Philadelphia Marketing Founder Went From Homeless To Business Owner
Malik Boyd is the CEO and founder of Premiere Brand Marketing, established in 2004. Boyd grew up in Philadelphia and found himself sleeping at Penn Station; after finally finding temporary gigs in New York, he was able to build a resume geared towards a marketing career. After a stint in California, Boyd made his way back to Philadelphia where he started PB Marketing. He is currently working towards receiving his bachelor's degree in business administration at University of The People.
What is your educational background?
"I am currently pursuing my bachelor's in business at University of the People, which has been a life changing experience for me. I studied at another university fresh out of high school, but life took me in another direction. UoPeople became the platform to help me realize my educational dreams."
What is your background in management?
"I have worked in various levels of management capacity over the last 15 years. My titles have ranged from director of marketing, marketing manager, senior advisor, and marketing consultant to name a few. My current title is chief executive officer of Premiere Brand, LLC, a brand development and marketing firm founded in 2004 in Philadelphia."
How has your education fueled your management success?
"I have a voracious appetite for knowledge. Even throughout my professional career, I found myself always searching online for information, taking classes, gaining certifications in order to better myself. As a small business owner in the private sector, with today's economic climate, formal education becomes a challenge and a very elusive goal. University of The People has been crucial to launching me towards the goal of being educationally fit, providing this opportunity to get a worldview perspective on my area of concentration, while studying with peers from all walks of life. The life lessons learned when you are studying with someone from another part of the world are simply invaluable. Simply put, UoPeople made it possible for me to learn in a way that is academically challenging, immediately applicable to my career, and affordable to my bottom line."
What advice would you give someone just starting out in your field?
"Management is a field where you will constantly be challenged with navigating the balance between what has been and what can be. Many will prefer to play it safe on the ground. But, if you never create opportunities for those who you manage to spread their wings, how will they ever know that they can fly? So, show them. Do not be afraid to fly. The best view is the one from the sky."
Christina Thompson is a freelance writer living in Philadelphia. She reports on various topics such as: Social Media, Local Events, Entertainment, Food and Drink and more. Her work can be found at http://firstsendmedia.com/