Zilker Media Strengthens Austin's Community and Your Brand.

I had the chance to connect with Paige Velasquez Budde , Partner and CEO of Zilker Media and TEDx Speaker.

Paige Velasquez Budde is the Chief Executive Officer of Zilker Media, an Austin-based agency building people-driven brands. During her tenure as CEO, Zilker Media has been named one of the Fastest Growing Companies in Austin and Best Places to Work two years in a row by Austin Business Journal and has been listed on Austin Inno’s Coolest Companies. She has been featured as a speaker on people-driven marketing and led workshops for organizations such as Ernst & Young, JPMorgan Chase, Harvard Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin Athletics, and Women Presidents Organization.?

Q: Tell me about your business and what separates you from your competition.

A: Zilker Media is a PR & Brand Strategy agency for thought leaders and the companies they lead. What differentiates us is our strategy on thought leadership for brands. Our boutique marketing agency provides strategic public relations representation, branding creation, and contemporary digital marketing strategies for executives and leaders—helping them become true thought leaders and trusted representatives of their companies.

Q: How does your team emphasize corporate, social, and community responsibility to give back to the community?

The goal of this council is to empower our team members to intentionally choose how we can support our community.

A: Community is at our core – our company name originated from Austin’s beloved Zilker Park because it is the heart and center of our community. To focus more on our community responsibility we formed a team-led internal council called the Good Vibes Council. This group of team members meets bi-weekly to discuss community involvement, donating our talents, and caring for one another. The goal of this council is to empower our team members to intentionally choose how we can support our community.

Q: Who or what has influenced your leadership ethos?

A: There have been many people who have influenced my leadership ethos throughout my life. I was raised in a West Texas town with a family who all worked hard for every single thing we had, especially to help my brother and I achieve our dreams. Being surrounded by their work ethic and unwavering support to never put limits on what we can accomplish has instilled the drive and passion I have today. They are the reason I’m able to live my dream.

There are many family members, teachers, peers, and mentors who have helped me along the way. I owe a lot of gratitude to my professional mentors Rusty Shelton (Zilker Media co-founder partner), Clint Greenleaf (partner at Zilker Media), and Shelby Sledge (my first boss!). I’ve also received significant influence from incredible business owners in the Austin Entrepreneurs Organization, Women Presidents Organization, and C12.?

I also have drawn from our team members at Zilker Media – it is an honor to work alongside them every day.

Q: What are you expecting to see in 2024 for businesses? How does this impact their marketing strategies?

A: In 2024, we expect it’s going to get more challenging for companies to gain the trust of their consumers. Research going into 2023 from Gallup showed trust and confidence in U.S. institutions at an all-time low and we believe this will continue to decline. As a result, we believe the smartest way for companies to accelerate trust with their audience is moving leadership from behind the scenes to a more public-facing position alongside the brand. Our client strategies will focus on leading with a strong thought leadership strategy (alongside the corporate strategy) focused on education and entertaining your audience versus just selling something.

Q: What do you work for and what do you do for fun?

Working with our team to drive impact for our clients is why I love the opportunity to get up every day and go to the office.?

A: We have the opportunity to work with some of the world’s leading companies, executives, entrepreneurs, and bestselling authors. Getting to work with these inspiring people daily in a variety of industries is one of the big drivers of why I love strategy and marketing so much.?

The reason why I love growing Zilker Media with my partners and team is because I have the privilege to work alongside some of the most driven, caring, and fun people I know every day. Working with our team to drive impact for our clients is why I love the opportunity to get up every day and go to the office.?

When it comes to fun outside of the office, I love to play music and also try to learn new extra curricular activities. I’ve been trying to get more into golf lately. Although I’m not very good, I love the opportunity to get outside (when it is not summer in Texas) and play a game that requires strong focus, resilience and the ability to have fun!?

Q: How does your current space support your company’s goals and your hiring initiatives?

A: Our team had the opportunity to custom design and build our new office building – we were thrilled to move in late summer of 2023. We spent many months designing and revising our plans to fit the specific needs of our agency and allow for growth on our team. Our office is a ranch-style building sitting on Fitzhugh Road in southwest Austin. Since we are just sitting near the gateway to the hill country, our goal with this office was to make it feel like you are in nature with the beautiful trees and rolling hills view. We put so many windows in our building that we almost never have to turn on the light! It’s bright, airy and full of nature!

Q: Congratulations on being selected as a finalist for the Austin Under 40 Awards this year. What is the best piece of advice you have been given as a young executive?

Culture is the motivator to show up every day and put your best foot forward.

A: Thank you – it was such an honor to be part of the amazing group of Austinites recognized this year! I’ve received incredible advice and experience shares from many leaders I admire. There are three pieces of advice that I keep top of mind:?

Fail hard and fast. I’ve learned that it’s good for you to have challenging discussions and innovate the way you approach your team, services and business model. It’s important to foster creativity within your team and empower every level to make decisions and try new things. We see failure as an opportunity to learn and then move on quickly.

Be resilient. Being the leader of a company sometimes feels like you are on a fast roller coaster where there are highs and lows. Nothing is ever going to go perfectly so you must build resiliency. At the end of the day, you must do what is right for your team and your clients no matter how tough a conversation or decision might be.

Culture is key. Culture is at the top of my priority list as CEO — it is what makes you or breaks you long term. Culture is the motivator to show up every day and put your best foot forward. I work hard every day to create a culture of trust, integrity, shared vision, and good vibes. Culture is what makes it all fun and rewarding.

Q: What have you learned in the years that you have been involved with the Women Presidents Organization??

A: I have learned SO MUCH from the incredible women in WPO Austin. These women do it all and build some of the strongest businesses and teams in the Austin economy – it is insane I get to sit in the same room with them. :) They are genuinely some of the most supportive, driven, and talented people I know. It is inspiring to see how they are impacting their industries and our Austin community.

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Thank you for contributing to this series, Paige.

Paige is offering a personalized online brand audit consultation, where you will be walked through a consultation of your online channels and the actions you can take to utilize your first impression online to accelerate business opportunities, speed of trust, and impact. Please contact Paige Velasquez Budde at [email protected] to schedule your consultation.

And thank you @zilkermedia for making this newsletter possible!?

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