"Find something that you’re passionate about, that makes you want to go all-in" with Brooke Waupsh
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Brooke Waupsh is an award-winning marketer with experience breathing life into established brands such as Coors, Clorox, and Charles Schwab, as well as successfully introducing a new financial technology consumer brand, Kasasa, to the market that is now nationwide and supported by the 4th largest network of financial institutions behind Bank of America, Chase, and Wells Fargo. She was nominated for “Change Maker of 2019” by the Austin Young Chamber as well as a finalist for the Austin Under 40 awards the past 2 years for “Start-Up and Innovation”. Her industry awards include a Bronze Los Angeles Addy Award (Regional/National Television category), 5 MarCom Awards, and 2 Honorable Mentions. She also has numerous industry certifications including Graphic Design (UCBerkeley) and Agile software development.
Can you tell our readers about your background?
I’m an Austin-native. I’ve always been very driven and entrepreneurial. I graduated high school and college early, working multiple jobs and financing college on my own. After college, I took the big leap and moved to San Francisco, without a job (not recommended!). I took odd jobs while I interviewed, and ended up landing a job with a prestigious ad agency, DDB Worldwide. I’ve spent close to 20 years in the marketing and brand management space, breathing new life into established brands like Coors, Clorox, and Charles Schwab, and also had the opportunity to lead the launch of a new financial technology brand and take it nationwide—Kasasa.
What inspired you to start your business?
I was initially inspired to launch Swoovy being an “ear” to many friends sharing their interesting stories with dating apps. All of the frustrations around not meeting genuine people, connecting through anything meaningful, not knowing if the other person was REAL, spending mass amounts of time on the app before meeting them in person—only to find out you could have made that call in:30 seconds if you just met offline. Interestingly enough, dating experts have recommended volunteering as a top way to meet someone and develop a strong relationship. The opportunity hit me like a ton of bricks—nonprofits are dying to get more volunteers in the door, and while most people say they want to volunteer, other things take priority. Like dating! (Did you know millennials spend over 500 hours a year on dating apps!!) Being a marketer, I’ve always been obsessed with the psychology behind what motivates people to take action. And this was a perfect opportunity to leverage peoples’ desire to partner up and give daters a better way to connect, and nonprofits more volunteers. A partnership is a key driver, you have the health and wellness industry that is driven through accountability partners….and everyone knows of the wingman that gets you to do that thing you’ve always wanted to do. I’ve always wanted to get more involved with service efforts, too—it needs to be easy, and woven into the way people live, work, and play. This would be so Swoovy.
Where is your business based?
We’re in Austin, TX, with team members in Denver, CO as well.
How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?
The first thing I did is vet the idea with single people, and start calling nonprofits. Every single person I talked to LOVED the idea, even those who said they swore off dating apps said they would try Swoovy. When I called the nonprofits I really wasn’t sure what to expect, and they loved it too! This was exactly what they needed to get more awareness outside of their efforts, in a modern and edgy way to tap into a mainstream market. We did focus groups, quantitative studies (fancy for surveys), and started prototyping what the app would be like. And then I started begging people for money The fun part. My first investor was the CFO at the previous company I worked at, Kasasa—he believed in me and the concept. When you’re just getting started, your earliest investors are the ones that know you can do it. I also scrapped some of my own change together to make it happen.
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?
We have done a lot of co-marketing with the nonprofits. They can share Swoovy with their current volunteers as a reason to come back, and also share with more friends. And now, we have Swoovy for Couples which is a joint account, and for groups to volunteer together.
Aside from the nonprofits, we’ve had a ton of press and word of mouth. We haven’t had a ton of marketing budget to work with, so most of our growth has been organic from people just being really excited about this fresh breath of air in making personal connections, and finding an easy way to give back.
What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?
By far the biggest challenge is raising money at an early stage, and balancing the fundraising with growing the business. In a lot of ways it’s the chicken and egg scenario—investors like the idea, but want to see massive growth before hopping on board……but you need money for massive growth. Also, did you know only 3% of women get VC funding even though there is data showing women-led companies out-perform, are more operationally efficient, and drive higher ROI? Hm. I have unfortunately experienced gender inequality when it comes to fundraising, and seen men get giant checks written for an idea basically scratched on paper and I’ve been put through the wringer to come up with every possible model, proof point, extra before even being considered. We are making progress and there are a lot of women-led funding opportunities that are beginning to surface, which is great news!
How do you stay focused?
I’m extremely passionate about this business and the impact opportunity, and that keeps me focused on pushing it forward every day. The more I’ve worked with nonprofits the more I’ve understood their need, and the truly amazing work they do in our communities, which could not be more motivating. The day-to-day with a start-up can be challenging, and sometimes it feels like your brain is a pinball machine, not to mention with a pandemic and quarantine I now have an almost 5-year-old at home with me! I’m really good at blocking time off to work on the big rocks—product development, marketing, fundraising, partnerships, user engagement—and also balancing it with a to-do list of all of the little things that need to get done to keep other people moving and run the business. It takes a lot of organization and time management.
How do you differentiate your business from the competition?
Swoovy has a unique brand in that we are positioned to bring people together for more meaningful connections through volunteering.
What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?
Press has been extremely effective for us—people just need to hear about Swoovy and they jump on board. We’ve been so grateful for the exposure and endorsements while we’re just getting started.
What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
Find something that you’re passionate about, that makes you want to go all-in. Constantly make connections and seek guidance from others—it keeps you inspired, challenges your thinking, and provides invaluable opportunities to strengthen your business through outside expertise and networks.
What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?
It’s hard for me to pick a favorite, it depends on what my focus and mood are! Right now, an app I’m using a lot is AllTrails. I love to hike and I’m enjoying exploring new trails, it really helps to de-stress and stay healthy. I’m currently reading “Drive” by Daniel H. Pink and just finished “The Hard Thing About Hard Things” by Ben Horowitz, both great books for entrepreneurs. Another great book I just finished was “7 Women and the Secret to Their Greatness” by Eric Metaxas. I don’t really religiously read any specific blogs (eek!), but, I really do enjoy the On The Spot podcast by Melinda Garvey, Founder of Austin Woman Magazine and OnTheDotWoman.com
What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?
Slack has been a game-changer for keeping teams in communication, and I love Canva for anything design related.
Who is your business role model? Why?
I think Kendra Scott is a she-ro. She’s a mom, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. She was committed to her business and grew it from doing a project in a spare room of her house to a billion-dollar fashion brand. Not only is she a successful business-woman, but she’s a role model in society bringing profit and purpose together, and is committed to coaching young female entrepreneurs as well—she just rolled out the Kendra Scott Institute at the University of Texas in Austin. I share a similar passion to give back as well as mentor and coach young entrepreneurs. Recently I have had the opportunity to speak at the McCombs Business School at the University of Texas a few times and I’m currently leading a summer practicum course, mentoring 4 female UT students within entrepreneurship.
How do you balance work and life?
It’s hard! They often blend, even more so now. I make it a non-negotiable for myself to stay active, and when I spend time with my son and my family I try to be intentional about it being fully dedicated time where I am “present”. I’m not perfect at it, but I try my best. I learned the hard way in my early 20’s that pushing too hard can lead to burnout and health problems. I experienced major anxiety during that period, which led to me learning more about my own health and wellness and discovering I could, and needed to work toward balance. Relationships are important to me, my mental and physical health are important to me, and being professionally challenged is also important to me—I make it a priority to be self-aware of what I need in each bucket, and when I need to adjust.
What’s your favorite way to decompress?
I love a good glass of wine and a yummy meal. I’d consider myself a foodie, not a snobby one. Just one that likes to try new food, new restaurants, and is constantly amazed at the creativity and talent of chefs. I also find it very relaxing to cook as well.
What do you have planned for the next six months?
With Swoovy we have successfully adjusted during COVID-19 to roll-out virtual volunteering opportunities, and following our successful Kickstarter campaign we’re now working on introducing Swoovy for Friends and expanding into additional cities. So exciting! Behind the scenes I’m working on closing out our open round of investment, we’re just over 40% of the way there right now.
Personally—a book a month, a trail a week, a happy 5th birthday to my son, and some socially-distanced get-togethers with friends and family!
How can our readers connect with you?