Adam is a digital consultant who helps companies develop their digital journey. He is an agency owner and podcaster who formerly worked on teams like VaynerMedia, Wipro Digital. Adam currently hosts Digitalism and is co-running Strafire Media. Adam speaks about his journey from working at large consulting agencies to striking out on his own, how to help businesses move from stagnation to growth and the value of focus.
Adam helps companies that are part of old industries market their products or services effectively. Adam’s goal is to change the way businesses such as the logistics, supply-chain and manufacturing industries perceive and interact with marketing and consulting by delivering concrete results.
How it Started
Adam’s history working for Wipro Digital and VaynerMedia have been vital to his current success as an entrepreneur. At Wipro he gained experience in classic consulting and creating marketing strategies for big-name companies, and then at VaynerMedia he gained experience executing strategies.
Adam says those professional experiences showed him how a holistic perspective, a good marketing strategy and small actions have a huge impact on a business. But Adam always dreamed of starting his own business, so when the time was right he and his partner struck out on their own and created Strafire Media in 2017.
Discovering the Niche
Adam says now that things are taking off for Strafire he’s been focusing on growing the brand and positioning it for future success. But as far as deciding to target old-school or stagnant industries, Adam says that was a happy accident.
He clarifies that “stagnant” here refers to a lot of companies in the manufacturing or supply-chain space who have never addressed messaging, marketing or growth in a scalable fashion. Adam says many of these companies are realizing that the marketplace has changed since they were founded in the 70s-90s and need help adapting.
18:02 “Now they’re dealing with purchasing buyers.”
From Old-School to Modern
Adam’s consultation begins with a discovery phase. He says to start by getting to know the company’s most basic needs when adapting it to the 21st century. For some businesses that meant helping them see that their stagnation is greatly influenced by their outdated website — or lack of a website altogether.
20:35 “The modern buyer is someone who is doing ninety-nine percent of their research and decision-making on their computer, and that extends to the industrial and manufacturing customers as well.”
Adam says he’s learned it’s better to start with a concrete project that yields small tangible results, such as a redesigned landing page, than to start by offering an industrial business a new marketing strategy. Once you demonstrate some fundamental results quickly, then it’s time to move into strategy.
Adam says this transition plays out over time. When aiming to be entrusted with revamping a company’s marketing strategy, Adam suggests:
- Be up front. Let the company know what skills you have and what you hope to accomplish in the long run.
- Be patient. Don’t nag or brag about what you could accomplish if given the chance.
- Focus solely on delivering results.
32:46 “When we have that really zoned-in focus on just delivering results, they kind of just speak for themselves.”
Call-to-Action
Adam encourages you to think about someone on Twitter, a family member or anyone you haven’t spoken to in a while and just reach out with a kind word. Adam even encourages you to reach out to him, too!
Adam’s thoughtfulness and intentionality impress me. He is perceptive and a good listener. Adam’s experience highlights how clarity up front can lead companies from stagnation to growth, how reading the room can win you clients and the value of focusing on delivering quality and results.
My call-to-action for listeners is to check out my newest podcast Creative Marketing Brief. It’s a 90-second or less daily show for busy digital marketers and business owners who want a bite-sized action item or inspiration item for their day.
This is our first podcast made intentionally for your smart speaker. To add it to your Amazon brief:
- Open the Alexa app.
- Search “Creative Marketing Brief.”
- Subscribe.
From there, say “Hey Alexa, play my briefing” and you’re set! Otherwise, get it wherever you listen to podcasts.
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