Female Founder - Meredith Farley
Founder of Content People | Medbury Agency - Social media that works.
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My favorite type of content is always about people and how they got to where they are today. Whether it's podcasts like How I Built This with Guy Raz, Second Life with
, Glossy Podcast or How to Fail with Elizabeth Day, I find it fascinating to get a peek into people's pasts that have led to their presents. One of my latest discoveries (thanks to Substack) that I started listening to late last year wasContent People by . Since finding the podcast, I have devoured most, if not all, of her episodes and read through her Substack articles as well.What I love about the guests Meredith interviews on her Substack and podcast is that they come from varied and interesting backgrounds, covering a gamut of experiences. Her interviews range from bestselling authors to content creators to industry and media leaders. I admire her interview style as she asks great follow-up and double-click questions, rather than sticking to a script and leaving the audience to wonder what the person meant by something they said. There is a conversational flow that feels nuanced yet easy to listen to.
Some of my favorite articles/episodes (honestly they are all amazing but if I had to call out a few):
Episode: Episode: Episode: Episode:Priscilla Vega Episode:
I reached out to Meredith to express my admiration for her work and to learn more about her agency, Medbury, which she mentions on her podcasts. I was thrilled when she responded, and I had the chance to learn about her agency. She shared some overarching results through her case studies, highlighting what she has been able to achieve for her clients, and I was honestly impressed.
To date, all the brands and founders I have featured on
have been in the consumer products space. I am thrilled to have Meredith as my first founder in a non-consumer space. For the founder interview below, I asked Meredith to focus on her agency, rather than her podcast or Substack. If you are a founder looking to boost your presence on LinkedIn or grow your newsletter following, Medbury might be exactly what you need. Here’s more directly from Meredith!Can you share a little bit about your background?
Before starting Medbury I spent about 14 years agency-side working in marketing. My first job out of college was as a copywriter. Over the years, I worked up and into different roles, like VP of Production (where I focused on creative and production processes for large content teams), Chief Product Officer (where I did a lot of research, innovation, and product management work) and finally Chief Operating Officer for a global marketing agency.
What made you want to launch Medbury?
Well, when I was the COO at a marketing agency, one of the teams I oversaw and worked closely with was the social media team - we worked with some really big brands, and I loved that social is a mix of strategy, tactics, creativity, and experimentation. So I knew I loved working in social media.
But you know how they say “You write the book you need to read?” I think that with Medbury, I created the offerings I wanted to buy.
Medbury is a social media agency. We focus on LinkedIn, Instagram, and newsletter management. And we do work with brands. But one of our most popular offerings, at least right now, is LinkedIn and newsletter management for founders and executives. Before Medbury, I knew that I should have been doing a better job of building up my own personal brand as a female exec. A personal brand is really valuable - it’s a way to create bigger, better, and more aligned opportunities for yourself. And, at the same time, it’s also a safety net. People get laid off. Or burned out. Or bored. Or they can feel stuck in a toxic environment. But, at the same time: execs are really busy, they’re often particular, and they’re not experts in social media or content creation. I wanted to create the offering that I would have responded to: A great partner who can really listen to me and create cringe-free content that I’m proud of when it’s posted, but also help me get results fast. Plus: IMO, social media folks are some of the most fun people to work with. They’re creative, hilarious and so, so smart. I love getting to build and work with team of social media superstars.
What do you feel makes Medbury unique?
Ooo, love this question. It’s a few things. First - a lot of social media agency owners were social strategists first. Owning an agency is their first foray into executive roles. (Not saying that’s bad! Just saying: My journey has been different.) I think having so many years of executive experience under my belt gives me a different perspective and a shared understanding of the goals and pressures that the executive clients we work with are navigating. But we also have a creative point of view. We despise cringe content, cheap gimmicks, or tactics that help with vanity metrics but ultimately damage a brand. Last week, for example, a prospect said to me: ‘Your website makes me feel like Medbury takes a more mature, taste-drive approach to social media.’ And that really made my day. I mean, if you check out our site, we don’t have the typical social media aesthetic. Like, we have a section with a mood board with Joni Mitchell on it. So, I think that in addition to really knowing what we’re doing from a strategy perspective, we’re bringing a lot of thoughtfulness to the content we create. We really listen to our clients - many of whom are high-profile execs with reputations to protect - and work with them to create something that’s in their voice, that’s going to perform, and going to get them the results that they’re looking for. And, finally, I think our team is SO GREAT. Working in marketing for 14 years gave me an amazing network. The Medbury talent bench includes folks who’ve worked for brands like Lunya, Sperry, Yoga Works, famous social media influencers, and high-profile executives of Fortune 500 brands. So even though we’re still in our first year as a company, I think we’re doing work that’s reflective of a more established company.
What is something you wish other entrepreneurs in your field knew or understood about the industry?
It’s important to be patient and responsive as you grow and nurture your business. I think most entrepreneurs (me among them!) feel like “I want the business to be huge and perfect RIGHT NOW!” But, most things that have longevity and integrity take time to build. Give yourself grace, have patience, and keep showing up with integrity.
What is something you wish your audience knew or understood about your industry?
Ooo. Can I have two answers?
#1. I think a lot of social media experts would say this: Social can get short shrift. Brands outsource it to interns or entry-level folks, and then are confused when they don’t see great results. Or, they want to attack high-ticket clients but are only willing to spend $750 or $1000 a month. If you want a social presence with impact, you really need to find an experienced partner that you trust. And then have respect for them and their expertise.
#2. A lot of founders start with social media when they’re bootstrapping a brand - because it’s free, and it’s something they think can do themselves. This isn’t always the right move. If you don’t know what you’re doing, social be a huge time sink - which is the last thing a new founder needs. And, even more problematic, a poorly executed social presence can negatively impact brand perception. If you can’t afford to outsource it fully, I’d suggest at least spending a few hundred bucks on a consulting call to get some insight and ideas from an expert before you get started.
Can you share a little about any exciting launches coming up for Medbury / Content People?
Ooo. Well: We’re launching a Medbury Instagram soon. It might seem funny that a social agency put that off a little bit. But I know that when it launches, it’ll be a reflection of the work that we can do for clients. And good Instagram account takes A LOT of time. So we waited till we could really invest in it to pull the trigger. Working on that has been a really fun project, and I’m excited to share it with our clients and community once it’s up.
Where can consumers learn more about you / Medbury / Content People?
You can check out our website: Medburyagency.com. Or follow me here on LinkedIn. Or subscribe to our newsletter The Medbury Social Club. And, finally, check out
, our weekly podcast and newsletter, here. We talk to some really amazing people - beauty brand founders, social media experts, famous content creators and best-selling authors.