We had the good fortune of connecting with Anne DiVitto (Word Out Influence) and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Anne, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?

Why do most people start their own businesses? To be their own boss. To spend their days on something meaningful. To get out of a soul-sucking cubicle of a major corporation.

There are so many reasons, and I am no different! After 19 years in corporate information technology positions, I realized I needed a change to feel fulfilled. The bureaucracy, the endless meetings, the tone-deaf leadership…the list goes on and on. After going through a significant personal loss, I stepped away from my full-time, well-paid position in healthcare information technology to focus on my family. People make some decisions to retain their sanity, and for me, this is one of them.

As I considered how to re-enter the workforce, the thought of going back into the “rat race” just felt impossible. Additionally, after spending so many years as an employee, I wanted to take control of my work. This meant a 360-degree pivot away from the industry I had so much experience in…to an industry where I would be starting at the bottom – digital marketing. To jumpstart this new journey, I joined networking groups and began meeting people. I created business cards and gave myself the title of “contractor.” I spent many of my own dollars and many hours on self-paced online training to learn the marketing industry.

This brought me to a place of a big life change. Including more remote work as a marketing contractor, an opportunity came to buy a turn-key business, where all of the pieces and parts had been completed to operate but were not established for long enough to make the price tag too expensive. I’m learning as I go but so far, being a business owner is great!

What should our readers know about your business?

Word Out Influence was born from the need to create an easy way for the small businesses in my local West Michigan area to connect with the talented local influencers and creators looking for opportunities.

Word Out was originally founded by a local photographer and social media coach who also has experience as an influencer. When I had the opportunity to purchase Word Out Influence and run with it, I jumped in head first!

Since I have and influencer account of my own, Grand Rapids Girl, which gave me experience in partnering with businesses as an influencer, as well as running social media and marketing campaigns for clients, I know we are uniquely positioned to make those connections and walk both brands and creators through successful partnerships.

I know what it takes on social media for a brand to succeed, I know that influencer marketing is the fastest growing marketing method, and I know what successful campaigns look like from the inside out. I also know how to find legitimate creators who will put in WORK to make a campaign successful for their brand partners in the haystack of people who just want freebies.

My desire is to create opportunities for up-and-coming and established influencer creators, while simultaneously helping local brands of all sizes (but especially the small ones) grow and exceed their potential.

Basically, we’re here to help businesses get the word out!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Really, all you have to do is visit our Instagram account @grand.rapids.girl or other local influencer accounts to see what’s going on in the city. The truth is, there are so many great places around town to visit – many that are not even featured on our account! (not on purpose!) If I had a guest here in Grand Rapids, I would first book them for a stay at The Amway Grand Plaza hotel which has a rich history in our downtown skyline. There are many restaurants inside the hotel, as well as shopping, a full spa, and all the amenities one would think a great hotel provides! Then I would send people out on the downtown area! Stroll up and down and around Monroe Center and find any number of restaurants and shops to duck into. Looking for entertainment? You don’t need to look far, because there is an event just about every night happening at the VanAndel Arena, 20 Monroe, as well as the GRAM (art museum). If the weather’s nice enough, take a stroll along the river for beautiful views of the water and surrounding city scape. New areas are blooming on the “west side” but don’t forget about the “east side” if you head “up the hill” and hit Uptown and Eastown neighborhoods. I could go on, but you’ll just have to come and visit to find out for yourself!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
In life, it’s impossible to go the journey alone. We’re just not built that way. When I left my 9-to-5 I was left with a blank space of time that used to be filled with professionals, adults and critical thinking. I was home full time with my kids but I immediately felt the need to satisfy my professional creativity. I thought to myself, I need to have my own business so I can manage my own time. I was running late all the time and just could not manage living on someone else’s watch. Of course I want to shoutout my family for supporting my exit from the corporate workforce. Without them it would not be possible! After that, there’s been many people along the way who were and still are part of my daily work-life. Thanks to the business networkers out there, of which I wouldn’t have met Joanna of Green Cup Digital to give me my first contractor job! Credit certainly goes to my friend and co-influencer Sue at GR Merch Girl, for helping me grow influencer account Grand Rapids Girl to a point of naturally merging my online marketing work with an influencer marketing agency. Thanks to Aly, the former owner of Word Out Influence, whom if I hadn’t have met and began “influencing with” I wouldn’t have pitched the idea of buying her business and running with it!

Website: www.wordoutinfluence.com | www.grandrapidsgirl.com

Instagram: @grand.rapids.girl | @wordoutinfluence

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annedivitto/

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutMichigan is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.