It takes dedication and patience to wade through the ever-changing landscape of digital marketing. Arshad Madhani has taken that to heart. He understands the needs and demands of creating great digital marketing campaigns for his clients, and in doing so has watched businesses flourish. Madhani graduated from Texas A&M International University with an MBA.
And ever since he has pushed himself to reach above and beyond the expectations of those he works on every single project. Through his experience, Madhani is able to envision the entire picture. He pulls together what’s worked, what hasn’t and what could possibly be attained in the future. By anticipating these items, he can work with his clients to give them an outside view of where their business is succeeding or not. Marketing strategies have become the way a company expands their brand awareness. However, without everything in place, it’s easy to get bogged down by the weight of competition.
Madhani’s passion to find solutions to these problems is what causes his clients to put their digital marketing trust in him. Sometimes they need an extra lift because it’s well-known how tedious and time-consuming managing marketing campaigns can be. But Madhani doesn’t see it as a bad thing. In fact, he welcomes the challenge because he enjoys working it all out until a company’s strategies become a functioning “machine.”
His expertise has helped not only those who are just starting out but also seasoned professionals in the field. He believes that no matter what, everyone has room to continue their growth.
How did you get started? What inspired to pursue a career in this industry?
I think I always liked marketing, even before I really knew what the name for it was. That’s because I used to create items all the time as a kid and then tried to sell them to family and friends. I would try to find new angles to sell my products to more people. I think my family wasn’t exactly sure what to do about that!
During college is when I think it went into overdrive and I found myself realizing how I could be a marketer in the long run. I saw others around me partnering with organizations looking for interns and so I followed pursuit. I love the way the industry functions. It’s always moving and changing. It’s never a dull moment and for me-someone who doesn’t ever stop to sit sometimes-it made perfect sense!
How do you make money?
A few different ways. I partner with businesses I feel I can influence and vice versa. I’m interested in finding those who are looking not just for a solution but want to really strengthen their team, marketing efforts, etc. I’ve worked with clients in the past who don’t meet me half way and that means no one is going to win.
So I choose my relationships carefully and so far my instincts have done wonders. I’m invested in the success of my clients and I can’t say I’m doing my job unless they are seeing growth, in whatever capacity that might be for them. Through these actions, I’m able to provide for their needs, build strong connections and earn when everything is set in place.
How long did it take for you to become profitable?
Because I’m more of an entrepreneur, it’s a little different but not by much. I didn’t see great strides in profitability until just a few years ago. I’m young, but it took many years of dedication to get where I am today. I’m still navigating, making moves and putting a lot of time into what I do in order to positively grow wealth.
I’m profitable in the sense that I’m able to live comfortably, and I don’t want it to seem daunting for someone just starting out. With the right guidance, mentorship and patience, you can see revenue grow if you’re an entrepreneur, own a business or the like.
When you were starting out, was there ever a time you doubted your work? If so, how did you handle that?
This is something I know a lot of people share the same sentiment on. And I can safely say yes, I doubted myself but sometimes it wasn’t about my work or capabilities. It was sometimes about whether I was making the right choices, even if I was doing well.
I can’t exactly put it into words sometimes, but that’s how it was for me. I would second guess my decisions when they were handed to me because I just wanted to do a good job. I put a lot of pressure on myself and I think there were many instances where I just didn’t handle the situation well at all. I would neatly place all my stress in a corner and when things really started getting intense I would produce poor work. But, you learn and grow. And it’s ok to make mistakes. It’s a hard thing to learn since we’re all taught that it isn’t. In the end, you have to trust yourself and realize failure is not the end!
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned so far?
I’ve learned a lot over the years. And the lesson that’s sort of stuck with me the most (ok there’s a few) is that you’re never fully done learning or improving upon your skills. It’s just not possible. And while you may become an expert (I feel at this point I could be considered one) it still doesn’t mean you know everything!
There’s so much room for improvement, to change the way a process works. It’s just a lot of working components all the time. But it’s been helpful for me to think about that because it means I have to keep going. And evolving. And honestly, I really look forward to what that’s going to entail in the next few years.
What is one marketing strategy (other than referrals) that you’re using that works really well to generate new business?
I go to a lot of events. Conferences, trade shows, you name it. I try to do a lot of networking, and just talking to real people with problems I hope I can solve. Sometimes I find a lot of people looking for help. Other times it might just be one or two, but I don’t let that discourage me from trying again.
What is the toughest decision you’ve had to make in the last few months?
As far as business goes, I would say it was when I had to down a really interesting client recently. I have this tendency if you haven’t already picked up on it, to work quite a lot. And that can sometimes be a problem. Because then I’m too busy! I like having a lot on my plate most of the time because it means there are many things to attend to at once.
I had been talking to this client for some time and was really looking forward to it. But unfortunately, I tried to collaborate with them at a time that I was just way too swamped. It was right before the summer hit, which I thought would mean I’d have a lighter workload. But in a good and bad way, I was already way beyond my max. I had to take a step back and realize their success would suffer because I didn’t have the capacity to take them on. It was tough for me to admit, but I knew it would be better for us both at the time.
What do you think it is that makes you successful?
I try to meet my clients where they’re at. It’s never just a transaction for me when I’m working on a campaign or working out details about what they need for their digital marketing efforts. I’m always open, always willing to compromise depending on the situation of my client. It’s a balancing act but in the end, it all works out.
I feel that I’m also successful due to my dedication and how much time I spend on my clients. I’m successful because my clients are. If they weren’t, then I really didn’t do the job right. And it would mean it was time for me to look at another career.
What has been your most satisfying moment?
Any moment where a client gains new leads or is able to grow is fantastic for me! I always find that to be the best feeling. If I had to pick one I would choose the time a client saw their lead generation double consistently over the course of a few months. The entire year they saw great strides too. They had hit a slump and were really trying to figure out creative ways to bring in new customers. After some digging, we found some processes that needed to be better utilized and organized and once that happened, it was just outstanding growth from there!
What does the future hold for you? What are you most excited about?
It’s hard to say! There are a lot of opportunities out there I’m really interested to invest in. There are new projects to explore and new people to meet. That’s always how it’s been for me. With more great technologies sprouting up and digital marketing getting flooded it’s time to find unique ways to build a presence online. I think that’s really exciting and I want to see how that’s going to take shape.
What business books have inspired you?
I’d have to say that The Accidental Creative by Todd Henry is one of my favorite reads. It has great concepts for anyone in business and though I’m a digital marketer I’ve picked up a few things here and there.
What is a recent software purchase you have made that’s helped you be organized, manage time, etc.?
I recently added RescueTime into my arsenal of creative tools because it helps me to manage how my workflow looks every day. I’ve found great success in purchasing Nanigans which is a great advertising tool that I utilize when working with clients. It’s been great for things like retargeting ads!
What’s one of the daily routines you never miss out on?
Having a cup of tea in the morning. No, really! I used to drink a lot of coffee, but now I’ve switched to tea and it’s actually been really helpful. I have a cup before breakfast and if I don’t have time in the morning then I’ll make sure to grab one either on the way to work or later on in the day.
But I never miss out. It’s like how I never miss a day of running either. The two are something I have to do and if I can’t, it throws me off a little. Repeating these routines helps to center me and tackle the week.