Hailey Brooke McFadden

Wake Forest University Business School

Hometown: Holly Springs, NC

Fun Fact About Yourself: I played four years of Varsity Volleyball at WFU!

Undergraduate School and Major / Degree programme: Com major with a minor in film and media aesthetics

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your life so far: Playing volleyball at WFU or starting Power Move Marketing

Was entrepreneurship always your career goal? Not at all. When I committed to WFU, I thought I would do pre-law but after taking a law-related class during my freshman year, I did not feel very interested in it. I majored in Com because you can do almost any career with a Com degree and I got my masters to build my business acumen!

What led you to pursue a business Masters at this point in your personal development? I did not really have any of the quantitative abilities one would need in business and wanted to build on them!

How did you decide if a MiM was worth the investment? The first week I felt like I learned more than high school and college combined! I was learning valuable knowledge about every facet of business which was very worth the investment to me. Without this program, I also never would have had the confidence to start my own business (thanks Prof. Kenny Herbst for the push!).

What was the key factor that led you to choose the MiM at Wake Forest and why was it so important to you? It is an incredible program and I bleed black and gold! I attended WFU undergrad and when I had the opportunity to get into a program at WFU without any assistance from sports I felt very accomplished!

What quality best describes your classmates? Smart and friendly. Everyone was always so willing to help each other.

Tell me about your venture: I started a digital marketing and consulting agency called Power Move Marketing. We are the one-stop-shop for your social media, email, refferal program, ad management, content creation needs, and more!

How has your business school experience helped you in creating and launching your business? Not only did the MSM program sharpen my skills particularly in marketing, but it built up my overall understanding of all business so that I have been able to plug into companies at the top level to increase revenue more so than a traditional marketing company.

What is the biggest/most important lesson you have learned during your studies? YOU CAN LEARN NEW THINGS! Yes, you! Yes, even THAT thing! I had not taken a math class since my junior year of high school (I did scheduling gymnastics in college to avoid any math or stats) and I had to take business analytics, finance, and accounting in my program! I had to work really hard but it was so worth it because not only did I learn new things, but I learned that even I can learn math and become proficient!

What are the next steps for you / your entrepreneurial venture? Keep expanding! I already have a few employees, but I would love to keep building the (all-female) team!

Where do you see yourself in five years? I’d like to basically be in the exact same place but scaled even larger!

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