Meet Caroline Hennessy, the next Woman Who Wows. Caroline is the CEO and owner of Ideator Marketing.
Caroline provides marketing consulting services to organizations across the country. Serving as outside marketing communications director, she develops customized marketing programs based on sound strategy, actionable plans and measurable ROI.
She has spent her career helping clients by translating their business goals into measurable marketing strategies and tactics.
What do you love most about what you do?
I love the challenges and the variety of projects in marketing. Digital marketing is my favorite area because it is constantly changing and fast paced. I am fascinated with analytics and using data to support a strategy and make decisions. I am invigorated by figuring out new functionality, updated software or new techniques.
As a solopreneur, I have a broad mix of clients and widely varied projects. For my small clients, I am handling everything from strategic to tactical; for my larger clients, I am part of a team of specialists working toward a common goal. On any given day, I am posting on social, creating graphics, developing analytics reports, filming and editing video or laying out brochures. The next day, I will be working with a team producing a video or an interactive graphic for a web page.
What do you wish you could tell your younger self?
I would advise my younger self to direct more of energy inward, rather than focusing on work and significant others. Put on your own oxygen mask before helping others!
Further, I would suggest seeking career advice to better understand my options. I did not seek out a career coach until much later in life. She helped me drill down into the type of work I enjoy and where I excel naturally, then we worked out a plan to get there. And here I am!
Without a career strategy, it is easy to proceed on the path that presents itself or takes one in the direction chosen by others. I am happy to say that my plan of action resulted in where I am today in terms of my career, my nonprofit work, my finances, and frankly, my overall health.
How do you achieve work/life balance?
After years of trial and error and then taking the leap to go out on my own, I now have a life with a full and flexible schedule. Working from home allowed me to create a new routine. My week doesn’t end on Friday and my day doesn’t end at five – and this works for me.
As a morning person, I have learned that once my day gets rolling, I may not take time for myself later in the day. I meditate and practice yoga most every morning. I am also raising a teenager who deserves as much time as I can give her, whether cooking a meal together, walking our two wonderful furkids or watching a new Netflix series. And yes, I even recorded a TikTok video with her which she now sees as cringy.
My consulting work is only part of my day. Several days a week, I am working for one of my cherished nonprofits. This may seem like more work, but it is not! I use my skillset to help causes I support wholeheartedly, so it’s a labor of love. It brings me joy to know that I am helping animals through my volunteer work with Best Friends Animal Society and I’m supporting my community via serving on the board and teaching yoga for the Irish American Heritage Center.
Connect with Caroline on LinkedIn.