Today we’d like to introduce you to Nick Napoli.
Nick, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
It all started in Wrigleyville, where I was born and raised.
Wrigley Field was built in a residential neighborhood and is one of the only major league ballparks that operates without a dedicated parking structure or lot that can service 25K in attendance. So the tradition in the neighborhood has been its residents offering up their private garages and carports to folks attending games and concerts at the park. As a kid of just 10 or 11 years old, I was out in the streets before Cubs games with a pizza box sign offering spots in my parent’s garage for $5. My neighbors eventually let me use their garages too and before long I had several garages around the neighborhood that I managed to sell out every summer.
In high school around the time my mom passed, I got a little too cool to stand in the street with a parking sign but once at DePaul University, my Dad and I put the little parking business online and called it CubParking.com. It was very basic and nobody used it. So I doubled down and paid a talented web developer about $10K to build this really amazing platform where residents could sign up their own spots and manage their own spot’s availability on game days. Customers could select from spots on a map of the area, pay via credit card and then automatically get driving directions to their exact parking address after checking out. It was really great. And again, nobody used it.
After a long, hot, frustrating, summer day of parking cars the traditional way for neighbors all over the area, I was so upset, depressed, doubting myself and embarrassed that the website hadn’t generated a single reservation or online sale, all season long, and the season was half over already.
While walking home through the alleys, I saw a garbage can with a big stack of books on it.
Someone had moved out and left behind a garbage can full of books. The lid was closed and there were more books on top of it, including what appeared to be a black and yellow “For Dummies” book in the middle. After initially walking past my curiosity got the better of me and I went back to see what “For Dummies” book had been thrown away. It was a “Google Adwords For Dummies” book. I had no idea what that was, but something told me to keep it.
I took it home and read it over the next few days. I set up a Google Adwords account and with a modest budget, was able to drive traffic to the website that converted into parking sales, which was extremely rewarding and addicting. After just a week or two, we were in the Tribune, the Red Eye, bars and restaurants around the area were using us to park for them, we had some real buzz and it was exciting. I still have an audio clip of Ron Santo talking about us live on the air in 2011.
As the season ended, I found myself with no job lined up for the offseason and was again very hard on myself for this. Being jobless is hard, the emotional toll alone is overwhelming at times. My dad suggested that there are likely businesses and people out there that would pay me to manage their Adwords accounts, I thought he was crazy, but he was right. He’s always right.
After the Cubs season ended I briefly moved to California for a job that ultimately fell through. Scrambling for job interviews out there turned up nothing and I was forced to move back home, tail between legs, again. Another attempt and another failure. Another home run swing and another strikeout.
After a few weeks of interviews around Chicago, a marketing agency here in Chicago took a shot on me, the guy with no degree, no agency experience, who’s highlight reel contained only a single Google Adwords account and just over a month managing it. I asked for $40K salary. They offered $28.5K a year and health insurance after 90 days, and I was happy to accept. I called my dad right after I got the offer and he was proud I will never forget it. The salary didn’t matter. Someone saw potential and value in his son and we very much enjoyed the moment.
Over the next year, I obsessively studied web design and internet marketing. I had no social life. I moved to the south loop, a block away from the office, away from friends, away from family and isolated myself, submerged in this opportunity while at the same time, chipping away at a Psychology degree from DePaul University because I promised mom I would.
After a short while, the CEO and Marketing Director allowed me to start an internship program at the agency, where every 90 days I brought on 3-4 new marketing interns attending DePaul or Loyola. These kids were studying Marketing and most had never even heard of SEO.
The internship was great. It expanded the capacity of the marketing team at a minimal cost to the company. At a formal review, I was able to show how much revenue the internship program was actually responsible for managing. I’m extremely proud of this internship. It kick-started many marketing careers. Some would get brought on by the agency, others would get letters of recommendation. A couple didn’t make it through, I was tough and demanded progress and work ethic from everyone. Agency life is the big leagues and it was trial by fire at times. Everyone got an education, experience, a quality internship and in return I needed everyone to work hard and be willing to learn.
On intern’s first day, I would always huddle everyone up and tell the story of the Google Adwords for Dummies book, with the book in hand. I wanted them to know what the next 90 days would mean to me, and what my goals were for them. In addition to college credit, I want them experienced and hireable as soon as they were turned lose into the marketing world.
I found that I loved and was passionate about managing and teaching. My dad suggested that I start my own shop, that I could do this web design and marketing thing on my own. I thought he was crazy, but he was right. He’s always right.
All my life Dad ran his technology consulting business under the name “The Object Group”, before letting it dissolve in 2010. When I took the leap and started the company, I re-birthed the name, technically making it a second-generation company, something that brings us tremendous joy.
Today our cloud based team partners with select companies nationwide. We are really just a gang of talented designers, coders and marketers. We have so much fun doing what we do, we have the best clients and customers, everyone’s businesses are growing including ours it’s been a helluva journey and we all feel like we’re just getting started.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about The Object Group – what should we know?
We are a WordPress shop. We can do it all, a one stop shop, boutique agency. From design, development, to marketing. We build smart websites and then we help smart websites get found.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My dad. First and foremost. Throughout the hardest years of my life to date, he never gave up on me.
And I’ve been very lucky to have the best mentors. 3 of my clients are also big time mentors that I’ve learned a lot from and still do.
My lawyer was also a very successful entrepreneur his whole life, sold his companies, retired early.
We’ve become close friends. He’s always around in my ear helping and advising. He’s been very good for business.
Pricing:
- Websites start at $3K
- Marketing packages start at $1K per month
- Select marketing services offered $99/month
Contact Info:
- Address: 1 West Superior St.,
Chicago, IL 60654 - Website: TheObjectGroup.com
- Phone: 1.877.745.2084
- Email: info@theobjectgroup.com
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