Community Highlights: Meet Kathryn Good of Good Circle Marketing

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kathryn Good.

Hi Kathryn, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I said I would never own a company; I wouldn’t be an entrepreneur. But I lost my job at a startup company in December 2020. Thanks to Covid, I had a taste of being at home more, not spending 2+ hours a day in traffic, and being able to be more present for my kids. So I was picky in my job search, so picky that a few people contacted me to see if I wanted some side gigs while I was looking. I got enough side gigs to realize I had a full-time job, and it was time to make it official. So I started Kathryn Good Marketing Consulting on the first day of spring of 2021 after a winter far longer than the actual season due to the impacts of COVID, fighting to make a startup business work, and then the grief of job loss. I picked Ephesians 3:20 as the verse for launch day and did what I thought I would never do start my own business. In my mind, the plan was to take on 3 or so clients at a time. Work to bring in equal to my past corporate salary, and have enough flexibility to take my 13 and 15-year-olds where they need to go. Despite that plan, there was rapid growth, and additional help was needed. I added several lead consultants to a business I never thought would grow to care for the clients that just kept coming in. Yes, I could say no, but I didn’t want to. So, on August 28 of this year, with Romans 8:28 as the key verse, I decided to rename the business Good Circle Marketing. The company had become bigger than me – far bigger than I ever thought it would get – and I wanted to honor the increase and the consultant collaboration that had resulted from and fueled the growth.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been smooth?
I’ve been extremely fortunate to have swift growth, repeat business, and exceptional consultants that have come alongside me to deliver quality marketing. That said, the self-doubt along the way shocked me, especially early on. Starting this business was the kryptonite to the confidence superpower I always felt I had. The daily to-do lists, nightly what-ifs, and ever-present possibility of failure were numbing and so different from the “I can do that” gut feeling I was used to. Thankfully, due to a faithful God, supportive husband, kids that are proud of me, and friends that have cheered me on far more than I deserve, I got past the self-doubt. We must believe in ourselves, and when self-doubt is at play, even during the most successful seasons, it can be exhausting and depressing. My best advice is to recognize it, own it, and then fight it. I’ll never forget the first time I admitted to a good friend that I doubted myself. It was light into the darkness, the beginning of fighting myself – those deep, hidden internal thoughts – for the betterment of my future.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Good Circle Marketing helps businesses grow their internal marketing systems and processes in teams. After 20 years of working in the industry, nonprofit, agency, and corporate, I believe marketing is best handled inside the business. As a business, it is necessary to respond quickly and transparently. In my experience, finding a long-term agency or freelancer to meet those needs is challenging. But business owners are too busy to build these systems, processes, and teams. That’s where we come in. Good Circle Marketing is a full-circle approach to marketing. We all (ok, most of us) do good work. Sometimes we need help explaining it. We help businesses tell the world about their good work. We help small to medium-sized businesses’ internal marketing systems thrive.

What changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Marketing changes daily, so it is hard to predict what 5-10 years will look like in this industry. Right now, I’m seeing quality leads coming more from positive messaging than the fear-based messaging that seems to be the norm. I’m not saying it will last, but I think that says a lot. In the future, we will rely more and more on machine-based data, meta universes, voice technology, and other words I don’t understand yet. The “Jetson age” is here, and marketing tactics will change and change again. Still, when it comes to communications, we must remember what matters – the people we are trying to reach. And what matters to the people we are trying to reach – well, figuring that out is the secret of good marketing.

Contact Info:

• Website: goodcirclemarketing.com
• Instagram: GoodCircleMarketing
• Facebook: GoodCircleMarketing

Image Credits
Kenzi Marie Photography Lyndsey Sayles Photography