EP #52 From Influencer to Agency Owner: Savannah Garth's Journey

What happens when a reluctant influencer discovers her true passion lies in helping others shine online? Savannah Garth, founder of Poppy Rose Marketing, joins us to share her journey from accidental social media personality to the driving force behind a "small but mighty" marketing agency with heart.

Savannah pulls back the curtain on the most persistent marketing myths holding small businesses back. Forget going viral or spreading yourself thin across every platform—she reveals why consistency and intention trump trendy tactics every time. With refreshing candor, she explains how her agency approaches digital marketing differently, focusing on authentic storytelling that builds genuine connections while delivering measurable results.

The name "Poppy Rose" isn't just catchy; it's deeply personal, derived from the birth flowers of Savannah's husband and son. This family-centered foundation shapes everything about her business philosophy, including her definition of success: "If a client outgrows our small business, I've done my job correctly." As a mother juggling entrepreneurship with raising two young children, Savannah shares the transformative lesson that "done is better than perfect"—a mantra that's helped her overcome perfectionism and embrace delegation.

For small business owners drowning in marketing overwhelm, Savannah's approach offers a lifeline. Her team handles everything from social media management to website design, SEO, and branding, allowing entrepreneurs to focus on what they do best. Connect with Poppy Rose Marketing through their website or social media, or schedule a free discovery call to learn how they can help your business establish an authentic online presence that truly resonates with your audience.

Savannah Garth

Poppy Rose Marketing

www.poppyrosemarketing.com

[e-mail]

@poppyrosemarketing

facebook.com/poppyrosemarketing

[phone]

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
This is the Fredericksburg Neighbors Podcast
, the place where localbusinesses and neighbors come
together.
Here's your host, Dori Stewart.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Welcome back to another episode of the FXBG
Neighbors Podcast, where weshare the stories of our
favorite local brands.
My guest today is SavannahGarth.
She is with Poppy RoseMarketing.
I'm excited to introduce you,to introduce her to you.
Savannah, welcome to thepodcast.

Speaker 3 (00:32):
Hi, thanks for having me.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
Well, I'm excited to dive in and learn about you and
your business.
So let's start there.
Share with us a little bitabout Poppy Rose Marketing.

Speaker 3 (00:43):
Yeah, absolutely so.
Poppy Rose Marketing is a verysmall but mighty, is like what
we like to say marketing agency,where we focus on helping small
businesses show up online in away that feels authentic to them
and their brand but actuallydrives results.
So we do everything from socialmedia management to website

(01:06):
design, all the way to SEO andbranding, and we really pride
ourselves on making ourmarketing less overwhelming for
business owners, because theycan't wear all the hats.

Speaker 2 (01:18):
So true, so true.
So many business owners arevery good at what they do and
they try to handle the marketingas well, and it's best if they
leave that to the experts, right?
Yes, awesome.
So tell us about you.
How did you get into it?
Tell us your backstory.

Speaker 3 (01:35):
Yeah, so it actually kind of happened a little bit.
Naturally, I feel like mostbusinesses really hit their peak
around the start of COVID, andso I really started getting
online and posting when I wasstuck at home on my start of
COVID.
And so I really started gettingonline and posting when I was
stuck at home on my own personalpages and I don't really love
the term influencer but I kindof started gaining a following
and I quickly realized I didn'tlike being online.

(01:56):
I don't like showing my faceand talking to people very much.
So I kind of transitioned intohelping other people be online
and showing up on that.
I love storytelling and strategyand everything that kind of
goes on behind the scenes.
So I like being in a supportcapacity, but also in a capacity
that feels personal to businessowners.

(02:16):
And then so that's kind of howI got into the marketing realm
in general.
And then Poppy Rose just kindof came about, because they
actually stem from the birthflowers of my husband and son.
So this business is very muchso rooted in family and heart
and that's kind of what we prideourselves on I love that.

Speaker 2 (02:34):
I love a nice, a nice , meaningful business name.
I love that awesome.
So do you find that there areany misconceptions about your
business?
You find that there are anymisconceptions about your?

Speaker 3 (02:47):
business.
There are a lot, oh goodness dotell.
One of the biggest ones, though, that you have is everyone
feels like they have to be onevery social media platform, hit
every trend, and that they needto go viral to be successful,
and, in reality, that's just notthe case.
Being consistent andintentional with your content,
it really just wins every time,and I think that a lot of people

(03:08):
get stuck on thinking thatthings are going to happen like
overnight and super quick, butreally it takes time to build
and really generate an audiencethat can trust you and trust
what you're trying to put outthere.
So I always tell peopleconsistency is always what's
going to win yeah, absolutelyright on.

Speaker 2 (03:25):
And you've got to go where your customers are.
You know, for some businessesit's linkedin, for some
businesses it's instagram, soyou got to figure out where are
your people hanging out, andthen you need to hang out there
too.
Right 100, awesome.
So clearly you work hard onyour business and work hard for
your clients.
So tell me, when you're notbusy, what are you doing for fun

(03:47):
?

Speaker 3 (03:48):
Goodness, these days I'm definitely chasing a toddler
or bouncing a baby whenever I'mnot doing work.
Life is very full at the moment, but I love a good target run
with an iced coffee in hand.
I feel like a lot of people canrelate to that, and I also just
enjoy hitting local spots withmy husband and my kids and
enjoying quiet nights, watchingshows and catching up on all the

(04:11):
things Love that.

Speaker 2 (04:13):
Nice family time.
Yes, You're very busy withfamily and work.
Yes, definitely so.
Tell me what is something thatyou wish the listeners knew
about your business.

Speaker 3 (04:28):
We really care about our business story in our
clients as a whole.
I feel like everyone says that,but we really do matter to us
really about building therelationship with our clients.
We're not just like trying tocheck off boxes and schedule
posts.
We're really invested in thegrowth and the success of that
company and I always tell peopleif, if a client outgrows our

(04:50):
business, our small business,that means I've done my job
correctly, like I want them tobe so successful that they don't
need me anymore and they haveto either hire someone in house
or hire someone that has alarger team.
I want them to outgrow me andthat's what I really try to hone
in on.
People is like I'm reallyinvested in your company, um,
and I want to see it succeed.

Speaker 2 (05:10):
Yeah, that's, that's really great.
I love the values that youbring to that, and so when you
started your business, you wereit was kind of a crazy time in
the world.

Speaker 1 (05:20):
And.

Speaker 2 (05:21):
I'm sure that you have learned a lot along the way
, so tell me what is some advicethat you would give a new
entrepreneur.

Speaker 3 (05:32):
This is the hardest thing I had to learn, and it was
that done is better thanperfect.
Um, it sounds a little clichebut it's really true, because
you'll learn more by doing thanby waiting for everything to be
just right, and I'm aperfectionist, so that was one
of the biggest things I learnedis like don't be afraid to ask
for help.
You, you can't wear all thehats, you can't do it all alone,

(05:53):
um, and to don't strive forperfection so much that you just
don't ever start.
And that's really one of thebiggest things.
I now that you're on the otherside of it.
You're stronger for it.

(06:22):
I don't think I'm quite on theother side of it yet.
I definitely feel like I'm kindof living in the challenge
currently, mostly because I havetwo small, very young children,
and it has forced me to slowdown and delegate and realize,
realize, like again, I'm takingmy own advice, I can't do it all
.
Even though I try, I literallyI can't do all of it on my own.
So I've had to give myself alittle bit of grace and trust

(06:48):
the team that I do have, and Ithink it's made me just an
overall better business ownerand a more present mom and at
the end of the day, that's why Ihave my business is so I can be
as present of a mom as I can.

Speaker 2 (06:57):
I love that you're walking the walk.
You're actually practicing whatyou're preaching.
I love that.
Trying to I kind of think,forced to at the same time,
right, not by choice, all thetime.

Speaker 1 (07:07):
Yes.

Speaker 2 (07:09):
So you live in the Fredericksburg area.
I do Awesome.
What do you love most aboutliving here?

Speaker 3 (07:17):
area.
I do Awesome.
What do you love most aboutliving here?
So everyone is so supportive.
It really does feel like asmall community with a lot of
things going on, so I feel likeeveryone's really cheerful.
There's a lot of history here.
My husband's a huge historybuff.
He's actually grew up in the inthe DC area, so there's a lot
of history and charm.
It's really a great place toraise a family and it's just got
that small town vibe.
But and we love that kind offeeling yeah, yeah, it's great

(07:40):
for your husband.

Speaker 1 (07:42):
Yeah, history.

Speaker 2 (07:44):
That's awesome.
I love it.
So if the listeners want toconnect with you or learn more
from you, where can they findyou?

Speaker 3 (07:53):
So they can find us on our website at
poppyrosemarketing.
com.
They can follow us along onsocial media at Poppy Rose
Marketing.
I don't take my own advice, soas much as I would love to say
that we share tips and, behindthe scenes, I'm really not great
at doing my own social media.
But if they ever want toconnect, they can obviously
shoot us a message.
They can schedule a freediscovery call.

(08:15):
I'm pretty available to chat,so they can always contact us
there.

Speaker 2 (08:20):
Amazing Savannah.
Thank you so much for joiningus on the podcast today and
sharing so much great advicewith us.
Thank you.

Speaker 3 (08:28):
Thank you for having me.

Speaker 1 (08:31):
Thank you for listening to the Fredericksburg
Neighbors Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go tofxbgneighborspodcast.
com.