My name is Owen Ward, and not too long ago I was also struggling to achieve the impact I wanted online...

Let me tell you about the time I left my cushy job in movie marketing to start a business in the Great Recession, and how my tangled web of digital tools nearly killed my organization before it even started.

I was a marketing executive for a major movie studio when the Great Recession hit, and that’s when I decided it was time for me to serve a higher purpose. I watched thousands lose their jobs with nowhere to turn. I was heartbroken, to say the least.

I had access to unique skills, strategies and tools in my time marketing to worldwide audiences. I committed to use them to help leaders like you amplify their messages and connect directly with audiences while the rest of the world collapsed. I made it my mission to help others build communities around their message so that they could continue serving their constituents who needed their help, now more than ever. That’s when I started Disruptive Strategies Group.

But now I was faced with lots of tasks I used to have a lot of help with back at a big company. I didn't have a website team, a social media team, or even an assistant to help me build and promote my services. If I didn't build the website, write the email blasts, post on social media or make the videos, keep track of engagements with clients and constituents, these necessary tasks just didn't get done. 

I was stretched incredibly thin trying to get everything done. I threw together a simple website on WordPress that I thought would be enough to build my new organization. I tried running a social media campaign by copying and pasting text between notes on my phone and multiple social media apps. I tried sending email blasts to incomplete and inaccurate lists because I couldn't keep them updated fast enough. 

Then something really bad happened - a small plugin error on my WordPress site took the whole thing down. With everything I had on my plate to get my new operation up and running, in the middle of a deep Recession, I now had the emergency of rebuilding my website, if I could even find a stable place to do that. 

And in the meantime, all my cobbled-together email and social media campaigns were pointing to a broken website. I had no way to meaningfully reach people online and no way to build relationships with the ones I already had. 

I needed help, and I needed it fast.