Sometimes the most incredible things happen to us when we least expect it. Embracing these happy accidents enable us to seize opportunities that is not only fulfilling but also life-altering.
For Akvile DeFazio landing an ecommerce marketing internship without any prior experience or degree in marketing and communications was that opportunity.
She embraced this opportunity, overcame adversities, found her direction, and then leveraged this into her long-term vision. Today, she is the Founder and President of AKvertise, a remote advertising agency.
In this Exclusive Interview, Akvile DeFazio unwraps her journey, talks about marketing, and much more.
What according to you makes for a transformational leader? How do you integrate the same thought into your leadership?
Being an honest person, with a vision, that takes calculated risks, is intuitive but also uses data to inform decisions, is organized, inclusive, a strong communicator and equally, a listener, and is future-forward thinking are a few characteristics that make for a transformational leader. Those and some other qualities have led me to where I am today with my business and have guided me through life. While we’re all works in progress, it has helped me to connect with and observe other leaders I respect and admire to learn from them as well.
Talk to us about your growing up years. What prompted your interest and subsequently your foray into the digital marketing space?
It’s far from a linear journey, but in summary, I wanted to pursue a creative yet helpful career since I was a child. But as Lithuanian immigrants in North America, with few belongings, escaping the Cold War, my parents encouraged me to go into medicine as it was a secure field.
I eventually went into physical therapy but felt like I did it for the wrong reasons. I then applied for an ecommerce marketing internship and landed it as the “wild card” that was the only applicant that didn’t have a marketing, communications, or business degree.
I have a bottomless bowl of gratitude to this day for that opportunity. I later got hired full-time, but the 2008 recession hit and pay cuts were implemented and my school loans kicked in. I then went on to work at other in-house brands ranging from outdoor gear/apparel to pet insurance, publications, and global conferences.
Eight years ago, I felt stagnant and yearned for more authority and responsibility, so I decided to take the leap and start my own advertising agency. I wanted to work with more brands and help them achieve their goals utilizing and expanding upon my expertise that I had gained through my prior experiences. As we celebrate eight years in business this year, it feels incredibly fulfilling to be able to have accomplished the creative, helpful, and secure career and lifestyle I had wanted for decades and worked towards.
As the President of AKvertise, what role do you play in the day-to-day proceedings of the company?
We are intentionally a small company, as we continue to be nimble yet mighty as specialists in our field, so I am very much intertwined with the business, our accounts, and client relations on a daily basis. Developing new relationships is something I enjoy and do successfully, as is putting together strategies for client campaigns. After all, my name is in the business, and I aim to remain a pillar of it.
What is the approach/process followed by you to ensure optimal client satisfaction?
Being proactive about sharing what is going well and equally what campaigns are not performing well, with hypotheses as to why and what we want to do next in order to improve performance. Being forthcoming is honest and helps strengthen relationships. Hiding information is not the business we are in, and I’m pleased to say that in our eight years, we have not yet been fired, so I hope that speaks to our caliber of work and the relationships we build.
Looking at your journey, what would you have done differently if you were to start again?
I would have worked at an agency before launching my own as I had a very steep learning curve by not having had that experience. I enjoyed being the only advertiser on the team working in-house but later realized it limited my periphery of trends and insights, whereas agencies have more visibility with access to more accounts, industries, platforms, and features. Having had in-house and agency experience would have been invaluable.
In order to survive in today’s cutthroat marketing world, what do you think is essential for businesses to follow?
While the marketing industry is quite vast and competitive in certain ways, I have found that it’s the opposite of cutthroat. It’s been an incredibly welcoming, collaborative, knowledge, and resource sharing community. There is competition, but for the most part, it’s friendly and there is more than enough work to go around for everyone to be successful.
Every business needs marketing and advertising services be it in-house or through an agency, and there are more businesses than agencies in the world. In terms of what’s essential for success, marketers need to be visible by being active online, sharing their challenges and their successes, create content that is informative, helpful, and insightful, and as long as people know who you are, what you specialize in, how you can help them accomplish their goals, and if you are genuine in your efforts and intentions, business will come your way through your efforts.
What would be your advice for aspiring and emerging business leaders?
Read leadership and psychology books so you can better understand others, what motivates them, and how to lead and grow teams and businesses. It also would be beneficial to connect with other leaders, learn from them, work with them, read about their work, and don’t hold back to ask if you can shadow them for a day. I wouldn’t be where I am today with my own business if it weren’t from having friends, mentors, and contacts. Leveling up your professional circle will help you also level up your own abilities.
Finally, what does the future look like for you, both personally and professionally?
It is plentiful in contentment and fulfillment. While balance is constantly in flux, I am building a life and business that allows me to support my family, have the many freedoms I want and need when it comes to time and finances, while also mutually helping our clients and my own business succeed.
Contact Akvile DeFazio on LinkedIn
