Dena Enos is the Founder and CEO of StrongHouse, a strategic marketing consulting firm that transforms organizational growth and talent development. With over 15 years of senior leadership experience, she has led global teams in customer acquisition, brand marketing, and analytics, having served as Vice President of Traffic Acquisition and Revenue Management at TripAdvisor and CMO at Hopper. Dena was also part of the original startup teams for OneTime and VirtualTourist, both acquired by Expedia in 2008.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
- [2:49] Why Dena Enos left corporate marketing to start StrongHouse
- [6:20] Dena describes the resilience and mindset shift she adopted when building her agency
- [10:26] How Dena built a sustainable business model around her values
- [15:05] The three key aspects of an optimized marketing strategy
- [21:29] Tips for breaking through the noise in marketing
- [22:34] Encouraging collaboration between marketing and other departments
- [26:25] How women can launch sustainable businesses
In this episode...
Many professionals struggle to balance their career ambitions with a deeper sense of purpose, often feeling disconnected from the impact they want to make. How can women entrepreneurs create a business model that aligns with their personal values?
Marketing expert Dena Enos built a mission-driven business that bridges her professional expertise with her passion for social impact. She advises leveraging your existing skills to make a broader impact and maintaining authenticity and empathy in your marketing efforts. Through optimized marketing, businesses can focus on specific channels and create authentic and empathetic messaging to build trust and foster genuine connections.
Tune in to this episode of the Lead Like a Woman Show as Andrea Heuston chats with Dena Enos, the Founder and CEO of StrongHouse, about aligning personal and professional endeavors. Dena discusses the importance of values-based leadership, strategies for optimizing marketing efforts, and how resilience shaped her entrepreneurial journey.
Quotable Moments:
- “Marketing is the connective tissue of a company — it should champion the customer and unify every department.”
- “Empathy in marketing means stepping into your customer’s shoes and delivering what truly resonates with them.”
- “Success isn’t just about profit; it’s about aligning your work with purpose and making a broader impact.”
- “Optimized marketing isn’t being everywhere — it’s being in the right place with the right message.”
- “Resilience in business means showing up for yourself, taking risks, and trusting the process.”
Action Steps:
- Prioritize empathy in marketing messaging: Understanding your customer’s emotions and needs allows you to craft messages that truly resonate. This builds trust and connection, making your brand more impactful and memorable.
- Focus on fewer, high-impact marketing channels: Instead of spreading resources thin, choose platforms where your audience is most engaged. Mastering a few channels ensures deeper relationships and better returns on investment.
- Align business growth with social impact: Integrating purpose-driven initiatives into your company creates a meaningful connection with customers and employees. Businesses that give back foster loyalty, brand differentiation, and long-term success.
- Build strong cross-departmental collaboration: Marketing should act as the “connective tissue” between teams, ensuring a unified brand message. When departments align, customer experiences improve, and business efficiency increases.
- Lead with kindness and authenticity: Customers and colleagues respond to genuine interactions and purpose-driven leadership. A culture of kindness fosters trust, long-term partnerships, and a more resilient business.
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