‘Illuminate’ interview with Kate Wood-Foye - Focus Magazine
The Guts, Grit and Groundwork of Remarkable Regional Entrepreneurs, Innovators, Leaders, and Game Changers.
Emma, you are regularly seen with a camera or iPhone in hand stealthily capturing the essence of corporate briefs or capturing the spirit of a community event or charity project to share with the world. Your creativity, passion, warmth and sense of fun connects and celebrates our community through the medium of social media. Who or what inspired your passion within you and to take on this journey and where did it all begin?
Back in my uni days, I loved creating yearly DVDs for friends, complete with cheesy music, star wipes, and Comic Sans font. This experience highlighted the incredible impact of visual storytelling.
A few years ago my friend and hairdresser suggested I explore leveraging those skills in a way that would allow me to balance work and time with my young family.
Given the strong sense of community in the Mid North Coast region, I saw an opportunity to use my skills to benefit local businesses through social media, which is essentially about 'building community.' I feel privileged to help these businesses share their stories.
Following a career at a suite of creative agencies in Inner Sydney, you and hubby Chris made Port Macquarie home with your two beautiful children. You have immersed yourself in many corporate and community initiatives including Port Macquarie Surf Life Saving Club, Ride the Wave and Heart of Courage to name just a few. What was the appeal of our coastal community and how did you find your place?
Each year I came to Port to support my parents in their Ironman pursuits, and one year found myself eyeing local real estate during their bike legs with my now-husband Chris (CJ). We discovered that a house in town was the same rent as our one-bedroom apartment in Sydney. Shortly after, we made the move, and within a month in 2013, we bought a house, got married, and welcomed our first child.
Recognising the challenge of making adult friends, we joined local groups, connecting with incredible people. This journey expanded with Gem Socials, where I use my business to showcase our friends' and community groups' stories on social media. Living in a region with constant innovation, I've witnessed groundbreaking businesses in and around Port Macquarie, solidifying my belief in being exactly where I should be. Being able to be a part of such an incredible community is a great feeling.
As a creative and business mind do you subscribe to a firm business plan or move more with energy and flow?
In our approach, we're big on using clear processes and frameworks. But social media can be pretty dynamic, so we're all about thinking on the fly when needed.
We aim to be like an extension of our clients' teams, working together collaboratively towards common goals. Personally, I started off thinking of myself as the business brain in a creative world. However, since launching my own business and building a team, I've kind of become this hybrid model. Now, I take pride in bringing on people with a mix of skills to cover all the bases. In this ever-changing business landscape, being good at 'going with the flow' is crucial. It's all about adapting to whatever comes our way and making the most of it.
How do you envision you would make an impact as a small business in a regional/coastal community?
Being hands-on, I untangle the social media puzzle for those finding it challenging. My goal is to simplify social media for businesses as its value grows.
Just five years ago, social media managers weren't a thing, but now they're a must-have for most businesses. Social media can be the glue that brings people together, supports in tough times, lifts spirits through challenges, and celebrates local heroes.
Working with resilient people in this region, I'm inspired by their mutual support. It's a privilege to be part of a community that strongly values connection and lifting each other up.
What has been your most effective tool/s or attribute/s as a business owner that has enabled you to bring Gem Socials to life and make a difference?
I pride myself on being a do-er, but I've also learned the importance of being a listener, especially in the dynamic realm of social media. It's a two-way street, and engaging with clients is vital for understanding their challenges and goals.
Being self-aware and genuine is a natural strength for me. I'm passionate about what we do at Gem, and while it may take a bit for it to resonate with some people, I believe in the value we bring to community groups and businesses in the region. Gaining traction, I've learned, comes from genuinely believing in what you put out there.
My hardworking team values flexibility, which I've found works best for us. Operating between Port Macquarie and Sydney, we adapt to the needs of our young families.
Creating an environment of flexibility is crucial for me. Valuing my team and their strengths, I've realised the key to managing is developing roles based on those strengths—finding what they're good at and passionate about and putting them in the right lane.
What has been your greatest challenge and greatest achievement during your time as a business owner?
Navigating client expectations is challenging. With new platforms emerging, staying on top of changes and communicating these to our clients is crucial.
The key lesson: back yourself. Inspired by women in the region, I've learned to recognise my value and balance business and family successfully.
A major win for us was the 2023 Ride the Wave Festival, injecting $2 million into the local economy. Social media played a key role, driving 30K hits to the website and increasing ticket sales tenfold from the previous year—a standout moment for our team.
You have a flair and passion for digital storytelling and we can regularly see you adding some cheeky down to earth fun and themes to your projects - is there a particular project or event that stands out in your mind as a game changer for you?
Artwalk was crucial for our business—we shared local artists' stories and captured the event excitement, garnering amazing community feedback.
Pop-up events with Port Fresh Seafoods, like fish taco cooking for Barramundi Day and prawn peeling for National Prawn Day, were a hit. Our 'live feeds' from the lobster tank, including lobster yoga, went well in the early days of Instagram reels.
While numbers don't tell the whole story in a regional town like Port, our impact runs deeper. Currently, we're deep into filming a cheeky awareness campaign for koala road safety with the Council—stay tuned!
How instrumental have sages and critics been in your evolution of your career/business ? What is the most valuable lesson they taught you?
Our connection to the local creative network is invaluable for us. Regularly, we dip into this well of creativity, exchanging experiences and insights within the industry. These interactions have been absolute game-changers on my journey.
The most valuable lesson I’ve learned has been to ask for help and utilise the strengths of others in the local creative network, which have been instrumental in our growth. We've figured out what we excel at and where our true value lies. There was a phase when we attempted to do it all, but let me tell you, that strategy didn't quite cut it for us. Now, embracing the power of collaboration, we're in a much better place.
You have curated a collab of passionate and fun creatives to deliver on the Gem Socials projects – how important is this creative community to the success of the business?
Ensuring fair recognition and compensation for photographers and creatives is non-negotiable for us. We credit every collaborator, emphasising their crucial role to clients.
Creative work isn't fair game; we advocate for intellectual property protection. 'Exposure' doesn't pay bills, and assuming content usage is a favour is a misconception. It's about respecting others' value and ensuring fair compensation.
This commitment shapes Gem's industry reputation, fostering reciprocal respect. In an industry where free services are often pressured, we're changing perceptions as social media's importance grows.
In a regional context, referrals are key. Crafting a positive impact in the local creative network ensures our work circles back through mutual support.
As a business owner, a creative network provides invaluable support, easing the isolation of entrepreneurship by sharing highs and lows.
