Leah Stoudenmire of The Rock It! Co: Five Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Launched My Business or Startup

Taking the risk to start a company is a feat few are fully equipped for. Any business owner knows that the first few years in business are anything but glamorous. Building a successful business takes time, lessons learned, and most importantly, enormous growth as a business owner. What works and what doesn’t when one starts a new business? What are the valuable lessons learned from the “University of Adversity”? As part of this interview series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Leah Stoudenmire.

Leah Stoudenmire is the founder and CEO of The Rock It! Co., a full-scale marketing and events company. With offices in Charleston and Greenville, South Carolina, the company serves clients across the country. Let’s Rock! Learn more at therockitco.com.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

I was not one of those people who knew exactly what I wanted to do after college. In fact, I really didn’t know what I wanted to be until I took a senior class at the University of South Carolina taught by Wayne Adams, who was the President/CEO at The Adams Group in Columbia SC. Professor Adams ran his class as an actual PR firm. He put us into teams and tasked me with being an account manager. My group had to create a fully integrated marketing plan for a hypothetical, locally owned independent pharmacy. We had to define the benefits of a local pharmacy versus a national pharmacy brand, such as CVS, Walgreens, etc. That hands-on experience made me want to lead a team, and understand how design, storytelling, and positioning could define a brand and ultimately lead to success. Professor Adams’ class sparked it all for me. I finally understood what I wanted to do…which was to help brands and companies build awareness and loyalty through marketing in order to achieve growth and success.

After that I set out to find a job in the industry and I was fortunate to land at Erwin-Penland Advertising in Greenville, SC. It took me six months to land that job, but my persistence paid off. I was put in charge of managing regional advertising from print to radio, media, sponsorships and regional requests for Verizon Wireless.

Can you tell us a story about the hard times that you faced when you first started your journey?

That’s easy. My early career coincided with the financial collapse in 2008. That was my first real setback. I had been working at IMI for four years as Director of Sales Services, Marketing and Events for its Caribbean properties. IMI provided sales and marketing for luxury real estate developers all across the world. Life was good, I was traveling and doing what I loved. However, with the crash of the luxury real estate market in 2008–09, I was let go (as was everyone else in the industry). That was a rough time. Fast forward a few years and my second setback came with the trials and tribulations of co-founding a company, Coast Apparel. This is when I learned how to work with start-up budgets; about beating down physical doors because social media was yet to be on the rise; and most importantly the value of partnerships and how important it is to build good ones, with people who have the same vision and goals. After exiting Coast, I went to work in a corporate environment, which was unfulfilling. My mental and emotional health were suffering so I was determined to build my own company where everyone was treated better. I wanted the people I worked with to know they mattered…because they do. I saw a need to create a positive working environment that was diametrically opposed to the generic, robotic corporate model that left people undervalued and under-appreciated. My mantra for myself and my company aligns with a lesson from Steve Jobs:

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.”

Where did you get the drive to continue even though things were so hard?

That’s simple….people. For me, people and relationships matter the most. I love working next to and surrounding myself with an incredibly talented team of experts and partners. My community of peers is what keeps me going. My clients are very much a part of that community. My passion stems from knowing that I can help light a fire under someone who has an idea and needs my help turning the idea into reality. It rocks knowing we can do that. We aren’t afraid to take on any project. We stay flexible and passionate!

So, how are things going today? How did grit and resilience lead to your eventual success?

Things are booming! In 2022, The Rock It! Co. tripled sales with a small but mighty team and a great group of trusting clients. In terms of growth, we ramped up and added a full suite of Marketing Services to our existing offerings. We are now a fully integrated marketing agency with comprehensive services. We added a second office and likely will hire several new positions by the end of 2023 to ensure we have the capabilities and scalability to handle any new or existing client requests.

As for grit? When COVID hit, we had no choice but to pivot. In-person events were all canceled, so we adjusted and refocused our business. Relying on our multi-disciplinary backgrounds in integrated marketing, we set out to reshape and expand our service offerings. Our combined unique skills enabled us to provide our customers with either comprehensive or a la carte marketing and event solutions. It was a big shift. Like a lot of other businesses, we could have given up. But we didn’t. Instead we pulled together to

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I don’t know if I’ve ever made a funny mistake, but I definitely have made a ton of them and learned from every single one. One that stands out is when I was the Co-Founder and President of Coast Apparel. It was our very first order of product and the length on the polo shirts ended up being too short on the whole run and we had more than 20 new retail stores expecting deliveries. In my gut I knew it, but I went with the advised measurements. Big mistake! I had to do a lot of explaining and “pleading for mercy.” Not only did we lose sales and take a loss, but the mistake was very humbling and taught me to trust my instincts and go with my gut. It was ultimately a lesson on sweating the details and being precise. It also taught me to own up your mistakes and apologize if warranted.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

Our passion, enthusiasm, and diversity of services set us apart. We believe in creating lasting partnerships by identifying clear strategies and delivering hands-on, rockstar customized experience. That is what differentiates us. We always work in our client’s best interest and strive to keep an ongoing, results-driven relationship with each and every company we work with. For example, my very first client, Nancy Sansom, the former CMO at PlanSource, took a chance on The Rock It! Co. in 2014 based on a LinkedIn direct message. Today, we are best friends and continuously search for ways to work together because of the long-term service and solutions we provided and because she is a mentor and an incredible leader to work with.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

Prioritize life-work balance and self-care to ensure personal well-being and ultimately better job performance. Trust your instincts, overcome challenges, and lead with your gut to accomplish goals.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?

For me, this is my parents. They both shared very different lessons with me, but I use them all to this day. My mother brings out that entrepreneur side — she was an example and paved the way for me at a young age. She started a company, S Creations that copyrighted and made wooden dolls for sale to bring in extra household income. She also handmade my clothes until I was in the 4th grade, which is why I think I fell in love with fashion. She taught me to be creative and resourceful in every situation.

My father, on the other hand, contracted cryptococcal meningitis at the age of 27 (before I was born), leaving him without his vision. He was then diagnosed with Parkinson’s at the age of 54. I learned positivity, determination and persistence from this warrior.

At every corner, there is a story of someone that has positively affected my career path. I wish I could give a nod to all of them, because I am eternally grateful and wouldn’t be here today without them.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

I typically keep this information more private, but one initiative that I am happy to share is I recently joined the board for KIND of the Upstate. This is a nonprofit dedicated to educating young children and encouraging them to be inclusive and nurture the differences amongst their peers. KIND provides educational material to local schools that ignite discussions between children, parents, and educators about the importance of being caring to others with special abilities and learning that everyone has different gifts, skills, and abilities. The fact that KIND promotes the inclusion and acceptance of all individuals with special abilities was relatable to me and has always touched my heart.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first launched my business,” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

1 . Surround yourself with a great team. When I first started The Rock It! Co., I was doing everything by myself. I was working day and night and my health was taking a toll. After two years of burning the candle at both ends, I hired my first employee. As hard as it was to “let go” of tasks, I realized that I just couldn’t do everything myself. Surrounding myself with a winning team of smart people that I trust is the best decision I ever made. I can now focus on running and scaling the business.

2 . Stay flexible. I’ve had to pivot many times in my career. Flexibility is key! You never know what is going to happen, i.e a global pandemic that shuts down the world. To stay afloat during this time, my company had to become more flexible and stay open to trying new things. We had to have the courage to change and grow, which we did.

3 . Master time management. Organizing your day is the most important thing you can do as a business owner. Prioritizing a “to do list” each morning and checking things off the list allows you to feel a sense of accomplishment once you shut down your laptop at the end of the day, and ensure tasks are completed in a timely manner. Incorporating the right project management system has proven to be a great tool for our company.

4 . Build lasting relationships. You never know when someone could resurface in your life. I enter each situation knowing that my co-workers, partners, and clients could potentially be in my life for the long haul. I recently started growing my team and was shocked to learn how many past relationships I created came back around. I am working with people now that I met 10–15 years ago.

5 . Feedback is a gift. All feedback, good or bad, is helpful when launching a business. Compiling feedback, measuring success, and identifying areas that need improvement, and putting a plan in place to correct shortcomings is critical. As a business owner, these disciplines are imperative. Making the same mistake twice isn’t something I’m comfortable with. Feedback is critical, but adjusting accordingly and taking measures to act upon that feedback can be more valuable.

Can you share a few ideas or stories from your experience about how to successfully ride the emotional highs & lows of being a founder”?

There will be ups and downs as the founder of your own company. Navigating these challenges with a great team in place is how I successfully made it through the ups and downs. My co-workers support me when “life happens” and I support them through the highs and lows of life, as well. We all pitch in when needed and allow people to step away when needed. Trust…and having an open line of communication and believing the people you surround yourself with is what makes The Rock It! Co. successful.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

KINDNESS — The movement I would start to start a “Kindness Revolution.” That is what we all need. No one can say they don’t need more kindness. And no one can say being more kind is a bad thing. On one hand it is so easy. Yet we get caught up with the demands and stress of everyday life and what the world thinks and we get distracted. It is so important to always make kindness a priority. I would aim to incorporate compassion, empathy, and understanding in every aspect of life, especially leadership roles. The core principle would be to treat others with kindness, respect, and dignity, regardless of their background, beliefs, or circumstances. Remember, “you’ll never go wrong doing the right thing.”

How can our readers further follow your work online?

Website — www.therockitco.com

· Social Links

o Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/therockitco/

o FaceBook — https://www.facebook.com/therockitco

o LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/company/therockitco/

o Youtube — https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBVpQzyXJaAbKTqkPlD_HHw

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!

About the Interviewer: Douglas E. Noll, JD, MA was born nearly blind, crippled with club feet, partially deaf, and left-handed. He overcame all of these obstacles to become a successful civil trial lawyer. In 2000, he abandoned his law practice to become a peacemaker. His calling is to serve humanity, and he executes his calling at many levels. He is an award-winning author, teacher, and trainer. He is a highly experienced mediator. Doug’s work carries him from international work to helping people resolve deep interpersonal and ideological conflicts. Doug teaches his innovative de-escalation skill that calms any angry person in 90 seconds or less. With Laurel Kaufer, Doug founded Prison of Peace in 2009. The Prison of Peace project trains life and long terms incarcerated people to be powerful peacemakers and mediators. He has been deeply moved by inmates who have learned and applied deep, empathic listening skills, leadership skills, and problem-solving skills to reduce violence in their prison communities. Their dedication to learning, improving, and serving their communities motivates him to expand the principles of Prison of Peace so that every human wanting to learn the skills of peace may do so. Doug’s awards include California Lawyer Magazine Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers in America Lawyer of the Year, Purpose Prize Fellow, International Academy of Mediators Syd Leezak Award of Excellence, National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals Neutral of the Year. His four books have won a number of awards and commendations. Doug’s podcast, Listen With Leaders, is now accepting guests. Click on this link to learn more and apply.