Today we’d like to introduce you to Maddy Pryor.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Maddy. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Honestly, the idea for Rogue came to me at a time where I was trying desperately to escape Los Angeles and the “corporate ladder” I had such an aversion to after college. I was 26 with some agency experience under my belt and had hit a quarter life crisis and point of disillusionment. I’m not sure if it was the industry or where I was in my life, but I impulsively bought a one-way ticket to Colombia with no real plans to come back and started backpacking alone through South America. Over the course of that trip, I started to recognize how to redirect my business education and marketing skillset for the greater good. Conscious consumption was a big buzz phrase at the time, but seeing it in practice as healing centers, permaculture farms, family-owned businesses and wellness organizations enlisted the support of their communities and grew based on need brought the concept to life for me.
I began to understand how important it was to support these purpose-driven businesses and nonprofits, large and small, with the same agency support and resources that keep big corporations and well-funded companies at the top with the greatest share of voice. Digital and social media, especially at the time, were disrupting the system, allowing these new, small shops to circumvent financial barriers to exposure, engagement, and ultimately sales and community building. I wanted to be on that side of the industry, and Rogue was formed specifically to support the brands and organizations dedicated to doing good in the world. By calling on artists seeking social change and enlisting talented strategists who were done with the old model, we were able to create something truly unique at Rogue. We build customized creative campaigns and innovative digital strategy to champion good people and their causes, and to date, we’ve played across verticals including nonprofits, health and wellness, cannabis, sustainable fashion, mission-driven tech and media.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
Rogue exists to amplify the voices of purpose-driven businesses and organizations. And we do that through close-knit client relations, customized data-driven solutions, a high level of artistry and intuitive business practices. The work is, of course, paramount – we are constantly bringing in new specialists, fresh perspectives and forward-thinking creatives, so the strategy never gets stale. Everyone has a voice, and sometimes the new hire or youngest person in the room is the one you need advising on TikTok trends or new ways to leverage influencer relations. We’re not afraid to reach outside our core team to find the perfect fit for the project and create diversity of opinion, and for that reason, Rogue really acts as more of a collective than a traditional agency structure. We uphold creativity and customization over a one-size-fits-all marketing mindset, and it serves both our team and our clients well.
I personally incorporate mindfulness, meditation, embodiment practices and visualizations into my own process and find that those drawn to Rogue share that desire for deep alignment in their work. We meditate before creative sessions, do visualizations to explore target markets and take a variety of communication and personality tests to encourage and cultivate team synergy. That ethos spills out to our clients, and we each do the work to maintain compassionate, highly collaborative customer relations that are grounded by our shared vision versus either team’s bottom line. It’s not perfect, but it’s our guiding force and the direction we’re always headed.
What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?
As with most accomplishments, my proudest and most challenging moment coincide – and this one right in the middle of a pandemic. In May of this year, Rogue partnered with Cause Communications and the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health to produce and promote a 30-day Virtual Event Series with 1-month of preparation due to the current pandemic. This impactful annual series from LACDMH’s Why We Rise initiative supports LA County with art, music, mental health resources and wellness programming, featuring well-known artists, community leaders, and mental health advocates. This year, we helped Why We Rise pivot from a 2-week in-person event to an entirely virtual experience to serve an unprecedented need for mental health support in our community.
Alongside cause, we coordinated with five teams and 50+ partners, entirely remotely, broadcasting featured guests live from their own homes in multi-format programs, including musical performances, panel discussions, fireside chats, interactive workshops and group workouts. As this program launched on May 1st, many of us were working with these new systems for the very first time, and while it was the ultimate challenge Rogue has faced thus far, we are over-the-moon proud of the program we co-created with our partner teams. The feedback and shares from the Why We Rise audience on how much support they received and how deeply this program was felt made this one of our proudest moments thus far. If you’re interested in learning more about the project, much of programming continues to live on whywerise.la.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.rogueagency.co/
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/we.are.rogue
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/we.are.rogue.agency
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/We_Are_Rogue
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