We had the good fortune of connecting with Kate Ishay Kelsey Parks and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Kate Ishay, what do you attribute your success to?
We are nothing without our team. We recognize that our team members drive our achievements, and we prioritize their growth, development, and well-being. We work hard to foster a culture of continuous learning and balance. We cultivate a supportive, collaborative environment that encourages open communication, idea-sharing, and teamwork.
There is a lot of talk these days about AI and if it will replace human marketers. We don’t think it will because that authentic human touch is the secret sauce that makes marketing and branding truly powerful. Don’t get me wrong there is a place for AI and we are fully embracing it in our workflow to make optimize processes, but when you talk about authentic story telling, which is the core of what we do at Psyche Digital, it’s driven by people. By investing in our people, we are investing in our future success.
Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We are a full-service marketing and branding agency that works with funded startups and investor-facing organizations to develop their brand, build beautiful and tactical websites, and drive meaningful marketing results that support the bottom line. We opened our agency in the height of the pandemic after recognizing that we had a passion for helping innovators and market disrupters compete with the business goliaths (think Amazon, Walmart, etc). Great ideas shouldn’t be limited by a company’s ability to market themselves, so we step in to make world-class marketing available to businesses of all sizes.
Before opening Psyche Digital Kelsey and I worked for an investor marketing firm based in Toronto. Our job was to help companies preparing to list on the US or Canadian stock exchange create assets (websites, brands, and marketing campaigns) that would attract investors. We learned a lot about how these businesses made it happen, but we also realized that it wasn’t always good people or the best ideas that were successful. Often times success was based on how much money a company had available to throw at marketing their product to investors and customers.
We made the decision to open our own doors in 2021 and support businesses with amazing ideas that are rooted in their communities. We support the whole-hearted entrepreneur that is working hard to bring their idea to life and support the communities they live in.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Definitely check out EsoTerra Ciderworks (either the Durango or Dolores location) for great artisanal cider, AMAZING food and the best atmosphere. We are big coffee shop people, so I highly recommend checking out 81301 for a quick coffee to go or Taste Coffee at Lola’s place on second ave for a great place to hangout. In terms of activities, you have to to check out the trails (hike, bike, run) My personal favorite for an in town trail would be Skyline – get to the top of the ridge and soak in the view. A trip to Durango isn’t complete without some river time, so make sure to spend some time on the banks of the Animas (4Corners Riversports is the place to go if you need anything for the river). Grab dinner at Gazpachos for a great green chili cheese burger or some New Mexican fair!
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people that have helped us get where we are. 1) Janet Curry with Stillpointmindfulness.org who was our very first client and trusted us before anyone else. 2) Elizabeth Philbrook with EsoTerra Ciderworks who is a constant cheerleader and supporter of businesses in the area 3)Eric & Ben Nelson with Wild Oak Capital who continue to invest in our support and allow us to collaborate with them and try new things to tell their story. 4)S.C.A.P.E. (Southwest Colorado Accelerator Program For Entrepreneurs) who connects us with the innovators that we are most excited to serve!
Website: Psychedigital.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/psychedigitalmarketing/
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/kate-ishay-18356972
Image Credits
Ri Ganey