Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Scott Brandon, CEO of Brandon, located in Charleston, SC, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

We are a data-driven, digitally-centric integrated marketing agency. We focus on connecting data-driven insights with creative ideas to help our clients grow. I like to describe it as turning data into weapons. We are also one of only 24 certified and accredited brand strategy agencies in the United States. We have a great team of smart, business-minded, results-obsessed people who don't mind rolling up their sleeves and getting things done. We focus our efforts on nine business categories. B2B, healthcare, financial services, telecom, hospitality, lifestyle apparel, CPG, utilities, and health & fitness. Some of our biggest clients include Santee Cooper (South Carolina's State-Owned Electric Utility), FTC (one of America's largest telephone cooperatives), Wilmington Health, Security Finance (over 900 US locations), Idahoan, StayAPT Suites, Wastequip, and Fish Hippie.

Tell us about yourself

I was a lawyer coming out of school and practiced for about five years before coming to work for the agency. My Dad started the agency in 1959, and by 1993, he was looking for an exit plan. I was not enjoying my law practice, and he invited me to work for him. Over the course of about seven years, we tripled the size of the business, and in 2001 he sold it all to me and took off to play golf and enjoy retirement. Since then, we have expanded our office locations to Charleston, Charlotte, Orlando, and Sophia, Bulgaria. We have acquired five additional agencies under our holding company umbrella and have originally created two others. We have 135+ team members and continue to look for opportunities to grow. I enjoy the people I work with and having the opportunity to solve complex business issues. It's incredibly satisfying to be part of a team that is so smart and good at what they do. The technology and tools we have to work with today allow us to track everything and know within minutes and seconds if our solutions are working. I also enjoy the brand strategy side of our business, helping companies uncover their core business purpose and building out longer-term roadmaps for success.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Having two of my three kids join me in the business. We are a family-owned company and are now in our fourth generation. The fact that they would want to work here and carry on the family legacy is something I am very grateful for.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

Trying to stay ahead of the curve. To be a successful marketer today, you must be on top of technology and, more importantly, how consumers use technology to consume media and find things they are interested in. Our agency sits at an interesting intersection where four kinds of information come together, including our client's brands, their consumers, technology, and big data. It's our job to understand all of that information and look for insights that spark creative ideas to help our clients continue to grow. The rate of technological change is only growing faster, and it can be challenging to stay on top of it. We try to stay one step ahead and constantly test to discover the next big thing.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Nobody will ever work as hard or be as committed as you are. There have been times in my career when I got bitter because I did not feel like our team was as focused and committed as I was. I have learned over the years that it is not reasonable to think that anyone without skin in the game would have the same level of commitment that I do. I had to learn to let go of that feeling.
  2. Be very careful with who you partner with. Partnerships can be very tricky, and if you are going to be partners with someone, ask yourself how you think the person will respond under intense pressure, particularly financial pressure. Disagreements over money generally kill a partnership so know before you go.
  3. Find joy in what you do, especially the little things. You will not hit home runs each time you step up to the plate. Enjoy every moment you have because tomorrow is not a guarantee.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.thebrandonagency.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrandonAgency
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebrandonagency/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/brandonagency
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-brandon/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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