Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Velazquez.
Jason, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Marketing and advertising is something I’ve always been interested in. I knew from an early age that I wanted to own my own marketing company. I never finished college so in my late teens and early 20’s I held odd-end jobs in telemarketing and door-to-door sales.
I started my professional career as a leasing agent for a student housing apartment complex when I was around 22. I was immediately drawn to the marketing side of the job; finding unique ways to engage with prospective residents and their parents (I gave a lot of apartment tours with college students and their parents). My first big marketing “ah ha” moment was when I realized a lot of parents were going to lunch after the apartment tour to talk over their options. We had a Panera Bread nearby so I contacted their marketing department. Over the next week, I spoke with one of their marketing directors and was able to convince her to provide us with free lunch coupons. We received 50 and I used them for any parents looking to go to lunch after the tour. It helped me sign more leases. My property manager noticed my ambition and promoted me to leasing manager a few months later.
Over the next 5 years, I worked long hours and continued to find ways to improve our marketing outreach. By age 28 I was the Director of Marketing for the largest privately held student housing company, The Collier Companies. It was there I taught myself graphic design and front-end development; two skills I religiously practiced in my free time.
At 30, I left Collier Companies and started my first company, Velocity Genius. It failed. I failed. It was a huge learning experience for me.
By 31, I licked my wounds, refocused and join Peak Campus as their Director of Marketing, which is one of the more prestigious management companies in the industry. It was there that I really honed in on my understanding of online advertising and project management.
By 33, I had the itch again to start my own company. I was older. I was wiser. I was more disciplined and determined. I partnered with my brother Louis (a very talented graphic designer), I took the relatively small amount of saving I had and invested it in the company. I left my Buckhead apartment and moved in with my father in Power Springs. I spent the next year on Skype calls with my brother, building the business we envisioned in my dad’s basement-turned-apartment.
Pixel Riot is on its 3rd year and we’ve experienced unbelievable growth in the last 24 months. We have a small, core team of dedicated and hardworking employees that help our clients’ businesses gain exposure online. We drive quality traffic to websites and we’re good at what we do. Pixel Riot is a bootstrap company in every sense of the word. It was built on passion and the idea that we could do it better.
Has it been a smooth road?
I don’t have a college degree. Along the way, I had to convince my bosses that I could do the job by going above and beyond the scope of work. I had to be relentless in my pursuit of opportunity. It was hard work but it paid off in the end. I wouldn’t be where I am today if I didn’t push myself so hard in my twenties.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Pixel Riot – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Pixel Riot drives quality traffic to our clients’ websites through online advertising, content creation for social media, search engine optimization and web development. We like to say “We help your website send the right signals to land the right visitors.”
Our clients know us best for our quick response time. Our team is all cross-trained so we handle requests and projects quickly. We’re small and agile.
I think the city knows us best for our love of local art and local artists. We’ve worked with several local artists to create unique marketing materials for Pixel Riot. We’ve worked with artists like Snarky Peacock and Killamari. We’re excited to work with more local Atlanta artists to make beautiful art. It’s our passion outside of our work.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I absolutely love Atlanta. I see myself here for the long haul. I love the all neighborhoods in the city – Little 5, Old 4th Ward, Midtown, Cabbage Town… I seem to find a new little area with cool stuff to do every time I go out. I also love the art scene here.
I started doing improv about 2 years ago and now I am on the house team at The Village Theatre. I perform every Thursday and it’s one of the biggest joys in my life. I live and work in Midtown and it’s exciting to see all the movies being filmed here in the city. So much going on!
What do I dislike? What everyone dislikes, the traffic and the public transportation. I have faith that it’ll get better. I hope. Walkability is key for Atlanta.
Contact Info:
- Address: 715 Peachtree Street NE Atlanta, GA 30308
- Website: pixelriot.io
- Phone: 14047356339
- Email: jason@pixelriot.io
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pixelriotart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pixelriot.io
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