We recently connected with Amanda Vega and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Amanda thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear your thoughts about making remote work effective.
I have had a policy where the team could work remotely since I started the agency over 25 years ago. In some of our markets this was utilized often (west coast) and in some, rarely except in big chunks (east coast during summers.) I would say the biggest success of the policy: I hired adults from the beginning and did an open-book sharing policy so that everyone was staunchly clear on costs and impact of good versus mediocre work. We have always had high expectations, but low guiderails. (I don’t care what you wear, who your with, what time, or from what location you get your work done: as long as it’s on time and at our level.)
Amanda, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I was the 22nd employee of AOL with my first job being a chat moderator (which is hilarious considering my potty mouth.) I grew up in that company while going to high school and then (many) colleges and worked up to the c-suite before I was old enough to drink. Then I was kicked out of the nest into a force sabbatical to “spread my wings” with the full confidence and support of the CEO. I started and sold my first agency before the age of 25 to Ogilvy, and have run my current consulting firm/agency for over 25 years which I am selling, via the original ESOP plan, to the team currently. So now I’m doing fractional CMO work, consulting, and considering some opportunities for full time positions so I can help raise someone else’s boat.
I solve business problems related to marketing. Truly, I use a staunch knowledge of human behavior, and a love of words, to help move people into a position for my clients. Sometimes, that is through PR. Other times it’s through social media posts. And it can also come in the form of corporate communications or training; because people matter and your customer is also your team. My standout from other companies? The compliance and legal mind that I have always had and my ability to be honest and hard hitting when needed.
We’d appreciate any insights you can share with us about selling a business.
I sold my first company before the age of 23 and prior to getting an MBA. What did I learn most? Never sell a service business using EBIDA. And always put a premium on the sale if you have a great client list; especially if the brand buying you is bigger as they will certainly capitalize on the accounts in a huge way. (As they should!) I would also be mindful of any golden handcuffs and what the impact will be to your team.
How did you build your audience on social media?
My social media was built over time, very organically. And I think the key to the growth was engagement. I have ALWAYS spent time engaging with other’s content and trying to help where I can. I am a natural connector; so I’m always looking for ways to help other people meet. At one point, I had over 110K followers on Twitter. Why? Because I am pithy and was unafraid to say non-PC things, correct misinformation (think posts that aren’t accurate with regard to legislation or calling out when something “went viral” but knew it had a smart PR play or ad buy behind it,) and because I share my life; not just my business.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.amandavega.com
- Instagram: @THEAmandaVega
- Facebook: https://FB.com/AmandaVega
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandavega
- Twitter: @amandavega