annum, located in ST. Paul, MH, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Annum offers solutions that break down operational silos and empower marketers to plan smarter. Our hands-on workshops align marketing teams around a common language, customer-centric frameworks, and a content-first approach to strategic omnichannel marketing planning. Our planning solution brings all initiatives, channels, and tactics into one unified view so marketers can identify opportunities and gaps, create stronger integrated plans, and drive better outcomes. We work with brands that strive to deliver cohesive and compelling omnichannel campaigns.
Tell us about yourself
I've had a lengthy and successful career as a marketer working for top corporate and agency organizations. Throughout my career, I built marketing plans in spreadsheets because that's what marketers do. I begrudgingly invested hour upon hour in formatting spreadsheets into calendars, updating them as plans changed, and distributing the updates to team members. And no matter what, they always looked janky, never reflecting the caliber of thinking that went into them.
One day I was in the conference room of a Fortune 200 company discussing a product launch, and there were five calendar spreadsheets on the table. The ad agency had one. The PR agency had one. The brand marketer had one, and as the lead for the digital agency, I had brought two. The "integrated" plan was, in effect, siloed by channel. I realized it wasn't the fault of the people, and we were all there trying to collaborate. It was because the tool we were using couldn't integrate the disparate data sets of the different marketing channels. How were we expected to create a cohesive omnichannel customer experience when we couldn't even visualize it?
I set out to find a solution but soon discovered that all available options were either apps designed for project management (built around tasks and due dates vs. the planned customer experience) or channel-specific production and publishing tools. So, I put everything I learned in my 25+ years as a marketer into the design of an ideal omnichannel planning calendar, and our customers love it. During demos, I often get responses such as "It's magic!" and "You have solved all of my problems!" This is what keeps me going.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
We are completely self-funded to date and are gaining momentum. We recently signed up Red Wing Shoes, Prime Therapeutics, and Element Materials Technology.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
The financial risk and sacrifice that comes with self-funding.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Concept test before spending any money. Create a cheap prototype yourself. Talk to your target audience about the problem. Show them your solution. Ask if they would pay for it.
- Get a home equity line of credit before you quick your day job.
- Start marketing on day one.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.annumplanning.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/prhenderson
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pradfordhenderson
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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