Today, we’d like to introduce you to Whitney Popa. Whitney was introduced to us by the brilliant and talented Emilie Given.

Whitney, can you walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
When I was pregnant with our first child in 2016, I had a sexy new job with a long commute. I didn’t love the job, and I especially didn’t love the commute. Aside from six weeks of unpaid leave, I didn’t qualify for any motherhood benes. The compounding of it all—the whole making a human, not knowing how to work AND get to know him, how to make the math around all of it make sense—was really stressful.

I had a big belly and cankles and felt like I was carrying a lot. In all ways.

Then I decided it didn’t have to be that way for me. I was tired of disliking all of my sexy jobs. I was ranting more than usual. My inner circle was tuning me out. I could tell. Even I didn’t like hearing me.

Am I the drama? I wondered.

Not only did I not want to give up my tiny infant for upward of ten hours a day to a facility that got more time off than I did, but I also knew there had to be a better way to do work I loved WHILE having a family I actually saw sometimes and WHILE wearing soft pants.

So, I took my know-how and started chasing the dream I’d always had but never had the guts to jump into: communications consulting.

I knew that all the things I had learned in my corporate career could help people who were just getting started building their brands but who may not have the budget for a bigger agency.

I lined up my first client, Sur La Table, via a magical intro that dropped into my very pregnant lap. It gave me a little extra swagger to snag a few others, and for as long as our son has been a part of our family, so has my business.

Helping to grow little companies with big dreams has been such a gift. So has managing my own time and taking our children to middle-of-the-day check-ups without having to tell a boss.

I have deep experience in professional writing and public relations, working for companies and clients like Xbox, Nordstrom, and Amazon. You can see more of my corporate journey on my LinkedIn page, but this? This is the longest and best job I’ve had, mostly because I get to help people like you do a helluva lot of good.

We’re building dreams together, baby!

Please tell us more about your brand, Popa and Associates
Popa & Associates is a communications consultancy that provides words, workshops, and connections to Pacific Northwest-based businesses. I’m proud that it has helped hundreds of people shine online and find their personal + company voice. I’m proud that I can show my kids how much fun “work” can be, especially since I get to pick them up from school every day, too.

Emilie Given and She’s A Given have been great to us and I know you’ve got a great relationship with them as well. Maybe you can tell our audience a bit about Emilie Given and She’s A Given and your experience with them.
I knew and worked alongside Emilie for a year or two before I started delegating. I have a bit of a shiny object syndrome when it comes to Canva and when I learned I could outsource making graphics and doing reporting for clients, I was sold. What I love about delegation is it’s a slippery slope and allows you to check in with yourself to ask, “How much do I dislike doing this task and does it have to be me who performs it?” And because I’m not doing some of those things I don’t like doing that take a TON of my time, I’m able to create more out of my own brain. I’m able to chase ideas and write more newsletters and host workshops (for which I do not make promotional graphics :)). That has been life-changing.

Website: popaandassociates.com

Instagram: whitpopa

Linkedin: whitneypopa

Twitter: whitpopa

Image Credits
Hall Visuals, Aurie Janae Photography