Today we’d like to introduce you to George Landes III.
George, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I graduated in 2008, and knew I wanted to own my own business. I just didn’t know what. I knew my passions and what I enjoyed and needed to find something that could mesh my nerdy technology side, enjoyment of people and business together.
In comes Google Search. I had a consulting job out of school where I first heard about digital marketing and SEO or Search Engine Optimization. At first, I was skeptical – what does it mean to show up in a Google search and how do you get there anyway? Who really cares. I thought. Until I realized that there is a world that SEO is part of called Digital Marketing. I quickly became hooked and I knew moving back to the City of Chicago would give me the best chance to break into a field I was not in prior but was so interested in.
For me, this was the perfect intersection between psychology, creativity, technology and fun. To me – having all four of those attributes frequently used – led to a passion that is second to none. For those of you who are unfamiliar SEO is a facet of Digital Marketing – where Digital Marketing is comprised of many facets including paid search, social media, data analytics, content marketing, media buying and of course SEO.
Initially, I struggled, I had no background in the space, I didn’t go to school for Marketing, but for Management. I worked dead-end jobs as a recruiter and pounded pavement until someone gave me a shot at an internship. After two months of 10 hours calling and prospecting for an internship opportunity, I finally got one at ‘The Ocean Agency’.
This was the point in which my passion for marketing was kicked into high gear. I was working at a real agency, with smart and talented people who shared the same passions but who were good at it. I worked tirelessly to learn terminology, how all these marketing facets worked together and how each goal for each client was different and what needed to be done digitally based on the goals of each client. I became obsessed and wanted grander challenges and the opportunity to expand my knowledge too much larger brands and new opportunities to learn.
In 2010 I had the great privilege to work downtown Chicago at TBWA\ENGAGE which is part of TBWA\CHIAT\DAY. I had the chance to work with the worlds most iconic brands including Nike, RedHat, CooperVision, Pepperdine University and Regal Cinemas – to name a few – all with the goal of improving their online visibility to consumers to drive business awareness & revenue. This was where I realized that my passion can turn into my own business. I found what it was I was looking for – what I needed to find – to achieve my goal or beginning my own small piece of business and so it began.
Over the past 10 years, I have worked to establish and perfect my conceptual knowledge of the digital space. Today, while I work full time as a Director of Digital Strategy and Execution I am very proud of the small business I have been able to establish helping grow brands, improve their digital footprint and drive business goals.
I love what I do and that is so important to me. I would not change the challenges, the struggles, or the $250 a month intern stipend for what I have been able to accomplish. You don’t need anything but passion, determination and the will to make what you want in life or business. If you have those – you can be the entrepreneur of anything you want.
Has it been a smooth road?
Initially, I struggled, I had no background in the space, I didn’t go to school for Marketing, but for Business Management. I worked a dead-end job as a recruiter until someone gave me a shot at an internship. With little experience, I could not do much but to accept $250/month during that internship. Imagine living on $250/month. There were days that seemed harder & longer than others – those were the days that I wanted to give up asking – is this worth it?
If you want something bad enough – it is always worth it. Today, I look back and realize this was the best decision I could have made. By taking the risk, I found a career I love, I work with people I admire and equally want to help grow, and I can call it my own. For me – that all outweighs the struggles.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
My business is small and I am a one-man army. I work to create, implement and grow digital marketing campaigns for local business who are seeking to improve visibility to search engines and users while working to drive online revenue or brand awareness.
By using Search Engine Optimization, Paid Search, Content Marketing, Web Analytics and Social Media – I am able to use an omnichannel approach to achieving a client’s digital marketing goals. This ensures I provide full digital coverage, maximizing the opportunity to drive quality traffic to my client’s websites in order to drive a conversion, lead or revenue.
I am most proud of being able to build the quality relationships with the clients I have. Through my hard work, open style of communication and quality of work, I am successful at build lasting relationships that have and continue to lead to more fruitful and fulfilling opportunities for myself and my clients.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Chicago and the surrounding suburbs are the ideal places for someone looking for start their own digital marketing boutique agency. While there is a lot of agency saturation in and around Chicago, business all over are in need of help – especially the smaller business trying to compete at the local level.
If I were to provide a recommendation – yes, Chicago is perfect and there are so many opportunities to learn and become an established entity within the digital landscape. It will take hard work, you may have sleepless nights – but it’s about how bad do you want it, and doing what you need to do to be successful.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 8152367611
- Email: glandes21@gmail.com
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-m-landes-iii-14b20b17/
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