Lucas Pate | Member Stories

Lucas Pate operates Department 14 Marketing, a St. Louis-based agency providing an array of companies to assist patrons succeed on-line. Catch up with Lucas on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. 

The who:

Given a enterprise title is so central to a model, we’re inclined to put numerous significance on it. How did you arrive at a reputation, and the easiest way do you’re feeling about it now that you just simply’ve been in enterprise some time?

I wanted a reputation that mirrored my goal for the enterprise — to be an extension of our patrons’ selling and promoting departments — which is why I landed on the title Department 14. I’ve in no way been into slapping my title all via a enterprise or establishing, however I did need the enterprise to replicate my involvement in some small means. The title Department exhibits our goal to work like one totally different division contained in the patron’s enterprise, and I chosen 14 on account of there are 14 letters in my full title.

It has turned out to be an unbelievable determination. Our title is versatile sufficient that I’ve been in a position to place it to utilize as Department 14 Marketing (my selling and promoting agency) and Department 14 Websites (my net design company).

With some producers, location is a key ingredient. Is there one factor concerning the place you reside and work that’s formed your personal model?

I don’t know that my location has actually had slightly loads impact on our model, other than that after I began the enterprise I used to be centered on offering high-quality selling and promoting and design companies to small companies at an reasonably priced price. This was pushed by knowledge of how price delicate small rural companies needs to be (considerably in Missouri the place I reside).

There is a giant hole between the prices of residing and doing enterprise in small cities versus massive cities. Even St. Louis costs are drastically absolutely fully totally different than these you’d uncover with an agency in New York or Los Angeles.

One essential revenue that we knowledgeable from being a distant crew was highlighted within the midst of the pandemic. As we knowledgeable a surge of inbound requests, our crew wasn’t left struggling to handle to new work-from-home routines. Instead, we had been in a position to cater to our patrons and let their sense of place impact what we now have to supply. This meant that we had been in a position to present companies to these all through the UK, Italy, and Australia, reworking our companies to our patrons’ express wishes.

How would you describe your knowledgeable expertise and background?

Prior to beginning Department 14, I labored in senior-level positions for a diffusion of elementary companies together with Nissan North America, Six Flags Inc., a few massive nationwide companies, as a contributor on each the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Comission’s LGBTQ+ Task Force, and a handful of private companies. My explicit areas of experience are in design, occasion selling and promoting, methodology, and evaluation.

Could you describe the scope of your operation?

Because my company is very centered on being an built-in selling and promoting accomplice for our patrons, we actually rework our scope of operation to satisfy the exact wishes of any given shopper. We deal with net design, ecommerce setup, lead interval, selling and promoting automation, search engine optimisation, SEM, and inbound selling and promoting. We furthermore search the advice of usually with patrons to assist them implement new packages (like CRMs and selling and promoting automation platforms), to strengthen their product gross sales and selling and promoting processes, and to assemble bigger enterprise intelligence knowledge.

Some entrepreneurs describe an aha! second, the second they determined it was time to take factors into their very private fingers. Could you describe any of these moments you’ve had?

I can describe the precise second I made a decision to formally launch my enterprise. It was a chilly and stormy day all through the yr 1922… OK, clearly that’s not true. About three days after this {{photograph}} was taken, I made a decision to make Department 14 my full-time job. This {{photograph}} reveals me making the rounds to native media retailers to advertise crucial and most anticipated occasion hosted by the corporate with which I used to be employed.

Three days later, that company downsized as a consequence of newest agency possession.

After gathering my wits, I made a decision that it was now or in no way. I picked up the cellphone and commenced calling earlier patrons, emailing my prolonged group, texting earlier work associates, and DMing anybody I assumed would hear. I outlined precisely what I used to be doing and why I had made the choice to begin my very private agency. That day I landed my first shopper, and that image purchased proper right here to represent the start of 1 issue actually express.

The what:

What kind of duties do you want to work on?

Projects which can be deeply built-in with a company or shopper’s operations enchantment to me, ones which allow me to assemble a collaborative relationship and to resolve loads of factors. I favor to be concerned, and I benefit from working with administration groups or homeowners who’re equally fascinated by working alongside our crew. I’ve discovered that if you’ve acquired actually good two-way communication and collaborative work vogue, we’re in a position to ship way more worth to the shoppers and drive the simplest outcomes potential.

Could you describe your typical shopper (if in case you’ll have a typical shopper)?

Department 14’s patrons have in no way match into any express class. We’ve labored with non-profits, hospice organizations, auto and RV dealerships, monetary establishments, producers, and additional. Usually we’re collaborating with small and medium sized companies with modest selling and promoting budgets who require fully the extreme worth and return on their funding. We furthermore actually benefit from working with managers and homeowners who’re concerned in day-to-day practice and who will allow us to combine with the corporate as an extension of their current crew.

In the sooner two years, we’ve began to delve further constantly into two rising markets: the leisure autos Industry and the manufacturing commerce. These are two industries which had been gradual to undertake sturdy digital presences and on-line selling and promoting methods, however now we’re beginning to see them make the swap.

Sometimes we’re prepared the place it’s important to point down duties. What do these circumstances appear like for you, and the easiest way do you take care of them?

Transparency with potential patrons is very essential to us, and we take the integrity of our place severely. That does point out we now have to point down duties. After we bear in mind a shopper’s wishes and targets, together with our personal capabilities, we resolve whether or not or not or not or not the connection is an surroundings pleasant match.

When the targets and/or capabilities don’t align, we’re merely dependable about it and politely clarify why it wouldn’t be a superb match.

I absolutely abhor the phrase “fake it till you make it.” If we’re able to’t ship on a prospect’s targets or everybody is aware of there isn’t good alignment between the work varieties or cultures of our organizations — we merely respectfully clarify the state of affairs. In the long run, it’s bigger for our company and higher for the prospect. I’ve to work on top-of-the-line duties with top-of-the-line patrons to ship top-of-the-line outcomes. In six years, I’ve solely had one potential shopper react poorly to this method. Most are appreciative of our honesty, and a few even come as soon as extra after they know {{{that a}}} drawback will almost definitely be right for us.

Performance is all the time essential, however generally we now have to pay shut consideration to cost as appropriately. How do you place GoDaddy suppliers in your patrons?

When we had been establishing our net design enterprise, we started by utilizing GoDaddy for all our net web internet hosting and domains. GoDaddy actually helped us assemble our net design enterprise. I appreciated how simple it was to make the most of and that it ensured our patrons maintained possession. It gave our patrons a method of autonomy, and we didn’t have to fret about safety.

Our crew all the time evaluates worth in a cost-versus-benefit equation.

GoDaddy’s merchandise match actually appropriately with our patrons who meet two necessities: these which is perhaps constrained by worth and people who want a easy platform to take care of their net web internet hosting or house title registrations. Furthermore, GoDaddy is a reputation our patrons notion, and that notion can go a great way.

Could you describe an issue that you just simply truly actually really feel exemplifies you at your greatest?

We not too method again achieved an issue for a startup that concerned nearly each side of our capabilities. The drawback included branding, net design with ecommerce setup, packaging design, promotional movement photos, content material materials supplies creation, social media administration, e mail campaigns, CRM integration, lead interval, and search engine promoting. We used GoDaddy to buy the world title for this drawback, and we favored having the ability to assemble the entire points from the underside up, aiding each step of the easiest way by which.

The how:

An apparent metric for measuring our personal success is how slightly loads to acquire paid versus how slightly loads time it took. In your expertise, what are the benefits and drawbacks correct proper right here?

I measure success by the worth we’re in a position to ship to our patrons. Of course, we’d want to have the flexibleness to pay the funds, however early all through the launch of Department 14 I adopted a phrase that has develop to be considerably little little bit of a mantra.

It merely says, “We think about wholeheartedly that if we’ll’t do correct by our purchasers (or our potential purchasers), then we now have to find one factor else to do.”

I’ve furthermore tried to vastly within the discount of the easiest way by which we view billing for time. I utilized a value-based pricing constructing to assist shift the first focus within the path of what we ship versus how extended it takes us. If we’re doing our jobs exactly and efficiently – then we’ll keep it up observe and will ship great outcomes, and that’s in the end what our patrons care about. It is the satisfaction of a shopper, our inside effectivity, and our continued development that point out to me whether or not or not or not or not we now have succeeded with an issue.

How does GoDaddy Pro match into what you do? Could you advocate any methods to get almost definitely most likely probably the most worth out of it — considerably to somebody merely beginning out?

GoDaddy Pro actually revolutionized the easiest way by which we on-boarded net design patrons and the easiest way we helped patrons purchase their house or net web internet hosting plans. Thinking about how helpful time is – the Pro Dashboard actually allowed us to hurry up the issue kickoff timeframe and concurrently simplified factors for our patrons.

The number-one query we’re requested by potential patrons is, “Who owns our space and website online content material materials — you, or us?”

Something we try this can doubtless very correctly be helpful for these beginning out is to clarify, “Our purchasers private the whole thing. We use GoDaddy Pro, so we’ll gather the entire merchandise in a cart and e mail them to you with a hyperlink. You will create your particular person account, full the acquisition, after which we’ll solely have entry to the weather we wish as your designer/developer.”

GoDaddy Pro offers our patrons a useful sense of safety as we swap ahead on an issue.

Imagine you probably can presumably journey as soon as extra in a time machine to some extent the place you had been like, Forget this. I’m achieved! What suggestion would you give your self?

That diploma nearly purchased proper right here a few yr before now at first of the pandemic as I knowledgeable what felt like a mass exodus of patrons from all via the pond. It was a difficult yr in some respects, however factors circled in quite a few areas.

In actuality, it was this shift that allowed my patrons to see how rethinking and reframing their approaches would assist them assemble their companies. The pandemic taught us all to be adaptable, and it was this flexibility that measured our success. So, my suggestion to Lucas from a yr before now is perhaps. CHILL OUT! Take a breath, regroup, after which preserve shifting ahead.

What’s your parting shot for individuals who needs to be akin to you after they develop up?

Words of recommendation can generally sound trite, however there’s a motive for these platitudes. They work, they usually have labored for plenty of others. These 4 factors may seem tremendous simple, however there’s some magnificence of their simplicity. 1) Do what you might be enthusiastic about. 2) Be dependable and exact. Hype will solely get you thus far (often backed correct proper right into a nook). 3) If you’re contemplating a path of entrepreneurship, take time to noticeably keep in mind whether or not or not or not you want a $120,000 graduate diploma… oh, and 4) consider to have nice!