We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nicole Warren a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Nicole thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I worked in a corporate setting for 10 years, consulting with small businesses on their product selection, pricing and marketing strategies. It felt to me that big business always had the upper hand over small business owners who almost always want to compete for the consumer, but struggle to market at the same level. It’s so frustrating when you’re watching someone do everything in their power to show up in the best way only to be continually out-priced, out-promoted and out-performed.
Fast forward four years and the time comes for me to reenter the workforce after a self-directed break. My experience from years prior rang loudly in my mind and I knew I wanted to offer services to small business owners at fair prices to support their marketing efforts. Right around the same time, I was invited to join my mentor to a client visit. This trip was the catalyst that ignited all the ingredients to meld my business together. A few days after returning home, I officially launched!
Based on my experience, I knew that small businesses are in need of marketing support that doesn’t cost an astronomical amount of money. I used some skills I had – such as marketing, photography and websites – and packaged those all together to offer my clients a variety of options that they can pair together or pick a la carte.
The two most important things to me are to offer my clients exceptional customer service and to price myself at an approachable rate this is fair for me and my clients. For me, building lasting relationships with people and emotionally investing in their business is what brings me joy. It’s a great bonus to receive a paycheck for doing something that I love!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Wish Marketing Services was founded just this year by me, Nicole, a pre-COVID corporate business woman turned mom-preneur. After years of working with small businesses on the corporate side, I knew I wanted to continue to support small businesses, but in a different way. I saw there was a lack of options for those who need marketing support at a fair price and felt I could make an impact. It is my goal to exceed my client’s expectations, but not their budget.
I currently offer website design, website refresh, photography, marketing strategy and social media support. I’ve worked with some clients who need a little bit of everything and others who are looking for one specific service. My clients will tell you that I’m patient and peaceful, but work hard to get the job done. I take and apply feedback and strive to ensure my clients are happy with the services I provide them.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

I have such a passion for people leadership, an experience I was fortunate enough to have in my previous career, and miss that aspect of my former career deeply. I have previously managed several small teams and the advice I’d give any people leader is: genuinely care about your people, lead with authenticity and express gratitude every chance you get. I have found that by implementing these three principles, teammates will be willing to listen to you and support you, even when there may be bumps along the way.
By genuinely caring for your people, I mean to learn the small details about them and remember them. Take note of their family members’ names, ask how they are, get to understand about each person’s background, strengths, fears, and goals. Continually build on your knowledge about them and your relationship with them.
Leading with authenticity is essential to build trust with your team. In my experience as a manager, you spend a great deal of time bringing information to your team from your boss and bringing feedback back to your boss from your team. Don’t just be the middle man – share perspective, share your opinion, validate your team’s feelings and feel comfortable to agree with them when things aren’t ideal. Anyone who works for you wants to know that they can trust you to be real.
Finally and most importantly – express gratitude. Add the phrase, “I appreciate you” into as many conversations as you can (and not just at work – out in public, too). It’s really incredible to see how people blossom when they feel appreciated and as a team leader, it is one of your greatest responsibilities to ensure your team feels appreciated.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

One of the best sources for new clients for me is my local moms group on Facebook. This has been beneficial to me in two ways – self promotion, which is permitted once per week, and word of mouth from former/current clients. While a moms group may not be available in all markets, finding a local, active Facebook group may be a good substitute. I would add that meeting some people in real life or maybe individually online, can be a beneficial tactic as those people may be more likely to mention your name (when relevant) if they feel personally connected to you.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.wishmarketingservices.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wishmarketingservices/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563069734176