Meet Whitney Higdon | Partner, VP of Marketing, LeadWorks

We had the good fortune of connecting with Whitney Higdon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Whitney, alright, let’s jump in with a deep one – what’s you’re definition for success?
Success means something different to everyone. And honestly, there is no right or wrong answer as how to define it, but I hope my explanation can help you view it in a new light.
Success for me is time well spent.

It’s not just about chasing goals or climbing the corporate ladder; it’s about making the most of the moments we have in our everyday life. From spending time with my friends & family, pursuing passions, or simply enjoying the present (for me it’s the bird bath outside my office window), success is found in the meaningful use of our time. It’s about creating memories, learning, evolving, growing, and finding joy in the journey, not just the destination. I have never thought, “once I hit this milestone I am now successful”. For me, it’s a feeling of happiness and fulfillment, that covers every aspect of life, not just work.

Being a partner in a business I am able to make change on what time looks like for me, and our employees. To cultivate an environment that means something more than a 9-5, and has a lasting legacy. I am young in my career, and look forward to the day I can look back on my life and realize it was indeed, time well spent.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
LeadWorks is a full-service digital marketing agency that started in 2014 as a completely virtual company. What started as a small B2B high-level strategic marketing consulting agency turned into a boutique marketing agency that has one purpose: to get our clients more leads. As our clients needs evolved over the years, so did we. We found that most of our clients had multiple agencies that never talked to each other, and all had different goals. When we are able to manage all their marketing incentives under one roof, we are able to run optimized campaigns that work together, rather than against each other. We can control the narrative in a way that feels organic and thoughtful. We like to think of ourselves as their in-house marketing team,

Digital Marketing has changed A LOT over the years, and is changing even faster now than ever before. The biggest takeaway when working completely digital is to always keep evolving. When COVID-19 hit, our business grew due the fact we were easily able to find new solutions to quickly help with what our clients needed. I have always kept the mentality, that if I am the smartest person in the room, I am in the wrong room. Don’t be afraid to go outside your comfort zone and to learn new traits, even if you don’t think they are currently relevant to your business. I like to differentiate myself by knowing how to do a little bit of everything, which helps me connect with all kinds of people. A quote I live by to make sure I am always sparking my curiosity: “A jack of all trades is a master of none, but often times better than a master of one.” Digital Marketing is too big of a world to be an expert of it all, but having a strong foundations of all the basics ensures you know the right people to hire when growing a company.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
As a Kennesaw State Graduate in 2015, I have been in the Atlanta area for almost 15 years. I have ventured all over this city, so here are a few of my favorites:

For a day of excitement and being on the move I would have us start the day over at Chattahoochee Coffee Company, Riverside location. From there we would venture over to the BeltLine to Ladybird, rent scooters and hit the breweries up and down the Beltline. I would scooter on over to Krog Street Market before hitting Hawkers for lunch. From there I would head over to Ponce City Market, but stop at City Winery for a glass of wine before hitting the rooftop to watch sunset. If we were hungry and wanted to get some late night food I would suggest Victory Sandwich Bar before making our way to live karaoke at 10 High and Dark Horse.

For a day of relaxing and wandering around, I would start the day for breakfast at Little Rey (anything done by Ford Fry is incredible) and make my way over to SweetWater (I interned here in college and love how much they have grown). Then, I would head over to Piedmont Park and hit The Nook for some loaded tots before an afternoon of people watching. Murphy’s for dinner, and cocktails at The Rooftop at Hotel Clermont.

If we had time I would want to catch a Braves game, but first stop at R&C Kitchen for a pregame cocktail and grab Antico pizza at the stadium. After the game we would head over to Ormsby’s in West Midtown, or Smith’s Old Bar for live music, ending the night at Northside Tavern, a true Atlanta staple.

Honorable mentions: Canoe (for brunch), Ton Ton, West Egg, Day Dreamer Coffee, Atkins Park, Taqueria Del Sol, The Basement at BeetleCat, Anis Cafe & Bistro, Gypsy Kitchen, Buckhead Theater.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The backbone of our company, my mentor, father. and professional inspiration is Scott Regan. When Scott started LeadWorks 10 years ago, he saw something in me that I did not see in myself. From being a passive, behind the keys employee, Scott mentored me on how to run a successful business, how to interact with clients from all walks of life, but more importantly how to always be evolving as a professional. I came on 1 year after he started our company, and learning from him has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Working with family isn’t for the faint of heart, but I think it helps us be more transparent in our business. There is a deeper level of care in the work I am doing knowing I will get to carry on his legacy once he retires.

Besides my father, my husband Cameron is my biggest supporter. Cameron has always been so proud of me and it keeps me inspired to be strong female presence in a world dominated by men. He only sees potential in me, and has always been so overcome with joy when talking about my successes. We met in 2016 when I was fresh on this journey, and has cheered me on every step of the way. I love that he gets just as excited as I do when I get to tell him the news we landed a new client.

The best moments in life are the ones you share with the people you love.

Website: https://lead-works.com

Instagram: @goleadworks

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/leadworks-llc/