How I Built This Dream Team (and Why I Trust My Gut More Than a Job Application)

You know those stories that don’t feel like a strategy—they just happen in the best way? That’s kind of how my boutique marketing agency, and team, came together. No big hiring playbook. No strict checklist. Just a whole lot of gut feelings, good people, and this deep-down belief that if I built my business with the right people, we’d figure out the rest.

And honestly? That approach hasn’t let me down.

I’ve worked with dozens of businesses now, and the one thing I’ve learned is this: systems and processes matter, but people matter more. You can have the perfect strategy, but if you don’t have the right team executing it with care and expertise, it’s not going to deliver the results your clients deserve.

This is the story of how Wasson Management + Marketing went from just me to a small but mighty team of specialists who genuinely love what they do.

It Started With Chelsey: The First Leap of Faith

For my first hire, I wanted someone local—someone who could come into the office and help me out with literally anything. Admin stuff, back-end support, all the moving pieces that keep things running. I wasn’t looking for a unicorn with a ten-page resume. I was looking for someone reliable, adaptable, and willing to learn.

Chelsey was all of that and more.

How Roles Evolve When You Hire the Right Person

What’s funny is that Chelsey didn’t start out as our social media manager. She came on board to handle operations and administrative tasks. But over time, she naturally stepped into more of a social media role, and it was like, “Okay, we’re doing this.”

That’s the thing about hiring people who are genuinely good at what they do and care about the work: they grow into roles you didn’t even know you needed. Chelsey saw opportunities to improve our clients’ social media presence and took initiative. She learned, adapted, and became incredible at it.

This taught me something important early on: job descriptions are guidelines, not contracts. The best team members are the ones who see what needs to happen and make it happen, even if it wasn’t in their original “role.”

Recognizing When It’s Time to Expand

But then I started feeling this tug, like there’s more we could be doing for our clients. Social media was great, and we were getting results, but I didn’t just want growth in one area. I wanted it across the board.

Clients were asking about SEO. They wanted help with their websites. Some needed comprehensive marketing support beyond just social posts. I could either keep saying “that’s not what we do,” or I could build a team that could actually deliver comprehensive digital marketing support.

That’s when I started thinking: maybe it’s time to bring in people who specialize in different things. The kind of people who could bring their own magic to the table and take our clients’ results to the next level.

Enter: Krista (The SEO Girl) and the Accidental Breakup

This part is funny in hindsight, and also slightly embarrassing.

So I met Krista—our SEO specialist—and we just hit it off immediately. It was like a business meet cute. You know the kind? Where everything clicks right away and you’re like, “Yes. This is my person.” I don’t even remember the exact moment, but I do remember thinking this feels right.

When Your Gut Knows Before Your Brain Does

Krista had the expertise I needed. She understood SEO deeply—not just the technical stuff, but how to create content strategies that actually drive results. She got what we were trying to build. She cared about clients the same way I did.

But then I second-guessed myself.

I actually told her no at one point. Don’t ask me why. Maybe I was worried about scaling too fast. Maybe I was nervous about bringing someone new into what felt like “my” thing. Whatever the reason, the second I said no, I regretted it.

Fixing My Mistake (Because Good People Are Worth It)

I literally looked at Chelsey and said, “I don’t think I should’ve done that.” It felt like a breakup I didn’t mean to have. I barely knew Krista at the time, but my gut was screaming at me to fix it.

Thankfully, she hadn’t disappeared on me, and we got back on track. I reached out, explained that I’d made a mistake, and asked if she was still interested. Spoiler alert: she was, and I’m so, so glad we did.

Krista joining the team changed everything. Suddenly, we could offer clients real, strategic SEO that actually moved the needle. Our clients started ranking for keywords that brought in qualified leads. Traffic increased. Results improved. Krista brought expertise in combining content marketing and SEO that took our clients’ visibility to a whole new level.

This experience taught me to trust my gut more. When something feels right, don’t overthink it into oblivion.

From One to Many: Growing a Boutique Marketing Agency Organically

From there, things grew naturally. No big recruiting campaigns. No job postings on Indeed. Just referrals, connections, and trusting recommendations from people I already respected.

Most of the people on our team came to us through referrals or by reaching out directly. We look for people who have the specific skill sets we need, and then we trust the recommendations from people we already know and respect. It’s how we’ve built a team that not only works well together but truly gets what we’re trying to do.

Finding Casey: Experience That Speaks for Itself

Casey came to us with nearly 20 years of experience in graphic and web design. She’s worked with major brands like Johnson & Johnson and Revlon, which is pretty incredible when you think about it. But what matters most is that she brings that level of expertise to our small business clients who deserve the same quality of design and strategic thinking.

Having someone with that kind of background means our clients get websites that aren’t just beautiful—they’re built with the knowledge of what actually works to convert visitors into customers.

Grace Reaches Out: When Talent Finds You

Sometimes the right people find you at exactly the right time. Grace actually reached out to me directly. She has 6 years of experience in social media and marketing, and she comes from working at Shields, which is a big, well-known brand here in Des Moines.

The fact that she reached out shows initiative, and her background shows she knows how to handle marketing at a professional level. She’s helping us part-time as our Operations and Marketing Manager, which means she’s supporting both client work and the behind-the-scenes operations that keep everything running smoothly.

Why This Approach Works Better Than Traditional Hiring

Now, we’ve got this small but mighty crew of experts. Everyone does their thing—SEO, web design, social media, operations. And somehow, even though we’re all in different places working remotely, it feels like we’ve been working side-by-side for years.

There’s something special about building a team this way. Everyone was brought in because they had the right expertise and the right fit. There’s built-in trust from day one. People feel invested because they were chosen, not just hired through a corporate process.

This is the beauty of running a boutique marketing agency instead of trying to be everything to everyone. We stay small and specialized on purpose.

Meet The Wasson Management + Marketing Team

Let me introduce you to the people who make this whole thing work:

Madi (Founder + Team Lead)

That’s me! I oversee all client strategy, project direction, and team collaboration. I’m the heart of the business, leading with intuition and building the kind of client relationships that feel like friendships, not transactions.

My background is in operations and management, which is why I’m so passionate about helping businesses build strong operational foundations that support growth. I believe business can be personal, profitable, and actually enjoyable when you do it with the right people.

Understanding when to hire different types of support is something I help clients navigate all the time, because I’ve been through that growth journey myself.

Chelsey (Social Media Manager & Support)

Chelsey was my first hire and remains my local right-hand woman. She handles social media content creation, planning, and tracking metrics. She also supports various behind-the-scenes operations as needed.

What makes Chelsey invaluable is her adaptability. She’s the person who sees what needs to happen and makes it happen without being asked. She’s grown tremendously since joining the team, and watching her development has been one of the most rewarding parts of building this business.

Krista (SEO Specialist)

Krista handles all things SEO—from keyword strategy to blog content optimization and technical site improvements. She joined after a business “meet cute” with me and has been a core part of the team ever since.

She brings deep expertise in making websites actually show up in search results. Her work has helped our clients rank for competitive keywords, increase organic traffic significantly, and build sustainable visibility that keeps bringing in leads long after the initial work is done.

Casey (Website Designer/Developer)

Casey brings nearly 20 years of experience in graphic and web design to our team. She’s worked with major brands like Johnson & Johnson and Revlon, and now she brings that caliber of expertise to small businesses who deserve the same level of professional design.

Casey understands that websites need to be more than just pretty. They need to load fast, work on mobile, be easy to navigate, and actually convert visitors into customers. She builds sites that do all of that while still looking beautiful.

Grace (Operations and Marketing Manager)

Grace reached out to us with 6 years of experience in social media and marketing. She comes from working at Shields, a big brand here in Des Moines, and she’s helping us part-time to support both client marketing work and internal operations.

Having someone with her background means we can handle more complex projects while ensuring nothing falls through the cracks operationally. She bridges the gap between strategy and execution beautifully.

What Makes This Team Actually Work

I think the best thing about how we run this team is that it’s not stiff or corporate. It’s not about long resumes or perfect portfolios. It’s about trust, expertise, and genuinely caring about the work we do.

Hiring for Fit, Not Just Skills

Don’t get me wrong—skills matter. Everyone on our team is excellent at what they do. But skills can be taught and developed. What can’t be taught is caring about clients as people, taking initiative without being micromanaged, communicating honestly and proactively, adapting when things don’t go as planned, and treating this work like it matters (because it does).

When you hire people who genuinely care and love what they do, they treat our clients like actual humans, not just accounts. They go the extra mile because they want to, not because they have to.

The Magic of Small and Specialized

When you’ve got the right people in the right roles, magic happens. Everyone knows their lane. Everyone respects what others bring to the table. Collaboration happens naturally because people trust each other.

We’re not some massive agency with generic packages and account managers who barely know your name. We’re the team you call when you want real, tailored support. When you want strategy and personality. When you want to work with people who actually remember your business goals and care about helping you achieve them.

We work closely, we have fun, and we care a lot. Those aren’t just nice words—that’s genuinely how we operate.

Why Boutique Beats Big Agency Every Time

Big agencies have their place. But there’s something special about working with a small team where you’re not just another account number. You know everyone’s name. They know your business intimately. Communication is direct and personal.

Our clients appreciate that when they reach out, they’re talking to the actual person doing the work, not an account manager who then has to relay information to whoever is executing. There are no layers of bureaucracy. Just direct, honest, effective collaboration.

This is especially valuable when you’re trying to decide how to approach your marketing strategy. Working with a boutique agency means getting customized advice, not cookie-cutter solutions.

The Results of Building a Team This Way

Since building this team, we’ve been able to serve our clients at a completely different level. We’re not just doing social media or just doing SEO. We’re providing comprehensive marketing support that actually moves businesses forward.

Our clients see results like increased website traffic from strategic SEO, higher conversion rates from well-designed websites, consistent social media presence that builds community, and streamlined operations that make their businesses run smoothly.

But more than the tactical results, they get something harder to quantify: they get a team that genuinely cares about their success. They get people who celebrate their wins, problem-solve their challenges, and stick with them through the ups and downs of running a business.

That’s what happens when you build a team with gut feelings and good people instead of just checking boxes on a job description.

Thinking About Working With Us As Your Boutique Marketing Agency?

If you’re reading this and thinking, “I want that kind of support,” we’d love to chat.

We’re here to make your life easier, help your business grow, and maybe even become your new favorite team of marketing nerds. We bring strategy, expertise, and genuine care to everything we do.

Whether you need comprehensive support across multiple channels or specialized help in one area, we can create a plan that actually fits your business and budget. We don’t believe in cookie-cutter packages. Every business is different, and your marketing strategy should reflect that.

Shoot us a message and let’s see what we can build together. We’ll talk about where you’re at, where you want to go, and how our team can help you get there.

Not ready to hire an agency yet? That’s completely okay. Check out GrowthIQ for DIY marketing resources, templates, and systems you can implement yourself. We’re here to support you however you need it.

The Bottom Line: Trust Your Gut (It Knows Things)

Building this team has taught me that sometimes the best business decisions aren’t the ones that look perfect on paper. They’re the ones that feel right in your gut.

Hire people you trust. Hire people who care. Hire people who are excellent at what they do but also wonderful to work with. Give them room to grow into roles you didn’t even know you needed. Be open to talent that reaches out to you directly—sometimes the best people find you.

And when you accidentally tell someone “no” but immediately regret it? Fix it. Good people are worth the awkward conversation.

That’s how we built Wasson Management + Marketing, and honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing about how it happened. This team is exactly what our clients need and exactly what I hoped to build.

If you’re looking for a team like that—small, mighty, and genuinely invested in your success—let’s talk. We’d love to meet you.