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

Judy, appreciate you joining us today. Your ability to build a team is often a key determinant of your success as a business owner and so we’d love to get a conversation going with successful entrepreneurs like yourself around what your recruiting process was like -especially early on. How did you build your team?

“Why don’t you hire someone, since you’re ready to move from content creation to strategy?” a mentor asked me three years ago.

“I don’t know,” I told him. “I think I’ve been afraid of the responsibility?”

“Give it a shot,” he said.

And with that, my entire company changed.

Now, I have five team members in distinct roles — all of whom are committed to our shared core values: personal growth, positive impact, mental and emotional wellness, and innovation.

Most importantly, we’re all about creating storytelling and design that moves the heart.

By showing up as a founder on LinkedIn, Instagram, my podcast (F*ck Saving Face), and my newsletter, I’ve cultivated a company of strategic creatives who are genuinely good people that my clients love to work with. They were attracted to what Wild Hearted Words is about because they got to know me and what I stood for prior to ever learning there was an opportunity where they could be hired.

Recently, we put up a post to hire a contract writer, because my lead writer is about to go on maternity leave, and within the hour, we had dozens of applications.

People who genuinely wanted to work with us, because of the culture we’ve created and the presence I’ve built online.

My advice for anyone looking to create a healthy team?

1. Be as authentic and aligned as possible with your core values. Share these openly. Be inclusive and honor the lives your team members have beyond the work they do with you.

2. Understand what roles genuinely need to be fulfilled. Create KPIs around them. When you’re clear that someone is no longer a fit, move swiftly and kindly to create the best dynamic for the ideal outcomes.

3. Hire higher-level team members last. These will not only be a larger expense than junior team members, but they need to truly align with you in the vision, mission, and goals of your company.

Most importantly, be a good person. A respectful leader. I’ve found that being human-centered has led to the greatest rewards on all levels.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Small team. Big heart. Huge ideas. Mighty results.

My company, Wild Hearted Words, is a powerful branding and marketing agency for positive impact brands and companies in niche industries. We’re passionate about the clients we work with and truly endeavor to do right by doing good.

We’re also powered by a 95% women-of-color team!

At the core of what we do? In a world of AI and an economy struggling with real inclusivity, we’re doing our part to develop storytelling and design that moves the heart. Our team is driven by strategy and authenticity. Our services are rooted in our Visionary Visibility framework to increase sales, grow brand awareness, and build thought leadership.

I’m a huge advocate of mental and emotional health, because I believe hurt people hurt people — and in every moment, we can change the story of our lives.

As I say in my podcast, F*ck Saving Face, “Life may not always be pretty, but it is indeed beautiful. Make your story beautiful today.”

I’ve been a writer since third grade, so it’s been incredible to have launched a successful Kickstarter campaign for the children’s book I wrote while pregnant, then become published again with The Little Book of Tibetan Rites and Rituals debuted in March 2022 (Ulysses Press; Simon & Schuster).

The more I advocate for change, the more I am featured in publications, like Fast Company, NASDAQ, BBC Travel, MindBodyGreen, and more.

One of the greatest recent accomplishments is becoming a Tory Burch Foundation Fellow (every woman founder should apply to this epic program) and I was named a 20 On The Rise Entrepreneur by the Rising Tide Society.

I’m a truth-teller and champion for voices of color everywhere.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Divorce.

Growing up with tiger parents who fought constantly, I used to ask them, “Please get divorced — you think you’re staying together for us, but you’re not.”

To this day? They’re still married and figuring out their way.

I did the opposite. When I realized I was in an extremely unhealthy marriage, I knew I had to break the pattern of intergenerational trauma.

I told my three younger siblings, “I think I need to get divorced.”

In their own way, each of them said, “Don’t do what Mom and Dad did — get divorced.”

That pivot taught me how resilient I truly am. How strong to be able to put my daughter’s needs at the forefront and understand she has a different relationship with her father than the one I had with him.

I learned that success looks different than what I thought, and as my friend who’s a child therapist told me early on, “We need to redefine what it means to be in a successful relationship. Sometimes, a successful relationship is knowing when to call it.”

I did not think that I would have to give up time with my daughter 50% of the time as part of our co-parenting arrangement, but I’ve learned to utilize the days I’m not with her to fully focus on my business and my own mental and emotional well-being.

My daughter is thriving.
I am thriving.
My business is thriving.

And I’ve learned that you never know how the story will end — that actually, as we write chapter by chapter, it’s something of a neverending story, where there will always be more unfolding and if we can see the challenges as invitations towards growth, then they become just that.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

The majority of our clients come from word-of-mouth referrals. In fact, I have clients who’ve reconnected with me years later — even up to two decades!

I believe in attraction-based marketing.

The key tenets are:

1) Show up authentically.
2) Own your story and share it on all the marketing channels that feel right for you.
3) Remember to form connections and relationships — old-school rapport is the way to go.
4) Make the ask. (A lot of women founders, especially those of us who come from marginalized backgrounds are afraid to make the direct ask, because we’ve learned not to. It’s time to change that!)
5) Allow yourself to fully be seen. (We take a Visionary Visibility approach with our clients to build their platforms and grow their revenue)

Remember to provide value. The more value you offer in every facet of your life, the more reciprocity comes your way!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.wildheartedwords.com
• Instagram: @judytsuei
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/wildheartedwords
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judytsuei/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz7EcBPRXLK0WT-kX9JT63A

Image Credits

Michael Monroe Photography
Chris Grant Photography