We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Elizabeth Caulder. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Elizabeth below.
Elizabeth, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
After 17 years in a leadership position at a marketing agency providing services to Fortune 500 companies, I gave my notice. Although I was, and still am today, appreciative of both the experience and the relationships that I acquired over my tenure, I was no longer able to tow the company line in the face of the stark philosophical differences of opinion with the company’s owners on how to treat employees and what level of service we should provide to our clients. I wasn’t sure what I would do next; but I was certain that it would need to provide me the flexibility to be an active participant in my family; it would need to provide me the latitude to establish and cultivate a healthy culture for the staff and it would need to allow me the freedom to commit to going above and beyond the status quo to provide value for the clients. While I figured out what was to come, I was committed to spending some much-needed quality time with my husband and sons. Not long after my departure, I had clients and partners reaching out with offers of roles within their organizations. One such offer was from a former client who asked if I would lead his marketing agency. His organization had achieved rapid growth, which was a good problem to have, but a problem, nonetheless. Employees were not committed, and clients’ confidence was failing. He didn’t feel that he had the experience or the tools to right the ship. After an initial evaluation of the challenges and opportunities, I accepted the offer.
As the president and COO of the agency, I was focused on four key areas to establish a firm foundation from which the agency could stabilize and grow: fortification of external client relationships, cultivation of internal leadership while fostering a culture of collaboration, the identification and addressing of internal inefficiencies and the discovery of and capitalization upon untapped opportunities. Over a 6 month period, I had identified $1.5 Million in favorability. The personnel that I met upon arrival had transformed from people who ‘just had a job’ to a high-functioning team who were driving the internal cultural movement, galvanizing support for the company’s new vision and demonstrating their commitment to our brand.
Nonetheless, six short months after joining the organization, I was notified by the CEO that the parent company was in dire financial straits and he was dismantling the subsidiaries, including the agency that I was leading—effective immediately. Notification of clients and personnel fell to me. What was striking, in the midst of these painful but necessary communications, was the response that I received from both clients and team members alike. Beyond their disappointment was both a statement and a question. Clients stated that they were impressed by the impact that my leadership had made over such a short period. They asked: “couldn’t you just start your own agency?” Members of the team thanked me for my vision and for giving them something to believe in that was bigger than just a job or a career. They asked if there could be some opportunity to work under my leadership in the future.
I hadn’t really ever considered starting my own business, but I thought of those hardworking folks on my team who were equally blindsided. One day, they were inspired and motivated by the promising future of the evolving company and their stake in it; and the next day they were stunned by the news that the company that they had put their faith and their sweat collateral in, would be out of business in less than a week. If I could establish an organization that can put those people back to work doing what they love, in a place where they are appreciated and their contribution is valued, shouldn’t I?
I have been in the marketing industry for my entire career. Despite the male domination of the field, I have spent the past two and a half decades in leadership positions at US Marketing agencies. Over the last 25+ years, I have learned quite a bit of what running a successful business takes, but I have also had countless firsthand lessons in exactly what a business should never do. So, I stepped out on faith and in August of 2019, I launched Phoenix Lifestyle Marketing Group. I chose Phoenix for the agency name and the logo treatment due to its mythological significance. Associated with the Sun, the Phoenix obtains new life by arising from the ashes of its predecessor. It represents transformation and rebirth in its fire. As a powerful spiritual totem, the Phoenix is the ultimate symbol of strength, femininity and renewal, representing the sun, which “dies” in setting each night only to be reborn in rising the next morning.
Rooted in a commitment to our clients, our partners and our team, The Phoenix specializes in the design of innovative, integrated marketing strategy and flawless experiential execution. We have an amazing team of innovative brand strategists, creative designers and experiential specialists who are experts at fusing high-level strategic insights with unconventional applications to meaningfully engage consumers through memorable campaigns that reimagine boundaries and redefine convention.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
The Phoenix specializes in the thoughtful design of innovative, integrated marketing strategy. Our combined marketing experience and expertise at fusing high-level strategic insights with unconventional applications allows us to meaningfully engage audiences through unconventional and flawless program execution. At The Phoenix, we design campaigns that reimagine boundaries and redefine convention to optimize impact for the Brands we represent.
We believe in the power of diversity of thought and experience. Our team consists of intentionally chosen unique individuals from around the world that bring their unique perspective, broad skill sets and extensive subject matter expertise to the table and serve as a catalyst for the design of our diverse approaches to marketing strategy. Our patented Phoenix Brand Strategy Process is a key differentiator that has our clients raving over the efficient approach that helps to optimize their brand positioning and ensure success. Using this effective tool created by our founder, we approach each project from the same vantage point to ensure our clients maximize relevance to, inspire loyalty among, and convey their brand ethos to their target audiences. Our process allows us to identify every unique challenge and untapped opportunity with our individual client-partners to guarantee strategic alignment with the desired objectives. It is our extensive, collective experience and our bespoke approach to addressing every client’s unique needs that separate us from our competition. The Phoenix Standard that all of our work is our best work is also a key differentiator. No matter how large or small the project budget or how notable or unknown the client may be, we are committed to treating every project with the same level of care and commitment to excellence to ensure that we consistently exceed expectations. At The Phoenix, the belief that good enough is never good enough ensures that all our work stands head and shoulders above the competition.
Any advice for managing a team?
The Phoenix was founded on the promise and premise of remote work and a commitment to prioritizing life in what Elizabeth calls the ‘Life-Work Balance, so company culture was an integral component of the planning stage. Elizabeth wanted to ensure that the team of creatives she was assembling could work from wherever they were happiest and most fulfilled with a level of flexibility that allows people to schedule their lives and work in ways that are harmonious on an individual level. She also intentionally founded our company on healthy, diverse, inclusive cultural aspects that we regularly evaluate and change to become better. As brand strategists, we have a strong understanding of the importance of establishing and being resolute about the organization’s vision and then crafting and living by mission that is in harmony with market dynamics and provides the road map to near term success. Our work with our client-partners is as important as the work we do internally as individuals and as a team to grow and develop. Elizabeth has a belief that companies, brands and people, are unique, each require a bespoke approach identity and strategic planning to realize success. By inviting our clients in as partners, they become a part of The Phoenix team, and we always put our team first. We remain consistent by always remembering the trust our client partners place in us requires us to be our best, and that to be our best we must make sure our team is taken care of.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
Decades prior to my entrepreneurial journey, I learned in B-School that one should start a business that, based on research satisfies a consumer need and the break-even analysis of which will provide a logical pathway to profitability and sustainable growth. This still remains, true, however it is missing a couple of key components from my perspective. I think that one of the best pieces of advice for entrepreneurs is to do what you love. Entrepreneurship is not for the faint at heart. It takes time, energy, resources, and sacrifice. Long hours, days, weeks, months – and yes years—go into building a successful business. That level of sacrifice should not be for the almighty dollar alone. Doing what you love makes the hard days, the ‘ups and downs,’ and the required tradeoff worth the investment. Another key point to add is that all money is NOT good money. It is important to know your brand intimately and to always be true to your brand essence and values. Throughout the entrepreneurial journey folks are often seeking, reaching, and grasping at opportunities to be successful. While looking for these opportunities, it is critically important to watch out for and avoid those seemingly-golden, often-times very lucrative opportunities that may betray who you are and what you stand for. Follow what you believe in, not just what is popular or easy.
In my past roles as an executive leader at agencies, I witnessed ownership running a company that was wildly profitable, however, not only did they lack understanding of and expertise in, but also passion our primary business function. This factor seemed to leave them uninspired and uninspired, which had a detrimental impact on the culture and the quality of experience for the personnel. I also during my career witnessed business owners willingness to take on projects that they didn’t believe in with clients that they didn’t respect, simply because the dollars made sense to them. This lack of conviction also seems to be at odds with the things that can truly make us happy, and I believe also had a negative effect on the organizational culture at that company.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.PhoenixLMG.com
- Instagram: @PhoenixLMG
- Facebook: @PhoenixLMG
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/ekcaulder
- Twitter: @PhoenixLMG
- Youtube: Phoenix Lifestyle Marketing Group
Image Credits
Photo credits: Kevin Flowers, Eclipse Photography