Episode Summary
Stafford Wood is the founder of Covalent Logic, a Baton Rouge-based communications agency specializing in high-stakes moments like mergers, acquisitions, and crises. With deep roots in digital strategy and a degree in Soviet studies, Stafford has a story that’s as unexpected as it is inspiring. In this episode, she opens up about her unplanned journey into entrepreneurship, the fallout from a strained business partnership, and her unforgettable “Jerry Maguire” moment when she told her entire team, “We’re only doing good work with good people from now on.”
Episode Highlights
- The breakup that saved the business: How she navigated a challenging partnership and made the bold move to buy out her co-founder.
- When 20 people quit overnight: Stafford’s “Jerry Maguire” moment and what it revealed about leadership, loyalty, and fear.
- The vampire hiring theory: How Stafford vets potential hires to protect Covalent’s collaborative culture.
- From freelancer to founder: Why entrepreneurship found her, not the other way around.
Agency Info
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Company: Covalent Logic
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Guest: Stafford Wood
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Year Started: 2005
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Employees: 26-50
We’re only going to work with good people doing good things—and we’re only going to do good work.
Stafford Wood
Key Takeaways
Ownership Requires Courageous Clarity
Stafford’s story underscores the power of decisive leadership. Her bold decision to part ways with both a toxic client and a misaligned business partner wasn’t driven by spreadsheets, it was driven by gut, values, and a belief that she could build something better. Leadership isn’t always about vision…it’s about drawing lines and standing by them, even if it means losing people in the process.
Burnout Is Not the Badge of a Leader
Early in her journey, Stafford was working 12-hour days, seven days a week. But over time, she realized that real leadership means building a business that doesn’t require martyrdom. You don’t have to sacrifice your life to grow your agency. You have to change how you lead.
A Good Culture Starts With Who You Let In
Stafford’s “vampire theory of hiring” is simple but effective: no matter how skilled someone is, if they threaten your culture, they can’t come in. The cost of one bad hire isn’t just lost productivity, it’s a threat to everything you’ve built.
Risk Requires Support, Not Just Grit
After the split, Stafford didn’t just grit her way forward, she surrounded herself with mentors, advisors, and eventually a team that shared her values. She learned to separate ownership from operations, a critical step for sustainable leadership.
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