Starting From Scratch and Making It Big
After a long work week, what better way to unwind than to learn from Atlanta’s favorite entrepreneurs how to get out from behind your cubicle and finally put that one-of-a-kind idea into action? Well, for those who attended our Entrepreneur Panel Discussion last week, that’s just what we did! One of my personal favorite AMA Young Professionals events thus far- I dare to say everyone left the event feeling extremely inspired, if nothing else.
Left to Right: Frozen Pints co-founder Aly Moler, King of Pops co-founder Steven Carse and Scoutmob co-founder Michael Tavani.
Our amazing panel consisted of King of Pops co-founder Steven Carse, Scoutmob co-founder Michael Tavani and Frozen Pints co-founder Aly Moler. The night wouldn’t have been nearly as successful without our enthusiastic moderator, Quinetha Frasier, who did an excellent job of energizing the crowd, and of course, getting all the juicy details from our panelists.
The conversation of the night circled around how, as an entrepreneur, you find the drive and determination to build something out of nothing. Michael was quick to give the analogy that being an entrepreneur is like jumping out of an airplane, and having to figure out how to work the parachute on the way down. Each panelist agreed that there is never a “perfect opportunity” to start your own company. There will be probably more cons than pros when making the decision, but the best thing to do is just rip off the Band-Aid! Steven was comical when mentioning that he lived in the Entrepreneur Closet before starting King of Pops – always knowing he wanted to be his own boss but hesitant to make the leap. Sometimes you just have to go with that gut feeling.
A big thank you to 5 Seasons Brewery for hosting us. Great speakers + great beer = a great time!
Becoming an entrepreneur isn’t always rainbows and butterflies – it’s filled with tough decisions and hard work. Like most of us, each panelist started their career path with the typical college education and 9-5 job. Aly left her job at Nielson, Steven was previously employed with AIG and Michael was finishing up law school when he and his partner decided to start ScoutMob. Each panelist’s story shared a common theme of speed bumps along the way. Aly’s idea of mixing alcohol and ice cream has created a whirl wind of its own, requiring new laws and regulation to be created just for her product, since it’s the first of its kind. When Michael and his partner first started out they quickly learned that manually sending emails with unique redemption codes probably wasn’t the best idea long-term. They all agreed that becoming an entrepreneur requires a lot of sleepless nights, a steep financial sacrifice in the beginning and a strong determination along the way.
However in the end, it’s all worth the risk. I mean who wouldn’t want to be their own boss, right? Besides the obvious perks of making it big Aly, Steven and Michael all shared their passion of giving back. Aly and Steven spoke about the relationships they are able to build at festivals and farmers markets, allowing them to connect with their customers in a casual environment. Aly noted that it’s the best way to keep a pulse on the market and know if there is truly a demand for what you’re offering. Steven also pointed out, “You’re not just selling a Popsicle you’re selling an experience.” Each of the panelists make a point to give back to the city that has given them so much, and continue to remain humbled by their success.
So next time you see a Scoutmob, Frozen Pint or King of Pops online, in a store or on the streets, be sure to show some support to our favorite Atlanta entrepreneurs!
- Guest blog by Jennifer M. Groese (@JGroese ) – AMA YP SIG member
How to Make it BIG – Entrepreneur Panel Discussion
Only a few events left in the year, and you’re not going to want to miss this one. Have you ever pondered on the idea of starting your own business? Are you intrigued by those who can take something small and build it into something massively successful? If so, join us on Thursday, May 2nd at 5 Seasons Brewing as we introduce our panel of Atlanta’s top entrepreneurs. The line-up includes some of the city’s most beloved start-ups including: King of Pops co-founder Steven Carse, Scoutmob co-founder Michael Tavani and Frozen Pints co-founder Aly Moler.
We want to hear it all – the good, the bad and the ugly. Our moderator, Eric Holtzclaw of Laddering Works, will be directing the conversation as we learn about each panelist’s road to success and the lessons they learned along the way. Come with your questions ready, or if you prefer- tweet your questions ahead of time to @AMAAtlanta using the hash tag #howtomakeitbig.
Reserve your spot today by registering here. As usual, your registration fee includes two drink tickets and delicious treats provided by 5 Seasons Brewing. Bring your friends- we want to provide a full house for our guests!
- Guest blog by Jennifer M. Groese (@JGroese) – AMA YP SIG member
April Signature Luncheon Recap
Did you miss last week’s signature luncheon about how to maximize client/agency relationships to lead to the best possible work output and business results? No worries, read below for a summary of the great panel discussion hosted by The Bedford Group. The panel included Vance Overbey from AT&T, Mauricio Parise from Delta Air Lines, Mark Hendrix from Fifth Third Bank and Cam Glover from Rollins Corporation/Orkin Pest Control and was moderated by Kerry Kielb from the The Bedford Group.
The highlights:
- The increasing pressures on client side marketers to prove marketing ROI, leverage big data and to stay relevant in a constantly evolving consumer landscape has put pressure on the already sensitive client/agency relationship. However with strong partnerships, you can get ahead of your competition in setting the stage for future growth.
- Strong agency partnerships occur when infused with honesty, transparency, a mutual ‘give and take’ and shared passion for the brand. Only then will the agency truly become an extension of the client’s marketing team, helping to drive growth in customer loyalty and brand preference.
- Several of the panelists commented on how they foster ingenuity among their agency partners by encouraging them to think more about business creation than advertising. One example of this type of innovative thinking was shared by Rollin’s Glover who talked about his agency’s help in developing a mobile application for use in the field by sales inspectors.
- Delta’s Parise noted that successful integration begins internally – if your marketing organization structure is siloed, your partners will behave that way, too.
- Setting clear expectations also is important when evaluating agency performance. While most companies require an annual performance evaluation for internal employees, Kielb and the panelists noted, organizational assessments with critical agency vendor-partners require both a quantitative and qualitative approach. AT&T’s Overbey talked about the benefit of their formal evaluation system and noted the importance of having clear metrics that they monitor almost daily. All of the panelists agreed that nothing ever substitutes on-going, open and honest dialogue at all times.
- It’s never been more important to build a strong agency partnership and according to the panel of successful marketers, the path to success is through collaboration, shared goals and transparency.
For the full version, click here.
About The Bedford Group
The Bedford Group is a marketing management consulting firm focused on optimizing client/agency relationships and marketing organization structures. The company has been serving senior marketing executives of Fortune 500 companies since 1986, helping CMO’s solve some of their most knotty challenges. Unlike traditional advertising consultants, The Bedford Group looks beyond traditional marketing disciplines to answer complex enterprise-wide issues for efficient resource management and improving ROI.
For help in optimizing your own client/agency relationships to ensure optimal productivity and quality of output, contact The Bedford Group at 404-237-4565 or dplachta@bedfordgroupconsulitng.com.
Volunteer of the Month: Abby Baird
Abby Baird, an Atlanta native, has always had a passion for marketing. She joined AMA while studying at the University of Arizona and interned for several marketing agencies in Atlanta, including Momentum and CSE. After graduating in 2011 with a Bachelor’s degree in business marketing, she moved back home to Atlanta to be closer to friends and family. Abby currently works as the office manager at The Temple Early Learning Center, where she hones her business skills while being able to interact with children.
In her free time, Abby also works with many organizations, such as Camp Twin Lakes, Moving in the Spirit and the nonprofit committee of AMA’s Atlanta Chapter. AMA has allowed Abby to expand her network in Atlanta and develop her marketing skills even further, especially in programming. Through her work on the nonprofit committee, she has been able to see first-hand how rewarding volunteering can be!
- Volunteer of the Month, Abby Baird
Volunteer of the Month: Sonja Uppal
Sonja Uppal is currently an undergraduate marketing student at Georgia State University and will complete her Bachelor’s of Business Administration degree in marketing this August. Sonja has served on the executive board of the Georgia State University AMA collegiate chapter for the past two years as the chapter’s membership vice president.
“It has been fun rebuilding and re-positioning the Georgia State University collegiate AMA chapter. Participation in the chapter’s membership and activities brings a lot of value to the Georgia State University student body, it has been a privilege to serve on the board for the past two years.”
Sonja has applied her education from Georgia State University and AMA to internship positions held at industry leading organizations such as State Farm, Allstate, Entaire Global and The Economical Insurance Group.
Recently, Sonja was named the recipient of the Ken Bernhardt Outstanding Collegiate Marketer of the Year Award for 2013. The award is designed to recognize students driven to make a difference in the marketing industry.
- Sonja Uppal – Volunteer of the Month
Volunteer of the Month: Todd Ridgeway
“I receive great pleasure and satisfaction from my work at the AMA as I have made many long-lasting and personal relationships there!”
As a fourteen year veteran of digital advertising, Todd Ridgeway has experience with display, search, mobile, ITV/CTV and social advertising. Currently Todd is a senior account director at Yahoo! and he manages the advertising relationship between Yahoo! and AT&T. He has provided strategic and consultative services to Fortune 500 companies such as AT&T, Coca-Cola, Disney, GSK, FedEx and Lenovo, to name a few. Todd also has sales and sales management experience with AOL, MSN and Yahoo!.
Prior to moving to Atlanta in August 2012, Todd served as VP of group membership on the Triangle AMA in Raleigh, N.C. He is currently active as a member of the AMA Atlanta programming committee and is happy to say he is a ten year AMA member.
Between work travel and visiting his children in Dallas, Texas, he is constantly on the road, but enjoys attending AMA events and luncheons while in Atlanta.
- Todd Ridgeway, Volunteer of the Month
Wendy Clark of Coca-Cola Shares the Secret to Being Liquid and Linked
Tuesday’s Signature Luncheon was so full of energy, as we welcomed Wendy Clark, SVP, Integrated Marketing Communications & Capabilities at The Coca-Cola Company as our special guest speaker. If the sold-out audience was any indication, we knew this was a can’t-miss discussion and boy were we right.
Wendy shared with us 8 key lessons for being Liquid & Linked in your marketing efforts, giving us further reason to believe that integration is key to success for brands both big and small.
8 Learnings for Being Linked & Liquid
- Be shareworthy in everything you do.
- Embrace your new salesforce: Coke has 59 million Facebook fans but over a billion users. It’s not just the # of fans you count; it’s how many they influence.
- Listen and then you must engage: Listen, analyze, engage. (e.g. AlpineJoeJoe – sent him Vitamin Water. Response was shareworthy.)
- Think big. Start small. Scale fast. Have to embrace learning and failure. “We could easily scale the wrong thing perfectly.”
- Speed trumps perfection. Don’t work on the last 5% as hard as you worked on the first 95%. Consumers expect you to iterate. “Good enough is” in real time. Done is better than perfect.
- Disrupt or be disrupted. In how you do it, not just what you do. Coke redid their corporate website, putting conflicting viewpoints on their site.
- Do accept the status quo. E.g. Allowed Google to re-imagine their Hilltop commercial.
- Play well. Share learnings.
Thru the discussion, we saw a big brand like Vitamin Water successfully pull off sending a single beverage to one under-the-weather influencer on Twitter. In-the-moment execution is both unexpected and effective. Also, a partnership between Google and Coca-Cola to re-imagine their Hilltop commercial bringing it into the digital age in a fresh new way while still giving nod to the classic original.
A reoccurring theme, both in Wendy’s discussion as well as in so many other discussions this year, is that of being swift in your actions. Seizing the moment. Being thoughtful, yet strategic. Oreo & the Superbowl. Or, as Facebook says.
And, my favorite video, we saw Singapore fall in love (literally) with a “Hug Me” Coke machine that was put in place to spread a little happiness (and a whole lot of viral / press exposure). Take a look for yourself here.
AMA Atlanta
President
@ashleyschoenith
