We were lucky to catch up with Devon Yancey recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Devon, thanks for joining us today. Innovation comes in all shapes, sizes and across all industries, so we’d love to hear about something you’ve done that you feel was particularly innovative.

Integrating AI into my business was a game-changer! It allowed me to streamline my workload, reducing my hours while simultaneously accommodating more clients. Despite prevalent apprehensions about AI, the reality is, when harnessed effectively, it has the potential to significantly boost your business.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Unlike many of my marketing peers, I didn’t pursue a college education after high school. Instead, I delved straight into the workforce, initially in the food industry. Eager to get out of the industry, I landed an administrative role at a small marketing agency in Paradise Valley, gradually immersing myself in the marketing domain. That’s where my journey truly commenced. From there, I absorbed knowledge and expertise across diverse settings—smaller agencies, corporate marketing departments, freelance gigs, and various other roles—building a robust foundation of experience.

Despite social being in our name, our agency’s scope extends far beyond. We provide comprehensive consultation services, delve into paid media marketing, craft compelling email campaigns, and delve into the creative realms of graphic design, photography, and videography. Our agility as a smaller agency empowers us to swiftly respond to our clients’ evolving needs, positioning us as their partner in achieving their goals.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

I had been working in the marketing industry for over a decade. After working full time and constantly having side marketing projects, I was feeling a little burned out and unfulfilled. Ten to twelve hour work days will do that to you. I had an amazing boss at the time that had a personal development program within his company called, FRESH. The program is built to optimize your personal performance in mind and body. I can remember the first session really making me think about my life. Then one day, my boss said something to me that changed my whole perspective on my life. He said, “I would much rather wake up everyday to do what I love.” I literally put in my two weeks notice two days later and decided to go full scale with Yancey Social.

Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?

Keep your company plan simple, integrate AI and automate your business wherever possible.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.yanceysocial.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/yanceysocial
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/yanceysocial
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/yancey-social/

Image Credits
Tony Baril