We were lucky to catch up with Stephanie Kennedy recently and have shared our conversation below.

Stephanie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

When I graduated from college, I couldn’t seem to find exactly what I was looking for with a job. I was looking for something in Digital Marketing that would keep me busy but also had me learning new things in the digital marketing space. I was hired by a print marketing company where I was the Digital Media Specialist. As you can imagine, there’s only so much to do as a Digital Media Specialist within a company that sells direct marketing and signage. After talking with my boss, we discussed the possibility of starting my own consulting business.

Me? Starting my own consultant business 3 months out of college? Sure. Why not? This was the risk I took.
I had no traditional experience working in digital marketing besides my degree in Strategic Communication and Digital Media and 400 hours of Internship experience.

The rest is history. 5 years later, I am still running my consulting business providing social media and digital marketing assistance to small businesses throughout the US. It was the best risk I could ever take. I bet on myself and I proved I could do it.

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 have been running Reach Digital Media Solutions LLC for the past five years. I am a digital marketing consultant with a BIG love for local business. After graduating from St. Bonaventure University, I set myself on a quest to find a job I loved, enjoyed the atmosphere, and felt good. This ended up launching my career as a Social Media Empowerment Consultant & Manager and, eventually, Boutique Digital Marketing Agency founder.

I provide Digital Marketing Consulting and Execution for my clients – mainly small to medium businesses. From social media content to email marketing, I want to provide a service for my clients that will get them real results, not just vanity metrics.

One of my proudest moments was when I hit my six figure goal in three years of having my business. When I started Reach, it wasn’t meant to turn into something so much more but it is now my full time job & my dearest passion – to aid in sharing knowledge with business owners to thrive in the digital marketing space.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

7 months after beginning on my journey with becoming a business owner, consultant, and more, my mom was diagnosed with one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer, Glioblastoma. This turned my family’s world upside down. She battled with grace & dignity for two full years before losing her battle. She passed away on March 25, 2020. This was 10 days after we shut down for the pandemic in my home city.

This was one of the most difficult times in my life. Yet, also, the most resilient.

Losing my mom was one of the hardest things I have ever been through, however, because of my business I was able to spend more quality time with her, help her through this very trying time, and being there for my family. My work was done on my own terms, at all different hours, but I wouldn’t have changed a thing.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Absolutely, 100% through networking. I have been networking consistently since even before I started my business. This was the reason I got my first job which then turned into me taking on the task of starting my own consulting agency. Networking is always a great way to meet other professionals and learning all that you can to succeed. Plus, it is a great way to meet mentors.     

Contact Info:

• Website: www.reachdigitalmediasolutions.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/reachdms
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/reachdigitalmediasolutions
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/reach-digital-media-solutions/

Image Credits
Dana Goodemote – Adore Photo Studio