Megan Fleming Hytjan is the Founder of Heartwood Communications. You can follow her on Instagram or Twitter and connect with her on LinkedIn.
Center for Social Impact Communication: Thanks for taking the time to chat with us today about your work at Heartwood Communications. Can you start by describing your career path and telling us a bit more about Heartwood?
Megan Fleming Hytjan: I always thought I would work in the non-profit sector, but I tend to find myself working alongside nonprofits instead of in them. I started my career working for a social media marketing startup in Seattle that launched in the Wild-Wild-West days of “brands on social media.” It was an exciting time in uncharted waters and I had the pleasure of working with some local/national nonprofits, along with a variety of other clients. But after a couple of years, I decided I wanted to work exclusively with social impact accounts. Ultimately, I took a job in the Social Innovation sector of WE Communications. For the next ~4 years, I was able to expand my communication skillset (beyond just social media) and worked with cross-sector clients that were all focused on social/environmental impact.
And then I got the entrepreneurial itch… I’m doing very similar work, but now work for myself. It was a bit terrifying, but I was confident in my skills, the network of relationships I had built and the financial stability I had created to take the risk.
The Center: Our students are working on master’s degrees in communications, marketing and journalism. What is your best piece of career advice for them?
MFH: The social impact space is continually shifting as the lines between private, social and public sectors blur. Be flexible and embrace the opportunity that comes with an ever-changing landscape.
Be creative, get scrappy and think outside the box.
The Center: Great advice! What career accomplishment are you most proud of and why?
MFH: Looking back on my agency days, I’m still in awe of the caliber and variety of clients I’ve had the privilege to work with (PATH, The Jane Goodall Institute, CARE, The Civil Rights Museum, L’Oreal Paris, McKinsey Social Initiative, the Global Philanthropy Forum). But starting Heartwood Communications is what I’m most proud of today because it took a lot of guts and planning to actually make it happen.
The Center: What can someone do early in his/her social impact career to move into a consulting position?
MFH:
- Agencies are a great place to start. I know I’m not the first to say it, but my time at two agencies gave me a large range of experiences on a variety of accounts, allowed me to polish my skills, and introduced me to an invaluable network of colleagues, influencers and clients.
- Identify mentors, leverage their time wisely and maintain those relationships – year after year, job after job.
- It all boils down to people skills. We are in the business of relationships. Be friendly, humble and authentic.
The Center: What skills are necessary to launch your own communications consultancy?
MFH: I am grateful that my experience covers the full spectrum of communications – from PR and messaging to social media and SEO. That gives me the flexibility to take on a range of projects. I’m also looking into some graphic design classes to further diversify and compliment my portfolio.
Outside of the actual communication skills needed, there is a lot of project and account management that goes into running your own business, so it’s necessary to be organized and self-directed. And it’s imperative that you are confident in your work and feel comfortable putting yourself out there.
The Center: It’s great that you’re always searching for new skills; what are some of your go to sources to learn about cause communications trends?
There are so many great resources out there, but some of my favorite outlets are: Fast Company Co.Exist, Selfish Giving and Stanford Social Innovation Review. I also love Medium, which suggests stories based on people you follow and the stories they interact with.
I also like following brands, business leaders and influencers in the social impact space via email and social media. A few of my top picks: Patagonia, Nicholas Kristof, New Belgium Brewing, Devin Thorpe, REI, Howard Schultz.
The Center: Finally, do you have any tips for our students about launching your own consultancy?
It can be overwhelming when you think about going your own way, but don’t let fear get in the way. Your idea doesn’t need to manifest overnight – like most big projects or life events, I recommend biting off small pieces and learning as you go. For example, it took me over eight months to go from verbalizing what I wanted and making a plan, to actually quitting my day job and embracing my own business full time. There is a great article by Jeff Goins I recommend reading that talks a bit more about making small steps instead of big leaps.