This week on Own It we’re talking to Meranne Behrends from Words From The Woods. She is a strategist and started Words From The Woods in Portland, Maine, almost nine years ago. Her resume is full of leading strategy and planning for major brands dating back to the mid-2000s. She worked her way through Deutsch / Lowe, Wieden + Kennedy, The VIA Agency and MullenLowe among others.
She spent six years freelancing before formalizing Words From The Woods in 2018..
We loved her perspective as an owner, her stories of being outdoorsy and her brother who she claimed was the better artist. This was such a fun chat. You’ll enjoy getting to know her.
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Meranne highlights the importance of not just doing things differently for the sake of it, but seeking new ways to solve problems and innovate, drawing from her childhood experiences of trying to out-perform her artist brother by finding unique approaches. This concept is integrated into her agency's culture, challenging conventional methods and processes in advertising.
A pivotal conversation with a former boss taught Meranne that every aspect of one's professional and personal life is a choice. This perspective emphasizes taking ownership of decisions, understanding the sacrifices involved, and structuring life to align with personal values, rather than feeling like a victim of circumstances.
Words From The Woods intentionally maintains a 50/50 split between local/regional and national/global clients. This strategy allows the agency to stay connected to its community and drive local economic growth while simultaneously gaining diverse perspectives and challenges from larger accounts, which in turn enhances the value they can offer all clients.
Meranne advises aspiring owners to embrace the unknown and not let a lack of certainty hinder them. She emphasizes the importance of diverse mentorship, encouraging individuals to be vulnerable and seek help from multiple mentors for different aspects of business and life. This approach counters the idea of needing to be an expert in everything and fosters learning and growth.
