“When you are starting your own company, you don’t always have to go all-in at the beginning” with Mae Woods — Fem Founder™
By: Kristin Marquet
Tags: Founders, Founder Stories, Founders Corner, Female Entrepreneurs

Mae Woods is a marketing and strategy professional driven by her passion for empowering women in business. As a female founder herself, she understands the struggles women face and wants to be a part of the solution. In April 2020 she co-founded Howbsy.com, a crowd-sourced website that shows store lineups and relevant information during COVID. Today, Howbsy is powered by its 150,000+ users and has turned into a vital source of information for the community.

Can you tell our readers about your background?

I received a full-ride basketball scholarship to the University of Houston in 2010 from a YouTube video.

This was my first lesson in marketing. Fewer than 2% of high school athletes are able to secure this type of scholarship and in Canada, that number is even smaller. Unhappy with the lack of attention I was getting from Div. 1 Institutions, I took matters into my own hands. My mother had taped a couple of my games on her video camera and in less than a day I taught myself how to edit game tape and uploaded the clips to YouTube. Six months later my whole family was flown to Texas for the first time on my official visit to the University of Houston. At the time YouTube was still a new concept and my coach proclaimed I was his first, “YouTube Player.”

I competed on the women’s basketball team at the University of Houston between 2010–2014 clinching one C-USA Championship and the lifelong goal of playing in the NCAA tournament. While competing I completed a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and was the Academic MVP for my junior and senior years. After I graduated in May 2014, I was accepted into graduate school at the University of Houston. I went on to complete a Masters a Science in Global Retailing in December 2015.

I was fortunate enough to get an internship with the Houston Rockets during the summer of my Master’s program. It was a great learning experience and introduced me to the corporate side of the sports industry. I thought working in the NBA would be a dream come true, but I quickly learned of the corporate ladder and the average corporate timeline was too slow-paced for my ambitions. After doing some self-discovery, I started to feel drawn towards a more entrepreneurial path.

The first startup I worked for was based in Hong Kong. After that, I got involved in various projects in Vancouver before finding a good fit as the PR Manager at Kinzoo. While working for Kinzoo I co-founded Howbsy.

What inspired you to start your business?

When COVID hit, my co-founder and I felt inspired to help the community. Howbsy.com is a female-founded free website that shows store wait times and relevant information during COVID19. The website not only includes grocery stores but also banks, pharmacies, liquor stores, hardware stores, recycling depots, restaurants, retailers, and more. My previous experiences gave me the confidence to start something on my own and I am so glad that I took that chance.

Where is your business based?

Vancouver, BC, Canada

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

The first step is turning an idea into reality. I’m fortunate enough to have a technical co-founder who is able to build MVP websites and apps. After discussing the idea for Howbsy we both decided that this was something we wanted to invest our time into. While the website was being built, I created the marketing strategy, and then it took off from there. It’s important to connect with people who fill in your gaps and as someone who works in marketing, finding a technical co-founder has helped me understand and appreciate the technical side of projects.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

Since my background is in PR & marketing I was able to get Howbsy on the local news the same day it launched. Being able to secure high-level PR can be great to raise awareness. It’s great to have connections here but that is not always necessary. After the initial news feature aired it continued to snowball with lots of other national and international coverage from various outlets.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

Doubt kills more dreams than anything else. Howbsy is a crowd-sourced platform and there was no guarantee that anyone would use it. It was a risk to invest our time in a platform with no guarantee but that is the same scenario for any startup. If you really believe in an idea, do not let doubt stop you from giving it a try.

How do you stay focused?

I find that when I am passionate about something, it is easy to stay focused. When I find my focus beginning to waver it’s usually a sign that I should be doing something different.

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

For Howbsy we focused on making our website simple. When looking at competitors one comment we regularly saw from their users was that their platform was too complicated. This led us to really focus on design and ease of use.

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

For initial buzz, it’s all about timing and messaging. After you get the initial bump the most important form of marketing is customer service. When your customers start referring you to their friends, that’s when you know you have a good product.

What’s your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

When you are starting your own company, you don’t always have to go all-in at the beginning. I would suggest keeping a regular job and working on your own project during nights and weekends until you have enough traction to go full-time.

What’s your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

My favorite app currently is the Peloton app. Ever since quarantine, I have really enjoyed virtual workouts and Peloton has a lot of great content, especially with their yoga classes.

My favorite book right now is Rework by Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson. Their honest and scrappy approach to starting a company is refreshing to read.

What’s your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

I use the Audible app daily to keep my mind flowing with new ideas and perspectives. I try and listen to at least one new book per month. Having an app that allows me to obtain a wealth of knowledge on-the-go has really helped my growth these past few years.

Who is your business role model? Why?

My godfather Brian MacDougal is a successful entrepreneur and is always my first call when I have a question or need some advice. I feel very lucky to have someone so close to me with his experience. I find that seeking the right mentorship can really aid you in the pursuit of success.

How do you balance work and life?

Like many things in life, too much of one thing can be unhealthy. Finding a way to balance your business ambitions is just as important as balancing your other needs. I have always had a passion for fitness, and yoga has become a great outlet for me to manage myself spiritually.

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

Exercise! As a former athlete, I always find solace in a good workout.

What do you have planned for the next six months?

I look forward to continuing to grow Howbsy and helping the community. We also have a lot of exciting things going on at Kinzoo, which I am excited to help bring to the market.

How can our readers connect with you? https://www.linkedin.com/in/maewoods/

https://www.instagram.com/themaewoods/