Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike Falkow
Hi Mike, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I came out to LA as a pro surfer, and had a design degree as well so when I pivoted out of competing I got into design work more and more. As time went on and I got more requests for website builds, I started learning how to do that to keep up with the demand. After a while I’d built up a nice portfolio of work and had freelanced for a number of creative agencies I decided to branch out on my own and start Falkow Creative. Later, I joined forces with my mom and my brother who had started a digital PR and marketing agency and over the years we’ve grown the company together. I also had some success as an actor and wrote and produced a couple films as well. I continue to write and I’m currently working on a few great projects, two of which are based on books that I adapted.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Being a freelancer is never an easy proposition. So I wouldn’t describe it as a smooth road — not by a long way. Not knowing where your next paycheck is coming from can be very stressful at times. But I always had a feeling that being someone else’s employee and working the 9-to-5 grind just didn’t match up with my sensibilities. I way preferred the idea of hard work to build something that was my own, and enjoying the flexibility that came along with that.
We’ve been impressed with Meritus Media, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We are a digital PR and marketing agency. We offer design and branding as well and social media marketing, strategy, content writing, SEO and online reputation management and media pitching. Our partners come from a traditional PR background, so our approach is a combination of classic old-school PR and a modern digital application of the ideas. We take great care to understand who our clients are and tailor our strategy to servicing the needs of their message and their brand. Over the years we’ve been acknowledged with awards for campaigns and continue to do excellent work.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I grew up in South Africa during the political upheaval of the 80s and 90s. It was a really interesting time to be there. But as a young person, my interests were mainly focused on the ocean and surfing. That’s all I wanted to do. Being in such a wild, raw, and diverse country and growing up in such a beautiful and tropical environment like the KwaZulu coast was amazing. It sort of forced me to confront the many differences in people around me and the rich cultural mixture of the population. Besides surfing, and becoming the best that I could be at it, I was also very interested in people, and human nature.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://meritusmedia.com
- Instagram: mikefalkow
- Other: https://falkowcreative.com
Image Credits
Stephanie Girard, Ray Kachatorian
