You may have heard I’ve taken up a new role in advertising with the Grey Group Global. You can read about it here.
Many of my readers have been curious about my decision. Both as it pertains to my role as founder & CEO of rentoid.com, but also as an entrepreneur and startup blogger. So in the the age of authenticity, I’ll lay it all on the line right here at startup blog:
I didn’t go searching for a job, it kinda just happened. After having some discussions with Grey about the advertising and media landscape, I was essentially asked to come on board as Director of Planning and Integration. Integration being the digital and ‘one to one’ side of media, which they admit is an area of opportunity for their business. They needed someone with what they told me was a rare mix of skills:
- Understands pure marketing & advertising (as it was)
- Has a grasp on the web & digital landscape (as it will be)
- Is entrepreneurial in nature, can invent change & lead a firm into the future
- Can generate new business & be heavily involved in the pitching process
If you’ve been following my blog and life over the past few years, you’ll know that’s a reasonable description of what I do.
Rentoid.com is at a stage where the model is right, after nearly 4 years of iterating. The team is in place and the business is growing organically. Although I have sold off a portion of it, I still have a large equity stake. My involvement will now be more directional and ‘chairperson’ like. Which to be honest is a new challenge in my entrepreneurial development where the key skill will be directing and coaching rather than doing. Working on the business, rather than in it. I’m confident it will continue to grow and thrive.
I’ll still be blogging, tweeting and teaching at Melbourne University and running my annual Startup School. Grey know this is what gives me the edge. I wont be doing any FMCG consulting anymore which took up about 20% of my week.
Some stuff worth noting:
- Google was my CV.
- Unless I created rentoid.com and wrote this blog, I would never have been offered the role.
- There was no competition. The role was invented for me because of what I have done and what I can offer.
- I’m still and entrepreneur who still owns businesses.
- The role is more exciting and senior than my previous marketing roles.
- Being an entrepreneur opens up more doors than being an employee. It helps us leapfrog the competition.
That’s big news Steve, congratulations on making a big choice.
Perhaps my big question for you is how do you feel about the re-integration?
Sam,
@samotage
Congrats mate, sounds like a good challenge!
Good stuff
Jussi (@jopas via twitter)
Congratulations on the new role. Sounds an exciting opportunity.
@rusdens (via Twitter)
Congratulations mate 🙂
Couldn’t have happened to a nicer entrepreneur. Good luck in the new role and in the role-shift with Rentoid. Exciting times.
As someone with an allergy to corporate and who is giving the whole entrepenuer thing a red hot go, I will watch your move with great interest Steve. In the interests of total transperancy, would it also be fair if you added that the money was just too good to refuse? If that’s the truth, then let it out, I say. I had a mate who was wooed by The Campaign Palace and he said “it was like winning tax!” Agencies do that, although I don’t know how…they don’t seem to be as relevant as they used to be. Maybe that’s why they bought you! Good luck, Big Guy.
Congratulations Steve! Sounds like a great opportunity and I’m sure you have super exiting months ahead of you.
Onwards and upwards mate, congrats.
Actually it feels good. There s a distinct difference between advertising and where I worked previously in Consumer goods marketing. Much more fluid and open. In addition, they know what they are getting with Sammartino, no tricks and very unconventional.
Steve.
No doubt the money had to be worth it, which it was, but I will add it wasn’t a primary motivator, the role and being in creative agency was the biggest factor. I’ve been offered big jobs in consumer marketing every week since I started rentoid, but refused them as it was back tracking. This is a new world, where I can leverage my battery of skills, as well as learn some more. In addition I really respect the guy I’m working for.
Steve.
For those who know being an employee sucks? I guess different when on your own terms, & now that you’ve created a personal brand that should get you being able to do what you want with clients? You might just have found the way to stop being an employee sucking? Have fun…
Yep Roger, that’s exactly it. It’s really an extension of what I’ve been doing and so I’ll be bringing that ethos into the creative work with clients for sure. Steve.
Really interested to follow the progress Steve. My one bit of advice is to have the Client radar on big time. They will do their darnedest (without even knowing it) to stop you being strategically ‘creative’. They all desperately want to, they know they have to but when it’s time for the rubber to hit the road many of them get squeamish. Either because they haven’t got the courage or because someone above them doesn’t. God I sound negative…I hope I’m really wrong…and that things have changed…please let me know when you know!
Congratulations on the role Steve. Can’t wait to see how Grey’s ad output evolves with your mind and energy involved.
It think having your fingers in a few pies is definitely an advantage. And totally agree on your comment ‘Google as a CV’. This is true for a lot of people now.
I missed this post and only just saw it as I was flicking through the last few pages.
Just recently did the same myself, stepping into a role where I can further develop my entrepreneurial knowledge as well as medium enterprise skill set.
I know a number of entrepreneurs doing this at this point in time. It seems the climate is just right for being able to manage your own venture while working at the same time.
Congrats Steve 🙂