Earlier this Summer when speakers were tossed around for our September event I knew I wanted to grab someone who would talk about something not many of us had heard before. I knew I wanted someone who was known as a leader in the community, and someone on the cutting edge of the latest trends.

Andy is that and more, and his talk on Brain Science and Web Marketing is exactly what we are not hearing enough about, but think about everyday. I can not wait to get into consumers’ minds with Andy on September 23rd, but in the meantime I wondered what it was like inside Andy’s mind. I was able to ask him some questions, everything on music (can we talk about this TSwift thing?) to what about this industry makes him want to bash his head into a wall. 

Read on to get inside Andy’s mind, and I hope to see you all on the 23rd! 

What would your last meal be? (and what would you like to wash it down with?)
General Tsao’s Chicken with a side of mashed potatoes and gravy. Sounds strange, but if it’s my last meal, I’d combine both of my favorites. Why not, right? I would wash it down with my all time favorite beer, Edmund Fitzgerald porter from Great Lakes. You guys make some great beer there in Cleveland…

So you’re Andy Crestodina: “Co-Founder and Strategic Director of Orbit Media Studios” what should it say after that?
Probably husband to my lovely new bride, Crystal. It’s a new job for me but I love it.

You seem to be really passionate about the environment, was there one specific event that sparked that passion?
It’s sad to me that things aren’t sustainable. Things can’t keep up the way they’ve been going. We’re going to see major problems within our lifetimes and it all could have been avoided completely. It wasn’t a specific event that trigger my concern. Just years of learning and staying informed.

I respect long term thinking. Far sighted actions. Resourcefulness. Thrift. I despise waste.

This is both my personal and professional philosophy, and it should be core to the thinking of any smart capitalist and every informed consumer. 

So please, readers, reduce consumption if you can. Buy from companies that take responsibility. Learn about the B-Corporation movement. We can all contribute to the solution. It matters.

Whenever you hear this song, you always turn it up:
Lately I’ve been listening to a song by DJ Fresh called “Golddust” 

Every day, a bunch of people in the office do a 3-minute plank together at 3pm. We call it “3 at 3” We usually play a song during these planks, and since “Golddust” is about three minutes, it’s perfect for planks.

Whenever you hear this song, you always turn it off:
I’ve had enough Taylor Swift for a while. I like her music, but you can only hear “Blank Space” so many times…

What keeps you passionate about your work every day?
My clients and my team. Web design is part of the service industry, just like the restaurants I worked in when I was younger. It’s the people that keep you motivated. It’s why we all do what we do!

What about your work makes you want to bang your head against the wall?
I get frustrated when people make marketing decisions based on opinion or their own personal preferences. “I like sites that…” We all have preferences, myself included. But I’m a dataset of one. That’s not a lot of data. The best marketing decisions are made based on evidence and data. 

By definition “marketing” is: “the act or process of selling or purchasing in a market; the process or technique of promoting, selling, and distributing a product or service.” But what is your definition?
I’m a content marketer, so I define it as publishing and promoting useful content that connects a potential customer with a business, guiding them through the process of making a buying decision.

You were just in Cleveland at Content Marketing World, what surprised you the most?
The speakers are just so plain-spoken, so direct. I was constantly hearing a perspective that was so much simpler than I expected. It’s also a continual and pleasant surprise to see just how generous everyone is with their knowledge. Marketing has turn into a contest to see who can be the most generous teacher.

A recent college grad asks you for career advice, what’s you first response?
Get comfortable with Analytics. Several studies have shown that the biggest gap between employer needs and candidate skills is in understanding marketing data. 

Technology has changed so many things. What do you miss the most?
I miss having fewer inboxes. There are no so many ways to reach me, messages come in from so many directions, especially with social media. It’s stressful! 

 

Ready to learn secrets of the brain, behavior and marketing on the web? Join us for our AMA luncheon with Andy Crestodina on September 23rd. Click here for more information.