Hi and welcome to the OWN IT podcast, where we celebrate the growing number of (women and non-binary) ad agency owners and talk about buying out of the boys’ club of advertising, one agency at a time.
Today I’m talking to Courtney Spritzer of Social Fly and the Entreprenista community. People with a background in insurance and finance don’t typically find themselves starting a marketing agency, but Courtney did. She and her business partner launched Social Fly in the thick of the social media explosion of the early 2000-teens. After several years of entrepreneurship, they launched the Entreprenista podcast, now community, which supports women entrepreneurs.
As you can imagine the overlap in work and interests got me excited to learn more from Courtney. And I did. I’m sure you’ll appreciate the conversations, too.
Thanks for listening to this episode of OWN IT. To join the league and listen to her podcast, visit entreprenista.com. To find out more about Social Fly, find them online at socialflynyc.com. (Social Fly N-Y-C dot com). You should also connect with Courtney on LinkedIn.
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When starting a business, especially without significant funding, leveraging existing connections and being resourceful can be crucial. Courtney's story of calling her mom for office space, based on a childhood memory, and then joining a BNI networking group led to their first clients and self-funding the business. This highlights how unexpected connections and proactive resource-seeking can rapidly accelerate a startup.
Entrepreneurship can be a viable and rewarding alternative to traditional corporate careers, especially for women seeking flexibility or passion alignment. The Entrepreneista community was created to support women entrepreneurs by providing a platform for learning, mentoring, networking, and mutual growth, particularly in response to women leaving the workforce during challenging times.
Women tend to be more risk-averse than men, which can hinder them from starting their own businesses. Courtney emphasizes that a key role of communities like Entrepreneista is to provide the confidence and advice necessary to overcome this hesitation, proving that many have the skills to succeed as entrepreneurs even if they don't initially realize it.
Contrary to common perceptions, the agency business, particularly in marketing, has a relatively low barrier to entry. Success often starts with excellent client service and word-of-mouth referrals, rather than requiring massive capital or extensive prior marketing backgrounds. This makes it an accessible field for women looking to start their own ventures.
The most critical step in entrepreneurship is to simply "just start." Overthinking can prevent action. Sharing business ideas openly, rather than guarding them, can lead to valuable advice and connections, as the entrepreneurial community is often eager to help. It's a process of taking baby steps, and one opportunity often leads to another.
