Today we’d like to introduce you to Norman Brauns.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
From the time I was a child growing up in Germany, I always felt drawn to the United States. I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to go to college and ultimately live here. After graduating, I got into digital marketing, specifically Search, at a time when it was still a new industry. From the early stages of my career, I was working in various agencies that focused primarily on technical work as it related to Search.
But I realized that in order to see my goals though, I wanted to expand on my capabilities and learn more about marketing as a discipline. After moving up the ranks at another company in New York City and seeing how large corporate organizations run their businesses, I decided that I wanted to start my own agency with a different approach: principle over profit. I decided on a West Coast presence to establish and grow the company.
I have a few qualities that I believe have contributed to my success. Those include grit, ambition, and an obsessive desire to challenge the status quo. I’ve been inspired by Antanas Mockus, a Columbian scholar, philosopher, and politician. In his lifetime, he was faced with conflicts seemingly impossible to overcome but used unconventional methods to turn it around, again and again. When it comes to problem-solving, most revert to traditional approaches. It’s difficult to think in ways that the brain has never experienced.
Take the invention of cars, for example. A long time ago, one man had the ambition to get from “point A” to “point B faster”, but instead of breeding faster horses or better carriages, they had the idea to come up with something completely new. I think that if you can make your brain create a new experience or a new idea that is different from anything you’ve ever seen, it can be not only thrilling but also financially rewarding.
Has it been a smooth road?
Obstacles/Challenges: It wasn’t a smooth road by any means, as you can’t really anticipate certain obstacles and challenges that come with starting your own company.
But the exciting part of being a CEO for a start-up is that nothing is predictable, which is something that I thrive on. Life would be boring if it were predictable! It’s fun, exciting, and very rewarding to tackle challenges with my team. If our story was all smooth sailing, I don’t think we would’ve been challenged enough to prepare for everything we have been through.
One lesson the company had to learn in the beginning stages of PACIFIC was that while investing in the business and the product is important, we must continue as well to invest in our brand. I believe we have a great product and team that far surpasses our competition, but we need to actively market ourselves. My best advice to anyone who starts a business is that they should anticipate something going wrong every day. Be comfortable being uncomfortable. But that’s why we hire the best.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with PACIFIC Digital Group – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
About Your Business: I am the Founder and CEO of PACIFIC, a technology-enabled marketing firm that works with enterprise clients in the travel and retail space. When I founded PACIFIC, my goal was to kick up some dust in the industry. I’m a part of a team that has grown a handful of beta customers into a robust roster of top-tier global brands.
I am most proud of creating an organization where my staff realizes that it’s not just my company. I want everyone to feel like they have skin in the game at PACIFIC. This manifests itself in a variety of ways, like our stock option plan, which is being extended to everyone at PACIFIC.
I am most proud that we’ve created an environment where everyone can be in control of their own destiny when it comes to their careers. We have been able to foster an environment where everyone can fulfill their own ambitions.
Contact Info:
- Address: 3980 Sherman St. Suite 200 San Diego, CA
- Website: meetpacific.com
- Phone: (866) 267-3980
- Email: norman.brauns@meetpacific.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/pacific_agency/
- Facebook: @pacificagency
- Twitter: @meetpacific
- Yelp: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pacific-inc-/
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/normanbrauns/
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