Sena Wheeler is the Co-founder of Sena Sea, which brings wild Alaskan fish to consumers’ doors. Specializing in quantifying omega-3s in fish and determining preferred handling practices for premium quality, she is passionate about sustainability and educating people about the brain-boosting benefits of wild fish. Sena has preserved a five-generation-long family fishing legacy.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
- [2:56] Sena Wheeler shares how she transitioned from food science to launching Sena Sea
- [9:42] How sustainability and traceability became core principles for Sena Sea
- [11:59] The importance of building an email list to communicate consistently with customers
- [16:50] Repurposing email content across social media and marketing channels
- [18:27] Sena Sea’s flexible seafood subscription service
- [21:11] How does Sena involve her children in the family business?
- [24:30] Advice for women launching a family business
In this episode...
Entrepreneurs often face the challenge of standing out in a competitive market, building customer trust, and maintaining a work-life balance. For those in traditional industries, adapting to modern business models while preserving authenticity can be a struggle. How can you leverage sustainability and best practices to compete in your industry?
Food science and nutrition expert Sena Wheeler tackles these challenges by drawing from her fishing heritage to build a thriving DTC seafood company. She emphasizes the importance of maintaining consistency during growth by building an email list to communicate regularly with customers. Sena also highlights the importance of sustainability in business practices and operations to ensure long-term growth. By leveraging her industry knowledge, focusing on transparency, and using efficient content strategies, she has built a niche business while maintaining flexibility for her family.
In this episode of the Lead Like a Woman Show, Sena Wheeler, the Co-founder of Sena Sea, joins Andrea Heuston to discuss how she turned a family fishing legacy into a modern, sustainable business. Sena shares how storytelling strengthens customer relationships, the impact of subscription services on retention, and the lessons she learned from growing up in a multi-generational fishing family.
Resources Mentioned in this episode:
Quotable Moments:
- “Sustainability isn’t just a buzzword for us; it’s the foundation of our business and a commitment to future generations of fishing families.”
- “I never set out to start a business, but when the opportunity aligned with my expertise, I knew I had to try.”
- “Consistency is everything; whether it’s email marketing, storytelling, or customer engagement, showing up regularly builds trust and long-term success.”
- Our mission is simple: make it easy for people to eat high-quality, sustainably caught seafood while understanding where their food comes from.”
- “I used to hate writing, but I realized that storytelling is the key to building a strong and loyal customer base.”
Action Steps:
- Build and nurture an email list: Communicating with customers consistently through email marketing fosters engagement, strengthens brand loyalty, and drives sales over time.
- Leverage storytelling in marketing: Sharing personal experiences and the story behind your business creates an emotional connection that resonates with customers and builds trust.
- Prioritize sustainability and transparency: Educating customers about sustainable sourcing and ethical business practices enhances credibility and sets your brand apart in competitive markets.
- Streamline content creation for efficiency: Repurposing email content into blog posts and social media updates saves time while maintaining a cohesive brand message across platforms.
- Embrace focus as a superpower: Identifying and concentrating on key priorities helps eliminate distractions, optimize decision-making, and drive meaningful business growth.
Sponsor for this episode…
This episode is brought to you by Artitudes Design by Andrea Heuston. Artitudes Design is an award-winning creative agency that has been creating visual communication for Fortune 500 companies for over 25 years. They have worked with notable companies such as Microsoft, Starbucks, Expedia, and have also served startups and nonprofit organizations.
They specialize in connecting speakers with audiences by creating visual value with presentations and through the creation of motion graphics, video, and content.
To learn more about Artitudes Design, visit their website today. Checkout their portfolio to see their previous projects, and contact them today to find out how they can help you bring your business a cut above the rest.