We were lucky to catch up with Audrey Derbonne recently and have shared our conversation below.
Audrey, appreciate you joining us today. Can you tell us a bit about who your hero is and the influence they’ve had on you?
I would have to say my dad is my hero. He is my biggest cheer leader, role model, and mentor. He set such a strong example of success for me growing up while still managing to love and support me and my family. My dad immigrated here from Germany at the age of 5, and never had it easy. Growing up, he always worked multiple jobs. Later in life, he saw one of his friends become successful in the Title Insurance business and decided he himself wanted that too. So he went to every Title company in the area asking for a job until he met one man who would talk to him. That man asked him where he saw himself in 5 years and he said “in your seat” and he was immediately hired. And sure enough in 5 years he was in his place. He had worked his butt off and worked his way to the top. He went on to start his own Title company that had become a big success, and right before I was about to start college he sold it and retired at the age of 50.
Growing up watching all his success and hard work gave me the foundation and mindset that I could be successful at anything I wanted if I just put my mind to it. He taught me that if I work hard work enough at my goals and am determined, I too can be successful. When my brother and I were younger, we found a crystal top salesman of the trophy in the trash. He would get them every year and every year he would throw them away. When we asked my dad why he always threw them out he said, it’s a new year. This taught me to have humility and always strive to keep learning & improving. But the one thing I admire most is that I never felt like he missed out on any of my childhood. He was always there for me, took uninterrupted time for family vacations, one-on-one father daughter trips, he was at every one of my tennis matches, dance recitals, talent shows, etc. He managed to provide for our family while still being the worlds best dad. That taught me that you really can do it all if you manage your time wisely and make it count. He always pushed me to pursue my dreams and was there smiling big at my college graduation.
After I graduated I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. He sat with me and helped me look at different industries and careers until I landed on one I enjoyed. When I later decided it wasn’t for me, he wasn’t disappointed. He instead encouraged me to do something I loved, but make it into a business.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I grew up in Dana Point, California. I knew I always wanted to end up back in California because I just love it so much (whats not to love) so I thought I needed to get out of California for a little and experience a new place. I thought what better time to do that than for college. I landed at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, and 4 years later graduated with a bachelors degree in Economics. After I graduated and moved back to California I had no idea what I wanted to do, but I knew I didn’t want to sit at a desk every day from 9-5. I started working as a sales representative because I loved being the thrill of it and being on the move all day, meeting and talking with different people.
The story of how I got into social media marketing started with discovering a passion for it. I got a dog, a mini golden doodle named Chai, who I quickly became obsessed with. I made her an Instagram and I started posting cute/funny reels of her, and they started to blow up. They would get thousands to millions of views. Then, I started thinking about my other passions, one of which is healthy foods and cooking. Cooking has always been a fun and relaxing hobby for me, and I was already making these amazing healthy recipes for myself. I decided to start a food instagram and film these recipes, so I could share them with my friends and family. Then those reels started getting tons of views and likes. I was having so much fun creating and sharing them, but even more fun posting them and watching them blow up so quickly. That is when I found my passion for content creation and social media marketing.
So I decided to make it a career and I started my own social media agency. I wanted to help businesses grow and enhance their online presence. I provide all things social media marketing, to help brands increase their brand awareness, increase sales, and grow. This includes content creation, social media management, consulting, paid advertising, & influencer marketing. In todays world, having a strong social media presence for your brand is so important. And in my opinion, in order to be successful as a business owner, you really can’t do it all. I’ve seen too many people trying to do everything, and it’s just too much for one person. As a business owner, your business needs be to your sole focus. But, I also know hiring someone to run your socials can be nerve racking for a lot of people, it’s hard to give up control and trust someone will run it with as much passion as you would.
I think that’s what sets me apart from others in my industry. I see many people get burned out doing it because they aren’t passionate about what they are doing and the content they are creating for their clients. I can honestly say that I love what I do, and the brands I get to work with. It’s never a dull moment. It’s always exciting and I constantly get to work on and create new and interesting projects. I think when you love what you do, the passion really shows through your work, and it’s so rewarding watching your clients brands grow, and succeed because of it. That’s what keeps me motivated. Also, all the amazing entrepreneurs I get to meet and connect with. They are all such big inspirations and role models.
We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.
Yes and I couldn’t be happier about it! After I found this passion for creating content and social media I decided to quit my sales job to pursue it full time. I noticed immediately how much happier and more motivated I was in my day to day. My boyfriend has also been in the creative industry for quite some time, so he has been super helpful, supportive and encouraging. He always told me creative work isn’t something you can really teach to someone, you either have it or you don’t, and that I was one of lucky ones that had it, so I needed to just go for it. I started out creating content for a brand that had a well established Instagram already but their engagement had slowed down quite a bit. They needed unique and eye-catching reels to bring more engagement and eyeballs to their brand. I later was introduced to an amazing woman with a small business in San Clemente, that was experiencing the same thing, but was still a newer company, so having a strong social media presence all together was super important. She was looking for a fresh perspective on her brand. We really hit it off and shared the same ideals and vision. I started managing her social media and we’ve experienced great engagement and growth. I already knew I was passionate about creating content but what I didn’t realize until after getting my first two clients was how much I enjoyed helping these businesses grow and succeed. So I decided it was finally time to get serious about starting my social agency. I’m learning and growing it, but I now have a business name, AD Social Studio, and I’ve picked up a few more amazing clients. I’m super excited to build my own company, and see where this journey takes me! But most importantly, I’m smiling big everyday, because I get to build a career doing what I love.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
For me the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is when something comes together better than I could have imagined. I always start every creative project with an idea of how I want it to look in my head but when I finish a project and it looks even better than what I had imagined, that’s the most rewarding part. I think there’s always room for growth and improvement. I know personally, I’m always learning and growing with every project I create. It’s exciting! I continue to surprise myself and improve everyday. Every project is different and exciting. And watching how well each project preforms for my client, and how much it helps with their social media growth is super rewarding and keeps my creative juices flowing.
Contact Info:
- Website: adsocialstudio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adsocialstudio/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/audreyderbonne/