This one choice changed my entire digital strategy.
Melissa Blum, CEO & Founder of M.T. Deco zooms with Jamie Farnsworth Finn, M.T. Deco’s Head of Content.
After four months of trying to get the M.T. Deco blog and social platforms off the ground last year, I had to give up. The entire process from conception, to branding, to voice, to editorial, to publishing strategy became hugely overwhelming, time-consuming and the results were meh. It was frustrating and humbling to acknowledge that as a digital strategist and business owner, I needed help with my own digital strategy. But after I got over myself, mostly through lots of supportive mentor phone calls, I found a solution and I’m so proud to share her with all of you.
Her name is Jamie Farnsworth Finn and she’s our Head of Content at M.T. Deco [not to mention an adjunct professor at the University of Delaware, a former producer at NBC and CBS, and mom of two]. Jamie and I met through a mutual friend when she was debating her next steps at NBC. I had already left and started M.T. Deco at that point, and I like to think our first phone call gave her the final motivation to jump ship too.
Once she left, Jamie and I collaborated on a project for an M.T. Deco client and ended up covering for each other’s maternity leaves for our second children. It was through that work and getting to know her on a personal level that I realized two things: One, our values align. We are both ballsy [and we fully acknowledge, privileged] enough to give up hard-earned careers to go off on our own in order to prioritize time with our families. And two, we have different strengths. We both come from journalism and have many skill sets, but when you boil it down, Jamie is a stronger writer and I am a stronger marketer.
When it came to my vision for M.T. Deco, I knew that high-quality content was of the utmost importance. I wanted to produce content that genuinely helps people with their own digital strategies and is not the same clickbait stuff that’s out there. I also had to start on my owned platforms, just like I preach to clients, and I needed content pillars, social platform strategies, an editorial calendar… and I wanted to write about relevant news in the industry and to share actionable tips and tricks, while also building a community. I also wanted collaborations, contributors, a podcast, an ebook, a Pinterest board… it doesn’t end haha [as it shouldn’t!].
When I brought all of this up in a huge venting session in our first official meeting, I was nervous Jamie would run in the other direction. Instead, a week later (or less?), I received the greatest gift: an M.T. Deco workflow for production, a long-term and short-term planning calendar and assignments for myself, with deadlines! I felt so much relief and joy. By relinquishing the content planning to Jamie, I was immediately free to put my energy and focus on what needed it most, the content itself.
Almost six months later, I’ve now written more than I think I did in all of graduate school and I absolutely love the product. I’m seeing engagement, I’m seeing growth and I’m beyond excited when clients and friends reach out for help + questions. I feel the community building and it’s thrilling.
If you’re looking for your own “Jamie” to help bring your dreams to life, here are some questions to think through as you approach the process:
Do you speak the same language? While your counterpart doesn’t need to be a subject matter expert in your field, make sure they understand the field in some capacity. If someone has an initial understanding of the way you work and the environment you’ve come from, you’ll get much further faster.
Are they organized? This person must be organized and adaptable. Either they jump smoothly into your workflow or they help get your workflow straight. Someone without that skill will only cause more work.
Can they articulate your vision? You want to make sure that this person not only understands the big picture of what you are trying to accomplish, but can also help develop and evolve it as well.
Are they a “yes” person? Accountability is everything. Bring someone in who is strong and will push back on you, and hold you accountable. It’s intimidating going up against a founder and you don’t want to surround yourself with ‘yes’ people. Bring in smart and strong people with their own perspectives.
Do their strengths complement yours? Don’t hire your clone, that is pointless. Be intentional and aware of what you’re good at and what could be stronger, and don’t be scared to bring someone in who can teach you a thing or two. The end product is worth the humble pie.
I often joke and say that “everyone needs a Jamie,” but it’s true. What I mean by that, is that when you’re trying to tackle something BIG, you cannot, I repeat, CANNOTcannot do it alone. It’s often said that the strongest leaders know their strengths and hire smart people around them to make up for what they lack. This is a perfect example of that. It took a lot for me ego-wise to acknowledge what I needed and now it’s funny to look back and see that I ever hesitated at all.