Amber Wallace
President & CEO of Dowitcher Designs
Amber Wallace started Dowitcher Designs in 2006 and in the past 15 years the full-service marketing and technology agency has collected more than 45 industry awards.
“We take the time to truly partner with our clients,” says Amber, “and that has been key to our success.” Dowitcher takes pride in listening and learning, and their unique approach has paid off. “Too often agencies step in with recommendations without fully understanding the client’s needs. We ask the hard questions, we listen, and we work to find underlying causes. We then pull from our expertise to craft solutions, whether those are marketing, creative, technology, or something else.”
The agency’s focus on creativity, agility, and integrity has helped fuel growth. “Clients know we will provide honest, consultive feedback, even if it’s not what they want to hear.” Isn’t that bad for business? “Thankfully not for us! We value long-term, honest, mutually beneficial relationships. We’re not here to ‘sell something’. When clients know they can trust us, then we can truly partner to find the best solutions.”
Are there any other keys to success? Amber loves the quote attributed to Thomas Edison: “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” She shares: “Sometimes there’s an expectation that as a business owner, a woman leader, a CEO, that you’ve ‘made it’ and things should be easy. When I’m mentoring women entrepreneurs, I encourage them to work smarter, not harder. Identify where it makes sense to spend time, and what the opportunity costs are for what you’re deciding to do yourself. Recognize sometimes it is hard work, but if it’s the right kind of hard work, it will get you where you want to go.”
Dowitcher’s culture celebrates diversity, equity, and inclusion and the agency is proud to be a certified LGBT business enterprise (LGBTBE), a woman-owned business enterprise (WBE), and a woman-owned small business (WoSB). The agency was recently recognized on the ANA list of diverse agencies. “Visibility is important. It’s important for women leaders, for members of the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities, for people of all abilities,” Amber shares. “I hope to see more diverse businesses in every industry, and that we support one another.”
Amber enjoys working with other women business owners. She serves as President of the National Association of Women Business Owners California (NAWBO-CA) and loves mentoring new business owners. “New business owners bring such excitement and creativity to their businesses. They’re looking at problems differently and bringing their unique past experiences to solve problems. I love it.”
Amber’s advice to the future leaders who want to make it big in this space? “Listen. Stay humble. And always keep learning.” The marketing and tech spaces move quickly and the desire to learn and grow fuels the Dowitcher team. The agency loves finding creative solutions and leveraging technology, which requires staying on top of the latest in web and mobile apps, marketing trends, automation, social media, and more. “I often say we’re creative and a little geeky, and I think that fits,” shares Amber. The agency is data-driven, creative, and collaborative. It seems that mix has served them well.
So, what’s in the future? Amber looks forward to continuing to grow the agency, the team, and Dowitcher’s impact on purpose-driven organizations. “It’s so much fun to work with a talented team and see the positive impact of our agency’s work. We get to collaborate daily with organizations actively making the world a better place. It can’t get much better than that!” IEWL
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Amber Wallace
President & CEO of Dowitcher Designs
Description
Dowitcher Designs is an integrated marketing agency founded in Santa Barbara in 2006. With local roots and a global reach, Dowitcher provides strategic design, development and marketing services to organizations large and small.
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