In this episode, we’re joined by Jackie Cullen. Jackie is the founder of My Dental Agency, a company that specializes in digital marketing for dental practices. While they’re based out of Tampa, FL, their business supports dental practices across North America.
When Jackie graduated college in 2005, the job market looked a lot different than it does today. She began interviewing with various companies for marketing and business development and was contacted by a recruiter for a national dentistry laboratory. She ended up working with them for almost a decade, gaining a lot of experience along the way.
But eventually, climbing the corporate ladder and cutting through red tape motivated her to make a change. She decided to go out on her own in 2014 and started out helping small businesses with their marketing. She was quickly introduced to the unique difficulties of working with businesses with small budgets. Additionally, having not niched down at this time, she had to dive into the unique characteristics of a new industry with every client.
Although going out on her own has been scary at times, she’s been grateful for the greater level of control it’s given her. She felt like her future was up to her. Of course, this time was also not without its struggles. Her biggest challenge was trying to navigate how her business, My Dental Agency, would fit into the dental space.
Being in a vertical is one thing, but they aren’t the only digital marketing agency in the dental space. What Jackie has come to realize is that business owners in the dental industry really want to find an agency they can trust. They want a personalized experience. Their custom marketing strategy is what differentiates them from other agencies in the same space. They create a comprehensive plan with their clients using best-fit strategies online.
Committing the focus of your business to one space doesn’t mean your work has to be monotonous. Yes, there will be some similarities—there are only so many different ways you can write about dental implants. But at their core, the wants and needs of every business still vary. They have different personalities, and as such, there are different strategies put in to portray those depending on the company.
Joining a local group of entrepreneurs is something that Jackie has found especially beneficial to her career. In fact, it’s where she initially met her now business partner. Not everyone goes in with the same mindset—some people show up with a desire to drum up business. But it is possible to meet a lot of great people who are looking to form connections.
Jackie has a well-rounded team of project managers, website developers, designers, writers, content creators, social media managers, and ad specialists. Working remotely has been beneficial for the team, as well as for Jackie and her partner. It has allowed them to hire skilled experts outside of where their home base is located. Jackie is proud of the team she’s built at My Dental Agency and emphasizes the business wouldn’t be where it is today without them.
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