Staying nimble and agile will take you a long way – in business and in life. Jennifer catches up with her friend Mary Ellen Slayter, pivot master and CEO of Reputation Capital Media Services, LLC, a B2B content marketing agency based out of Baton Rouge. As a successful working wife and loving mother, Mary Ellen has made a huge impact in her field and in the lives of her family, friends and community.
- The life of Mary Ellen Slayter is a story like no other. Jennifer asks Mary Ellen about how she got to where she is and what she does; she gives Jennifer the lowdown on the work that her new company Reputation Capital Media Services (Rep Cap) is doing, her undergraduate days of studying soil, and tells the story of how she started her career in journalism. Mary Ellen also forwards a convincing case for why kids still need good math and algebra skills in today’s world.
- After working as part-time copy editor for the financial desk of the Washington Post, Mary Ellen landed an advice column with a unique pitch. Mary Ellen gives us a look into some of the seeds of her later career that were planted with her fresh approach to the column.
- To fully commit to a career change is no easy feat. Mary Ellen describes diving into her new career in journalism and talks about her early interest in the founding theories and philosophies of modern journalism.
- Like many others, Mary Ellen saw the digital future of journalism coming fast. While the Post was still largely focused on print, Mary Ellen moved to the digital-savvy SmartBrief and stayed on for three years. Her life eventually took her from Washington back to Baton Rouge where she received some bad news on her daughter’s birthday that came to be a blessing in disguise.
- With her future uncertain, Mary Ellen’s business idea now had ample room to be cultivated. Mary Ellen got a fateful call from Jennifer Benz of Benz Communication who didn’t call with an offer, but with a challenge.
- Sometimes the first steps of a new venture can be the most daunting. Mary Ellen gives Jennifer an idea of what the first few weeks of Rep Cap looked like, how she got her first client, and how her small up-and-coming business evolved into a fully-fledged agency.
- Mary Ellen considers herself a connector. If she can’t help people, she wants to get people connected with others who can. Mary Ellen and Jennifer talk about how relationships play a key role in developing a new business.
- How in the world do you make HR tech, financial services and insurance services sexy? Mary Ellen talks about how her work has changed over time, from writing blog posts and running client social media to full-on digital marketing strategy consulting. She also talks about how the landscape has shifted in the last six years since Rep Cap was started.
- As a marketer, what should you be focusing on? Jennifer asks Mary Ellen for her thoughts on what marketing and content managing folks should be thinking about when trying to get their business, brand or personal profile out into a changing landscape. She offers a handful of rich takeaways based on her experience and observations of emerging trends in her field.
- Is a series of pivots actually just a full-on spin? Jennifer asked Mary Ellen about what Rep Cap’s work looks like now and what might be next moving forward. Mary Ellen talks about the importance of learning new things in the constantly shifting market landscape of the 21st century.
- As you can tell, Mary Ellen is no stranger to cultivating new ideas, skills, knowledge, and people. Jennifer asks Mary Ellen about her progressive ideas in building a positive workplace culture at Rep Cap such as fully paid maternity leave and pay transparency.
- Smashing goals is Mary Ellen’s bread and butter. Now that Rep Cap has achieved beyond what she imagined, what’s next in the pipeline? Mary Ellen talks about participating in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program and how that helped her envision and create a 10-year plan for her business. She also talks about her plans to write a career advice book specifically for writers.
- It’s safe to say, more than ever before, we are living in the age of the pivot. Jennifer asks Mary Ellen about what the future of work looks like and the importance of a willingness to learn, staying nimble, and keeping your eyes open.
Resources and Links
Rep Cap | B2B Content Marketing Agency
Managing Editor digital magazine
Jennifer Benz – Benz Communications
Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program
LivePlan: Online Business Plan Software
6 Tips For Developing Executive Presence
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