Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Wendy Karlin Pace. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Wendy thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your business sooner or later

Many factors led me to start my company. The story is, I founded Pace Setting Media because my son was heading to college, and I needed to stay home to care for his younger sister, who has Epilepsy and couldn’t be left alone. That was the main reason for starting then, but I’ve always known I wanted to be self-employed. My first business was a catering company I launched in 2001 while I was a stay-at-home mom. It was successful, which surprisingly scared me, so I stepped back after a couple of years, working out of a church kitchen. If I had continued, I might have opened a restaurant—my lifelong dream. But let’s go further back to understand why that didn’t happen. When I was 18 and about to graduate high school, I talked to my dad about going to culinary school, but he dismissed it immediately. Trusting his judgment, I switched my major to Communications, planning to become a Speech Pathologist. I met my husband during undergrad, married after earning my BA, and started grad school for Speech Pathology. However, during the first semester, I became pregnant with my son, and I decided I wanted to focus on being a mom. I loved it and dedicated myself fully, but my desire to run my own business never faded, leading to my catering venture years later. Life, though, has unpredictable twists. Some of those were self-inflicted, especially as I followed my husband’s career across the country. I always yearned to do and be more. While living in St. Louis, MO, I seriously considered starting a business, but my own inner doubts held me back. Self-doubt I believe is our biggest obstacle. When my husband unexpectedly became unemployed, I had to set aside those doubts and figure out how to generate my own income so we wouldn’t face the situation we were in—without his paycheck and with a child needing medical care and medication.

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.

I started my business in 2015 when social media was just becoming a popular tool for businesses to reach their potential customers. A friend of mine, another stay-at-home mom who had gone back to work, told me she was looking to outsource the social media for her current employer and asked me to put together a proposal. At the time, I didn’t have a company; I was just trying to figure out how to work from home, and this seemed like a good place to start. In a weekend, I built my website, came up with my name, and launched Pace Setting Media as I handed her the proposal for my service to manage the social media platforms for her company. As I thought about it, I realized this might actually be a business. I had heard someone say a long time ago, “If there is one person looking for your service, there are five others looking for the same thing. You just have to find them.” So, I set out to find my next five clients, and that led me to business networking and BNI. BNI, or “Business Networking International,” has many supporters and many critics, but I can’t tell my story without mentioning BNI. I joined BNI after being in business for only two months, and I already had three clients—big time! After my first meeting, three people asked to meet with me to discuss my services; by the time I had been involved in BNI for four months, I had gained six new clients.

When I started Pace Setting Media, all I wanted to do was social media management. That was my niche, and I thought it would be enough to make ends meet. There’s that self-doubt again, holding me back from my full potential. As I grew my business, I gained confidence, and Pace Setting Media began offering other services. What I noticed was that small business owners are often wearing too many hats, and one of those hats is marketing—something that often gets left hanging because they simply don’t have the bandwidth to do what’s needed to make their marketing more effective. That’s where Pace Setting Media comes in. We are your marketing department. We create content and curate content so that you become the answer to someone’s Google search, helping you get found online and indexed by Google. Over time, Pace Setting Media expanded from just social media management to include Social Media Marketing, SEO, Website Development, and branding. As of two years ago, we added video and photography to our services. We are your one-stop shop.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Pace Setting Media is well recognized in my local market, partly due to my extensive networking and word of mouth. It’s known that Pace Setting Media is a reputable company, not a ‘fly-by-night’ social media provider. Unfortunately, many competitors start businesses and accept payment without delivering consistent service. For me and my small team of three, posting daily updates that reflect our paid work is a top priority. We’re diligent in providing quality service. We understand that this isn’t complex; no one will suffer if a post isn’t made. But it’s core to our company identity—creating content that is creative, aligns with the client’s brand, and clearly communicates who they are and how their services can help clients.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

My strategic partnerships include several collaborations, and I am continuously seeking more. I believe in a mindset where everyone can succeed and profit by working together. I work with numerous companies by white-labeling my services, which has significantly helped grow my client base. I also partner with web developers who want to offer social media management services but lack the team to handle it all. In these cases, I act as their ’employee,’ creating and managing social media platforms for their clients. I reduce my fees so they can mark up the services, creating a mutually profitable situation for everyone involved.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://pacesettingmedia.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pacesettingmedia
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-pace-177559a/

Image Credits

Al Shaver Media