By Antea Gatalica<\/p>\n
There\u2019s no shame in crashing at Mom and Dad\u2019s after graduation if you\u2019re Taylor Gaines, a 23-year-old entrepreneur who has successfully launched a full-service social media agency.<\/p>\n
Founded just two years ago, Chicago-based TNT Digital Media now sees steady revenues of approximately $10,000 each month.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWe went from zero in monthly revenue to $25,000 monthly as our highest earning month. Of course, our goal going into 2016 is keeping that as a stable number,\u201d Gaines said.<\/p>\n
Gaines operates TNT with one other full-time employee, Tim Trad, who officially joined her one-woman team in September.<\/p>\n
In TNT\u2019s early stages, Gaines explored several different markets, including tech, food, and apparel, to try and find a niche for her business and to build her client base. She now has several clients, up to 20 at one time, across a variety of industries.<\/p>\n
A typical day for Gaines is an assortment of meetings, proposals, content development, project management, and client management, but on occasion, the work comes with perks.<\/p>\n
In September, a client in the tech industry flew Gaines to Germany to work a trade show. There she was able to learn more about the tech sector, which has helped her network with tech executives.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m a total nerd so I have so much fun on the tech side of things,\u201d Gaines said. \u201cIt\u2019s fun to be a part of that conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n
But, admittedly, for the first six months Gaines didn\u2019t take her company seriously.<\/p>\n
While a senior at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Gaines was simply looking to have a little fun and wrap up her studies. She had just been laid off at an ad agency where she had worked as a social media account executive.<\/p>\n
She started TNT to make some money to get by.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I\u2019m going to take a pay cut, I may as well start my own thing and see where it goes,\u201d Gaines said.<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t until winter break of her senior year that an interview at another agency, back in her hometown of San Diego, made her rethink her commitment to her business.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe question that really, really struck me was when they were like \u2018How long would it take you to phase our your clients?\u2019\u201d Gaines said.<\/p>\n
That was her defining moment.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I was like, ouch! I\u2019ve built really great relationships\u2026 I don\u2019t want to \u2018phase them out,\u2019 that sounds rude,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Upon graduating in 2014, Gaines moved back in with her parents and focused on rebranding and relaunching what was to become TNT Digital Media.<\/p>\n
Gaines looks back on this time fondly, although it wasn\u2019t easy.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re going to build something, bootstrap it as best as you can for as long as you can, reinvest in the people that are helping you, and reinvest in your company,\u201d Gaines said.<\/p>\n
She persisted, and finally took her first paycheck at the beginning of 2015.<\/p>\n
Gaines said what sets TNT apart is the willingness to provide a comprehensive feature analysis on a deeper level than others.<\/p>\n
\u201c[There are] people younger than me that are like \u2018Yeah, I Snapchat every day.\u2019 A lot of people understand how to post on social media, but they don\u2019t really do or dive into how all the features work\u2026 how can I use this button to benefit someone in a certain way,\u201d Gaines said.<\/p>\n
She found the same qualities in her employee, Trad, whom she met in March when a client enlisted the help of Trad\u2019s company for a grassroots campaign.<\/p>\n
At the time, Trad, now 30, had been playing music professionally for 10 years. By necessity, he had learned about self-promotion and social media while on tour.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are so many people who go to school to learn what we learn the real way,\u201d Trad said. \u201cI feel like being in a situation where you actually practice the real thing, it makes you a lot stronger. The skill set is way more practical. You have to market yourself, and if you\u2019re successful in music, you can pretty much do anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trad is based in Columbus, Ohio, where he also co-owns a clothing business.<\/p>\n
Gaines and Trad worked together for quite some time before ever physically meeting. With WiFi, there was no need for a shared space.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can do my work anywhere,\u201d Gaines said.<\/p>\n
While she was finding success, she also found San Diego\u2019s laid-back culture a poor fit for her growing business.<\/p>\n
So in July, she made a fresh start and moved to Chicago, a city known for its vibrant advertising and marketing industry.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m young, I have nothing tying me down, and I have nothing to lose. I threw my clothes in my car\u2026 I drove out here and said let\u2019s make it work,\u201d Gaines said.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s that confidence that will be Gaines\u2019 most valuable asset as she navigates a digital landscape that continues to grow, according to industry experts.<\/p>\n
Guy Lay, founder and CEO of Chicago-based GRP Media, who also started an agency during his time at the University of Texas in Austin, said digital advertising is the easiest segment of the industry to break into, as there are few financial barriers to entry.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe low barrier to entry means anyone with the expertise can open their own shop, but if they aren\u2019t willing to scale (add employees and formal office space), they won\u2019t be able to grow to any size,\u201d Lay said in an email interview.<\/p>\n
Without the willingness to grow, Lay said smaller agencies will fail to attract larger clients.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will continue to be difficult to break into unless you are able to open the doors with a client that can pay the bills. Then comes decision time if you want to grow the business or not,\u201d Lay said.<\/p>\n
Gaines plans eventually to attract larger clients, but she said it\u2019s her passion and respect for the industry that motivates her, and she sees other agencies, both large and small, as inspiration rather than competition.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are the large agencies that can do all the bells and whistles, that can engineer insane campaigns, which I idolize, because I respect and love what they do, and it inspires me to do really cool things. It keeps me motivated,\u201d Gaines said.<\/p>\n
At the same time, \u201cI would support anyone who is trying to get started and needs advice,\u201d Gaines said.<\/p>\n
Ambitions aside, Gaines, a self-proclaimed foodie, said she is still slightly in party mode, enjoying being with friends and exploring and traveling.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m pretty much down for whatever, I\u2019m very much an open person,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
By Antea Gatalica There\u2019s no shame in crashing at Mom and Dad\u2019s after graduation if you\u2019re Taylor Gaines, a 23-year-old entrepreneur who has successfully launched a full-service social media agency. Founded just two years ago, Chicago-based TNT Digital Media now sees steady revenues of approximately $10,000 each month.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":166,"featured_media":23160,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,509],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23155","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","category-fall-2015"],"yoast_head":"\n