Few industries have seen dramatic changes over the last ten years like the world of social media. Back in 2010, Wendy was just discovering the potential of social media as a marketing tool for businesses. It was “the wild west days of social,” as she describes it, long before terms like “algorithm” or “stories” were used. Wendy saw the opportunity to sit at the forefront of this rapidly-evolving industry in New Zealand – and so she started her business Socialites. 

After substantial organic growth over the next few years, Wendy started to look more strategically at the business itself. She identified how crucial leadership training was, the “most important skill in business,” she says. “As an entrepreneur, you move fast, you break things along the way, and have a lot of fun. But to be sustainable, I knew I needed to consider the journey. That’s when I started investing in leadership. I joined EO in2017 – and it’s been hugely beneficial ever since.”

Over the last six years, Wendy has focused in and levelled up, thanks to two instrumental strategic decisions.

#1. Bringing in a business partner

Wendy describes her business partner Melanie Spencer as the best thing that happened to her and her business. After meeting at a business conference and connecting well, Melanie ended up seizing the opportunity, buying into the business, and now stands as CEO. “I knew I needed a senior partner, more than a General Manager level of responsibility” explains Wendy. “She came in wholly committed, fiercely talented, and brought so many complementary strengths to my own.”

Wendy’s area of genius is getting stuck deep into a new project — such as developing a cutting-edge robot programme to help streamline administration for the agency. Melanie, meanwhile, is a natural when it comes to management, staying on track, and operations. Wendy says that having the camaraderie and the balance of a business partnership has been a game-changer. It means both of them can focus on the areas they enjoy the most, and allow them both more freedom (and fun) than if they were going it alone.

“Someone said to me recently that if you ever get the chance to replace yourself in business with another person, you should take it. Those opportunities are rare. And that’s exactly what happened with Melanie. She is a brilliant CEO, and her being in that role frees me up to focus on the strategic projects I love.”

#2. Vertical acquisition.

The second strategic move that changed the game for Wendy was learning how to expand through acquisition. “An EO member from my forum was very experienced with this, and gave us plenty of practical advice. We acquired our first business, The Social Club, right in the midst of the pandemic. The timing was right, the opportunity was excellent, and it ultimately turned into a huge success.”

After getting a taste for acquisition, Socialites looked further afield to grow the business – including media and production company Magnesium, talent agency People of Influence, and Chinese marketing brand Flying Tiger. The result, a few years down line, is a conglomerate of superpower services that together make up Thompson Spencer. The next steps for this “little agency with big dreams” is looking to branch out into Sydney and London.

The learning here for Wendy? Fall in love with the journey. In her own words, “As an entrepreneur, you’re going to make mistakes – really big ones and really small ones. And that’s OK. Learn from them, and keep going.” Throughout Socialites’ fourteen years, the industry has changed tremendously. Rules have come and gone, platforms have come in and out, and they’ve survived a global pandemic. “There are going to be things you just can’t prepare for,” explains Wendy, “and that’s where being open and flexible is so important. It’s also where it is so important to have built a support network.”

If it’s not a “Hell Yes!” – it’s a “No.”

Wendy’s approach is all about focusing on energy. If you can fill your time with people, work, and tasks that fuel you up – and leave behind the things that drain your energy – you’ll be set to live your best life.

 “A lot of what has worked for me is being very aware of your mindset while also being really pragmatic,” says Wendy. “For example, last year was terrible for our entire industry, and we saw an enormous 30% year-on-year decrease in revenue. But there was only so much we could do or control. So, we intentionally took the pressure off ourselves; we changed our measures of success - we shifted gears from fast growth, and focused on internal systems development. When you switch that mindset, then you start to see all the opportunities that a bit of time and space allows you as a business leader.”

Moving forward, Wendy is all about making decisions that really push things forward. “If it’s not a ‘Hell yes!’, then it’s a ‘No’. My focus is on putting time and energy into the things I truly love.” Things like recently joining the board of Pacific Cooperation Broadcasting Limited to help build a future-focused digital business model, with the overall goal of supporting a strong and sustainable Pacific Island story-telling ecosystem. Or heading to Brazil to help a friend tell the story of fog-killing drones (Pyper Vision, check it out), working on university management assignments with her teenage daughters or flying across the ocean in her newest sport wing-foiling. 

On Wendy’s journey, entrepreneurship and flexibility are possible when your mindset is in the right place. It’s about staying positive, embracing failure, seeking out collaboration, and being very intentional about how you spend your time.