Today we’d like to introduce you to Mackenzie Dudzik.
Mackenzie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
So I actually got my start in New York. I went to the American Musical and Dramatic Academy to study acting. I did my thing out there for about five years and loved it, but chased the sunshine (and some friends) to Los Angeles. I continued to work in commercials here in Los Angeles and eventually got into the influencer space. I discovered how much I loved content creation, branding and marketing and found a lot of success within the first two years. Fast forward four years and my business is well…social media! Not only do I run my own brand (@MackenzieDudzik), but I also have my own digital agency, Social by Mack, which helps entrepreneurs, businesses and other creators too! When I’m not on my phone (working of course!), I continue to work as a lifestyle expert and host for all things Beauty + Fashion!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Heck no! There have definitely been a lot of mistakes and learning lessons along the way. I didn’t actually go to school for marketing, so everything I know now, I’ve had to learn on my own or with the help of others. Starting a business is hard, they’re not lying when they warn you of that! It’s a 24/7 kind of job, so you have to really want it. You have to love what you’re doing because you’ll be doing it A LOT. You also have to be willing to trudge through the mud a bit and get your hands dirty.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m the first to admit that I wear many hats, but most people know me as ‘Mack’ — a creator, lifestyle expert, influencer and on-camera host. What I love about all these roles is that they all require the same thing — me to be myself. I spent a very long time working on my personal brand and working to hone in on what that would look like. Locking down my brand has allowed me the opportunity to work on so many exciting projects with some incredible brands. There are a quite a few long-term partnerships that I’m very proud of. I think it’s an incredibly special thing when a creator partners with a brand on a long-term campaign. So many brands just want one post out of you, but when a brand is excited and willing to collaborate long-term, it’s just a whole other ball game. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with Walmart, Hilton, AdoreMe, Barbie, Trident, Revolve, and so many more. I’m very proud of the partnerships I’ve been able to negotiate for myself.
So what’s set me apart from others? It sounds cliche, but I’ve always been my true and authentic self on social media. LA can sweep you up in the glitz and glamour of it all. I don’t work with brands that aren’t right for me or that I wouldn’t actually use, and I share content that genuinely interests me. Sounds simple, right?
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I fell in love with Los Angeles because it has it all — beaches, vineyards, city life, mountains, suburbs…amusement parks! You don’t have to go far for a change of scenery. LA is also so central to some of my favorite weekend destinations like Phoenix, Las Vegas, Palm Springs, and San Diego.
So what do I like least? Traffic, duh. The 101 is no joke!
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.mackenziedudzik.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mackenziedudzik
Image Credits
Photography: Kameron Rasmussen + Ryan, @seekaxiom
