Meet Rikki White of Waggle Family Magazine in Longmont

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rikki White.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Rikki. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Our family moved to Longmont in 2017 and fell in love with this unique place! We love how the St. Vrain Valley community is full of authentic people, beautiful surroundings, and amazing businesses. We decided that we wanted to build on these strengths and make it an even better place for every St. Vrain family. 

I have over a decade worth of experience in advertising but felt a calling to go beyond advertising sales. I felt that there were parts of advertising that were not effective for small business owners. I also felt that there was a better way to create advertising that helps our community. I was tired of seeing non-profits pay to get their message out to the people they are helping. Non-profits also need a way to ask the community for resources. I also was tired of the traditional advertising sales model that is focused on reaching sales goals at the expense of the businesses we were supposed to be trying to promote. I felt it was time to put the needs of our community above the greed of high profit margins. There is a way to have a profitable advertising company while building long term success for our advertisers, nonprofits, and our community. This model is the foundation for Waggle Media. 

One of the biggest questions I get is “Why Waggle?” It’s one of my favorite questions to answer. Waggle is a term that scientists use to describe a special trait of bumblebees. Bumblebees have a special way of communicating with each other. When a worker bee finds a nectar source, they return to the hive and do a special dance called the Waggle Dance. This dance is a series of figure-eight movements that tell the other bees where nectar can be found. Waggle’s mission is to guide local families to the nectar in our community. 

Waggle Media connects local families to the nectar of local businesses and nonprofits. I created Waggle Media to provide families, businesses, and local organizations a better way to communicate with each other. 

We publish a family magazine four times a year that is distributed to St. Vrain Valley School district parents for free to their mailboxes. We also give magazines to local homeschooling groups and private schools. Eighty percent of our content 

is provided by non-profits. This gives them a free platform to answer five important questions; who are they, who they serve, how to access their services, what they need from the community (donations, volunteers, etc.) and to tell a personal story of a family they have helped so that our readers become invested in helping the non-profit be successful. 

Our advertisers believe as we do that helping local families thrive is good for business. Not only are the businesses able to meet an important customer demographic through their ad with Waggle, they are also showing that they support the local community. 

Has it been a smooth road?
I was raised by small business owners in Wyoming, so I knew going into this adventure that creating a successful business was a lot of work. I was lucky enough to find some amazing and talented mentors through the local small business development center. I took their Leading Edge Entrepreneur class and learned so much. I also took advantage of the free consulting offered through the class. This definitely helped me avoid some pitfalls. 

The biggest challenge for me has been trying to balance the needs of my family with the needs of Waggle. We have a son who has autism, so moving to Colorado was a really big challenge for a kid who is averse to change in routine. There have been many times that I have been focused on building Waggle only to be brought back to day-to-day life by the needs of our kids. Ultimately, I know that Waggle will provide flexibility in my schedule our family needs. 

My original goal was to only grow Waggle as quickly as the ad sales revenue allowed. However, our second issue (our holiday issue) made me realize that Waggle needed a larger distribution model to really be able to affect change in our community and get the results our advertisers were expecting. 

So, in December, I applied for funding through the Colorado Enterprise Fund and was fortunate to be approved. I plan on using the funding to create another sales position. I have been doing ad sales plus all things administrative since our launch in August, and ad revenue has suffered. I am also exploring different 

distribution models to reduce this large expense while better reaching local families. 

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Waggle Family Magazine – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
I am really proud of Waggle Media. We have created an advertising model that is different from anything else being done in our community. We are the only free magazine that has content that specifically helps families find resources in the community. 

I am very proud of being able to offer non-profits free advertising that reaches 15,000 local families. Waggle combines the power of print media with online and social media ads for our advertisers to give them a strong advertising presence and an excellent response to their advertising. Waggle is known as a company that cares about the community. 

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
We love how the St. Vrain Valley community is full of authentic people, beautiful surroundings, and amazing businesses. People in Longmont have been so welcoming and kind. The schools in Longmont are focused on being innovative while providing an inclusive and strong education for our children. Longmont is full of beautiful parks and an abundant supply of activities for families. Our local businesses are creative and offer great products and services. My family feels lucky to live on the Front Range. 

It is hard to come up with anything that I don’t like about Longmont. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.wagglefamily.com
• Phone: 7209843044
• Email: contact@locowaggle.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wagglestvrain/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/waggleSt.Vrain/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/CoWaggle

Image Credit:
Rebekah Romero Photography (for Waggle Cover)
Heather Palmer Photography

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