Philadelphia Tech Entrepreneur Encourages People Not To Be Afraid To Take Risks
J.G. Sandom is a recognized leader in the world of digital marketing. He is the co-founder of the first digital advertising agency in the US, Einstein and Sandom founded in 1984. Sandom is also the founder of Cornucopia Press and a consultant assisting corporations with their online presence.
What sort of education is needed to successfully do your job?
"It depends on where you sit in the company. Having started the first digital ad agency in the business (Einstein and Sandom Interactive) back in 1984, I've always been challenged by mixing various types of individuals with various academic backgrounds to produce quality digital marketing: folks with programming/IT backgrounds, or with degrees in database marketing; folks with creative backgrounds with degrees in fine arts; folks with marketing/ad backgrounds who understand how to craft an effective message. In the end, if you're looking to get into management, I'd recommend a liberal arts background. This academic training gives you the ability to think as opposed to thinking about any particular thing. It gives you the tools to adapt to an ever-changing landscape, from both a market and technology perspective."
What is the most relevant aspect of your education that applies to your day-to-day job?
"In my case, as an English and philosophy major from Amherst College, I would say it was not the technology or economic courses I took, which, I did. It was political science and psychology, and it was English. Political science and psychology helped me to understand the motivations behind people's behaviors, and English gave me an appreciation for fiction. Fiction hones the imagination, sharpens our ability to appreciate different realities and different words. Not only are novels empathy machines, they are scenario planning experiments come to life."
What is the most fun aspect of your job?
"I am at the beginning stages of a new start-up called MemoryBox.com. MemoryBox is a free app and website that enables you to capture, curate, appreciate and share your digital memories forever. So, for example, if you're planning a wedding that's happening this Sunday from Noon to 5:00 PM, you can send guests an eVite (or print invite with a QR code for that Memory) linking them to MemoryBox so they can join the Memory. Then, on Sunday, any pictures they capture from Noon to 5:00 will be automatically uploaded to the Memory of that event so everyone can share their photos automatically. At this stage of the business, the most fun is imagining all the various applications for the technology, all the positive computing you can accomplish to help make people's lives easier and more fun. It's also the stage in the business when I still know everyone. When I ran Ogilvy Interactive some years ago, we went from a loss of $2 million and 12 "permalancers" the year before I got there to more than $100 million in the North America and 350 employees ($300 million worldwide, with 650 employees) all in the space of 30 months. It was a rocket ride. But after a while, I would walk down the halls and see people and I wouldn't have any idea who they were. I like running companies until I can't remember people's birthdays. Then, it's time to start afresh!"
What advice would you give someone just starting out in the field of technology?
"First, don't be afraid to take risks. Don't let people tell you what you can or can't do. If you're just starting out and you don't have major financial or familial obligations, that's the time to risk everything for your dream. It's also the time when you don't know enough to appreciate the risks you are taking, which is a good thing... To risk is to fail, if only occasionally. Without risk, without stretching yourself, you don't change and develop. You don't grow. Over the years, I've come to truly appreciate when I fail. It means I'm still stretching. Counterintuitively, the greatest mistake a person can make is not failing."
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/
