After several years leading the marketing departments of fintech companies in the Philly area, Kelly Waltrich felt there was room for a growth engine consultancy within the space.
She had spent a large part of her career working internally at companies, incl e-money advisor and Orionbut when the pandemic hit, she did some soul searching.
“Like everyone else, I asked myself, what do I want to do next?” she said.
She and partner Meghan Richter aimed to bring a “more modern” approach to marketing and growth in financial services, which as an industry tends to move slowly, Waltrich said. In May 2021, they launched Intention.lywhich builds inbound marketing engines and inquiry channels for fintech clients.
The company builds frameworks, technology, advertising plans, marketing automation and digital marketing strategies for financial institutions to bring in new customers. Intention.ly’s customers include legacy institutions, asset managers and consultancies, as well as small, early-stage fintech startups, Waltrich said. And Intention.ly builds customized solutions for the needs of each client, so there is no one-size-fits-all package.
“We connect the dots for companies that otherwise couldn’t do it themselves.”
Waltrich recently outgrew the living room turned home office, and is opening a location in King of Prussia on Friday. She aimed for a place where she can meet clients, and build out a studio as the company often creates digital content, videos and podcasts for clients. She has also recruited several of her current employees from eMoney and Orion, and while management won’t create an official office work policy, she believes people will use the space from home to work.
“We like to see each other,” Waltrich said. “We won’t go in every day, but it will be nice to reconnect and work together.”
Although she has experience in the space, Waltrich said she is learning a lot as a first-time entrepreneur. She emphasized that employment has been “even more important” when you work for yourself. She and co-founder Richter have aimed to build a “strong foundation” with their team of 15 full-time employees and several contractors and freelancers. The company is currently suspended.
She has learned that outsourcing can be an attractive option for companies facing an economic downturn, and Intention.ly’s services have helped fill some marketing gaps that companies may not want to hire themselves.
“What I came to realize is that there are a few very large firms in financial services that have budgets to be everywhere and loud,” Waltrich said. “And all these amazing companies that don’t have a voice, they’re focused on building software or building customers. We’re connecting the dots for companies that otherwise couldn’t do it themselves.”
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