Hi, I’m Stephanie James, and welcome to my AMA. In this five-part post, I’m going to tell you all about my business – from its humble creation in my garage, right through to the first time we made more than a billion dollars. If you have any questions for me, leave them below and I’ll do my best to get to them all as soon as possible!
It all began in 2007, in a dark little garage in Melbourne. I had just finished my homework for the day and was listening to the radio. I had mostly tuned it out in favour of daydreaming when it began to play an advertisement for the best corporate video production company in Melbourne. While I can’t remember the name of the firm, that short musical advertisement seemed to light a spark within me. For the first time ever, I truly understood the purpose of marketing. It was like a whole new world had opened up as I began to see all the possibilities that marketing can bring. Along with this newfound perspective, I established a goal: to found a company of my own, and to make it as successful as I possibly could.
At the time, I didn’t know what kind of post production and advertising services I would need to promote my new business. I didn’t even have a name for the company, let alone a decent product idea. But after that night, each time I finished my homework I would sit down and let my mind wander. Even back then, I was pretty smart, so I knew that a winning idea would eventually come to me if I gave it the time and opportunity to form. While I waited, I learned everything I could about marketing and advertising, getting through multiple textbooks and then watching hundreds of television advertisements. It was a great way to absorb information without thinking too hard about it, and I began to understand the concepts of customer needs. Barely a few months later, my billion dollar idea came to me.