Meet Laura Capes Terry

http://voyageaustin.com/interview/hidden-gems-meet-laura-capes-terry-of-grayson-media

AS SEEN IN VOYAGE AUSTIN

Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Capes Terry.

Hi Laura, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Sure! My name is Laura Capes Terry. I grew up in a small town outside of Chicago called Elburn, IL. After graduating from The University of Iowa with a BBA in Marketing, I was one of the lucky graduates that got to work in the profession.

I spent the first 5 years of my career working as a Marketing Manager for a commercial printing company outside of Chicago called ABS Graphics. I learned so much there — about graphic design, marketing, media, PR, communications, printing, technology, sales, customer service, and business operations. It was really a great learning experience for me, and I’m so grateful to all the seasoned pros that mentored me while I was there.

It was a rewarding time for my career, too. During those 5 years:

• While working full-time, I put myself through grad school earning my MBA from Northern Illinois University.
• I won a Benny Award for Innovative Marketing from the National Association of Printers and Lithographers.
• I appeared on the cover of YOUR COMPANY magazine for helping to reel in a giant client for the company: Walgreens.

During the next chapter of my career, I married my passion (fitness) with my profession (marketing) by going to work for Life Fitness (also located outside of Chicago) as a Vertical Marketing Manager for the Platinum Dealer Network. When I first applied, they didn’t have a job opening… but they liked my passion for their industry and my track record of success at ABS so they created the position for me.

I spent almost 2 decades working in the fitness industry. It was one of the greatest and most rewarding chapters of my life. During that time, I worked with the world’s 2 largest fitness equipment manufacturers (Life Fitness and Precor) along with dozens of fitness equipment dealers across the U.S. and in Canada. Most of these dealers were small, locally owned and operated, “mom and pop” shops without a seasoned marketing pro on their staff. I had the honor and privilege to come into their office, work alongside the owner, and help him/her create and execute marketing plans to grow their business. Many times I ended up helping them hire and train their new marketing staff. This part of my journey was where I proved myself as a female marketer and entrepreneur in a male-dominated industry.

One of the greatest compliments I’ve ever received for my work over those 2 decades was from Guy Williams at PRECOR:

“Having been a client, a vendor partner, and a friend throughout your journey I can say that you are one of the best marketing executives I have ever worked with! Your path should inspire women who wish to be successful in a male-dominated industry and men who want to understand what working with a pro who commands respect and is amazing at their craft can do for the bottom line!”

That chapter of my journey set me up for the one I live today: working as an entrepreneur and digital marketing consultant to help local business owners elevate their brand, magnify their impact, attract their ideal clients, and put more cash in their jeans.

Many here in the North Austin area know me as the Publisher of BeLocal Greater Cedar Park — the official guide to Cedar Park and a finalist for the “2020 New Business of the Year” award from the Cedar Park Chamber of Commerce. But that’s just one thing I do. Who I am is a woman that’s spent her entire career helping small businesses grow by making smarter marketing decisions. Right now, I have a fire in my belly to help our local business community (here in North Austin, Cedar Park, Georgetown, and Round Rock) thrive after the devastating effects of COVID.

BeLocal is one of the ways I help our local business community. Being a digital marketing coach and consultant is the other. I’d like folks to know that I am an award-winning strategic marketer, StoryBrand Certified Marketing Guide, and Certified Partner for DigitalMarketer. I work alongside my clients to help them attract their ideal clients and turn them into customers for life.

Alright, 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?
The road certainly has not been smooth. Early in my career, I was sexually harassed in the workplace, verbally abused by male colleagues, covertly sabotaged by jealous female colleagues, falsely accused of sleeping with my boss to get ahead, and publicly betrayed by my ex-husband and ex-best friend that forced me to sell my stock in my business.

Looking back, if I knew what was coming my way over the past 3 decades, I probably wouldn’t have even started the journey — much less made it through, being stronger on the other side.

By the grace of God, I didn’t know what lay ahead… I just pushed through each challenge by trying to be who I am, follow God’s plan for my life, and be the example I want to be for my son.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Grayson Media is the marketing and media company that I formed back in 2015 to help build my publishing company under the umbrella of N2 Publishing.

For 5.5 years, Grayson Media owned a franchise for N2 called “Avery Ranch Living” and for the past 1.5 years, Grayson Media has owned a second franchise for N2 called “BeLocal Greater Cedar Park” — which is a newcomer guide for Cedar Park working in service to the local residents, our local businesses, and the Cedar Park Chamber of Commerce.

Today, Grayson Media is much more than a publishing company.

Since COVID started, I’ve relaunched the consulting and coaching side of my business to help local business owners get more from their marketing. I offer private coaching, online courses, private workshops, and boutique agency services to help local business owners elevate their brand, magnify their impact, attract their ideal clients, and put more cash in their jeans.

You can learn more about me and the coaching side of my business at www.lauracapesterry.com.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Yes, I’ve been a StoryBrand Certified Marketing Guide for 3 years. You can see examples of my work and testimonials from some of my clients in this link.

I’m also a Certified Partner for DigitalMarketer. This allows me to bring proven frameworks tested by some of the world’s biggest brands to my local clients in an effective and affordable way. To learn more about this program, visit this link.

To learn more, you can visit my website at www.lauracapesterry.com and follow me on Instagram @lauracapesterrymba.

Finally, I’m also helping my son to be an entrepreneur. He owns a business called GRT Cotton Candy Creations and provides cotton candy (made to order) for birthday parties, fundraisers, etc. He can also create custom gifts. Follow him on Instagram @grtcottoncandycreations

Here are some of the services that I offer:

• Free Marketing Health Assessment
• Marketing Plans Made Smarter Bootcamp
• A “Double Your Sales” Discovery Session from DigitalMarketer
• Digital Marketing Foundations Bootcamp
• VIP Coaching in support of the StoryBrand Marketing Livestream
• Private Coaching
• Custom Workshops
• Online Courses

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.lauracapesterry.com
• Instagram: @lauracapesterrymba
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lauracapesterrymba
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/lauracapesterry
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/lauracapesterrymba