Exploring Life & Business with Polina Raykov of The Marketing Model

Today we’d like to introduce you to Polina Raykov.

Hi Polina, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve been in the marketing world for over seven years now. In 2017, I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Media Studies with a focus in Integrated Marketing and Communications. Throughout college, I spent my time interning at a marketing agency, managing social media for the university paper, planning events for student government, and more. I got a full-time job offer for a national luxury fitness studio two months before graduation as a marketing coordinator and of course, I took it. Every college student’s dream right? Job right out of college. Within three months, I was promoted to marketing manager for all existing and soon to be opening studios. While this job was everything I originally thought I wanted, within two years I realized the drain of corporate life just wasn’t doing it for me.

In June 2019, I quit with zero plan… literally. That’s where the story really starts. I knew I was taking a risk but I also knew that the mental stress I was experiencing wasn’t going to get me anywhere and most of all, I wasn’t learning anymore and that has always been a priority for me. If you’re not growing, change something. So I quit. I left for Europe for five months and while I was there, I was doing freelance marketing for a few companies. I said yes to everything and everyone. Why? Because it made me know exactly what I wanted to do long term – marketing strategy and full marketing management for a few select clients. In January 2020, I was consistently making more monthly than my corporate salary and decided it was time to make it official. That’s when The Marketing Model, LLC came to life! There are a few main things that helped me get to where I am today. They are that I am always willing to show up even when I don’t feel like it, to connect with everyone that I’m able to, and knowing that the only way to grow is to keep rolling with the punches.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Of course not, nothing worthwhile is ever smooth. There have been moments where I’ve dropped the ball, where I’ve said yes and regretted it, where I’ve felt like giving up but every time anything has gone wrong, I’ve made sure to learn from the mistake. I am the person who will own up to a mistake, especially when it has caused a problem for a client. This hasn’t happened often by any means, but I had a huge learning lesson last December with a client when I just couldn’t find that work/life balance and instead of planning ahead, I was playing catch up constantly. I was close to losing a client that I adored and also hoped to be working with for a long time. I took ownership of the problem, fixed it, and we are still working together to this day, over a year later. That’s the number one mistake any business owner can make, always feeling like they’re just trying to catch up instead of having a plan. If you’re not able to build up your business from the start, you will never find time.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
The Marketing Model (TheMM) helps entrepreneurs grow their income and online community through digital marketing. This business started as a one woman show but now has three team members helping with client engagement, contracting, and social media. First a bit about me, the owner, Polina Raykov. I am the overly hyped, glasses loving, work addicted owner and CEO of The Marketing Model. I’ve been in the marketing world for over seven years now, have my Bachelor’s Degree in Integrated Marketing and Communications and I have a passion for making you thrive in your market. Did I mention I’ve worked with celebrities like JLO and Jordan Lee Dooley? So yeah, I’m ready to up-level your business and your life. So what makes TheMM different? The fact that we focus on overall social strategy, specifically for entrepreneurs launching new products or services. Our specialty is building out full 90-day strategies for other businesses that involve social media, email, and even paid advice (we do not specialize in paid advertising but have experts to refer clients too).

The Marketing Model was built because we understand that every business is different and has individual needs, so the goal is to help clients succeed through digital marketing methods in a virtual world that is getting more and more cluttered. We are most proud of the community we’ve built, the results clients have received, and also the brand image we’ve created. If you pop onto Instagram, the website, or any client materials, you’ll find consistent branding everywhere. We work with both product and service based businesses and have smaller services as well. Our most popular services are the Done For You Content Plan which includes a full social media audit, content ideas with brand pillars defined, a 30 day promo plans, and industry-specific hashtags as well as the Day Intensives. By booking a day intensive clients get their full 90 day launch strategy built out within seven days, an hour call, and a week of 1:1 communication to ask all the questions and get materials reviewed.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
YES. Be willing to change plans at any moment. Nearly every client shifted their 2020 goals and plans due to Covid-19. That’s the reality at all times for businesses but this year, it’s been the truth more than ever. I have also truly realized the importance of real-life human interaction especially for creative businesses. Working in the same space all day everyday can get tiring, being able to attend events or bounce off ideas with other entrepreneurs is something that was undervalued until this point.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://www.the-marketingmodel.com/
• Instagram: @themarketingmodel
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/themarketingmodel

Image Credits
@ashleykaitlynphotos