We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jason Campbell. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jason below.

Jason, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you share a story that illustrates an important or relevant lesson you learned in school

My marketing professor at Florida A&M University (#1 HBCU in the nation) Dr. Hightower was very pivotal and instrumental in my development as a marketing professional. One of the biggest things he said to me, that sill sticks with with me until this day was, find out what your passion is and learn how to monetize it. That mantra was cemented in my mindset throughout my matriculation through college, corporate America and now as an entrepreneur. Since Brand B’s inceptions it has alway been abundantly clear that community and personal development has alway been interwoven in the fabric of our execution. That fabric, that foundation has held true throughout our journey as a company and agency.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am from the Englewood neighborhood on the Southside of Chicago. Arguably one of the most socioeconomically challenged neighborhoods in the nation. It often consumes it’s young. It had the opposite effect on me, I was molded by the coarseness of the politics and navigating street culture to get to school everyday. It shaped my “hustler’s mentality”, so I was always looking for a legal way to make money. My entrepreneurial journey started really early when my mother instilled in my that I needed to focus on owning my own business someday. That sparked various small “ventures” from selling lemonade, cutting grass and even selling cookies in my dorm at Florida A&M University. After graduating from FAMU I came back to Chicago where a friend and I started a non for profit that focused on Basketball, mentoring and education. My responsibility was to invite the professional athletes from the areas to come talk to the youth. That summer is when I realized that there was a void in representation for professional and amateur athletes; and I wanted to do something about it. This was also the era of pro football players going broke at an 85% margin. I felt it was my duty to create a space that would not only leverage their celebrity in the community, but also set them up for longterm success. So we have spent the last 13 years educating our clients, insuring that they have the proper people around them, and working collaboratively with them to effectuate meaningful change in their communities.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Well, a lot of the things that we see about entrepreneurship is glorified and sexy on social media. Nobody teaches you about the sacrifices and the discipline that it takes to be a successful entrepreneur. They also don’t tell you about the peaks and valleys that comes with being a entrepreneur and how when you are “up” and making profit and reaping the benefits of the hard work you have put in, that you should be stacking and saving your funds for that rainy day. Entrepreneurship is not for everybody it is a 24/7 – 365 day grind for sure. Its managing employees/clients expectations, external/internal relationships, as well as the grueling aspect of going out and creating new business, that alone causes so much anxiety for business owners. One of the things that was very clear to me early on is having to “pull yourself up by your bootstraps”. The sacrifice and self-awareness of that is a very humbling experience. I have had to dip into 401(k) or completely deplete them to make sure that my dream and my business stayed afloat. That is an experience that nobody can prepare you for. One of the biggest hurdles as a business owner is having to pivot and go in a different direction with a business partner. Depending on your previous relationship with that person it can completely demoralize you. I could definitely teach a Masterclass on that. Making such a hard pivot can completely redefine your entire business and the trajectory of your success. There is a stint of grief and mourning that comes with disconnecting from someone you were in the trenches with everyday that very few speak about. Needless to say I regrouped and the agency went on to become the most trusted sports marketing agency in the world. – Forbes Magazine.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I think one of the things that has been a key differentiator between us and my contemporaries in the sports marketing space, is the fact that I am very transparent and clear about how we conduct business. I like to under promise and overdeliver in every aspect of our execution. Managing a client’s expectations saves you and the client alot of heartbreak. I think that this is the best approach to doing any business, especially in other countries/cultures and especially in sports marketing. Whether is our professional athlete clients or our fortune 100 clients, leading with integrity and establishing credibility goes a very long way. However, executing at the highest level goes the furthest. Taking accountability for our mistakes is what cements our relationships with people. One would think that everyone does business with those same principals but, the higher you go you understand that is not the case.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.brandbsports.com/
• Instagram: @brandbsports @camaceo
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-campbell-ba24535?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
• Twitter: @brandb
• Other: https://www.si.com/college/hbcu/diversity-in-sports/citi-aston-martin-empowering-hbcus-stem-careers

Image Credits

N/A
Brandon Best