Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Olexa.
Kelly, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Where to begin? I started off my career in corporate sales, truthfully, because I wasn’t sure what to do…so I followed in the footsteps of my father and older brother. I am a gifted “natural born salesperson” so it worked for me. I never in a million years thought I’d be an entrepreneur and never had those aspirations. It just happened that when the market crashed in 2008 and I was suddenly left without a job- for a LOT longer than I anticipated (13 months), I dove into social media and learned everything I could about these emerging platforms. This led to a lot of partnerships with big brands like Nike and Ford and Sears and inevitably, a full time job at an agency selling social media solutions at an enterprise level to big brands. During my time at the agency, I became the go-to person for finding bloggers and YouTubers in the fitness/health/wellness space– because I was one and I knew them all. It was here that the idea for my company, FitFluential, the first ever niche influencer network, was born. I really had no idea what I was doing, just a hunch that I could bring together all these fitness bloggers and vloggers and work with brands on campaigns….but I thought it would be a side gig, not a company. Little did I know that I would found a successful 7-figure profitable business that would set the stage for other niche influencer networks to follow. I ran that company for the better part of 6 years then shut it down and launched Socially Fit Services, a boutique marketing firm designed to serve small-to-mid-size brands in the influencer marketing and podcast PR category. Within 30 days of launch, I had reached a profitable 6-figure mark and am still running this business today.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I think anyone who says it has been a smooth road is a liar!! It’s never been a smooth road and it’s the bumpy times that – while not fun- teach the best lessons that help you become a better business person. I’ve learned that being a People Pleaser in business is the single worst characteristic you can carry. I had to shed that part of myself and become a stronger more confident and assertive BOSS. It’s hard for many women to be the boss because they try too hard to be NICE. I did that for too long and was taken advantage of by employees and vendors alike. I could have done so much more with my first company had I been the strong CEO and leader I should have been, but I had to learn these lessons the hard way. I’ve learned to not hire friends and family. I’ve learned to do DUE DILIGENCE on people and vendors and to trust but verify. I have been let down by so many vendors and employees and contractors, it’s sad but you have to learn to be on top of them and track their work or they will take advantage of you. This is business, not a fraternity, and you will learn that the hard way if you aren’t careful.
As you know, we’re big fans of Socially Fit Services. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We provide Influencer Marketing Services and Podcast Placement/PR services for small to medium businesses. What sets us apart from others in the space is not only our extensive experience– I’ve founded my own influencer network of 10K+ fitness influencers, the first ever of its kind back in 2011, and have managed over 800 successful influencer campaigns, but I’m also a blogger/YouTuber/Podcaster myself and have relationships with thousands of them — so I can relate to both the brand side and the influencer side which makes for a far easier navigation of that relationship. I’m very selective at this point my career as to what clients I will work with. I will not work with a client who doesn’t understand how influencer marketing works, what reasonable expectations are and timelines are- I don’t care how large their budget is. Influencer marketing WORKS, there is so much data to support this, it’s crazy to NOT be utilizing this highly effective tool…but you have to be willing to invest both time and money and be in it for the long-term. Brands who want quick fixes or short cuts are not brands I want to even think about working with because today’s savvy consumer will see right through them.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Oh my goodness I have so many mentors, too many to count. When I first became active in social media, on Twitter specifically back in 2008, this is where I met the vast majority of these friends and business associates who have had such a huge impact on my life. Most of these people have been quoted with a testimonial on my website (kellyolexa.com) but I’d say a few of them are Gary Vaynerchuk who for sure played a huge part in urging me to take the leap and start my business. David Armano has been a top business advisor (he’s recently moved from Chicago to San Antonio as well) and lastly my long time friend and business guru Amy Burford– she’s my go-to business advice person who has been a huge help to me all these years.
Contact Info:
- Email: kelly@sociallyfitservices.com
- Website: SociallyFitServices.com
- Instagram: @thekellyoshow
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thekellyoshow
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/thekellyoshow
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/kellyolexa
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=6xd2nUpkqVZD45TJBcsFJQ
Image Credits
Kelly Olexa
