Today we’d like to introduce you to Cassady Dill.
Cassady, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I moved to Los Angeles in 2006 to become a professional choreographer. I had arrived fresh off a summer tour with a pop artist and was excited to strike out on my own, working with artists of my choosing. In a matter of weeks, I booked my first sold out show at what was then the Kodak Theatre for an Armenian pop artist.
That lead to working for other international acts like Yohanna (Iceland), Sean Kingston (Jamaica) and some US talent like Brandy. After a really bad breakup, I had a short stint dealing with depression and went from dancing/choreography full time to learning to code and blog.
I was super fascinated by the digital wave and landed a contract job with AOL. I really enjoyed it and learned so much. I then worked for a top domain house in Los Angeles called Oversee.net and for the next five years, I would climb the ranks of the digital marketing world through the top ten agencies and IR 500 companies.
I made some of the highest salaries one could make for non-executive marketing positions and even negotiated things like unlimited vacation time, later work schedules and monthly commission + bonus incentives. Unfortunately, I was only trying to make up for the fact that I had no personal life. The more successful I became in digital marketing the more unhappy I became and the demands crippled me.
I had kept my clients on the side while working full time, vowing that one day I would make the jump and become my own boss. In 2015, that’s exactly what I did. On my birthday I became a full time Digital Marketing Consultant under my company, Ethos Agency and in less than 15 months I earned my first six figures with a remote and contract team. Now I worked from home in my pajamas and took conference calls in between spending time at home.
Years later I met an amazing dancer who reminded me of my former days in the dance world. I was so inspired by him that I decided to create a reality television show around my passions: dance, music and tv/film. I had already been cast in four reality shows while dancing and grew to truly appreciate the art of reality programming. I dragged a producer friend into helping me present my ideas and to my surprise, it was a lot like marketing presentations. Once my treatment was done, my friends begin to ask me to do create their treatments. That offered me the opportunity to go to important events with them and meet influential people.
While attending one of my last networking events for the year, my producing partners spotted the one Hollywood development executive on the top of my list. She was right there where I needed her to be! I told my partner to get her contact info while I was schmoozing with Hollywood agents and coincidentally, she walked right up to him and complimented him for his fedora hat. I later text and emailed her into my first tv pitch meeting. (To this day I’m not sure she’s aware of all our hard work and schemes lol)
A day after meeting with her, our television show was optioned. Now we are developing series with 3 major production companies and that’s how Free Agency was born. I love being an independent producer. It’s challenging and not at all for the faint of heart. I still keep my day job managing marketing & pr clients because you never know what Hollywood windfalls may come. I spent a full year learning about the business of producing television by gaining successful mentors, reading books, websites, attending.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
My biggest struggles are just keeping motivated to take the next steps. I have to pick up the phone and shoot those emails when Hollywood isn’t responding to me. All of this while trying to manage a business. Everything starts and ends with me, which is a lot like running a business. Except that in producing, the “sale” doesn’t happen until the very long end. Motivating yourself until that point gets tricky.
It’s best to be of sound mind and keep yourself inspired, hopeful and well rested to dog it out another day. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Also, being new at anything is a battle with proving yourself in an age old industry.
Tell us more about the business.
My business affairs are now two-fold: Ethos Agency specializes in consulting and managing small businesses and solopreneurs online entities: websites, stores, branding, social media, email, advertising & publicity. I’m most proud of still being able to serve so many entrepreneurs and executives. Also, we’ve launched an event production side of the business where we’ve marketed and sold out our own lifestyle events, like SauceFit and The Namasdrake/bey Tour.
Free Agency independently develops and co-executive produces unscripted and scripted television and film. I’m excited about a docu-series I’m developing with the best talent in dance.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
They say luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. And I’d agree with that in many cases, but I also recognize that what can or has happened for me could easily happen to and for anyone so I suppose in that way I’m very lucky despite whatever hardships come.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: instagram.com/cassadydill
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EthosAgency/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/EthosMktg
Image Credit:
Alex Lampsos, Antonio Hudnell
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