Megan Kennedy On Keeping Heart At The Core Of Rogue Heart Media’s Work
Megan Kennedy is a values-driven creative business owner and founder of Rogue Heart Media, "producers of impactful, authentic, and creative nonfiction media for a variety of organizations in Spokane." This summer Megan welcomed us into her vibrant studio where we discussed her business inspirations, why she chose to become a B-Corp, and how she conquered the challenges of networking—also maybe the best advice ever.
You have a mantra on the wall, “Media that Makes a Difference.” tell us about that.
It’s at the very core of what we do and what I want to constantly be thinking of—serving folks who need storytellers. I feel driven by the purpose of helping others find their voice and giving them the joy of seeing their story shared in a way that resonates and that is purely genuine. I love finding ways to make sure that heart is there and that it truly reflects whomever the ultimate storyteller is.
There’s that component of the commitment to authenticity, but also, how can we further walk alongside our client partners to make sure their mission is deepened in the community? Not just by further audience reach, but as often as we can, by further action. What can we do more holistically or through some other depth of creative thinking or content development strategy? It’s part of why we can only work with clients we genuinely care about. It can be really deep work and a lot of fun too.
Do you have any hard lines where you say “no, that’s not my game” or “nope, that’s not for me?”
Well, I will say we’re a heavily values-driven business. We are B Corp certified and we have a defined social purpose. So, there are industries that if they called me up, I wouldn’t want to do that work. We zero in on the term “creative nonfiction.” If you have a deeper, human driven narrative story, then we’re your people. In general, we tend to lean more toward government, nonprofit, those with social marketing objectives where they’re really focusing on awareness, impact, behavior change, etc.
Tell us about the B Corp and why you chose that.
It was really important to me when I learned about the B Corp community to figure out how to get involved because it models a different way of doing business. It provides standards and a kind of framework for accountability, or how you can lower the negative impact of running a business. You center your governance and structure around what’s best for the employees that you do business with, for the community that you do business within, and the planet and resources with which you couldn’t function without. It’s an exciting community to engage in and just to learn from through the process of certifying, which was very challenging.
It was about two years of work to just get through the assessment and finally get the application. And we scored very well, which was great. We’re in the re-certifying process right now. Every three years you have to go through it all again. And they’re rewriting all of their standards, so there’s never a dull moment.
Is networking easy for you?
You know, the key, at least for my story, has always been to be one of the helpers. When I joined Executive Women International, it was terrifying because the membership was all bankers, a lot of CEOs, heads of manufacturing, etc. It’s the movers and shakers and powerhouses; it’s a way cool group. But, I had the luck that, when I joined, their historian was out on maternity leave and I was like, I take pictures, I know I can do that! And, what better way to meet everyone in the membership than to wander around and get their picture to document the meetings? It helped me to very quickly be noticeable, and hopefully, memorable in a good way.
I still have a lot of people who remember me and want to sit with me at events. There’s genuine care there. I learned how to be a mom juggling work alongside fellow women who were experiencing the same season, as well as from those who were retiring and remembered that season and could offer guidance and advice, and at times referrals. That’s a beautiful thing, when you really believe in the depth of somebody’s character and you know they won’t let you down because you have this strong tie. Then they’re willing to take a risk and send an opportunity your way. I had multiple, kind of unbelievable, opportunities that came while I was still operating my business out of my home with a baby on my lap. Like, it can happen. And it starts with that human connection and that trust. We need to stop being so sheepish and ashamed of having multiple layers to our lives and just own it. And give others permission to show up as their whole selves too.
In those early years, how did you know that you needed to slow down? That this is “the bite-size that I can do right now?”
I think one of the most important lessons I learned was that it’s not just work life balance. It’s about finding an integration that’s right for you, and, intentionally growing only so much that you can accommodate the balance that you actually want to be happy. I feel like there’s a lot of people right now suffering from burnout. It’s hard to watch, and it’s hard to protect yourself from that. I think it’s important to not believe what everyone talks about with scale, scale, scale. I do feel like there’s a right-fitted growth path. So it’s going to look different for different people. And you’re not failing just because you’re a sole proprietor and you’re not failing just because you don't want to have five or 12 employees. There is room to be whatever size feels right to you.
Looking back on where you’ve been, what advice would you give yourself when you started?
Trust yourself. I wish I had learned to trust myself earlier. And, maybe that’s unfair to say because I learned a lot of important lessons, so I’m here wiser than I was at the beginning. Knowing to trust yourself and take the leap is important. But also knowing when to say no. Having trust that you don’t have to say yes to something that compromises your values, or that will overstretch you, or will compromise your personal relationships and family.
Oh, and I think the best advice I ever got was “stop asking permission.” After my husband exited the business in 2019, I was struggling to find that self-permission. I was the leader and the buck stopped with me. You need to have confidence and find your own vision. So, when my coach told me to stop asking permission, it changed my life.
