The Hustle
Years in Tampa Bay
10
Hustle (job)
Founder/CEO of Hype Group
What do you do?
By day I run a successful branding and creative communications agency, building and growing local, regional and national brands. Outside of the office I am a wife and mama to three kids (4-yr old daughter Jackson and newborn twin boys). Some would say I’m pretty busy!
Why do you do it?
I absolutely love what I do. My team, our clients, our projects, our process and our quality of work make it easy to take great pride in all things Hype. I am so proud of the company we’ve built, and I really enjoy coming into the office every day. We have a lot of fun, but we have a lot of hustle.
What was your Catalyst? (How did you get started?)
I never really dreamt of owning my own company, even leading up to the very day I started Hype. That is to say, its origins were very organic. I did piecemeal projects here and there for friends and family who reached out because they knew my experience in the advertising and PR world, and it just took off. I always tell people when they ask that question, that they’re not going to get a glamorous answer. I started this company with no funding or loans (still none to this day, which I am very, very proud of), no ex-clients to bring along with me and no connections in this market whatsoever. In the beginning, Hype was ‘everything to everyone,’ as most new businesses are when they start. We began to find our niche in the world of branding and creative communications, and naturally starting removing and adding services that made sense for us and our clients. Since then, we’ve grown like crazy and we’ve been successful in being the right solution for the right client.
What’s a common misconception or unknown aspect of what you do?
Many people, and unfortunately many business owners, don’t understand the value of a solid brand story and branding. When building a brand, “big picture” thinking is paramount. That means looking beyond a logo and thinking about your story, rally call, voice and tone, as well as your logo, assets and supporting visuals. When done right, all of these things work together to communicate your value offerings and what makes your business different from the rest.
A brand is so much more to a business than a logo, and any good agency owner will tell you as much. The right team developing your brand will consist of strategists, copywriters, designers, content creators and more all working together to build something special, and most importantly, true to your business and your goals.
What’s the most challenging part of your Hustle?
The most challenging part of my hustle these days is managing the work-life balance. With three children, and a husband who also runs his own business, it’s hard to know when to unplug.
What’s the most valuable piece of business advice/insight that’s helped you?
My HR Manager tells me this on a daily basis – “delegate, delegate, delegate.” Delegation was extremely difficult for me as a business owner early on, but when you’re armed with the right team, delegation becomes second nature. It allows me to focus on what I do best. We have the right people in the right places, and that is extremely valuable to me.
