An avid entrepreneur, a shrewd marketer, and an adept writer, Paige Arnof-Fenn is an epitome of a visionary leadership. Everything she does as the Founder and CEO of Mavens & Moguls, is in her DNA. Mavens & Moguls is a global strategic marketing consulting firm that works with venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and business executives who seek expert marketing advice and innovative ideas without the overhead of a full-time marketing staff. Paige connects the dots and keeps the pipeline full, paperwork signed, invoices sent, and team paid.
A Comprehensive Strategy to Build Stronger Relationships
Paige opines that the pandemic has forced marketers to pivot, be flexible, digitally savvy, resilient, and resourceful. With her clients’ budgets being redirected to social media and website/SEO improvements now, many marketing dollars previously allocated to in-person events and direct marketing efforts are being redirected now due to the pandemic.
“We know how to solve your problems and get results. It is rarely too early to bring in marketing expertise, but it is often too late.”
The majority of marketers now say that much of their budgets will be spent on social media, website or SEO improvement, and that e-mail or automation will account for a significant amount of budget in the year ahead too. Thus, Paige mentions that social media, e-mail marketing, and website/SEO lead the way as the most effective channels for building relationships for lead conversion today. She says, “Developing an overall strategy of how all of your marketing tactics connect and work together as part of your customer journey is an important step to building stronger relationships post pandemic.”
A Growth Mindset
Paige mentions that she has been fortunate in her career to have mentors, role models and to have worked in several world class businesses like Procter & Gamble and CocaCola with growth mindsets, and she has tried to create the same culture in her company too.
In her experience, having a growth mindset helps successful people realize that the more happiness and wealth they acquire the more they can help others succeed too. Their gratitude becomes a multiplier and virtuous circle creating a positive environment for future success. Fixed mindset people tend to feel that they know it all and see the world as a zero-sum game, so if someone else is winning they must be losing. Growth mindset people never stop learning and experimenting, as they are focused on the future and see opportunities ahead by creating a culture of learning and growth. Paige has inculcated the same growth mindset in her every approach.
Building Trust is of Utmost Importance
According to Paige, as businesses are moving to a more remote/virtual world, trust becomes an even more important currency to getting things done. Building trust will determine their success and thus, lack of trust will be a huge obstacle after the pandemic ends. She predicts the most trusted leaders will have a big competitive advantage in the new normal that evolves in a post-Corona world. Employees, customers and clients will remember who treated them well during the crisis and they will be rewarded with loyalty from earning that trust during the bad times. Creating a positive work culture with open communication is an important way to build trust and keep moving forward as productively as possible today.
Leveraging Latest Technologies is the Key
Paige is of the opinion that there is no silver bullet/one size that fits all solution, and every industry is changing. Thus, time management, staying focused and keeping on top of the latest tools, trends and technologies without getting overwhelmed is always a challenge.
For businesses, to keep their customers engaged and connected today, they will have to leverage the latest technologies via multiple channels. She advises her clients and businesses, “the key is to align with your brand strategy to stay relevant and create outreach campaigns not just via e-mails and newsletters, but through various social media platforms too. Make sure that it reaches the right customers, and encourages them to reply, and spread the word.”
Embracing Diversity
Mavens & Moguls embraced diversity from day one. The team at the company consists of men & women marketing leaders from around the globe sharing experience and best practices with a mission to help organizations find the right words and pictures to tell their story in compelling ways. Paige believes that one does not need to have a large budget to do great marketing. She works with clients large and small across various industries and categories to bring world class marketing that transforms their business.
Continuing to Pivot
In the next 5 years, Paige sees Mavens & Moguls continuing to pivot and stay relevant. She asserts, “When this crisis is over if we all find a way to incorporate the lessons of gratitude, simplicity, friendship and love into the new normal I will be incredibly happy that we did not waste the crisis. I do not want to waste one minute of my life after this with people or things that do not matter. If we can hold on to the very best parts of this lockdown personally and professionally the world will be a better place for it.”
A Note to Emerging Entrepreneurs
In her advice to aspiring and emerging women entrepreneurs in the marketing industry, Paige says, “Doing your homework, paying your dues, building a strong team and having a good work ethic are all great ways to stack the deck in your favor for success. Having good luck and good karma helps too.”
In her experience Paige has realized that there are no silver bullets. One has to build a strong brand and have a stellar reputation too. She believes that it takes time to build great brands, and no one wins Olympic gold medals, Grammy awards, Oscars, Nobel Prizes or achieves any important goal/milestone without a lot of hard work, detours and setbacks along the way. These things require an investment of time and energy. She adds, “Every experience with you is an opportunity to build trust in your brand. Persistence and determination are what separates the people who do and they could all tell you about people they met along the way who had/did/knew more but gave up. We can learn to do better by focusing on the present and letting the future unfold on its own timing. Have faith that if you keep planting seeds, watering and fertilizing them the flowers will bloom when the time is right.”
