We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Linda Wesley. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Linda below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Linda with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
My work ethic comes from the example my parents set. Our family of five was always on the move with youth sports, band and choir, scouting, and volunteering in many ways at our church and school. There was one rule about all those activities: finish what you start. My parents let us choose what activities interested us, but once we committed to a team, we had to finish that season. They lived by the same rule as active parent volunteers for so many of our activities, too. That simple lesson, plus watching my dad start his own entrepreneurial journey when I was in high school, are probably the two biggest influences on my work ethic.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’ve loved writing ever since I learned how to write. After my two older brothers started school, it was just my mom and me on weekly grocery store trips. She says I always wanted to write the grocery list, even though I couldn’t spell most of the words. So, she would spell the words for me so I could write the list, then I checked them off as we shopped. My love of words continued, and no one was surprised when I got a journalism degree, started a career in marketing, and eventually launched my own marketing consulting business.
I started StoryPath Communications in 2014 with the goal of helping small nonprofits be more strategic about reaching their audience and telling their story. I soon expanded to helping small businesses do the same.
My favorite part of the work I do is seeing those light bulb moments for small business owners. For example, the moment when they realize marketing doesn’t have to be complicated or they don’t have to be on every single social media platform or they don’t have to manage all of their marketing on their own.
We help our clients with two primary things: strategy and content. We develop simple, straightforward marketing strategies that are easy for our clients to understand and to implement. We also help them create consistent content for social media, blogs, websites, newsletters, and more.
A new service we launched in 2024 is our VIP Strategy Sessions, where I meet one-on-one with business owners or nonprofit leaders to take a deep dive into one or two areas of their marketing where they feel stuck and help them get clarity and confidence around their next steps.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1. Confidence, even if you have to fake it a little when you start. Launching your own business can be scary because there are so many unknowns. But remember you have a gift to share, and the journey is worth it. Give yourself a pep talk before every meeting and show up with confidence!
2. Flexibility, because things don’t always go according to plan. Develop the ability to pivot quickly when needed, and give yourself a lot of grace in the process. Even 10 years into business, I’m always honing this skill!
3. Community, so you don’t walk the journey alone. Find your people early in the process! That could be a structured networking group, a mastermind group you join, or some trusted friends to support you along the way.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
Three friends who are also business owners – Crystal, Courtney, and Kara. We have a mastermind group that meets monthly with a specific discussion topic, plus we do two business retreats together each year. We work hard and play hard on those retreats, and we have supported each other in some massive business and personal growth in the past five years of our mastermind. I’m so incredibly grateful for these women in my life!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.storypathcommunications.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StoryPathCommunications
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/storypathokc
Image Credits
Crystal Oakes / Oakes Creative House
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