We can all “talk the talk”; but there are moments in life when we are faced with “walking the walk.” For Dawn Young and Laura Wagner, that moment came deep in their successful careers in the advertising and marketing industry. While working on a project for women entrepreneurs, they were inspired to take their years of industry expertise and launch their own creative agency.
They hit the ground running and officially launched Studio WY (pronounced “why”) in 2016 in the Richmond, Virginia, area. Their company name parallels their mission: To help brands craft their “why” story that reflects why they got started and help them share that story with the world. While their team is small—Laura and Dawn head all of the projects and bring on creative contractors as needed—it’s by design. “We were driven by the opportunity to take our experience and offer it to women like us who needed marketing and advertising experience. If we focus on small to medium-sized businesses, we can offer big agency experience without the price tag,” Laura explains.
Studio WY offers many services to help clients tell their unique brand story––from strategic planning to logo, web and print design, to media strategies. But the heart of their business revolves around relationships. “We help clients solve business problems using our strategic and creative skill sets. For us to build a relationship, we need to establish a trust,” says Laura. “Each time you interact with a brand, there is an expectation of a desired experience or result. The reliability of that experience or desired outcome each and every time you interact with that brand builds relevance and trust over time.”
Establishing trust relationships means that Dawn and Laura prioritize transparency and consistency with their clients. “We’ve had such success with organizations’ human resources departments as well as in helping clients understand why it’s so important to roll out your brand from the inside out,” says Dawn. “It’s to make sure the brand in the marketplace is the experience your consumers, coworkers and colleagues will have as well.”
After attending NAWBO events and meetings as guests over the years, Dawn and Laura recently became NAWBO members and marketing co-chairs of the NAWBO-Richmond board of directors. “We really like the fact that NAWBO is an organization focused on women entrepreneurs and women in business to get them the tools they need,” says Dawn. “As we were talking to board members, that’s when it came to be that we can give back even more. We co-chair the marketing committee and are trying to give back, learn and network in a way that works for us.”
Dawn and Laura also appreciate the opportunity to network and build relationships with other women business owners within a supportive environment. “Women naturally want to help each other and NAWBO personifies that,” says Dawn.
Looking ahead, Dawn and Laura are excited to continue to support NAWBO with their advertising and marketing initiatives and are focused on helping women entrepreneurs take their businesses to the next level.
Find out more about Studio Wy at www.wycreate.com.