Could You Become a CEO Before Your 30th Birthday?
Many of us, indeed, most of us probably dream of leaving the 9-5 grind and carving out a career as a freelancer, or perhaps becoming CEO of your own company and having other people do the grunt work for you.
The road to this goal requires passion, motivation and a heck of a lot of work. On many days, you can kiss goodbye to a social life or even sleep.
I recently kissed goodbye to my reasonably safe job at a boutique SEO agency to start my journey down this road. In this case, it’s the road to my own online marketing company. I know I have a 
terrific chance of success with creating my own agency, because I’ve already amassed a wealth of experience when it comes to the 4 different types of companies in the world of online marketing.
I want to share what I’ve learned with you, which will hopefully make your own journey easier. This will help you to find success, and even to become a CEO before your 30th birthday.
The Client Side of Multinational Corporations
My starting point in the world of online marketing was, like many people, an internship. I was fortunate enough to land an internship in the marketing department of one of the biggest insurance companies in England.
I’ll never forget some words of wisdom from my boss, who remains with the company to this day. “It’s always better on the client side,” he told me. This statement is incredibly accurate, even if I didn’t realize it at the time.
I’m very proud of the work I’ve done with various multinational corporations in my role as an online marketing professional. Sure, every company is different, but they still share a few common traits.
A Lot of Work for Low Pay and No Credit
I have worked for companies and individuals who paid me the bare minimum, and yet still demanded that I move heaven and earth to get the job done on time.
While I was running myself ragged to get the job done, they were sitting comfortably in their offices and making sure their Facebook profiles were up to date, reading reports and going to meetings. They usually got the credit and the rewards for the work that I had done.
You Can be used as a Pawn in Someone Else’s Game
Every large (and many small) companies have their own politics, and freelancers/junior employees are very low on the pecking order, despite the ideas and experience you can bring to the table.
Nobody enjoys being used as a tool when it comes to office politics and as a freelancer or junior employee, you have very little say in the direction of a project, and are often viewed as expendable.
Respect is Important!
For those who are on the client side and order marketing services via a freelancer or subcontractor or any kind of service for that matter – be sure to behave in a respectful manner with your staff, which in turn means that the people working for you will return that respect. If you’re not respected, you won’t get the results you’re looking for.
Being a Freelance Online Marketing Specialist
I’ve also worked as a totally independent freelancer, sourcing my own clients and projects. My experience in this area can be very easily summed up: it sucks.
Small Clients, Small Money, Much Work
Most clients who will take a chance on a fledgling freelancer are smaller companies who want a lot of work done, but don’t necessarily have the budget for it. It can be handy for building a portfolio, but at great cost in terms of time spent, and unearned funds.
They’re not savvy about online marketing, particularly when it comes to how much work is involved. They often want the impossible–without the slightest understanding about the logistics or a willingness to accept it when you tell them that what they ask for is impossible.
Sometimes the project doesn’t quite go as planned, which is sadly possible with a client that has unrealistic expectations or willingness to compromise. When this happens, you have to put in a significant amount of additional work to remedy the situation. Often, the client will not want to compensate you for the extra effort, no matter how clearly you try to explain that the issue originated from the client’s end.
Clients Control the Wallet
A lot of freelancers try to source clients through sites such as Elance or Odesk. While these sites have a number of security protocols, they’re still not without risk.
You might have your account frozen by a bad client who tries to claim that you did not fulfill your end of the contract or having a new client suggest that they pay you outside of Elance/Odesk, and then you never hear from them again after you submit the work.
There’s also the fact that many clients want you to bid for the job, and you might find yourself being undercut by qualified applicants in countries with a lower cost of living. These sites often require freelancers to spend more time seeking out and applying for jobs than they actually spend on billable work.
There are Limited Opportunities
Many freelancers, despite their levels of skills and experience, will rarely get the opportunity to work on a complex online campaign. This is because they generally require a larger client with a budget that reflects their size. It’s nearly impossible to source a client of this caliber, because they mostly work with agencies instead of individual freelancers.
Working with a Boutique Online Marketing Agency
Working at a smaller online marketing agency is a great opportunity to learn the ins and outs of the game with a view to developing your own agency. I was lucky enough to work with a great one.
They’re Interested in Innovation and New Developments
Smaller agencies have less staff, so the people you’re working with are true experts who can teach you a lot. Innovation or a different way of approaching the situation is valued.
The best agencies look for staff who are actually passionate about online marketing and who are continually investigating new techniques and developments in their areas of expertise.
There are Big Clients (with Big Budgets)
These move the whole process from theory to practice, allowing you to actually implement some of the newest industry techniques and developments.
Starting Your Own Online Marketing Agency
Unsurprisingly, many people think of running your own company as the best job ever. There’s a lot of truth to this, but it can also be extremely difficult to achieve.
There’s Opportunity for Innovation
Companies develop as they grow and this involves learning. Running your own agency allows you to innovate, and you can experiment with different marketing ideas. This only works if you have a client who is willing to try out new things and has the budget to do so- so it’s up to you sell the idea!
You Wear All the Hats
It’s your responsibility to source potential clients and sell your agency to them. You might have a small number of staff, but you’re more likely to opt for freelancers to do some of the work.
You also need to keep the books up to date and pay the bills, as well as ordering the office supplies. You need to do absolutely everything yourself, until you grow to the point where you’re able to hire others to do it for you.
It Takes Over Your Entire Life
Failure is all but guaranteed if you don’t love what you’re doing and don’t commit 100% to it.
You have to put everything you have into your new business, both emotionally and physically–you have to care! If you have unwillingness for this level of sacrifice-–sleep, a social life, and financial security-–then perhaps running your own operation isn’t a great idea.
The road to success in this field is a difficult one, but once you get there, you’ll find that it’s the most rewarding.
Category: Leadership Competencies
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