Winning on my own terms

By Paige Arnof-Fenn

I started a global branding and digital marketing firm 24 years ago in Cambridge, MA after a long career in Corporate America. My definition of success has changed a lot over the years, instead of looking at finish lines -- numbers, job titles, houses or cars, or a level of public profile – like many women I factor in things like whether I get to do work that at least sometimes lets me feel like I made a genuine difference in the lives of other people. I love being helpful to my clients, nieces, nephews, godkids, mentees, etc. It is great knowing my experience and hard fought lessons learned can be put to good use as an advisor, board member, coach, consultant, friend, volunteer and aunt/godmother.

I’ve always loved solving problems and enjoy running my business, I am so lucky to have created a platform where I can both give and receive so much joy and spend time with those who matter most to me.

I hung out my shingle with the goal of working with people I respect and admire for people I want to help succeed. For me, relationships matter. Quality encounters matter. Honesty, consistency, authenticity and integrity matter. The experience and the journey matter a lot too. Focus on what matters to you and get rid of things that don't. Taking the clutter out of your mind and your life frees up space for more of what you value. Success is very personal so your definition will be--and should be--different than mine. To me, growth for growth's sake is meaningless, but profitable growth with interesting clients solving important problems is what keeps me engaged and excited. The ability to spend time with people I love and care about is critical. My reputation really matters, and the positive word-of-mouth means a lot to me since almost all of our business comes by referral.

I love helping people solve complex problems so my clients keep me motivated by bringing us in to help them get through a challenging period in their organization. I am motivated by moving the needle so love the challenge of cracking the code to see what works and analyzing the data to support it. I like learning new things and problem solving, it keeps me engaged. I would be bored just doing more of the same thing every day so growth for me needs to include a challenge of expanding my knowledge base. I have always loved fixing things and helping out where I can. I am naturally curious and get energized talking to people so when I meet interesting people it is just natural for me to ask a lot of questions and when I hear about things that they are dealing with where I can be helpful I want to roll up my sleeves and jump in. It’s just how I am wired I guess. There are a lot of successful businesses out there that stay true to their core values and offer great products and services to their customers/clients that they value. When you can create an environment where you feel valued and appreciated you can feel proud and know you have a successful business. Look at Spanx, Virgin, Apple, etc. for examples. After my corporate jobs I was the head of marketing at 3 successful startups that all had good exits so I am fortunate to work because I want to and enjoy it. I have the luxury of having a great boss and have created a platform to do work that inspires me and leaves time for fun too. To me that is success.

I am very proud of the work we have done for organizations

across many categories and geographies that are better off today because of our work and that is incredibly fulfilling. However the one client I am most proud of is an industrial products company based in New Orleans that we started working with just before Hurricane Katrina and continued to work with them for years after. Our work with them spanned many areas and we were able to "keep the trains moving" post-Katrina when their biggest trade show of the year was happening and they ended up as the belle of the ball there, our branding work for them helped them recruit great talent after the storm, the tag line we created for them helped them solidify their message and in conjunction with the branding messages we developed for them, stand out from the pack of competitors.

I grew up in New Orleans so helping a local business means a lot to me even though I have not lived there since college. After losing 7 loved ones in 6 years I learned firsthand no one on their deathbed wishes they worked more/made more money/won more awards.

They just want to be with the ones they love most to tell them they mattered. I think of those people often and the roles they played in my life. I want to be remembered for passing along the very best in me to others so their lives are better and happier in some way because I was part of it. That’s pretty much it. I try not to sweat the small stuff, it's just a distraction.

Connect With Paige

www.linkedin.com/in/paigearnoffenn

www.mavensandmoguls.com