We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Annie Wardle. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Annie below.

Annie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

I usually enjoy being a business owner, but sometimes, the thought of having a regular job crosses my mind. It isn’t a full-blown desire or anything, but it has definitely been a serious thought.

I remember one day recently, the more I thought about it, the more appealing the idea of having a “normal” job seemed. Maybe it was because everything felt so hectic that day, or perhaps it was something else entirely. But no matter how much I tried to push the thought away, it kept creeping back up.

Eventually, I gave in and decided to take a break from work to think things through. I evaluated my feelings and tried to figure out what was driving this sudden urge for change. After some deliberation, I came to two conclusions: firstly, while being a business owner has its challenges, ultimately, it makes me happier than if I had a typical job; secondly, this feeling might have been triggered by all the stress from that day and would likely go away once things calmed down.

In the end, both of these conclusions turned out to be true for me. While there are times when I do miss working for someone else (especially when things get hectic), overall, being my own boss is what makes me happiest. I think about all the freedom I have as a business owner. The flexibility to set my own hours and to work from wherever I want. And I’m grateful for that. Sure, there are challenges, but overall, I’m happy with the decision to become a business owner. It’s not always easy, but it’s worth it. And thankfully, after taking some time for myself and letting things calm down a bit., that antsy feeling dissipated, and life went back to normal.

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 am Annie Wardle, the CEO & Founder of Talk Out Loud. Talk Out Loud is a marketing agency that helps businesses acquire customers through digital marketing. My background in marketing started when I worked for a HealthCare SAAS Company, training healthcare providers & their staff on how to utilize our company’s marketing tools within our software to better engage with their patients in the right place and at the right time. From there, I became the director of marketing for the largest privately owned eye care company in Colorado, where I managed all of the 18 locations’ traditional advertising & digital marketing. I left there in 2016 to pursue my own business, so I could have the freedom to spend more time with my kids & ultimately be in charge of my own success.

Our company’s mission is to help you build your brand and reach more customers. We do this with the following services;
Search Engine Optimization (SEO), which has become a significant part of what we do here
Social Media Marketing
Google Ads
Google Business Profile Optimization
Graphic Design
and Web Design

We pride ourselves on being the go-to business for all your marketing needs. Unlike other companies, we take our time and do thorough competitor analysis before delivering a perfect custom solution, just as it was tailored to you!

A large part of what makes us so successful has been by doing this step which ensures an individualized experience from start to finish.

In 2018, just two years after launching, our agency won the top 3 spots for Best Ad Agencies in Colorado Springs by none other than The Gazette. This was an incredible honor for us and just reassured me that we were doing good business.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

There are a lot of things that go into being a good manager. But one of the most important is keeping your team’s morale high. It can be challenging, but it’s worth it in the end. Here are my top tips for doing just that:

1. Recognize and appreciate your team’s hard work.

It sounds simple, but appreciation goes a long way. Take the time to recognize your team’s accomplishments and thank them for their efforts. A little bit of recognition can make everyone feel appreciated and motivated to keep up the good work.

2. Celebrate successes together as a team.

When your team achieves something great, celebrate together! Sharing in success builds camaraderie and strengthens relationships within the team. Plus, it’s just fun!

3. Encourage open communication and feedback.

Encouraging open communication is key to maintaining morale. When people feel comfortable giving (and receiving) feedback, it helps create an environment where everyone feels valued and supported. This type of environment is essential for healthy teamwork dynamics.

4 . Be understanding during difficult times. Difficult times are inevitable in any workplace. When they happen, be understanding and supportive of your team members. Nobody is perfect, and mistakes will be made from time to time. What matters most is how you react when things go wrong.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Building an audience on social media can be daunting, but it’s worth it! Here are a few tips to help you get started:

1. Start by creating quality content. This is the key to attracting and retaining followers. Make sure your posts are interesting, relevant, and useful.

2. Be interactive with your followers. Respond to comments and questions, and take advantage of the different platforms’ features (e.g., Twitter’s hashtags).

3. Use social media to build relationships with other bloggers and influencers in your niche. Collaborate with them whenever possible, and share each other’s content whenever appropriate.

4. Stay consistent with your posting schedule. If people know when to expect new content from you, they’re more likely to keep coming back for more!

5. Engage with your own content. I know it sounds silly, but when you interact with your own content, it spreads the reach of your content to others.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://talkoutloud.biz/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkoutloudbiz/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/talkoutloud.biz/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/talkoutloud/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkoutloudbiz
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFwZNqVFPudb42eknVh8Gdw

Image Credits
Carlos Delgado Photography Luke Isley Photography