Jamie Reardon is the CEO of Find Your Influence. Jamie is a thought leader, influencer, visionary, and successful entrepreneur. Jamie provides the leadership and energy that has inspired the creation of Find Your Influence. Jamie Reardon joins other leading CEOs and Founders taking part in our Leader Roundtable Interview Series. The DotCom Magazine editorial team has recently awarded Find Your Influence with our Impact Company of 2019 award. We are delighted to have Jamie join us for our Leader Roundtable Interview and our popular “speed round” as well.
Jamie, thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy day for this interview about your company, leadership, and entrepreneurship.
1. What is the “elevator pitch” for Find Your Influence?
Find Your Influence(FYI) is a technology solution developed to help connect brands/agencies with social media influencers to execute influencer marketing programs. Through the FYI platform, brands can discover and negotiate with influencers, manage campaigns, review content and track performance metrics. Since 2013, FYI has executed more than 10,000 influencer campaigns with more than 500 different brands.
2. What is the key to your company’s success?
I believe FYI has been successful because we operate with a people-first mindset. From our brands and agency clients to the influencers on our platform and to our employees, every decision we make we put people first.
3. Many of our readers are just starting to build a company. What advice can you give entrepreneurs just starting out with a new venture?
My advice to entrepreneurs who are just starting out is to find strong mentors who can serve as a sounding board when you are looking for guidance or a little inspiration.
4. For other entrepreneurs seeking to build a business as successful as yours, what advice can you give them when times get a little challenging?
When times get challenging, don’t be afraid to lean on your team and your mentors. It’s not only you who wants the business to be successful, your team and mentors want it too.
5. How important is the commitment to client satisfaction at Find Your Influence, and how do you make sure your customers will become raving fans of your company?
One of our core values is that we will never stop improving. It’s not only in what we do but in who we are. We do this by listening and adjusting as we grow. We embrace open communication and place a high value on customer feedback.
6. In today’s fast changing business environment, how do you stay abreast of things?
Our internal PR team reads a variety of industry news sources first thing each morning and circulates throughout the company. We also have ongoing communication with our brand/agency clients and within our internal team too. We have a very active Slack channel, “#industrynews” where our full team posts stories they find interesting each day.
7. What is your “Why”? Why do you get up in the morning, and how do you keep yourself at peak performance to lead Find Your Influence?
I get up each morning driven by my passion for the solution we offer. My co-founder and I created FYI because we were once digital marketers ourselves and faced the same challenges in scaling influencer programs. We know the need for our product is vital for brands and that keeps me energized and focused each day.
8. Can you recommend a book that has had an influence in your career? How did it influence you?
I recommend “Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time” by Howard Schultz. It’s the perfect book for anyone looking to start a company. It spoke to me about finding the need, creating the culture and how to be disruptive.
9. When communicating with your staff, can you tell us the most important thing you do so that they are able to carry out the objectives that you set forth at Find Your Influence?
My communication style is to be open, honest and have direct conversations leading with compassion. Another core value with FYI is that we nurture accountability and embrace feedback which helps us achieve our objectives together.
10. Can you explain what leadership means to you?
Leadership is inspiring people to come together to execute a vision.
We would like to have some fun and do a “speed round” with you! We will ask you ten more questions that we want you to answer in just one to three words only.
Here you go!
1. In three words or less, what makes a successful CEO?
Passion, empathy and vision
2. Describe your business in one word?
Influence
3. Describe your customers in one word?
Marketers
4. What one attribute do you look for when hiring an employee?
Integrity
5. What is the one word you want your customers to say about your company?
Accountable
6. In three words or less, describe your passion?
People-first
7. In three words or less, describe what it takes to be successful?
Drive, positivity, hard-work
8. In three words or less, describe your first year in business at Find Your Influence?
Energizing, empowering, labor-of-love
9. In three words or less, describe how running a successful company has changed you?
Clarity and efficiency
10. What is the one word that you believe has the most power in the English language?
Compassion
Jamie Reardon, thank you so much for sitting down with us for our DotCom Magazine Leader Roundtable Interview Series. We very much appreciate the time you spent helping our readers learn more about what it takes to be a leader. We wish you, your family, and of course Find Your Influence, nothing but the best. Thanks again!
