Success Stories of Entrepreneurial Women - Stacy Thetford - The Local Voice

Welcome to the local Voice. I'm Jeff Harrison. I'm your host. And this is where I get the opportunity to interview successful entrepreneurial women in our community. The ones that are making a difference, not only financially in their business, but also helping the community, giving back. And today I have a very special guest. Her name is Stacy Thetford, and she has a company that has been around, and it's kind of broken all the rules, if you will, for most businesses, and that's why she's here. It's been around for about 10 years. We're going to get into that a little bit more. Welcome, Stacey.

Thank you. It's nice to be here.

Hey, Stacy, before we get started, I'd like to ask you know your favorite success quote, because it never fails. Whenever we ask that is it. We see that that common thread run throughout all the stories. So if you wouldn't mind sharing if you have a favorite success quote.

I do. One that really resonates with me is life is not about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain.

I like that.

And the reason that resonates with me so much is because life is always a storm. It's always changing. You just have to be able to roll with that.

You've picked an industry that it seems like we do a little bit of what you do, but very, very little. But the ones we have, it seems like sometimes it gets stormy in there. So I want to find out a little bit more about that. But before we do, take a moment and tell us a little bit about you and your family and your business and kind of catch us up with what's going on.

Sure. So I've been in the desert for about 28 years. My husband and I moved out here. He worked in law enforcement for the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. So he actually just retired about a year and a half ago as the assistant sheriff for Riverside County. We raised our two children here, so we have a son and a daughter. Our son is just finishing up his second year of medical school, and our daughter is graduating college this year and headed up to Hewlett Packard Enterprise.

So congratulations.

Thank you. Yeah. So we've definitely focused on our family, but we've both had very busy careers.

As well, I would imagine. You know, law enforcement is probably very demanding.

Very demanding. Yes.

And then the fact that you. You own your own business. Tell us a little bit about that.

Yeah. So it's funny because I never really set out to own my own business. I just kind of came up to an opportunity where I needed to make a decision if I wanted to switch and go back to working for someone or if I really wanted to take the leap and do it on my own. And it was a lot. I had a lot of people pushing me to do so. My husband was one person who was like, absolutely, you need to do this. I had a lot of other community people saying, you definitely need to do this. And I think other people had the confidence that I didn't necessarily have at the time.

But it was the best move that I ever made, and I have no regrets now.

You'd been in the hotel industry for what, like, 11 years?

11 years, yeah.

What kind of things did you learn there that helped you transfer that into your business? And those pieces, how did that help you with your business when you first started?

So I worked for the Ritz Carlton, and the Ritz Carlton had this amazing training program that really taught you about customer service and really ingrained it into their employees and their team. And for me, I worked there. I mean, I kind of grew up there. I worked there from when I was, like, you know, 18 to 30. And so it was just what was embedded into me. And you can take that and apply that anywhere. And I think having that knowledge and treating people with respect.

And wanting to be able to please everyone and meet deadlines and, you know, it's not just about doing your job. It's about anticipating the needs of your clients.

When you start out in a business, I know as an entrepreneur, it's usually clear sailing. There's no rough wires. Oh, no, no. I'm talking about something else. Take us to a time in the last 10 years, because you're celebrating 10. 10 years of your business being open and successful. Take us to a time where it was difficult. Maybe a time where you said, you know, I just kind of fell flat on my face, and take us like we're there, but then also tell us the lesson you learned from that to get back up and keep going.

Well, I think there's always some pitfalls when you're in business. And one of the things that I have found is I'm too nice, and I've been taken advantage of because I'm too nice. And not that I want to change that, because I really do look for the good in people, but there have been times when I've really wanted to help somebody, and those people that I've wanted to help have taken advantage and taken more of my time, and I ended up losing money on projects that should have been Profitable. And so those are a little challenging and difficult things that you have to go, okay, I made a bad decision, move on that one. And I maybe made an emotional response or emotional decision because I love to help people, but most people are wonderful and I love most of our clients. So it's great. But so that's a lesson learned.

So, you know, I understand. So take it to. If you could take us to an example where that might have happened. And again, specifically, hey, what lesson? Because it's like, hey, we all know we can have somebody that, you know, we give it, we give, give, give. And then they. It's almost like, I think the terminology is scope creep. Right. You kind of, you say, hey, this was the scope of the work. And they just kind of creeping over the edge, you know, the edge. And it's like, at what point you say enough is enough?

Actually, I have learned that the hard way. And we do have it pretty lined out in what our, the scope of the project is in our process when we begin. And when we do get that scope creep, we have to watch it. And we are now though, bit better about saying, okay, we can do that for you, but let's look back at what we originally wanted and that is outside the scope. And so we can do it, but it is going to be an additional expense.

Yeah. And I think in your business, is it mainly web design and is that what you focus on?

Yeah. So we're a full service website development company, so we design, we host, we maintain, we do email marketing, we do logos and graphics, graphic design, but mostly anything that has to do with websites.

What do you think, Stacy, because you're kind of. I'm going to call it. I can't remember the number. I think it was Mutual of Omaha was like this. They said they called themselves a quiet company. And you know, I know you're very involved, you've been very involved in the community over the years you lived here, but you kind of did it quietly, didn't you?

Well, that's what someone just recently said to me. But I think that I was very involved in the community. I've been on the board for the Palm Desert Chamber of commerce for 10 years, actually. I did six years and then had a break and then just finishing up my last four years. And so I was very involved in the community that way. And that was very integral in getting my name out and getting people to know me and trust me in the first business.

But yeah, I wasn't one who was out shouting at the rooftops like, you have to come to us or I wasn't out trying to stay deal anyone in this business because I'm of the mind thought that, you know, there's enough for everyone.

Right. So with that, with the fact that hey, you did it quietly, did you do the, I mean, 11 years ago when you started, 10 years ago when you started the Internet business and the web design, I mean that was kind of still, it was still kind of a frontier, kind of, you know, the old wild, wild west, wasn't it?

Yeah, well, I actually got involved in website development in 1999, but I didn't actually start my own business till 2006. But it's interesting because of the change in technology is constant and so you have to change and adapt with it at all times.

Is that something that is easy to do? Has it been challenging?

Sometimes it's easy, it's just a natural progression. Other times it's a little more challenging because being a small business, we don't have a research and development team. So we're not always out there finding out what the new and exciting things are. A lot of times we would learn by our clients, would say, hey, I saw this, can you do this? And our answer was like, absolutely.

Now let's go back and figure out what that is.

Exactly.

Yeah, we understand that when you do that, when you started out now, was it just yourself?

When I first started out, there was me and I had a couple other teammates, but really it was just me that the community saw. And so a lot of long hours, you know, to put in.

How do you, because you said, you know, your family is very important to you. So with that demand of your business new and even today, I'm sure it's demanding. How do you balance that between, you know, raising two kids that are in college, one is graduated from college, medical school, that's exciting stuff. But then you also have a very successful business. What's your trick? What's the secret there?

Well, I had to learn because when I first started out, starting a business and working 15 hour days six days a week, I worked at home for a lot of those years. And finally my husband says, okay, enough is enough. You need to go get an office, lock the door and come home and when you're home, be home. And so I have a little difficulty sometimes because I am a of a workaholic. And so I find that I'm working a lot when really something that could wait till tomorrow. So it is a fine balance. But when I started the business, my children were starting middle school and starting high school at the time and having the flexibility to be able to be there for them when they had a baseball game or when they had an event was invaluable to me. Because of the flexibility, I was able to do that.

Yeah. So you had that great core family with your husband supporting you. The kids were there. A lot of times, what happens is somebody. We tend to find people have a Go to book, a resource. Do you have a favorite book that you sometimes think you might feel like you get off track and you go back to that book and it reminds you?

I do, yeah. It's actually Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Patty Liu People.

Yeah, that's a powerful book. And again, that book's been around a long time.

Long time.

But like, customer service, it's timeless, isn't it?

It is, absolutely.

Like, what's your favorite piece out of that, if you don't mind me asking?

Out of the seven habits, you know, I think the first habit is being proactive, and it's take responsibility for what you do and not allowing other people to affect you. Meaning that this is actually day class that I took when I worked back at Ritz Carlton. And so that's what's really stuck with me, because the habit of not allowing other people affect you, meaning that you can't make me feel angry, you can't make me feel anything. That's how I choose to react to it. And so that one piece has helped me a lot of ways. For one, I taught my children that when they were really young, and that was really what I brought out of it from that time. But once I got into working, you know, because it can be frustrating sometimes, but you have to choose how you respond.

Yeah. Well, now, as you. As you grew from you and a couple of people, and you've grown a larger team, how do you. How do you create that culture within your business?

You know, you have to. In a small business, everybody has to pitch in and do everything, really. So you have to create the environment where it's a team. There's no hierarchy, there's no corporate. I'm your boss, and this is how things are done. It's. We are absolutely a team, and we respect each other, and everybody has their strengths, and we go to them when we need those strengths.

You know, with you, as you said, in your business, it's changing all the time. As a small business owner who needs a website or needs an update, you know, what's one thing you would tell somebody who said, haven't had a Website in three or four years updated or a new website, what would be the one thing you say, hey, this is no longer an option. You must have these things.

So the biggest thing right now is that your website, if it's outdated, really needs to be redesigned to be responsive, to fit every screen size. Whether it's a laptop or a tablet or a mobile phone, it needs to adjust to that particular screen size because a lot of people now, they're looking on their phones and tablets, you know, so that's really important. But it's also really important to keep the information on your website updated and not old. And so when people come to your website, sometimes it's their first impression. And if you have a News article from 2005 and nothing recent, that's gonna see, you know, you're not really relevant.

Tell the story, doesn't it?

It does.

Now, do you. After you get done building the website, you said you take care of their email marketing?

We can, absolutely. So we can design an email template to look similar to their website design to keep the branding, and then we can send out their emails for them.

What about now? Do you do anything as far as, like developing any of their content?

We don't. That's something that they provide to us.

Okay. That's a big chore, isn't. I mean, content, I would think is a.

It is a huge chore. And so we have found, we used to offer it that if our clients needed help with content, we would do that for them. But we found that people were really, when it's their own business, they're really sensitive to what's being said, so they kind of want to do it themselves when sometimes I think that's really good because they have the perspective. But I think also it's good to have somebody else outside look at it, because you want people to look at it as a pet. They're your customer. They don't know everything that you know.

Right. Right now, as sites now nowadays, there's so much social media going on. How important is it for a business owner, let's say they did upset their site with you a year ago. How important is it to keep up with, you know, the Instagram, the Pinterest, the this, the that, you know, Periscope. I mean, is that. Do you take care of all that as well, as far as making sure those buttons work?

We can, yes, we do offer some social media services, but really it depends on the business because I know social media has been great, but not every business really can thrive off of social Media, you know, if you're.

I don't know, say a dog walker, you know, then social media is going to be great because you can get referrals, you can get people out there who need your business. But if you're.

Something more corporate, like I'm, let's say, an accountant, I mean, I guess accountants could give really great tips on laws and things, but really, I'm gonna ask around to find out who's the best accountant to go to. I don't know that social media ad would be like, oh, I need to talk to that person.

Yeah, good point, good point. Well, bring us to today and tell us what you're probably. You say, hey, this was the most exciting happened in right now at your company and that you're really proudest of.

You know what's been really nice over the years is that we've developed some great relationships with our clients. We have clients who've been with us for many years, and a lot of them so loyal that they'll contact us when they're being pursued by other companies and individuals. So that's been really great because they know that we're here to support them. And really great to see a client that we've seen start and be able to grow. And we were part of that growth for them.

Well, take us to a point where you said, hey, you've been after 10 years, very successful. If someone were just starting out of business, let's say they're at that crossroads that you described in the beginning and saying, hey, do I start my own business with the talents that I have and I'm being pushed there, or do I stay in a job? What kind of advice would you give that person now?

I would say that they really need to reach out for their resources. And that's how I did it. I really had some great mentors in the community, people who were successful in business that I could pick their brains and go learn and find out what I needed to do. So I think a lot of people try to do it on their own and don't reach out. And you really need to surround your people with or yourself with people who have different strengths in you so that you can learn from them. And what I found is the community is always willing to help and they want people to be successful. So I would say reach out to your resources.

Okay, speaking of that, what about somebody having a mentor? I mean, have you ever had a mentor yourself and you recommend having someone having a mentor?

Absolutely. I've had several mentors, and those were the People that I turned to when I was ready to, to start my business. And I think it's very helpful. And I know there are people that come to me a lot too, for advice, whether it's parenting advice or, you know, small business advice. And I'm always there willing to help because I know that, you know, when you're first starting out, you don't know what you don't know.

Yeah. You can help them avoid some of those pitfalls. Yeah. Well, do us a favor because people probably watching are saying, hey, I do need a website. My website isn't responsive. It's how old of a website should we think back before say, hey, if you haven't done anything on your website for this period of time, you know for a fact, it's probably not responsive.

Probably three or four years for sure. What we try to do in our own business is we actually try to redesign our website every two years because technology changes so much and we want to show that we are up to date and can do things. In fact, if you go to our website now, our homepage has video playing in the background. Excellent. So you don't. You're starting to see that a lot more now. I'm sure you would know with doing the videos, but it's still a little newer, you know, so that was one of the things that we redesigned our site to make sure that people knew that we were up on the technology.

So take just a second, if you would, and tell us if someone were reaching out. A first of all, what services? If they reached out to you, what services can they look for and the best way to get in touch with you?

Sure. So we are a full service website development company, which means that we will design a website, we will host it, we will maintain it, we can update it for the clients, or we can give them access to an administrative feature where they can update it themselves, which most clients say they want, but they. They really don't. It's just easier just to email us and we take care of it for them. But I guess what sets us apart really from other website developers and designers is we have a full team, so we have the talent. But we also are very passionate about customer service and making sure that our clients get what they need now and try to anticipate their needs in advance as well.

So how would someone reach out to you and get a hold of you.

So they can go to our website, which is www.fetfordwd.com? it's a little tough one to spell, but it looks like the T. Ford WD for web development dot com.

Great. And it's on the screen so you can access that. Can they call you or email you or is it just best to go to your website?

Oh, absolutely. Give us a call. Our 800 number is 855-TWD team and email@helloetfordwd.com oh, I like that.

Info or contact. I like that. Hello. Well, Stacy, thank you so much. Before I let you go, any last piece of advice you give someone who's listening today to help them either go to the next level in their business or really. You said something about starting out with last word of the Yeah, I think.

Sometimes you have to sit back and reflect and kind of put things in perspective by if you're trying to make a decision, maybe do a pros and cons list and really kind of know what the end result is in mind. And when you put those pros and cons list together, decide, you know, is it really going to be worth it for me, is doing this thing going to get me to that goal?

That reminds me, me the Ben Franklin close. And I tell you what, he was very successful at that. He would put that line and said, you know, here's why I would, here's why I wouldn't. Pros and cons. And he made some great decisions. Well, Stacy, thank you so much for joining us today. I really appreciate great information and again, take advantage of getting a hold of Stacy to have your website updated and also for her services she offers. She's been doing it for a long time. 10 years. When we think about a small business and how it does not usually make it past that first year. She's done it times 10. So, Stacy, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you. We'll catch you again next time. I'm Jeff Harrison. I'm your host at the Local Voice.