Get to know our founder, Haley Dagan, on her journey from corporate America to entrepreneur. A native New Yorker, Haley traded in icy winters for Florida’s warm sunshine when her academic pursuits led her to the University of Florida.
Haley’s recently shared her journey during a conversation with Felena Hanson of the Flight Club Podcast, where we learned more about her educational achievements, professional experiences, and transformative life events, all of which contributed to the establishment of The Written World.
For the Love of Writing
Haley always had a passion for writing, even writing poems and short stories as a young girl. In high school, she was the editor-in-chief of her school newspaper. She applied to colleges that could help grow her love for writing with a journalism and public relations program.
Haley ultimately chose the University of Florida in Gainesville for her undergraduate degree in public relations and a graduate degree in business management. Some key experiences for her included internships in marketing, communications, and public relations to really dip her toes into these fields.
Corporate Career to Entrepreneur
Right out of college, Haley’s first job was as a sales representative for the Hershey Company. She grew her confidence in this position and eventually moved on to work for the W Hotel in Fort Lauderdale in their marketing department. This gave her the opportunity to work in every aspect of marketing, from events to influencer management and public relations.
Haley always envisioned herself staying in corporate America for the rest of her career. Then the pandemic happened, and she was laid off in 2020. This was where she decided to revisit her side hustle/passion project she started back in 2018: The Written World. Fast forward a few years later, and she’s running a successful content creation agency that includes six members on her team.
Looking Toward Growth in the Future
Initially, Haley single-handedly managed every client that came her way. However, as her client base began to grow, she found herself having to either decline new clients or delay their projects. It was at this juncture that she recognized the necessity to scale up and create the formidable team that exists today.
As for her plans for the future, Haley is eager to broaden the spectrum of services offered by The Written World! With the aim of providing businesses and creative service agencies with comprehensive solutions for growth. In line with fostering growth in other businesses, she has grand plans for her own company’s expansion. These include enlarging her team and securing office space, which would serve as a collaborative co-working environment.
Key Takeaways:
As we wrap up Haley’s story, let’s dive into some key advice and takeaways she’s got to share from her journey from corporate America, to solopreneur, to agency owner.
- Internships are crucial to figuring out which field you ultimately want to work in.
- If you want to build your confidence, get a job in sales to learn how to deal with objections.
- Even if you never anticipated being a business owner or entrepreneur, you won’t know how it’ll pan out unless you just go for it.
- Trying something different in your career can help you discover your true passions.
- Start with small steps to create the bigger picture of your business.
- Content is what’s needed to drive goals, not just marketing goals, but drive business goals.
- No matter what industry you’re in, hone in on producing purpose-driven content that connects with your audience.
- Once you captivate your audience, you can convert them to whatever action you want them to do.
Listen to the full conversation on the Flight Club Podcast with Felena Hanson, April 20, 2023 Episode.
