Today we’d like to introduce you to Orlando Solano.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started in digital marketing working for a big agency ten years ago. There I learned so much about how the internet really worked and who were the drivers behind lead generation, eCommerce sales, and social interaction. From there, I moved on to work for several startups in director-level roles that allowed me to have more insight into the metrics behind these operations. These roles taught me how to run an omnichannel marketing department, how to optimize each digital marketing channel, and how to quantify success. In 2013 I started being recognized for my solid reputation in the industry. As a result, small to medium size businesses started to contact me, offering contract marketing opportunities outside of my core employment. After accumulating a handful of clients, I had a light bulb moment. Being an entrepreneur was something that I always desired, however, I didn’t know how to create my own business nor did I think I had the capital to execute any of my ideas.
After six months of taking contract opportunities, I sat down with a few mentors of mine in the space and all of them encouraged me to start my own agency. What came after was the birth of UNO Marketing. After starting the agency, I was still reluctant to leave my place of employment due to fear of what I could be potentially losing. Not long after my place of employment started going through internal changes and I could see the end was near. While this process was unfolding, I started to give my new business more of my attention, I started to grow my client base, and I promised myself that when the day came for me to walk away from my cozy job, that I’d never work another job again. That day came in August 2014 and I’ve never looked back. Since I’ve run a successful boutique digital marketing agency that manages over $15M in annual marketing spend and has generated over $250M in eCommerce sales to date. The biggest lesson I learned during this journey is to never solely focus on what you’ll lose leaving one situation, it’s important to also to be aware of what you will gain from your next opportunity.
Has it been a smooth road?
A smooth road isn’t how I could describe the journey. It’s been one of peak and valleys, however, the valleys have been great lessons on how to run a business and how to prevent certain things from happening. The hardest struggle of running an agency is the churn of clientele. From that, I learned that the recruitment of new clients is something that I constantly have to do no matter how much business I have.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with UNO Marketing – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
UNO Marketing is a digital marketing agency. We generate leads, eCommerce sales, social audiences, etc…through using advertising channels like organic search, paid search, paid social, video marketing, digital billboards, affiliate marketing, email marketing, display/retargeting, and influencer marketing. I’m most proud of our perseverance through hard times. What sets us apart is how boutique we are. Every client that we acquire gets more attention than they would with a big agency because our portfolio of clients isn’t as vast.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love Long Beach because of it’s proximity to the beach, the city, the suburbs, and most importantly the diversity. It’s great to live around people from every religious, racial, cultural, and social economic background. What I like least about Long Beach is the upkeep of the roads. We have a lot of under-serviced streets that need re-paving.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.UNOMarketing.net
- Phone: (424) 235-5754
- Email: [email protected]
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/UNOMarketingServices
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/UNOMarketingServices
Image Credit:
All photos taken by Three Sixty Luxe
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