Meet Mandy Rodgers | Entrepreneur / Digital Marketing Executive
We had the good fortune of connecting with Mandy Rodgers and we’ve shared our conversation below.Mandy Kay Marketing (MKM) is a modern digital marketing agency that provides its clients with innovative, engaging and often fantastical marketing executions and solutions.
Hi Mandy, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Well, it’s been a long time coming, but I’m so glad I did it! Starting back when I was in high school, I knew I wanted to find a career to channel my pop culture passions and somehow get paid for it. Luckily….I have done just that! After graduating from the University of Georgia with a dual degree in Magazine Journalism and Film Studies, I fell into publicity and marketing, which wasn’t the exact plan but was pretty close! After working at an entertainment-focused digital marketing agency in Los Angeles for 11 years, it suddenly became really clear that launching my own venture was the best next step in my career.
I resisted it for a very long time, but after the world completely changed in 2020, I re-evaluated everything, including where I was living, what my priorities were and how to make the very best life for myself. I know I am not alone in this thought process! We’ve seen so many trends of people moving, changing careers, making fresh starts, etc., and I embraced the time I was given to sit still and reconsider my future.
I was in a VP position responsible for significant revenue within the business, managing a team and executing marketing campaigns at various levels, and I realized that things could be different for me. I’m always trying to challenge myself, and what better way than to go out on my own and launch a brand new enterprise??
Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The big thing that I believe sets MKM apart is how I have a unique combination of Atlanta heritage mixed with Los Angeles experience. I lived and worked in LA for 11 years, but I am from Atlanta originally – my family and so many friends are here, and I have always carried Georgia pride (Go Dawgs!) with me wherever I have traveled. What I learned working with the studios in Hollywood is what I hope to bring to the evolving Atlanta entertainment market. MKM’s services include digital marketing skills such as: publicity, influencer marketing, grassroots promotions and partnerships for entertainment and lifestyle brands and launches. Since my launch, I’ve already started working with clients like Netflix, Universal Pictures, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros. and the Atlanta-based Imagine Exhibitions, recently launching the Imagine Picasso exhibition at Pullman Yards with them.
As for challenges, I’ve just opened this year, so time will tell, but I am excited that I’ve hit the ground running in so many ways already. As I was putting everything together for my launch, I quickly realized I had learned the basics of how to run a business in my previous roles. I kept asking, “What else do I need?? What am I missing??” Of course, you need a business plan and a specific focus, but logistically, you really just need a business license, bank account and computer! It felt too easy! Ask me in a year though what my challenges are, because I know they are coming! So far, the biggest thing has been rethinking how I structure my days and creating processes that are best for me and MKM. I am so grateful that my network of friends, family and industry colleagues has been so supportive to me this year, and I’ve gotten off to an amazing start. I am very thankful and excited for what’s to come.
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
So many things!! I live off of the Beltline, so I am very partial to that area! We would walk up and down the Beltline on a Saturday eating and drinking – New Realm Brewery, Ponce City Market, Krog Street Market, all the way to Piedmont Park! I am a Coca-Cola fanatic, so on Sunday, we’d have to pop by the Coke Museum and, depending on their fave things, visit the Aquarium or take a ride on SkyView. We’d schedule some hikes (I recently visited the Bamboo Forest!) and a Braves game at the Battery or a show at the Fox Theatre! If it’s their first time in this area, I’ll make them try Waffle House and the Varsity (of course!), and any other Southern foods they haven’t had yet. This all might seem touristy, but honestly….I love activities and am always looking for new things to do in the city – and these are the classics!
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people who have championed my career over the years, it’s impossible to pick one! I am very lucky to have incredible mentors and fellow entrepreneurs in my corner who have been integral in my confidence and success thus far. Any time I am feeling the classic “imposter syndrome” feeling, I call them to talk me down, and vice versa.
I no longer have an everyday team, but I am able to call on this incredible network of digital marketing executives, publicists, business owners, film distributors, etc. at all times. I have incredible clients, partners and friends that I work with on a daily basis that continue being a sounding board and support for me as I continue this journey. It’s so important to have a close network you can trust, and I don’t know that I could have gotten this far without them!
Website: www.mandykaymarketing.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/mandykayrodgers/
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/mandyrodgers/
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Mkr512
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MandyKayMarketing
