We were lucky to catch up with Xavier Lam recently and have shared our conversation below.

Xavier, appreciate you joining us today. Folks often look at a successful business and imagine it was an overnight success, but from what we’ve seen this is often far from the truth. We’d love to hear your scaling up story – walk us through how you grew over time – what were some of the big things you had to do to grow and what was that scaling up journey like?

Owning a business is definitely not easy, especially when building it from the ground up. It involves understanding each business and their target audience. Many of the clients I work with lack some sort of marketing knowledge and assume that just implementing XYZ will lead to quick success. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. I often have to explain that it takes several months for marketing efforts to marinate and gradually grow. The middle phase of helping a business involves a lot of gritty details.

I’ve been doing this for three years now, and I’m still learning a lot with each new client. This year, I realized the importance of sticking to my niche, which aligns with my business name. Focusing on what I know best and delegating other tasks to my team has allowed me to scale up faster. I recall a stressful period when I worked with a COO who had no clear direction and expected quick results. I had to explain that success, especially with ads, doesn’t happen overnight. After a while, we parted ways.

One key lesson I’ve learned is to be patient with the work and to show clients the data. If a company doesn’t respect your expertise and believe in your work, it’s not worth the stress. Currently, I work with five clients: two lawyers, one retail store, one influencer, and a salon. This diverse mix is a lot of fun, and they all allow me to take the lead, resulting in content clients thanks to the data and results I provide.

Xavier, 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?

It all started in 2012, during my junior year at Chandler High School. My parents, who came from Hong Kong, China, didn’t have much, but I found my way into the world of affiliate marketing through a company called Karmaloop in Boston, Massachusetts. At the time, I didn’t have a car, so I got lucky and found this online job while shopping. Someone reached out to me with a rep code for a discount, sparking my interest in what they were doing. This intrigue led me to study marketing at Arizona State University.

While working for Karmaloop over four years, I helped generate over half a million dollars for the company before it had to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This experience taught me that what goes up must come down. The company aimed to expand by partnering with Pharrell Williams to start an online television channel called KarmaloopTV. Unfortunately, the investments in KarmaloopTV didn’t pan out as expected.

Being among the top five reps globally every month, I built connections with various brands and other reps. I joined other affiliate marketing programs with companies like Creative Recreation and Mooselimited, becoming a top rep in those programs as well. My online presence from Karmaloop helped me network and secure small jobs such as product shots and internships. I also worked with Adidas as a campus ambassador at Arizona State University, seeding products and hosting events, including releasing ASU exclusive sneakers.

During the summer before my senior year, I interned at Mooselimited in Los Angeles, learning everything from packaging costs to working with brands on merchandising and understanding the CEO’s daily operations. Despite being offered a position at the company, I decided to return to Arizona to complete my marketing degree. Back in Arizona, I interned at a marketing agency called Envida, where I learned more than I expected and explored different marketing areas.

I realized many business owners lacked a strong understanding of marketing, which led me to start my own marketing company, Niche Agency LLC. I aimed to help businesses see that social media marketing should be a primary focus, not an afterthought. After graduating, I landed a job with Google in the Google Ads department, where I’ve been working for over a year. Alongside my job at Google, I run my marketing agency and have solidified its foundation, while also managing my photography and resale business.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Building an audience on social media is crucial. I started with my personal account before creating a business account. Your online presence is essential because people often look you up to see what you do for a living. Consistency and posting high-quality, informative content are key to keeping people engaged.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

I only collaborate with companies I am confident and passionate about. This approach allows me to connect with the brand and be highly knowledgeable about the product and clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nichexagency.com/
• Instagram: https://Instagram.com/XavierKLam
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/XavierKLam/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xavierlam/
• Twitter: https://Twitter.com/XavierKLam

Image Credits

@XavierKLam