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Why In The Works Strategy Exists
Many small businesses don’t begin with a carefully designed system. They begin with a skill, a service, or a passion. Work comes through relationships, referrals, and reputation. For a while, that momentum is enough.
But eventually the business grows beyond the informal systems that supported it in the beginning. Leads come from different places, processes live in your head, and the website becomes more of a placeholder than a tool.
That’s where In The Works Strategy comes in.
My brain naturally looks for patterns, gaps, and opportunities for improvement. I see where things get stuck, where time is being lost, and where a small shift in process or technology could make everything run more smoothly. Helping people and businesses build better systems isn’t just something I do — it’s something I tend to hyperfixate on and genuinely feel passionate about.
The goal of ITW Strategy isn’t to replace what’s already working. It’s to strengthen the systems behind it so growth becomes more sustainable, operations become more manageable, and you can spend more time focusing on the skill, trade, joy, or passion that made you start your business in the first place.
Meet Jessica
Jessica McGarity
Founder + Strategist
In The Works Strategy is led by Jessica McGarity, a strategist whose career has never followed a single narrow path — and that’s exactly what makes her work effective.
Jessica often jokes that she’s a “Jess of all trades.” The full quote is “a jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.” That idea captures her approach well. Her experience spans service industries, entrepreneurship, nonprofit leadership, marketing, operations, startups, and finance. When you’ve worked across that many environments, you begin to see how businesses actually function behind the scenes.
If you run a service-based business, chances are Jessica has either worked in your industry or supported someone who has.
She has launched and operated her own ventures, supported nonprofit organizations, built operational systems, developed marketing strategies, and helped businesses organize the moving parts that keep everything running. That range of experience gives her a practical understanding of how marketing, operations, and day-to-day business realities intersect.
Jessica also approaches work through a neurodivergent lens. Her brain naturally moves between ideas, systems, and possibilities, connecting dots that others may not see. Rather than forcing businesses into rigid structures, she focuses on building systems that work with the way people think, operate, and create.
The result is a strategic approach that blends structure with adaptability — helping businesses build processes that support both their goals and the people behind them.
How I Think About Growth
Growth doesn’t come from marketing alone. It comes from alignment between visibility, systems, and operations.
Many small businesses invest in marketing tools, websites, or advertising before the systems behind the business are ready to support them. Without structure in place, those efforts often create more complexity instead of momentum.
My role is to step into that space and help you see the full picture.
Sometimes that means identifying small changes that could dramatically improve how things run. Sometimes it means guiding you through new tools or processes so you can build the systems yourself. And sometimes it means helping implement those systems so everything connects and works together.
I also know that change can be uncomfortable. Learning new tools, rethinking familiar processes, and adjusting how things have always been done takes time. My role isn’t just to suggest improvements — it’s to walk alongside you through the process, helping you build systems that support your strengths rather than working against them.
The goal isn’t complexity. The goal is clarity, efficiency, and giving you more capacity to focus on the work you care about most.
Designing Systems for Different Brains
Many traditional business systems assume that everyone works the same way — linear processes, rigid structures, and tools designed for a very specific type of workflow.
But that’s not how many entrepreneurs operate.
As someone who is neurodivergent myself, I understand how powerful it can be when systems are designed to work with your brain rather than against it. Many business owners — especially solopreneurs and creatives — think in nonlinear ways. Ideas move quickly. Priorities shift. Energy comes in waves of deep focus and intense creativity.
That doesn’t mean your business lacks structure. It means your systems need to support the way you actually think and work.
Part of my approach is helping build systems that respect those differences. Instead of forcing rigid processes, we create structures that support your strengths, reduce friction, and make everyday work more manageable.
For many entrepreneurs, this kind of design creates something incredibly valuable: space to focus on the work, ideas, and passions that made them start their business in the first place.
Where This Work Comes From
10+ Years
Working across marketing, operations, and organizational strategy.
3
Ventures Launched
Multiple Industries
From service businesses to nonprofits and hospitality.
Austin-Based
Supporting local businesses and community organizations.