What? Ten years? I am finding it hard to believe that this week, back in 2012, I made the boldest decision of my life and launched my own media buying agency, Monarch Media Solutions.
Most people plan for weeks, months, even years before taking the steps needed to create a business entity. The idea of being my own boss had crossed my mind over the years while working in media sales and then as a media buyer for other agencies, but I never felt ready to make it happen. And then, suddenly, I was hitting a brick wall in my job as Media Director for a full service marketing firm and not doing anyone any good. That's when the "what if" scenarios played out in living color: "what if I were to start my own agency?" followed by "what if I fail?" And then finally, "what if I succeed?" With that last "what if" in mind, and a lot of support, I did what I never thought I could do. I stretched my wings and jumped headfirst into the world of entrepreneurship and building a business.
The past ten years have been filled with big highs including working on national buys with an agency in the UK, pulling together teams locally and regionally to create unique, results driven advertising strategies, and winning awards- most recently back-to-back awards from Pennsylvania Business Central's Women in Business magazine as a top 50 to Follow Women-Owned business. There were also some pretty big lows, including the losses of my mom and my husband, and then there was the Pandemic. My desire to overcome obstacles and to succeed was fueled with the support of amazing clients, business associates, and mentors.
I've celebrated successes with clients, worked hard at building relationships, helped mentor others, and built my business steadily. Not every business needs to have multiple offices or staffs of 25 or more. If I've struggled in any area, it is in coming to the realization that I don't need to compete with the largest firms. The hands-on media buying services that I provide have a proven value of their own. You can't get that with a big agency.
I founded my company with the goal of making media buying easy for business owners and marketing professionals. I believed in myself back in 2012, I believed in my ability to rebuild when my world tipped off its axis, and I believe even more in myself and the services my company provides today. Cheers to ten years...and counting!
