IAM1211 – CEO of Award Winning Agency Serves both Startups and Global Brands
Podcast Interview with Laurel Mintz
Laurel is the CEO and founder of the award-winning marketing agency, Elevate My Brand. Laurel has created an agency family serving both startups and blue-chip global brands like Facebook, Verizon Digital Media Group, PAW Patrol, and Zendesk. Laurel's favorite saying is FIOGID. Figure it out, get it done. And that's exactly what's brought the agency top talent and accolades since 2009.
- CEO Story: The CEO at the age of 26, took over her Dad’s company. Eventually started her own digital marketing company and now it has worked with over 250 brands.
- Business Service: Full-service marketing agency – web content, social advertising creative. Launch events, trade shows, conferences, national field marketing.
- Secret Sauce: Inspired by creatives but truly driven by data.
- Making sure that marketing lands on to different channels, with its messaging, positioning, and targeting is all proper on the digital and offline for the clients.
- Make sure you and your client are on the same page.
- CEO Hack: I call it orbiting the universe. After having the first meeting, I’ll be able to schedule a meeting for the next touchpoint.
- It’s all about building relationships.
- CEO Nugget: Don’t let anyone intimidate you.
- Your vulnerability and transparency are so critical to the human experience that really help you connect with your team and clients.
- CEO Defined: Standing up for something, showing up for your team, your clients, and your community.
Website: https://www.elevatemybrand.com
Instagram: laurelmintz, elevatemybrandla
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Transcription
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00:13 – Intro
Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEO's without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkness values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO podcast.
00:40 – Gresham Harkless
Hello. Hello. Hello. This is Gresh from the I AM CEO podcast. I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Laurel Mintz of Elevate my brand. Laurel, it's great to have you on the show.
00:49 – Laurel Mintz
Thank you so much for having me.
00:51 – Gresham Harkless
Yes, super excited to have you on. And before we jump into the interview, I want to read a little bit more about Laurel so you can hear about all the awesome things that she's doing. Laurel is the CEO and founder of the award-winning marketing agency Elevate My Brand. Laurel has created an agency family serving both startups and blue-chip global brands like Facebook, Verizon, Digital Media Group, Paw Patrol, and Zendesk. Laurel's favorite saying is Fio G I d. Figure it out and get it done. And that's exactly what brought the agency top talent and accolades since 2009. Laurel, super excited to have you on the show. I think you said this is episode like number 3000, that you've been on the podcast, so you're doing so many awesome things. Everybody's clamoring to speak with you. So are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?
[restrict paid=”true”]
01:33 – Laurel Mintz
I was born ready.
01:35 – Gresham Harkless
Awesome. Well, let's do it then. So, to kind of kick everything off, I wanted to rewind the clock a little bit here, a little bit more on how you got started, what I call your CEO story.
01:43 – Laurel Mintz
Yeah. So my CEO story is kind of interesting. I always thought I was going to be a lawyer, so I went to law school and hated it. Ended up going and getting my MBA at the same time. I still went and passed the bar. And, you know, when you're a Jewish girl growing up in LA, you're a doctor or a lawyer. Those are really your only two options. And so I was. I was practicing, and my dad got sick. He's healthy now, so it's a story with a happy ending. But basically, at 26, I had to step in and run his company, which was the West Coast company for this large organization called Bassett Furniture. So at 26, I had a staff of 60. I was doing all the marketing, merchandising, buying, training, sales. I was the youngest person in the company, not to mention the youngest woman, and I had total imposter syndrome. I did not know what the heck I was doing, but I figured it out.
02:31 – Gresham Harkless
Yeah.
02:31 – Laurel Mintz
And, you know, when he stepped back in, I went out and started the agency because I knew that that was definitely not my world and neither was being a lawyer. So now, 13 years and over 250 brands later.
02:44 – Gresham Harkless
Nice. Well, I definitely appreciate you sharing that and kind of hearing it sounds like where the seeds of the FiO Gid were planning to make sure I get that right. It sounded like when, you know, you were kind of thrown into those opportunities, you kind of just took the bull by reign, so to speak, and decided that you could make a way sometimes out of nowhere.
03:01 – Laurel Mintz
Yeah, I mean, you kind of have to. Luckily, you know, the, the team that I was running, they knew that I wasn't trying to come in and be some like, hot shit kid. Right. I was there to make sure that my family could survive and make sure the business could survive during that really challenging time. So for that, I was really grateful. But it was certainly a school of hard knocks thrown to the fire. But I do think it's what has allowed me to pivot quickly, and really be a problem-solving, solution-oriented leader. I think my team really appreciates that.
03:29 – Gresham Harkless
Yeah, I imagine probably the brands that you represent as well too, because I think especially, like, during these times, there's so many pivots and changes and so much kind of uncertainty about, like, what tomorrow brings. I feel like you have to have a lot of those integral skills in order to succeed in the future. Of course, like, sometimes reinvent yourself in order for that to happen.
03:45 – Laurel Mintz
Yeah, absolutely.
03:47 – Gresham Harkless
Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. So I know you touched a little bit upon, you know, where you landed and how you work with your clients. Could you drill down a little bit more, and tell us a little bit more about how you work with your clients? Elevate my brain.
03:56 – Laurel Mintz
Sure. So Elevate is what we call a full-service marketing agency. So that means we do the full digital suite, web content, social, advertising, creative, basically all of the ways that a brand would talk to their customers online. Then we also do the full experiential suite, although that's been rather quiet lately. But we're starting to see that pick back up. So that's launch events, trade shows, conferences, and national field marketing. What I think really differentiates us as an agency is that we consider ourselves to be what we call center-brained, which means we are really inspired by creating creative but truly driven by data.
04:31 – Gresham Harkless
Nice. I love that, and especially that secret sauce. Being able to kind of understand this is what kind of sets you apart, because I almost feel like, and I don't know if you would feel the same way, that sometimes the most creativity and innovation comes from being able to kind of blend, you know, both sides of the coin in so many different ways. So it sounds like you and your agency have been able to kind of do that as well.
04:48 – Laurel Mintz
Yeah, that's really part of our ethos as a brand is making sure that we have those creative juices. Honestly, it's a combination of my loves. Right. My passion. So I had that, a very analytical, very lawyer-like brain, and then I have the MBA side, which is more of that problem-solving creative, and it was an MBA with an emphasis in marketing, so I already have that kind of creative mindset, and I'm a Gemini on top of it. So for me, I needed both of those pieces, and that's really what gets me out of bed every day. I love the work that we do.
05:17 – Gresham Harkless
Nice. Absolutely love that. As a fellow Gemini, it's always Gemini season, so I definitely want to echo that. Yes, we are very creative. We are able to meld both of those sides. So I absolutely love how that's, you know, taking root in your company. And. Do you feel like a lot of that ability to balance that side has also helped you with being able to kind of come up with those solutions for your clients as well?
05:38 – Laurel Mintz
Definitely. I think that you know, we'll come up with a concept, but we also want to make sure that it actually has legs. Right. You can make things beautiful interesting and dynamic visually, but if it doesn't actually move the needle for the client, then it's just a pretty picture. I think Gone are those days when marketing can just be things beautiful, being beautiful. Right. We need to make sure that it lands on different channels. The messaging, the positioning, and the targeting are all proper on the right digital and offline channels for the client. So I definitely think that that duality of thought process and the team that I have also has that in their nature as well. It's really important when we hire. So, yeah, I think it's absolutely been integral to the success of the agency.
06:18 – Gresham Harkless
Yeah. And it makes so much sense. I think, as you said, like so many times, I guess I don't want to call it shiny object syndrome, but it kind of can sometimes feel that way. Because it looks really good. Exactly, exactly. It looks really good and it looks really great. But I think really drilling down and understanding, like, okay, this is the strategy. This is why you're doing it. This is what the goal is hoping to be. Being able to kind of meld those things together for a client is absolutely huge.
06:40 – Laurel Mintz
Yeah. Also making sure that you're on the same page. Right. That's a big issue with a lot of service-based businesses everyone gets really excited in the beginning and then you start to execute and things kind of fall off the rails. Right. So making sure that everyone agrees on what success really looks like, what you're tracking to ensure success, so that when a client comes back and they say, well, I didn't like X, Y, and Z, or this didn't land, and you're like, well, actually it did because here's the metrics that show. So while you may think and feel something, I always say, like, I don't really care what your thoughts are. I don't really. I mean, I don't really care what your feelings are. Right. Feelings don't really matter to me. They do, of course, but I like to back it up with data. So show me the proof that something didn't, did, or didn't work, and we can go from a. We can start the conversation from there.
07:21 – Gresham Harkless
Yeah. And I feel like that's one of the big advantages of, you know, digital marketing, is that you do have that data to kind of lean on, to say, this is what success looks like, and then be able to kind of, you know, steer the ship towards that. I wanted to switch gears a little bit, and I want to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be like an app, a book, or a habit that you have, but what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?
07:41 – Laurel Mintz
First of all, those are my two favorite words on the planet. Honestly. I love those words. So I think, you know, I'm in business development all day, every day. Like, while I am certainly running the team and running the clients and all of that, my major CEO hat is running the top-line revenue of the business. So for me, that's all straight-up business development, which is relationship building. So it's from the best hack I can actually offer. I do. I speak a ton on this topic as well, which is what we call orbiting the universe. So what it looks like is you come across someone who you think you can help or who can help you or who might be a client right? In your day-to-day life, you always have that one experience with them, like that phone call, that Zoom meeting, that IRL experience, cocktails, whatever.
Then things kind of fall apart, right? You, like, never see that person again, and then three or eight months later, you're like, you see them at an event, you're like, oh, I should have really followed up with you. Follow-up is the most important thing to success for, I think, any company. So what we do, or what I do is I orbit the universe. So as soon as I have that first meeting, I will schedule within that meeting the next touch point. I don't care if it's two months out, six months out, whatever that is, even if you have to move it because some schedules get messed up, you at least always have a touch point with that person so you can check in and continue to orbit each other until you can support each other, whatever that what that means for that relationship.
08:59 – Gresham Harkless
Nice. I love that. I love the practicality of that because I think so many times, for one, you know, having biz dev and understanding how important that is, is integral to, like, every business and making sure that you are paying attention to that, to make sure you are able to stay in business and continue to kind of serve the clients that you work with. But I think having that actionable way that you can build those relationships is huge because, as you said, sometimes we try to get that first kind of conversation, and that isn't necessarily what builds that relationship. It's kind of the consistency of the following up, of checking in and understanding what somebody's going through, what they're looking for. Just all of those questions that we can ask as we're constantly orbiting their universe and our universe as well, it sounds like.
09:37 – Laurel Mintz
Yeah, it's about building relationships. I do think that that's one of my true gifts, is being able to understand people's pain points but relate to them on a human level. At the end of the day, people want to work with people that they like and that can deliver, but both are, I think, almost equally as important. Right. You want to work with people that you really appreciate and who understand you and who knows when you're going through something and they need a little extra support and love and things like that. So, you know, we're a small team, and we only take on a certain number of clients every year for that very reason, so that we can be really integrated and all and almost very much family-like with our clients.
10:10 – Gresham Harkless
Yeah, I love that. And, you know, there's the saying of going, you know, deep instead of going wide and being able to kind of deepen those relationships, deepen those connections, I imagine deepen those results as well, too, when you are able to really understand what I like to call the human aspect of business and of life that we often can sometimes zoom over because we're going from this thing to that thing. I wanted to ask you now for what I call a CEO nugget. So this is a little bit more of a word of wisdom or piece of advice. It might be something you would tell your favorite client, or if you were to hop into a time machine, you might tell your younger business self.
10:39 – Laurel Mintz
So the thing. So I do a lot of coaching and mentoring. I sit on the board for a network for teaching entrepreneurship because I think that these conversations are so important. I really wish that I had someone that could tell me those words of wisdom, you know, to my 22, 26-year-old self, I tell them, everyone's fucking faking it. Everyone. So don't let anyone intimidate you. They don't know. They haven't had it figured out much longer than you have, and they might not even have it figured out. They're just better at faking it. So don't let anyone intimidate you. I don't care what kind of room you're in.
11:06 – Gresham Harkless
Nice. I absolutely love that. I love that, the word that you said, you know, earlier when we were speaking about that imposter syndrome, because I think so many times when we feel like we're faking it or know that sometimes we don't have it all together, we feel like we're the only one, and we feel like we're the only one that has imposter syndrome, the only one who doesn't have it all figured out. But I love that because it starts to realize, you start to realize that the people that succeed are those people that understand that maybe they don't have it all together, but they just take one step in front of the other and continue to kind of do that on a regular basis. They get knocked down, but they continue to kind of get back up.
11:35 – Laurel Mintz
Well, also, that vulnerability and that transparency, honestly, is so critical to that human experience. I think it really helps you connect both with your team, with your clients, and with just the universe as a whole. I'm getting a little woo. But when I got to a point where I could say, I don't know something or I'm scared or, you know, that level of vulnerability, I think, is really quite beautiful. That's been the hardest thing for me as a CEO. Because in your mind, you think a CEO has to be this badass boss bitch. You know, that's actually not. Well, as well received as that vulnerability, human element.
12:11 – Gresham Harkless
Yeah, absolutely. Because I think it, and I don't want to put words in your mouth, but it sounds like it provides that connection piece, because I think once we realize that we don't have it all figured out, when we raise our hand and say that we are nervous, we are scared, we don't know if we, you know, we're going to, you know, be able to accomplish this, that, or the third, we start to realize that other people have those same fears, and it starts to kind of connect you because we start to realize the human aspect of all of us.
12:33 – Laurel Mintz
Absolutely. And also for me and for a lot of CEOs, I think the fear actually drives you. Right. So the fear of failure, the fear of not delivering on time, the fear of all these things, you take that fear, and for me, it actually empowers me and makes me run faster. So it's not always the healthiest. I think that there's a balance right? In the fear factor, there is a moment, there is a need for that, at least for me, and it helps to drive me to be a better business leader better for my team, and better for my family.
13:03 – Gresham Harkless
Yes, absolutely. Absolutely. Well, now I wanted to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. We're hoping to have different, quote-unquote, CEO's on the show. So, Laura, what does being a CEO mean to you?
13:15 – Laurel Mintz
Being a CEO means standing for something and showing up for your team, for your clients, and for your community.
13:22 – Gresham Harkless
I absolutely love that. Especially standing up for something, because I think so many times we forget that what we're doing is an extension of, a lot of times, our beliefs, our values, the things, and how we even see the world. So I love that you said standing for something and how that extends it to the people that are around us.
13:36 – Laurel Mintz
Well, I, you know, early in my career, I always had a really diverse team, and I never thought, really thought about it. In the last few years, obviously, that conversation has become so much more important. I realized that it was actually a core value that I didn't even realize was a part of the agency. Now we really do stand for that. So standing up for my community, making sure that, like, even during the pandemic, when people couldn't afford some of our services, we would offer them for free in exchange for them paying it forward to a nonprofit of, you know, three nonprofits that we picked. So just making sure that we are connecting all those dots in that human element and doing what's right, for the world, really. Again, I know it's kind of woo, but I really do feel like we are all cosmically connected and we're all energy, and it's my duty to. To show up and be the best version of myself, as you said, and. Stand for something really honest and true. I'm really honored to say that we have a team that really believes that as well.
14:30 – Gresham Harkless
Yeah, I absolutely love that. I appreciate you so much and sharing that, of course, in doing that, and especially during the pandemic, because I think so many times, you know, as Gandhi said, be the change you hope to see in the world, I think sometimes we forget how we can creatively do that. So I love that example that you gave about understanding that, hey, not only can we help out these organizations, but we can also help out these nonprofit organizations at the same time and thinking creatively on how to do that. I think so many times we can think that, oh, I don't have this or I don't have that to be able to give and make that impact. But really, if we think creatively, we can truly make that thing in the universe, so to speak. So, Laurel, truly appreciate that definition. I, of course, appreciate your time even more. What I wanted to do was just pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional that you can let our readers and listeners know and, of course, how best they can get a hold of you and find about all the awesome things you and your team are working on.
15:16 – Laurel Mintz
Yeah. Well, thank you so much for having me. It's always an honor to be able to have these really enlightening conversations, and you ask really good questions, I've been on a lot of these, so I appreciate that. If you want to get in touch, we're at elevatemybrand.com. Of course, on all the social channels, I always put my personal email out there for anyone who wants, needs mentorship, or wants to understand what this world looks like. Laurellevatemybrand.com dot. I always make time for anyone who is in need on any level.
15:41 – Gresham Harkless
Nice. I absolutely love that. We will definitely have the links and information in the show notes as well so that everybody can follow up with you. Thank you, of course, for doing that, and for giving to us today, and I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.
15:51 – Laurel Mintz
Thank you so much for having me.
15:55 – Outro
Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.
00:13 - Intro
Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEO's without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkness values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO podcast.
00:40 - Gresham Harkless
Hello. Hello. Hello. This is Gresh from the I AM CEO podcast. I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Laurel Mintz of Elevate my brand. Laurel, it's great to have you on the show.
00:49 - Laurel Mintz
Thank you so much for having me.
00:51 - Gresham Harkless
Yes, super excited to have you on. And before we jump into the interview, I want to read a little bit more about Laurel so you can hear about all the awesome things that she's doing. Laurel is the CEO and founder of the award-winning marketing agency Elevate My Brand. Laurel has created an agency family serving both startups and blue-chip global brands like Facebook, Verizon, Digital Media Group, Paw Patrol, and Zendesk. Laurel's favorite saying is Fio G I d. Figure it out and get it done. And that's exactly what brought the agency top talent and accolades since 2009. Laurel, super excited to have you on the show. I think you said this is episode like number 3000, that you've been on the podcast, so you're doing so many awesome things. Everybody's clamoring to speak with you. So are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?
01:33 - Laurel Mintz
I was born ready.
01:35 - Gresham Harkless
Awesome. Well, let's do it then. So, to kind of kick everything off, I wanted to rewind the clock a little bit here, a little bit more on how you got started, what I call your CEO story.
01:43 - Laurel Mintz
Yeah. So my CEO story is kind of interesting. I always thought I was going to be a lawyer, so I went to law school and hated it. Ended up going and getting my MBA at the same time. I still went and passed the bar. And, you know, when you're a Jewish girl growing up in LA, you're a doctor or a lawyer. Those are really your only two options. And so I was. I was practicing, and my dad got sick. He's healthy now, so it's a story with a happy ending. But basically, at 26, I had to step in and run his company, which was the West Coast company for this large organization called Bassett Furniture. So at 26, I had a staff of 60. I was doing all the marketing, merchandising, buying, training, sales. I was the youngest person in the company, not to mention the youngest woman, and I had total imposter syndrome. I did not know what the heck I was doing, but I figured it out.
02:31 - Gresham Harkless
Yeah.
02:31 - Laurel Mintz
And, you know, when he stepped back in, I went out and started the agency because I knew that that was definitely not my world and neither was being a lawyer. So now, 13 years and over 250 brands later.
02:44 - Gresham Harkless
Nice. Well, I definitely appreciate you sharing that and kind of hearing it sounds like where the seeds of the FiO Gid were planning to make sure I get that right. It sounded like when, you know, you were kind of thrown into those opportunities, you kind of just took the bull by reign, so to speak, and decided that you could make a way sometimes out of nowhere.
03:01 - Laurel Mintz
Yeah, I mean, you kind of have to. Luckily, you know, the, the team that I was running, they knew that I wasn't trying to come in and be some like, hot shit kid. Right. I was there to make sure that my family could survive and make sure the business could survive during that really challenging time. So for that, I was really grateful. But it was certainly a school of hard knocks thrown to the fire. But I do think it's what has allowed me to pivot quickly, and really be a problem-solving, solution-oriented leader. I think my team really appreciates that.
03:29 - Gresham Harkless
Yeah, I imagine probably the brands that you represent as well too, because I think especially, like, during these times, there's so many pivots and changes and so much kind of uncertainty about, like, what tomorrow brings. I feel like you have to have a lot of those integral skills in order to succeed in the future. Of course, like, sometimes reinvent yourself in order for that to happen.
03:45 - Laurel Mintz
Yeah, absolutely.
03:47 - Gresham Harkless
Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. So I know you touched a little bit upon, you know, where you landed and how you work with your clients. Could you drill down a little bit more, and tell us a little bit more about how you work with your clients? Elevate my brain.
03:56 - Laurel Mintz
Sure. So Elevate is what we call a full-service marketing agency. So that means we do the full digital suite, web content, social, advertising, creative, basically all of the ways that a brand would talk to their customers online. Then we also do the full experiential suite, although that's been rather quiet lately. But we're starting to see that pick back up. So that's launch events, trade shows, conferences, and national field marketing. What I think really differentiates us as an agency is that we consider ourselves to be what we call center-brained, which means we are really inspired by creating creative but truly driven by data.
04:31 - Gresham Harkless
Nice. I love that, and especially that secret sauce. Being able to kind of understand this is what kind of sets you apart, because I almost feel like, and I don't know if you would feel the same way, that sometimes the most creativity and innovation comes from being able to kind of blend, you know, both sides of the coin in so many different ways. So it sounds like you and your agency have been able to kind of do that as well.
04:48 - Laurel Mintz
Yeah, that's really part of our ethos as a brand is making sure that we have those creative juices. Honestly, it's a combination of my loves. Right. My passion. So I had that, a very analytical, very lawyer-like brain, and then I have the MBA side, which is more of that problem-solving creative, and it was an MBA with an emphasis in marketing, so I already have that kind of creative mindset, and I'm a Gemini on top of it. So for me, I needed both of those pieces, and that's really what gets me out of bed every day. I love the work that we do.
05:17 - Gresham Harkless
Nice. Absolutely love that. As a fellow Gemini, it's always Gemini season, so I definitely want to echo that. Yes, we are very creative. We are able to meld both of those sides. So I absolutely love how that's, you know, taking root in your company. And. Do you feel like a lot of that ability to balance that side has also helped you with being able to kind of come up with those solutions for your clients as well?
05:38 - Laurel Mintz
Definitely. I think that you know, we'll come up with a concept, but we also want to make sure that it actually has legs. Right. You can make things beautiful interesting and dynamic visually, but if it doesn't actually move the needle for the client, then it's just a pretty picture. I think Gone are those days when marketing can just be things beautiful, being beautiful. Right. We need to make sure that it lands on different channels. The messaging, the positioning, and the targeting are all proper on the right digital and offline channels for the client. So I definitely think that that duality of thought process and the team that I have also has that in their nature as well. It's really important when we hire. So, yeah, I think it's absolutely been integral to the success of the agency.
06:18 - Gresham Harkless
Yeah. And it makes so much sense. I think, as you said, like so many times, I guess I don't want to call it shiny object syndrome, but it kind of can sometimes feel that way. Because it looks really good. Exactly, exactly. It looks really good and it looks really great. But I think really drilling down and understanding, like, okay, this is the strategy. This is why you're doing it. This is what the goal is hoping to be. Being able to kind of meld those things together for a client is absolutely huge.
06:40 - Laurel Mintz
Yeah. Also making sure that you're on the same page. Right. That's a big issue with a lot of service-based businesses everyone gets really excited in the beginning and then you start to execute and things kind of fall off the rails. Right. So making sure that everyone agrees on what success really looks like, what you're tracking to ensure success, so that when a client comes back and they say, well, I didn't like X, Y, and Z, or this didn't land, and you're like, well, actually it did because here's the metrics that show. So while you may think and feel something, I always say, like, I don't really care what your thoughts are. I don't really. I mean, I don't really care what your feelings are. Right. Feelings don't really matter to me. They do, of course, but I like to back it up with data. So show me the proof that something didn't, did, or didn't work, and we can go from a. We can start the conversation from there.
07:21 - Gresham Harkless
Yeah. And I feel like that's one of the big advantages of, you know, digital marketing, is that you do have that data to kind of lean on, to say, this is what success looks like, and then be able to kind of, you know, steer the ship towards that. I wanted to switch gears a little bit, and I want to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be like an app, a book, or a habit that you have, but what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?
07:41 - Laurel Mintz
First of all, those are my two favorite words on the planet. Honestly. I love those words. So I think, you know, I'm in business development all day, every day. Like, while I am certainly running the team and running the clients and all of that, my major CEO hat is running the top-line revenue of the business. So for me, that's all straight-up business development, which is relationship building. So it's from the best hack I can actually offer. I do. I speak a ton on this topic as well, which is what we call orbiting the universe. So what it looks like is you come across someone who you think you can help or who can help you or who might be a client right? In your day-to-day life, you always have that one experience with them, like that phone call, that Zoom meeting, that IRL experience, cocktails, whatever.
Then things kind of fall apart, right? You, like, never see that person again, and then three or eight months later, you're like, you see them at an event, you're like, oh, I should have really followed up with you. Follow-up is the most important thing to success for, I think, any company. So what we do, or what I do is I orbit the universe. So as soon as I have that first meeting, I will schedule within that meeting the next touch point. I don't care if it's two months out, six months out, whatever that is, even if you have to move it because some schedules get messed up, you at least always have a touch point with that person so you can check in and continue to orbit each other until you can support each other, whatever that what that means for that relationship.
08:59 - Gresham Harkless
Nice. I love that. I love the practicality of that because I think so many times, for one, you know, having biz dev and understanding how important that is, is integral to, like, every business and making sure that you are paying attention to that, to make sure you are able to stay in business and continue to kind of serve the clients that you work with. But I think having that actionable way that you can build those relationships is huge because, as you said, sometimes we try to get that first kind of conversation, and that isn't necessarily what builds that relationship. It's kind of the consistency of the following up, of checking in and understanding what somebody's going through, what they're looking for. Just all of those questions that we can ask as we're constantly orbiting their universe and our universe as well, it sounds like.
09:37 - Laurel Mintz
Yeah, it's about building relationships. I do think that that's one of my true gifts, is being able to understand people's pain points but relate to them on a human level. At the end of the day, people want to work with people that they like and that can deliver, but both are, I think, almost equally as important. Right. You want to work with people that you really appreciate and who understand you and who knows when you're going through something and they need a little extra support and love and things like that. So, you know, we're a small team, and we only take on a certain number of clients every year for that very reason, so that we can be really integrated and all and almost very much family-like with our clients.
10:10 - Gresham Harkless
Yeah, I love that. And, you know, there's the saying of going, you know, deep instead of going wide and being able to kind of deepen those relationships, deepen those connections, I imagine deepen those results as well, too, when you are able to really understand what I like to call the human aspect of business and of life that we often can sometimes zoom over because we're going from this thing to that thing. I wanted to ask you now for what I call a CEO nugget. So this is a little bit more of a word of wisdom or piece of advice. It might be something you would tell your favorite client, or if you were to hop into a time machine, you might tell your younger business self.
10:39 - Laurel Mintz
So the thing. So I do a lot of coaching and mentoring. I sit on the board for a network for teaching entrepreneurship because I think that these conversations are so important. I really wish that I had someone that could tell me those words of wisdom, you know, to my 22, 26-year-old self, I tell them, everyone's fucking faking it. Everyone. So don't let anyone intimidate you. They don't know. They haven't had it figured out much longer than you have, and they might not even have it figured out. They're just better at faking it. So don't let anyone intimidate you. I don't care what kind of room you're in.
11:06 - Gresham Harkless
Nice. I absolutely love that. I love that, the word that you said, you know, earlier when we were speaking about that imposter syndrome, because I think so many times when we feel like we're faking it or know that sometimes we don't have it all together, we feel like we're the only one, and we feel like we're the only one that has imposter syndrome, the only one who doesn't have it all figured out. But I love that because it starts to realize, you start to realize that the people that succeed are those people that understand that maybe they don't have it all together, but they just take one step in front of the other and continue to kind of do that on a regular basis. They get knocked down, but they continue to kind of get back up.
11:35 - Laurel Mintz
Well, also, that vulnerability and that transparency, honestly, is so critical to that human experience. I think it really helps you connect both with your team, with your clients, and with just the universe as a whole. I'm getting a little woo. But when I got to a point where I could say, I don't know something or I'm scared or, you know, that level of vulnerability, I think, is really quite beautiful. That's been the hardest thing for me as a CEO. Because in your mind, you think a CEO has to be this badass boss bitch. You know, that's actually not. Well, as well received as that vulnerability, human element.
12:11 - Gresham Harkless
Yeah, absolutely. Because I think it, and I don't want to put words in your mouth, but it sounds like it provides that connection piece, because I think once we realize that we don't have it all figured out, when we raise our hand and say that we are nervous, we are scared, we don't know if we, you know, we're going to, you know, be able to accomplish this, that, or the third, we start to realize that other people have those same fears, and it starts to kind of connect you because we start to realize the human aspect of all of us.
12:33 - Laurel Mintz
Absolutely. And also for me and for a lot of CEOs, I think the fear actually drives you. Right. So the fear of failure, the fear of not delivering on time, the fear of all these things, you take that fear, and for me, it actually empowers me and makes me run faster. So it's not always the healthiest. I think that there's a balance right? In the fear factor, there is a moment, there is a need for that, at least for me, and it helps to drive me to be a better business leader better for my team, and better for my family.
13:03 - Gresham Harkless
Yes, absolutely. Absolutely. Well, now I wanted to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. We're hoping to have different, quote-unquote, CEO's on the show. So, Laura, what does being a CEO mean to you?
13:15 - Laurel Mintz
Being a CEO means standing for something and showing up for your team, for your clients, and for your community.
13:22 - Gresham Harkless
I absolutely love that. Especially standing up for something, because I think so many times we forget that what we're doing is an extension of, a lot of times, our beliefs, our values, the things, and how we even see the world. So I love that you said standing for something and how that extends it to the people that are around us.
13:36 - Laurel Mintz
Well, I, you know, early in my career, I always had a really diverse team, and I never thought, really thought about it. In the last few years, obviously, that conversation has become so much more important. I realized that it was actually a core value that I didn't even realize was a part of the agency. Now we really do stand for that. So standing up for my community, making sure that, like, even during the pandemic, when people couldn't afford some of our services, we would offer them for free in exchange for them paying it forward to a nonprofit of, you know, three nonprofits that we picked. So just making sure that we are connecting all those dots in that human element and doing what's right, for the world, really. Again, I know it's kind of woo, but I really do feel like we are all cosmically connected and we're all energy, and it's my duty to. To show up and be the best version of myself, as you said, and. Stand for something really honest and true. I'm really honored to say that we have a team that really believes that as well.
14:30 - Gresham Harkless
Yeah, I absolutely love that. I appreciate you so much and sharing that, of course, in doing that, and especially during the pandemic, because I think so many times, you know, as Gandhi said, be the change you hope to see in the world, I think sometimes we forget how we can creatively do that. So I love that example that you gave about understanding that, hey, not only can we help out these organizations, but we can also help out these nonprofit organizations at the same time and thinking creatively on how to do that. I think so many times we can think that, oh, I don't have this or I don't have that to be able to give and make that impact. But really, if we think creatively, we can truly make that thing in the universe, so to speak. So, Laurel, truly appreciate that definition. I, of course, appreciate your time even more. What I wanted to do was just pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional that you can let our readers and listeners know and, of course, how best they can get a hold of you and find about all the awesome things you and your team are working on.
15:16 - Laurel Mintz
Yeah. Well, thank you so much for having me. It's always an honor to be able to have these really enlightening conversations, and you ask really good questions, I've been on a lot of these, so I appreciate that. If you want to get in touch, we're at elevatemybrand.com. Of course, on all the social channels, I always put my personal email out there for anyone who wants, needs mentorship, or wants to understand what this world looks like. Laurellevatemybrand.com dot. I always make time for anyone who is in need on any level.
15:41 - Gresham Harkless
Nice. I absolutely love that. We will definitely have the links and information in the show notes as well so that everybody can follow up with you. Thank you, of course, for doing that, and for giving to us today, and I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.
15:51 - Laurel Mintz
Thank you so much for having me.
15:55 - Outro
Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.
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