An entrepreneur, a writer, an envisioner or an over achiever with countless dreams, Lindsey Myers was determined to make a difference in the business world. Her vast knowledge about the industry and skills laid the foundation of Concrete Blonde Consulting, one of the leading marketing and consulting firms in the US. Her professional life has been a series of struggles, achievements and success and as we share her journey, we are sure to move every aspiring individual with motivation to achieve their dreams.
The Concrete Foundation
The journey began with numerous challenges. In the beginning, Lindsey was a solo practitioner and incredibly under-capitalized, hence the biggest challenge was just creating a firm from nothing with almost no budget. With a healthy imagination Lindsey was able to create the brand swiftly, that included the name, identity, logo, website, business cards, etc. However, with no money for business development and no clients, she was forced to hit the pavement hard and sign clients quickly. Lindsey was dedicated to her goal and went all out to achieve it. She went to every networking event she was invited to and had coffee with anyone who would meet with her. She took a meeting with anyone who expressed even the mildest interest in possibly hiring her. She recollects her first clients who paid her fees that were lower than anything that she would accept for her hard work however she was incredibly grateful. Lindsey kept moving firmly on her path with perseverance to overcome every obstacle.
Another setback in the early days was just waking up at 5 a.m. every day and putting in consistent effort until she could no longer see straight, then getting some rest and waking up to follow the same routine the next day. Never taking a vacation or getting a break and fighting burn out with positive emotions, passion and pure determination. No rest. Repeat. That was what the first year looked like until Lindsey had enough clients on retainer to make her first hire.
The Concrete Growth
Concrete Blonde Consulting is a full-service consulting and marketing firm in NYC specializing in public relations and business development, while offering additional services to support customized marketing plans. Their full-service offerings include media relations, strategic visioning, media training, social media management, content development, crisis communications and social influencer campaigns.
Their business growth strategy is multi-tiered and considers not just revenue and profitability, but also lifestyle goals. From a pure revenue standpoint, they look to double the gross fee income each year and so far, in the company history they have always met this goal. The Concrete Blonde Consulting team is made-up of incredibly talented individuals who all work remotely. This part of their business model they stumbled into, but Lindsey cites it as one of the best happy accidents of her life.
When Lindsey was finally ready to hire people as the business was growing, she found it difficult for a small firm without a reputation to compete with the leading firms of the industry. Asking people to put their careers in her hands without the benefit of a corporate name on their resume was a challenge. The only way was to win people over by offering higher wages and more flexibility and the ability to work from home (or be a digital nomad). This has also created a business model that is both profitable and good for company morale – maintain this is a key part of the company’s’ growth strategy.
“Our growth is defined by our clients. I love what I do, in part, because I love nurturing entrepreneurs. And one of the benefits of owning your own business is having control over those people you interact with daily. And without our clients, we would not have a firm. Ultimately, the most important aspect of growth is continuing to grow relationships with our current clients, while also bringing new clients on-board.” Lindsey shares.
The Concrete Mind
Lindsey was born in Akron, Ohio and lived there for most of her childhood. When she was in middle school her mother moved to East Hampton, NY which opened her eyes to a culture and lifestyle she had never experienced and never could have imagined. And living there allowed her not only a new perspective on the world, but also afforded her with opportunities she would not have otherwise been exposed to.
Like every other child, Lindsey’s dreams too changed as she grew. From a rancher to a writer, from a Supreme Court Justice to a Rabbi she wanted to explore every dream. Every career path she sought, involved extensive writing as she discovered her passion for writing at a very young age and published her first piece at the age of nine. While Lindsey defines herself as a very persuasive person- she does not like arguing, which ruled out her legal profession and her poor Hebrew skills made her rule out the spiritual path too. Although she was assured by her father that she had the ability to do anything and could learn a foreign language, but Lindsey was not keen on learning.
She attended college at Boston University and ultimately chose that institution for several reasons. Lindsey knew she wanted an urban environment, a structured and well-rounded liberal arts education and she had absolutely no idea what she wanted to major in and where her career would lead. She was determined to graduate college in 4-years (if not sooner) and wanted a university that offered a wide array of majors with exemplary programs. Ultimately, she received a phenomenal education and is grateful for the knowledge, nurturing and mentorship she received that enhanced her life.
Lindsey had been working in the hospitality industry since High School and was hooked on the allure, smells and tastes of the restaurant business. She began working two jobs at the age of 14 and worked in various industries, after which she whole-heartedly affirms that there is nothing quite like working in a restaurant. Lindsey recollects an interesting conversation with Steve Haweeli, the founder of the firm. “He asked me how it was going and if I liked the company. I boldly told him that I was going to make a home there and someday I’d own that firm. I made equity partner at the age of 28 and words cannot express how much I value those early experiences and how much everyone at the firm (from those above me and those I mentored throughout the years) taught me.”
Her roles and responsibilities as a CEO are vast as the firm is still growing. She is the CEO, CFO, CIO, CMO and COO. At the same time, she is the head of HR and the head of their professional development program. She is responsible for all the business development needs of the company and still very involved in strategy on all client accounts. “I genuinely believe that in order to do more and have more – first you have to become more. So, my biggest “roadblock” would be that of personal growth. I’m always striving to push myself out of my comfort zone, push past my fears and overcome my own limitations.” Lindsey adds.
The Concrete Vision
Keeping their clients happy has been the motivating factor for the employees of Concrete Blonde Consulting. The road ahead is full of surprises and the team is all set to steer into the future but one step at a time. As for Lindsey she is working on learning how to live in the flow. A large part of that is really focusing on what you want, why and how obtaining it will make you feel – BUT learning to release the need to control the how. Letting the universe guide you. As a company they are receiving a lot of inquires coming from Dubai and Asia, that will help them widespread their business on a global level.
Lindsey and her team have come a long way despite all the challenges. They are all set to widen their horizons with a vision that keeps them motivated; There is nothing like being a part of someone else’s success and helping them accomplish their dreams.
