Introduction to Stacie Proctor

Stacie Proctor is the Founder & CEO of Gathrd, a marketing agency working with socially conscious brands and America’s largest digital publishing companies as a strategic partner in growth. In the last 4 years she has built a network of over 17,000 brands, worked with over 800 brands, created campaigns with over 170 million impressions, acquired over 1.7 million email subscribers and grown multi-channel for hundreds of brands across social media, website and print.

Stacie is not just a business woman; she’s also a wife, mother and recent recipient of the 2024 Utah Business Forty Under 40 award. She is currently Mrs. Vineyard in Utah. With her personal mission “It Takes a Village: Restoring Community & Connection Through Collaboration” Stacie is working collaboratively in families, religion, politics and business to create more well being in Utah and the nation.

Table of Contents

• Who is Stacie Proctor?
• Current Projects That Excite Stacie
• Tactical and Strategic Sweepstakes Advice from Stacie
• Where Does Stacie See the Future Going in Digital Marketing?
• How to Get in Contact with Stacie
• Additional Insights from Stacie
• Advice to Her Younger Self
• Books, Podcasts, and Leaders That Inspire Stacie
• Conclusion

Who is Stacie Proctor?

Early Life and Challenges

Stacie’s journey to success is a story of resilience and flexibility. She faced many challenges growing up that has made her who she is today:

• Her parents divorced when she was 18 months old and remarried multiple times.
• She changed schools 16 times by 10th grade, moving coast to coast.
• Her family struggled financially and often lived in poverty.

Despite all of this Stacie learned:

1. The power of community: Everywhere they went they found people willing to help and support them.
2. Adaptability: Constantly changing environments taught her to quickly adapt and reinvent herself.

Creative Problem Solving

Stacie’s creative problem solving skills showed up early in life. She shared a story about living in a one bedroom apartment with her mom and aunt during her teenage years. She wanted her own space so she turned a small hot water heater closet into her bedroom. She was afraid of the dark so she rigged up a DIY light switch system using thumbtacks, string and a keychain and called it her “thing-a-ma-bobber”.

Early Leadership and Entrepreneurship

In 5th grade Stacie was elected student body president. When the school couldn’t afford a new playground she and her friends took matters into their own hands:

• They proposed starting a school store to raise funds.
• Stacie curated products that students would love: cool stickers, erasers and colorful paper.
• With the help of parents and the school’s support they raised enough money to buy a new playground in a few months.

This taught Stacie about collaboration and creative problem solving.

Educational Journey and Early Career

Stacie’s journey to success wasn’t always easy:

• She did well in high school especially in speech and drama.
• Wanted to perform on Broadway.
• Struggled in college due to lack of support and preparation.
• Flunked out after the first year and went on academic probation.

After this setback Stacie:

• Took a break from college to work and figure out her path.
• Went to massage therapy school to learn a practical skill.
• Worked as a live in nanny to support herself while studying.

Finding Her Passion

Stacie’s career took a turn when she combined her massage therapy skills with part time modeling:

• While working as a spokes model for a Nevada resort she impressed the owners with her ideas for their new spa.
• At 21-22 years old she was offered the opportunity to run their spa initiative.
• This taught her about business operations and management.

Current Projects That Excite Stacie

Gathrd: A Digital Marketing Agency

Stacie is currently the founder and CEO of Gathrd, a digital marketing agency specializing in co-branded sweepstakes. Now in its fifth year, Gathrd has achieved remarkable success:

• Worked with numerous high-profile brands
• Profitable since day one
• Operates on a lifestyle business model, allowing Stacie to work 15-20 hours per week

Focus on Relationships and Team Development

What excites Stacie most about her current work is the emphasis on relationships:

• She prioritizes creating a great internal business culture.
• Focuses on the personal lives and professional development of team members.
• Aims to build a human-centered business where people matter.

Flexible Work Environment

Gathrd operates with a unique approach to work:

• Fully remote team after initially having a physical co-working space
• Results-oriented projects and compensation
• High degree of autonomy and flexibility for team members
• Encourages travel and personal time off

Client Relationships

Stacie remains heavily involved in key moments with clients:

• Participates in campaign kickoffs and follow-ups
• Takes client trips to build personal connections
• Focuses on creating meaningful relationships beyond just business transactions

Tactical and Strategic Sweepstakes Advice from Stacie

Understanding Co-Branded Sweepstakes

Stacie explains the concept and benefits of co-branded sweepstakes:

• Brings together groups of brands with shared target audiences
• Creates a valuable prize package from multiple brands’ products or services
• All participating brands promote the giveaway to their audiences
• Entrants provide email addresses and other contact information
• Campaigns are optimized for various goals: social growth, SMS acquisition, website traffic, etc.

Why Sweepstakes Are Effective

Stacie highlights the power of sweepstakes as a marketing tool:

• Addresses the common challenge of distribution for businesses
• Offers a faster alternative to organic growth
• More cost-effective than paid advertising for audience building
• Allows businesses to tap into existing audiences of partner brands

Key Statistics

Gathrd’s sweepstakes campaigns have impressive results:

• Average campaign acquires 15,000+ new emails
• Some campaigns have reached up to 40,000 new emails
• Even niche campaigns typically see 8,000-10,000 new entries

The Art and Science of Sweepstakes

Stacie emphasizes that running successful sweepstakes campaigns requires both creativity and strategic thinking:

• Careful selection of partner brands
• Creating an enticing prize package
• Optimizing the campaign for multiple growth channels
• Balancing legal requirements with marketing goals

Maximizing the Value of Sweepstakes

Stacie offers advice on how to get the most out of sweepstakes campaigns:

1. Triple-dip on resources: Use a single campaign to drive growth across multiple channels (email, SMS, social media, app downloads, etc.)
2. Leverage partner promotions: The power of the campaign comes from partners promoting to their existing audiences
3. Focus on email acquisition: While social media growth is good, email lists provide more direct and reliable communication

The Importance of Nurturing Acquired Leads

Stacie cautions against building a large email list without a plan to nurture and convert:

• Ensure you have a basic welcome sequence in place
• Develop a strategy for ongoing nurture and conversion
• Consider outsourcing or hiring for these capabilities if needed

DIY Sweepstakes Tips

For businesses not ready to hire an agency, Stacie offers some advice:

• Consider taking an online course to learn the basics of running sweepstakes
• Be prepared for the time and effort required to run a high-performance campaign
• Focus on email or SMS acquisition rather than just social media follows
• Partner with complementary brands, even if you’re the smallest participant
• Be willing to put in the work to organize the campaign for mutual benefit

Where Does Stacie See the Future Going in Digital Marketing?

Trend and Countertrend Analysis

Stacie uses a strategic thinking approach called “trend countertrend” to predict future developments:

• Identify major trends in the industry
• Look for potential countertrends or outgrowths that may emerge

Current Trends and Emerging Countertrends

1. Information Overload
• Trend: People are bombarded with notifications and have short attention spans
• Countertrend: Growing desire for minimalistic relationships with technology
2. Desire for Personalization
• Trend: Mass marketing and broad-based campaigns
• Countertrend: People seeking filtered, relevant content delivered on their terms
3. Digital Fatigue
• Trend: Increasing time spent in digital spaces
• Countertrend: Yearning for real-life connections and experiences

Future-Focused Strategies

Based on these observations, Stacie recommends the following strategies for the future:

1. Enhanced Segmentation
• Allow customers to tell you what they want to hear and when
• Serve up highly personalized content based on preferences
2. Improved Listening and Responsiveness
• Make customers feel seen and known by your business
• Adapt your communication based on customer feedback
3. Focus on Connection and Inspiration
• Create content and experiences that feel connective and inspiring
• Look for ways to bring digital communities together in real life
4. Blend Digital and Physical Experiences
• Consider in-person events or meetups for digital customer bases
• Create opportunities for face-to-face interactions to complement online relationships
5. Empower Customers to Filter Content
• Provide easy ways for customers to customize their experience with your brand
• Respect preferences and make it simple to opt-out of unwanted communications

The Importance of Adaptability

Stacie emphasizes the need for businesses to embrace change and maintain an adventure mindset:

• Be prepared to pivot strategies as the digital landscape evolves
• View changes as opportunities rather than obstacles
• Continuously learn and adapt to new technologies and consumer preferences

How to Get in Contact with Stacie

For those interested in connecting with Stacie or learning more about her work, she offers the following contact information:

1. Instagram: @stacieproctor
2. LinkedIn: Send a connection request and message

Stacie welcomes connections and enjoys hearing people’s stories. She’s open to making new connections and potentially collaborating with others in the digital marketing space.

Additional Insights from Stacie

Work-Life Balance and Personal Growth

Stacie’s approach to business reflects her commitment to personal growth and balance:

• She structures her work to support her role as a mother and community leader
• Encourages her team to pursue personal interests and maintain work-life balance
• Believes in the importance of building a business that aligns with personal values

Continuous Learning and Inspiration

Stacie shared some of her favorite resources for ongoing learning and inspiration:

• Masterclass: She uses these courses as motivation for working out
• Books: She typically reads multiple books simultaneously, covering topics like fiction, parenting, self-help, and business
• Recommended reading: “Platform Revolution” for understanding digital platforms

Shaping the Future of Business

Stacie emphasizes the responsibility current business leaders have in shaping the future:

• Considers how current business practices will impact the next generation
• Strives to create a positive, health-promoting, and impactful business environment
• Encourages other leaders to think about the long-term effects of their business decisions

Advice to Her Younger Self

When asked what advice she would give to her younger self, Stacie Proctor emphasized:

“Enjoy the ride.”

She elaborated on this advice:

• Embrace change instead of fighting against it
• Navigate changes gracefully, especially in a constantly evolving digital world
• Approach life and business with an adventure mindset
• Recognize that even the best-laid plans can change
• Avoid exhaustion and burnout by not trying to control everything

Stacie believes that seeing life through an adventure mindset can make it more enjoyable, particularly when facing the constant changes in the digital world and business landscape.

Books, Podcasts, and Leaders That Inspire Stacie

Stacie shared several sources of inspiration and learning:

1. Masterclass
• She uses Masterclass as motivation for working out
• Recently listened to a class on improving, which she found relevant to both life and business
2. Jay Shetty
• Stacie mentioned being a fan of Jay Shetty, appreciating his approach to groundedness
3. Books
• Stacie typically has about five books on her nightstand at any given time, covering various genres:
• Fiction
• Parenting
• Self-help
• Business
4. “Platform Revolution”
• While it’s a bit older, Stacie really enjoyed this book
• It dives into understanding digital platforms and how they function, which she found fascinating

Stacie emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and drawing inspiration from various sources to inform both personal life and business practices. Her diverse reading habits reflect her holistic approach to personal and professional development.

Conclusion

Stacie Proctor’s journey from a challenging childhood to becoming a successful entrepreneur and digital marketing innovator is both inspiring and instructive. Her approach to business, which emphasizes human connections, adaptability, and innovative problem-solving, offers valuable insights for anyone looking to succeed in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Through her work with Gathrd and her focus on co-branded sweepstakes, Stacie has demonstrated the power of collaboration and strategic partnerships in driving growth. Her forward-thinking approach to digital marketing, which anticipates future trends and countertrends, provides a roadmap for businesses looking to stay ahead in an increasingly competitive market.

As the digital world continues to evolve, Stacie’s emphasis on balancing technology with human connection, personalization, and real-life experiences offers a compelling vision for the future of marketing and business. By following her advice and embracing an adventurous, adaptable mindset, entrepreneurs and marketers can position themselves for success in the years to come.