Courtesy Glens Falls Business Journal
By Ann Donnelly
Wendy Waldron’s journey is far from conventional. “I’m actually just a grown-up Girl Scout,” she begins, a statement that encapsulates her approach to business: strategic, collaborative, and driven by a desire to “win the game.” Even as a young girl, she understood the power of understanding the rules and working together.
“I sold the cookies, and I sold those cookies by the case because it was easier. And so I won all the prizes. Then, the next year, I taught all my little Girl Scout friends to sell them by the case whenever they could. And then we all won the prizes.”
This early lesson, honed through record-breaking cookie sales, laid the foundation for her current success as CEO of her own company, WaldronWorks. “We just have to make sure we understand what the rules of the game are,” advises Waldron. “And then stick together and find a way to go win the game. And so, in a way, I’ve pretty much been doing that ever since.”
Her path wasn’t a straight line. After graduating from Colgate University on a scholarship, where she took on an unexpectedly demanding role managing student housing, she ventured to Mozambique, Africa, for a year of volunteer work. This transformative experience broadened her perspective and instilled a deep appreciation for opportunity.
Upon returning, a chance encounter with her future husband at a wedding led her to rural Pennsylvania and a temp job at a healthcare facility. “I was at the front desk with a day and a half training, trying to figure out if I pressed F11 or F9,” she recalls. Despite the initial chaos, she quickly rose through the ranks, eventually managing Cardiovascular Services at the Guthrie Clinic.
Her career continued to evolve when she was recruited back home to Queensbury to work at Hudson Headwaters and then the Glens Falls Hospital’s C.R. Wood Cancer Center. Each experience provided valuable lessons in team building, process improvement, and navigating organizational change. By 2018, Waldron realized that her true passion lay in helping businesses thrive, regardless of industry.
“It was just by accident of that temp job that the context of my work was healthcare,” she explains. “But what I had always done was to build teams and grow businesses and move people together. So I started doing that for local businesses that were not healthcare.” With a “DBA and a dream,” WaldronWorks was born.
The transition to entrepreneurship wasn’t without its challenges. Waldron faced the initial loneliness of independent consulting and the need to establish her structure and routines. “Partly for me, being independent was pretty lonely,” she admits. She sought out community, finding support and connection through organizations like the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Women’s Business Council, which she helped get a strong start as an early member of the Executive Committee.
Waldron credits her parents for modeling a strong work ethic, but her drive also comes from another source, “I just get bored easily, and I really need challenges, and I need to be learning. Some of it is excitement about, ‘Look at this big, beautiful world.’ And I choose to live in a lovely corner of it where my family’s been forever. But it really is just a tiny little corner up here in our mountains. So I think for me, it’s always also been about just finding what’s next and what the world has to offer.”
However, she also recognizes the importance of building structure around those ideas. “I know, for example, that I’m not great at following through,” she acknowledges, emphasizing the need to surround herself with people who complement her strengths.
To provide her clients with a proven framework for success, Waldron became a Certified EOS Implementer. She explains that EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) provides “simple, practical tools in a process that’s been proven by thousands of companies. We’re talking about nuts and bolts, how to lead, how to manage, how to grow an organization in such a way that you are a little less frazzled and you get more results. You don’t feel stuck at the plateaus along the way. You know how to move past them. You have tools to use.“
Waldron’s advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, particularly women, is practical and encouraging. “Lean into people who can help you, and don’t lean into the people who don’t know,” she advises. She recommends seeking mentors, taking business courses, and building a solid business plan. Most importantly, she stresses the importance of surrounding yourself with people who support your goals. “Hang out with people who think it’s normal and cool and fun, not those that are going to reinforce this big change, but rather reinforce where you’re headed. Find ways to make new paths forward in your life.”
Ultimately, Waldron’s story is one of continuous growth, resilience, and a relentless pursuit of opportunity. From selling Girl Scout cookies to leading successful businesses, she embodies the entrepreneurial spirit, proving that anything is possible with determination and a willingness to learn.
For more information about Wendy Waldron and EOS, visit www.eosworldwide.com/wendy-waldron.