Four Years Later: Happy Birthday, Telemetry

Great leaders are forged in the crucible of adversity. They don't shy away from challenges; they embrace them, knowing that every obstacle is an opportunity for growth and transformation.

Four years ago, what started as a quiet conversation among friends that I was contemplating self-employment has turned into a multi-person operation with employees in five states and a global network of freelance automotive writers.

Telemetry, the company I founded at the peak of COVID-19, has and continues to evolve into something Midjourney couldn't dream up on a Discord server.

We were founded because of our penchant for strategic communications, and from day one to day 365, we grew exponentially from supporting Autonomous Vehicle company May Mobility through PR to developing an NFT project for the Gordie Howe Foundation.

Eighteen months in, though, something changed. We had clients who desperately wanted to see their names published despite considerable headwinds that the media was again going through a metamorphosis. Newsrooms were downsizing, resources more finite, and smaller companies' great pitches were elbowed out of the news simply because there wasn't enough manpower to cover them.

To supplement diminishing client coverage, we found ourselves writing b2b automotive content for Nikon Metrology to be published on their owned and operated channels, and with the blessings of some great clients, we wrote as if magazines were bylining us. These weren't white papers or case studies; they were case stories. Topics included how the James Webb Telescope used industrial measurement as a successful tool to ensure a successful launch into space or how one of NASCAR's prominent engine makers used metrology products during the pandemic to make it to race day.

Those narratives sparked something in all of us in the early days of Telemetry and we realized epiphanically and collectively that this self-publishing thing was worth pursuing. More clients, such as ADAS pioneers Light, used our brand publishing and activation services to build targeted awareness amongst automotive decision-makers on their camera-based depth perception technology advancements.

Out of the communications work that remains a foundation of Telemetry, a new service had been born horizontally across multiple verticals seeking to reach an automotive audience. We established style guides and editorial best practices, working with companies such as Capital One, TrueCar, U.S. News and others. We brought in seasoned editors and journalists, and built a project management platform, proprietary in design to Telemetry - shown to select publishers whose collective jaws dropped when they observed first-hand how organized and efficient we are.

We've written 3000 articles. That's not a typo. Telemetry has ideated, assigned, edited and delivered 3000 articles to our clients. No small feat, and we're still growing. But growth also meant repositioning our focus. When we launched our new brand last year, we renamed our practices TelemetryTRUST and TelemetryTRANSMIT. Trust was focused on our public relations work and Transmit our brand publishing services. There have been times when I've questioned whether it was best to separate the two as independent entities; however, I've resisted, seeing my communications strategists and editorial experts converge and work together to complete assignments.

Public relations is a challenge. Speaking with a good friend and journalist at a leading automotive publication, he admitted to me that the long tail of automotive media has affected what, who and where they cover, leaving little room for some of our smaller clients. This change has impacted us and I'd be lying if I said it didn't. We no longer proactively pursue PR work from mobility startups. We qualify opportunities with much more scrutiny and take on clients we believe are worth fighting for. What's arisen is a red thread - clients we work with have mission statements we align with. Most are in the field of sustainability. Most have been given that first opportunity to prove what they've developed has the potential to change the world.

We fundamentally believe in our mission statement: to help our clients find their most powerful, resonant brand voice everywhere their stakeholders engage. As we look to the future, we remain committed to innovation and excellence. Telemetry will continue to push boundaries, exploring new frontiers in communications and content creation. Our journey is far from over, and with each challenge we face, we are more determined than ever to make a lasting impact. One thing I know for certain as we embark on the next chapter of Telemetry's story—it will be as transformative and inspiring as the first four years.

Onward!