Meet Laura Bailey-Wickins

We were lucky to catch up with Laura Bailey-Wickins recently and have shared our conversation below.

Laura, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?

As a digital marketing professional, my work often requires that I leverage both the left and right sides of my brain. Today, digital marketers are writers, videographers, photographers, graphic designers, surveyists, data analysts, copywriters, and strategists all encapsulated into one role. While most marketers display a unique balance of both analytical and creative thinking, employers often skew heavily toward prioritizing one skill set over the other. This makes for a pretty tedious existence, which will inevitably affect your work. So pretty early on, I developed what is now my longest-standing principle, and what has shaped how I work with clients and my approach toward all areas of my life: live as much as possible so that you may develop as many perspectives, approaches, and experiences to become an all-around interesting person. Your clients will thank you, but most importantly so will your future self.

My passion for the arts began in my youth and was reignited while I worked for a film and performing arts school. I volunteered my weekends and evenings to serve on film sets as an assistant director and director of photography, which rekindled my love for visual storytelling. Unbeknownst to me at the time, the experiences proved incredibly helpful in my work. Immersing myself in filmmaking shattered my creative block and influenced the quality of my copywriting and content creation. Suddenly, my marketing ideas were dynamic, my emails captivating, and my client conversations meaningful. This breakthrough came from trying something new, and expanding my perspective–proof that stepping outside of your comfort zone is transformative and necessary for growth.

Finding time for personal development is challenging for small business owners. While starting a business is assuredly the start on a path toward personal fulfillment, it’s often not enough. Small business owners must invest time in building their hobbies to enhance their ability to connect with others outside our typical work environments. Ultimately, this will allow us to embrace new perspectives, and the ability to approach problems in new ways, which is invaluable in business. Your personality, character, and life experiences are what set you and your business apart, so invest in yourself!

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

After several years of working as a digital marketing professional for companies both giant and tiny, I realized something very important: I live for the small business community.

Founding GrowthSpurt Strategies allowed me to channel my expertise into empowering freelancers, solopreneurs, and small business owners–some of the hardest-working and inspiring individuals I’ve ever met–to achieve their goals. Working with small businesses to craft impactful digital marketing strategies and digital content to attract leads and convert them into customers is what really drives me.

GrowthSpurt Strategies takes a content-driven approach toward lead generation for small businesses. My specializations include organic content development, on-page and technical search engine optimization, social media marketing for LinkedIn and Instagram, and tailored digital strategies for small teams. I believe impactful marketing doesn’t have to “break the bank”–it’s about understanding your audience, what engages them, your own story, and the willingness to embrace the surprises that come from testing new ideas.

Ultimately, the result of observation, testing, and launching organic content marketing campaigns informs paid digital marketing efforts. Organic content marketing provides evidence of success before asking clients to spend money on advertising. As an active member of the American Marketing Association and a part-time filmmaker and writer, I try to bring different perspectives to my work every day to inform my approach toward driving new business.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

The Ability to Self-Inspire: Life very often brings about unexpected challenges, especially for small business owners. We face daily financial anxiety, work challenges, and burnout–and this of course doesn’t include any personal obstacles. To get through the bad times, I draw on memories that spark inspiration in my life, whether through music, books, or cherished memories. Building a personal “arsenal” of inspiration is crucial during times of doubt.

Comfort with Discomfort: Running a business means embracing the unknown. Financial uncertainties, unexpected campaign outcomes, and the leap of faith required to start are all part of the adventure. Success comes from research, hard work, and trust in your instincts. True growth happens when we face challenges, which is why it’s important never to shy away from help when you need it. For this reason, I’m a big proponent of therapy and meditation for inner personal growth.

Empathy and a People-First Mindset: Supporting small businesses requires understanding their unique challenges and aspirations. Witnessing a client’s joy when you solve a problem or contribute to their success is the most rewarding experience. Developing a deep work connection with a partner or client is what allows small businesses to thrive. I encourage entrepreneurs to leverage mentorship opportunities, networking events, and support groups–especially women and minority business owners. There’s so much help out there it would be silly not to take advantage of it all.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

As a self-described introvert, I almost always avoided professional opportunities I deemed too socially demanding. As you can imagine, this left me out of a lot of networking opportunities, changes to gain visibility at company-wide events, and missed recognition for my work. Reading the book “Quiet” by Susan Cain helped me recognize the value of my strengths as an introvert and reframe how I approach new challenges as a small business owner.

The book essentially started me on my path to understanding myself on a deeper level, why I shied away from opportunities, and how to develop self-regulating and self-healing practices during difficult moments in my life. One of my favorite quotes from the book’s “Soft Power” chapter 8 is: “Quiet persistence requires sustained attention–in effect restraining one’s reactions to external stimuli.” This passage perfectly encapsulates the inner strength and resilience of introverts who look inward when faced with external challenges.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.growthspurtstrategies.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growthspurtstrategies
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/growthspurt-strategies
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@GrowthSpurtStrategies
• Other: https://linktr.ee/growthspurtstrategies

Image Credits

Headshot by Marcy Rosa
Subway Photo by Marcy Rosa
FOLCS x NYFA Selfie by Me
My Husband and Me by Kind Colorado Stranger
Film Set in Chinatown, NYC by a Film Crew Member