Life & Work with Jessica Campbell

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Campbell.

Hi Jessica, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I attended college at Pepperdine University and graduated with a BA in Marketing Communications. I had the best experience there, from studying abroad for a year in Heidelberg, Germany to landing my internship which I like to say started my career path. I was the Sports Marketing Intern at ESPN’s John R. Wooden Award which recognized the best male and female college basketball players in the country.

As my internship was about to come to an end, the COVID-19 pandemic began, and the world shut down. My boss and I from the Wooden Award, Ernest Baskerville, still wanted to work together so we started the podcast called Sports 4 Positivity in which we interviewed professional athletes and entertainment figures who used their platform and voice to promote positivity and good causes.

While working there, I did marketing, outreach, writing, and hosting for the show. After a little while, some of the guests and sponsors saw my work, liked it, and asked me if I could do the same thing for them and their businesses. In February of 2021 I opened up PO3 Agency with 3 clients, and I am proud to say a year and a half later we now have over 100.

PO3 Agency is a full-service social media management, digital marketing, and public relations agency representing a wide variety of clients. Our clients include celebrities, influencers, models, realtors, large and small businesses, as well as professional athletes. Through my work I have seen an undrafted free agent compete in the recent Super Bowl, retired athletes find a new passion, and undrafted college athletes find a new career path.

I recently won the Women in Sports and Entertainment Woman to Watch Award for my work producing NFL charity football camps and I have three Professional Athlete charity camps coming up in 2023! I am also launching an app for NIL sponsorships very soon – so stay tuned for that!

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?
If anyone is telling you that they have had a smooth road, I’d love to meet them and pick their brain!!! There have been so many struggles during my journey, but I truly would not be here without them because each one has taught me a valuable lesson that I needed to learn to succeed.

I opened up a business 2 months after graduating college and now I am launching a second one a year and a half later. That has ‘struggle’ written all over it, haha! When I started I didn’t have all the answers, but I did know how to find them or who to ask for help. From how to register a business, taxes, and keep records, to hiring, firing, and managing a team – these are all learning experiences that came with struggles.

I think one of the biggest struggles I’ve had to overcome during my journey doesn’t involve business as much as it involves personal growth. You aren’t just born with CEO skill sets, you need to learn how to speak, dress, manage, execute, network and so much more. That takes work and a lot of it. During that process, I grew tremendously as a person in all aspects of life, especially in my mindset.

I had to prioritize my business and future goals above everything else. The struggle wasn’t in the work I had to do, it was realizing that most of my peers and friends weren’t doing or wanting the same. I was spending my Friday night networking while they were out partying. My mom told me from a young age to be careful who I’m friends with because I will become a combination of them.

So I’ve had to find a new group of people who are like-minded and push me to be better. I’m not saying you need to stop being friends with people, but you do need to manage your circle and determine, “are they setting me on the right or wrong path?” – it’s not easy but it is necessary.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
One aspect of my business that I’m proud of is our internship program. As I mentioned earlier, my internship with ESPN’s John R. Wooden Award completely changed my life and placed me on my career path. Now it’s my passion to provide the same experience to others!

We take on about 4 interns every quarter and truly tailor their experience to set them up for success in their desired career path. Our interns always grow tremendously both professionally and personally during their time with us. They have gone on to land their dream jobs, and excel in their new environment and I could not be more proud of every one of them!!

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
YES! When I was graduating college we were in the middle of a pandemic and the world was completely shut down. So I took the extra time on my hands and would reach out to about 100 people in industries/jobs I was interested in per day on LinkedIn asking for a short informational interview.

You’d be surprised how many people are generous with their time and knowledge! By asking each person a specific list of questions I learned a few things: routes to enter the industry, which companies/jobs I could see myself in, and how to network and stay connected. I encourage everyone to try it, you will learn SO much and meet so many amazing people.

Contact Info:

• Website: po3agency.com and opper-tunity.com
• Instagram: @jess.campbell3; @po3agency; @_opper_
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PO3-Agency-104745471660460/?view_public_for=104745471660460

Image Credits
Schlick Art and Richard Warren Gibson