"Revving Marketing Engines For Growth"

When Trish Barber incorporated 3 Ways Digital in 2011, it was based on customer demand for a senior digital marketer who could scale a company - without becoming overhead. She understood digital media, was adept at building and running teams and able to lay out a strategy that instills confidence in investors and board members . Trish also has a daughter who required a lot of medical care at the time, so the flexibility to be with her at doctor’s appointments was an important requirement. “It was a natural step to lend my services to growing companies needing to “look and act the part” while I functioned as an advisor/consultant maintaining control over my schedule,” says Trish. “As a very goal-oriented person, it was intuitive for me to start by collaborating around a company’s growth goals. I’ve found that after I work with a company it is usually ready to fly on its own within 18 – 24 months. And I’m ready to move on to the next challenge.”

While doing what she does best, Trish is also a mentor to women business owners. She spent several years volunteering with Women in Technology in the D.C. area, and it remains near and dear to her heart because of its mission to mentor women from the classroom to the boardroom. She participated on committees from 2010 - 2013, was a Board Member from 2013 – 2017, and then President from 2017 - 2018. According to Trish, WIT’s program framework is exceptional for women at all career levels. For example, WIT’s Girls in Technology programs support girls in grades 6 – 12 by exciting and inspiring them pursue STEM careers. WIT’s Mentor Protégé program links proteges with experienced professionals who can expand their knowledge and expose them to new opportunities. The Leadership Awards program recognizes women’s achievements, mentorship, and contributions to the community. “The Leadership Foundry helps women develop the core competencies needed to successfully serve on corporate boards. WIT has something for everyone, and it was great for me to find opportunities to give and take within those excellent WIT programs.”

Following WIT, Trish started working on a book that would support women differently. As the mother of three children who went back to work 12 – 14 weeks after each birth, Trish learned a lot about career transitions and family management. “Some of the chapters will focus on things like setting priorities (Including yourself), making trade-offs, asking for what you want, and being who you say you are,” she elucidates. “Being a leader has little to do with your title and everything to do with whether people want to follow. When I go into an organization, I look for the natural leaders who are sometimes different from those with the titles. You need to work with both groups to be successful. That collaborative approach is a characteristic often found in female leaders.” In general, great leaders demonstrate many characteristics one might classify as feminine. In addition to a leader being smart, fearless, and trustworthy, she respects those who are thoughtful, vulnerable, collaborative, and nurturing.

One of Trish’s most significant achievements occurred while working with a government contracting client going through a Foreign Ownership Control and Influence (FOCI) mitigation process. This becomes necessary when a company working with the federal government takes on foreign ownership and must protect their client information from any foreign government. . “It is rigorous and lengthy. As my client company has gone through this mitigation process, all of us on the senior leadership team has worked together to establish new independent systems. The data shows we have also created a strong reputation in the market that I’m proud of. This has taken lots of teamwork and agility which is exactly the kind of environment I thrive in,” she explains.

Today, Trish has reached the point where taking on a board position is of interest to her. “I’ve worked with so many companies of various sizes in b2b, b2g, b2c and non-profits and have always been tasked with growth. I think a board position is the natural next step. I’m also refining my exit strategy for my company,” she says. “I’m writing a book that should be out in the next year where I’m sharing many of my lessons learned as a woman in technology leadership who grew up during the tech boom. 3WaysDigital creates a very niche partnership with our clients and I’m always looking for new and interesting technology companies who need help moving to the next level.”