Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Porter.
Julie, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My experience includes 25 years of overseeing companies’ marketing strategy, brand development, advertising, global internal and external communications, CSR, sustainability, social media, digital marketing and integrating multiple mergers and acquisitions while leading great teams.
Through my agency and corporate journey, I realized I was working hard but not playing hard or spending enough time with my family.
After recalibrating, I focused on family first and knew that working hard and smart for myself would benefit entrepreneurs and business owners like me as well as provide a work environment for people who wanted the flexibility to spend time with their family while working hard for a company that appreciated their great work and like-minded focus.
Front Porch Marketing attracts clients who value this and who want to grow their businesses through a collaborative partnership with a marketing firm that makes meaningful contributions.
I have built a team of tenured branding and marketing professionals throughout North Texas where:
• our clients appreciate straight-talk
• let us make a difference in their business
• are as passionate and excited about their work
• are open to new ideas to leap ahead.
We are HUB, Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) and Women’s Business Certified by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council.
I feel very lucky to be a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program. I am a member of the Network of Executive Women (NEW) and serve on the board of the Young Men Service League-Cardinal Chapter and the Faith Family Education Foundation. I volunteer at my children’s schools when possible and am the incoming Jesuit Homecoming Mum Chair and the Volunteer Chair for the Jesuit Women’s Auxiliary Christmas Bazaar.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My career has been filled with so many wonderful highlights, but there have also been moments that have forced me to learn about myself and my capabilities. As I mentioned earlier, I spent 17 years working for other companies before starting my own business, Front Porch Marketing. To make the leap, it took some encouragement from some of the mentors and tremendous support from my family. It has been one of the best decisions I ever made. Every day I surround myself with a fabulous team and fantastic clients that love to build ideas with us and then step back and trust us to execute the strategies with elevated thinking and nimble execution. And they are all smart people. I am continuously learning from my team and clients.
We become an extension of our clients’ teams and make a difference in their lives through branding and marketing strategies and tactics that result in rockin’ topline sales. Our mission is also one of service, service to ourselves, team, families, clients and the communities in which we live and work.
Taking the leap of faith to start my business wasn’t hard for me, and I wish I had done it sooner. In the beginning, it was just me, and my clients were friends, family, former clients from before my corporate life and personal referrals. I quickly learned that managing your own business is a bit like keeping puppies in a cardboard box. There are so many details. Suddenly, you are an accountant and tax expert, and HR generalist, a software genius and that were just a few of the new hats I was wearing. I feel blessed to be working for something that means the world to me, my family, my faith and my friends. It all comes together if you work hard, believe in yourself and are willing to ask for help.
Currently, my biggest challenge is achieving my 10-year business goals. In seven years, I have grown the business to a core team of eight talented teammates and revenue and profit in which I am very proud. But you must look towards your next big goal. For me, that will require me to evolve my business and my client base and perhaps rock my wonderful world for a bit.
I think it is important for every business owner and leader to take care of themselves first so there is enough fuel in the tank to take care of ours. This is something for which I struggle and do wish I would have learned much earlier.
Also, I remind myself to find the joy. No matter how bad a situation can be, there is always something happy hovering around it. Find it. Celebrate it.
Lastly, don’t be your biggest barrier to your own success. Get out of your way and get stuff done. If you can’t seem to get something done, delegate it to the smart people around you.
What should we know about Front Porch Marketing? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Front Porch Marketing Services:
What sets us apart goes back to our company name — Front Porch Marketing.
Some people tell us it is unusual. But to us, it’s not unusual at all. It harkens back to the good ol’ days when problems were discussed openly and honestly, right on the front porch. A little bit of camaraderie, shared values, and mutual respect goes a long way in creative problem-solving.
Straight talk, aligned values, true partnerships, and ongoing dialogue. These are the values that set Front Porch Marketing apart.
We partner with non-profits, start-ups, franchisees, and SMBs to rock their topline revenue by providing strategic marketing, branding, advertising, and marketing communication programs. Think of us as an extension of your marketing department. Everything they do, we do. Don’t have a marketing department? No problem. We act as yours, from website maintenance and special events to advertising campaigns, social media, digital strategy and more.
We love our clients, of course, but we can only make a difference in their business if they let us. Our best clients are passionate and excited about their work and are open to new ideas to leap ahead. They dive into the strategy debate with us and get their hands dirty. And like us, they never rest to move their business forward.
The services we provide are the services you would expect from the marketing department:
• brand architecture workshops
• brand strategies
• marketing plans and strategies
• research
• media planning and buying
• message mapping
• logo creation or logo refreshing
• website creation or redesign
• website management
• digital marketing
• blogging
• advertising creative
• collateral development
• email marketing
• social media and more.
Do you have a lesson or advice you’d like to share with young women just starting out?
Mentors are one of the biggest gifts you will ever receive or give. I encourage everyone to find at least one mentor and then meet/speak with them weekly. Have your mentor hold you accountable to your goals, both short term, and long term. This weekly process will help you balance the day to day with the bigger picture.
For me, personally, completing the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program was absolutely life-changing. The knowledge, tools, and insights were invaluable. More importantly, my classmates have become my support, network and extended family. Some of us still have weekly accountability calls and meet monthly to talk about our businesses and help one another build ideas and break down roadblocks.
I would encourage anyone to pursue a networking organization or a business development program and, if you are a female business owner, become HUB, Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) and Women’s Business Certified by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council. The WBENC provides Front Porch Marketing with wonderful resources and regular opportunities to network and learn.
Contact Info:
- Address: 4127 Meadowdale Lane, Dallas, TX 75229
- Website: itsfrontporch.com
- Phone: 214 704 3465
- Email: Julie@itsfrontporch.com
- Instagram: @itsfrontporch
- Facebook: FrontPorchMktg
- Twitter: @itsfrontpotch
- Other: LinkedIn: @itsfrontporch
Image Credit:
Front Porch Marketing
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