Decode Your Value: A Process of Self-Discovery
Corporate, Agency, and Business Owner
I dreamed of becoming an actor or lawyer, but things didn’t work out that way. After college, I worked at General Electric’s Aerospace Division as a communications specialist for five years. With little room for advancement, I interviewed and was hired by Elkman Advertising and Public Relations, managing a division of DuPont and other clients. After several years, I got married and we moved from Philadelphia to New York City.
Thankfully, my boss at Elkman recommended me to a colleague at Burson-Marsteller (now, BCW Global). I was hired to manage a division of IBM. This experience, and my previous positions, provided a strong foundation in marketing communications, which helped me grow and expand my career.
After having my first son, I resigned from Burson, had two more sons, and stayed at home to raise them. At the time, my Parisian friend invited our family to visit the south of France. It was magical. We rented a house and continued renting there for eight summers.
While there, we had “kids” and “mom” outings. From alligator farms to visiting zoos and other adventures, there was never a dull moment. During my days, we visited small French boutiques. Each fall, I wore the jewelry I purchased and always received compliments. After realizing this was an untapped niche, I founded a business; importing jewelry from France to the U.S. Over the years, I added a partner and we ran the business for ten years, even selling to employees at Vogue, Vanity Fair and Glamour. Then I got divorced.
Moving Forward
After working for a publishing firm for two years, I resigned and became a consultant and worked with individuals, students, small businesses and startups for ten-years. One of my clients was a software developer who represented a company in Scotland that created a coding app. Our campaign, #EveryoneCanCodeApps, was so successful; we even rang the opening bell at Nasdaq.
Next, I worked for a Chicago-based agency with startup clients in financial technology (FinTech), software-as-a-service (SaaS ) and a financial services firm. I had strong relationships with my clients. One even asked if I had an agency (I didn’t), which inspired me to create the Wendy Glavin Agency in August, 2016.
I met my first client during a networking event. We created a crowdfunding campaign which was full-funded within four months. My second client was a two-person FinTech and AI startup. Within one year, I gained 45 earned media placements, including in Forbes, which skyrocketed my client’s (it says, my agency’s) popularity.
In November 2016, I was in a taxi that crashed with a Mack truck and suffered an MCL tear (I already had two knee replacements). Having to wear a right leg brace locked for months, I didn’t know how to keep my agency running. After emailing four marketing executives for help, one in particular stuck out to me because of her kind, engaging, and insightful response.
I began and continue to work with Deirdre Breakenridge who’s my life and business coach and friend. From that point on, I worked with clients in agricultural, agri-food, transportation and publishing. I advanced startups in technology sectors including artificial intelligence, financial technology, financial services, blockchain, renewable energy, mobile app development, software-as-a-service, cloud computing and more.
Building On My Strengths
Having always been a writer, I took this for granted. When I pitched my FinTech client to the Managing Editor of Equities News. He said, “We don’t do company pieces. Why don’t you write for us?” I was shocked. Since I’d covered events and wrote articles for CommPRO, he read them. Remembering what my dad said some 30 years ago, “What you’ve done in the past, is proof of what you can do in the future,” so I gave it a try. Over time, I got my own column “Glavin’s Tech Talks” in Equities News.
Decode Your Value
In 2024, my agency takes a different approach – a proprietary one with a model that was built during the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time when millions of people suffered losses, I wanted to find a way to help people find work. Looking back on my career journey, I never defined myself by my jobs, status or money. Instead, I built on my strengths, which was the impetus for creating the Decode Your Value process.
In 2020, I wrote my first article about Decode Your Value and have written and spoken about the process since that time. With the talent gap, five generations in the workforce by 2025, the rise of digital jobs, job losses due to AI, reskilling and upskilling, wouldn’t you want to learn what you have to offer to employers and yourself? Join me in a movement to Decode Your Value where you are recognized for all that you have to offer.
I’m looking forward to learning about your journey and where the Decode Your Value Process takes you.
In appreciation,
Wendy Glavin
Previous Work
Whether working on behalf of a large corporation, bootstrapped startup, or friend, Wendy’s experience, creative thinking, and willingness to take on new challenges make her a formidable PR professional. In my experience, Wendy is a good connector and outspoken advocate for the clients she represents. Perhaps most importantly, she is generous, thoughtful, and effective.
Wendy is a consummate marketing professional. Give Wendy a PR assignment, and she won’t let you down. She is determined and has endless energy and enthusiasm to get the job done. Got a digital space you want to be followed in? Call Wendy. Got a panel you want to speak on? Call Wendy. Got an Editor you want to meet, call Wendy. If you need awareness to be created at an accelerated rate? Call Wendy.
Wendy Glavin was my senior vice president for both Katz Creative, Inc., a public relations firm, and Ghostbooksters.com, our ghostwriting and book publishing division. I found Wendy to be meticulous, highly creative, and unstoppable in finding solutions to any and everything. She is up for any challenge and literally produces miraculous results that keep clients happy—and loyal, which of course is the name of the game!
Among the projects she worked on with and for me were extensive social media outreach, branding for book authors, which included art direction for their new websites, design of their book covers through her own creative efforts, and supervision of graphic designers.
Anyone who works with her will reap the same benefits that I did!
I’ve had the pleasure of working with Wendy Glavin for nearly a decade. Wendy covers events and writes articles for CommPRO. Her content is educational, newsworthy, thought-provoking, and inspiring. Her articles received thousands of views; one had 60,000 reads. Wendy always conducts in-depth research to present both sides of a topic; enabling readers to make their own decisions. Wendy is creative, detail-oriented, analytical, objective, concise, and professional.
I’ve worked with Wendy Glavin professionally for the past seven years, and I’m proud to call her a trusted advisor and friend. During my tenure, Wendy produced a regular column in addition to periodic long-form features centered on financial technology and its impact on people and industry.
Wendy was a dependable contributor with keen insight into current topics of broad interest, and her stories ranked consistently among the most popular content on the site. I enjoy my interactions with Wendy, and I’d encourage anyone to pursue an opportunity to work with her.
Wendy is very effective at what she does. I highly recommend working with her.
In working with Wendy she proved to be an excellent communicator and a great resource with regards to the intricacies of social media. I also found her to be concise and forthright in developing new marketing channels for North Country Smokehouse.
Wendy is a go-getter! She’s well versed in social media, media relations, and overall marketing. She’s great at keeping her clients apprised of opportunities and results and is definitely a professional at her job. She’s also diligent at staying ahead of marketing trends and tactics. Wendy is a true asset to her profession.
Wendy is a diligent and creative PR professional who is committed to achieving great results.
Hard-working and innovative is the phrase that comes to mind when I think about Wendy. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Wendy on the Autism project, which she was relentless in promoting. Above all, I was impressed with Wendy’s ability to open doors. She would be a true asset for any position requiring public relations and marketing and comes with my heartfelt recommendation.
I had the pleasure to work with Wendy for the last three years and it has been an amazing experience in all aspects.
Sharing projects with someone that has been in the PR industry for so long, it has been a great professional experience. On top of all her extensive knowledge about marketing and branding areas, Wendy offers something that is completely invaluable to every project. Charisma, brightness, and a nonending desire to help others with everything she does. Thanks a million!
Wendy is an incredible professional! She has an innate ability to access your current social media presence against your goals and analyze how to homogenize the two. Wendy was able to quickly steer me towards immediate steps to improve my social media and small, manageable changes to make that would move me towards my goals regarding niche market and voice. I strongly recommend Wendy for your business!
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