No-one ever said the journey to the top was easy and that was certainly the case when it comes to Mark Jeffries, whose road to becoming the Head of Partnerships at FamousInfluencer.com was not a conventional one.
Jeffries takes his work ethic from his dad who he admits instilled in him the values that have seen him catapult to the top of his profession.
Q In previous interviews you have commented that you held no experience before starting your own PR agency, how did that come about?
Mark Jeffries: “It came about through meeting the right people at the right time, namely Alex (Jennings, the co-founder of FamousInfluencer.com alongside Jeffries). I wasn’t concerned that I couldn’t make a success of the venture as, along with my partner’s incredible skillset and expertise, I watched my dad make a success of himself despite a lack of experience and grasp of the English language, being a Cuban immigrant.
“My parents taught me that your education and qualifications aren’t the be-all and end-all when deciding your career. As long as you work hard you can achieve anything and that is the same life lesson I am teaching my own kids.”
Q Your father dabbled in PR, didn’t he?
MJ: “Yes, he promoted a concert for a band despite having no experience whatsoever. Of course, it was a huge success.”
Q Is that what sparked your interest in PR
MJ: “It was certainly what inspired me to achieve anything I set out to accomplish. I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit and, to succeed as a business owner, PR is something that naturally comes with the territory.
“That’s where FamousInfluencer.com came into fruition, having seen the opportunity in working with startups looking to gain an edge in their market alongside the evolution in the digital marketing world.”
Q Did your role at Buzzfeed help to refine your skillset?
MJ: “Absolutely. In fact, it would be worrying if it didn’t. When you develop and launch ad products for a global brand, liaising with various clients and agencies you naturally pick up the odd thing here and there.
“Creating branded content to increase the brand’s reach and exposure is what gave me an understanding of not only what a brand needs to thrive in the digital age, but also how to form relationships with those who can help to achieve that.”
Q Do you believe that your career path can inspire your clients at FamousInfluencer.com?
MJ: “Why not? But I would be most concerned in demonstrating the work ethic of not just myself, but the team as a whole across our London and Los Angeles offices as that are ultimately what will decide whether any campaign we take on is a success or not.
“Most of my time is spent focused on influencer marketing, e-commerce and tech PR at the agency and, so far, it is working well for us.”
Q What does the future hold for FamousInfluencer.com?
MJ: “That’s what makes our industry so exciting, nobody can say for certain! We keep abreast with the latest trends and place ourselves strategically in the marketplace to ensure we can meet our clients’ demands.
“We are continuing to grow month-by-month and year-by-year and, with over 150 happy clients already on the books at FamousInfluencer.com, we look forward to doubling and tripling that number!”