Today we’d like to introduce you to CRAIG APATOV.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
After 20+ years of leading multiple Fortune 100 marketing organizations I founded Ascension Growth & Innovation Strategies in 2003. I found myself a bit too old and expensive for senior management roles in established firms and was faced with a vexing question:
What do you do to make a living when you are too young to retire but too old to be of interest to established organization?
We founded Ascension with a simple focus – help mid-sized companies accelerate profitable topline growth. Our 4 core capabilities were (and still are) what we refer to as the pillars of top line growth:
– Marketplace + Customer Analytics
– Insight Mining (Primary + Secondary Market Research)
– Marketing Optimization (Go-to-Market Strategy, Positioning, Digital Marketing Programs)
– Sales Enablement (Sales Training, Optimized Sales Compensation, Accountability Mgmt.)
We have worked with 70+ organizations worldwide over our 23 year history. We have a diverse team of strategic growth consulting, research and ad/marketing agency creative talent numbering over 50 professionals.
Our clients reference the following qualities of our firm as the reasons they engaged and retain us:
– Strategic leadership
– Objectivity (willing to tell a client their baby isn’t as beautiful as they think but help them improve)
– Hands-On Program management (we bolt on and enhance client leadership teams/capabilities)
– Accountability (we help drive measurable business impact on time and on budget)
Our tag line says is all – From Insight to Impact.
Companies must start with an objective evaluation of where they are to drive measurable growth!
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?
No the road has not been smooth.
The biggest challenge for me is the uncertainty of where the next nickel will come from. As a small boutique firm with no full time staff, I as the founder and Managing Partner must also be the rainmaker and oversee day-to-day client support programming.
Some how, we’ve managed to do over $30 million in fee-based consulting and ad/marketing program management with a gig-based free lance team. Our average associate brings extensive corporate experience to our clients and an average tenure with our firm of 10+ years.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We are an Atlanta-based, 23-year-old professional services firm with two distinct organizations under our belt:
(1) Ascension Strategy (growth-focused management consulting)
(2) Ascension Studios (full service digital ad/marketing agency)
We help mid-sized companies and divisions of larger, multinational firms, accelerate the top line organic growth defined as:
– revenue growth
– market share improvement
– successful commercialization of new products/services
– expansion into new markets/segments/channels
What makes us different is our ability to provide strategic guidance and insights while also supporting our clients with hands-on growth program implementation.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was always ambitious starting my first paid job at 13 as a busboy in a BBQ restaurant at a wage of $1.50/hour. I subsequently held 35 part time jobs until graduating from the University of Florida and accepting my first career position at Foote, Cone, and Belding/Los Angles, a top 10 Madison Avenue ad agency.
I was born/raised in Miami, FL and I’ve lived in Los Angeles, NYC, and Atlanta over my professional career.
Though not an entrepreneur, I was often called up to be an “intrapreneur” within major industry leading organizations with which I worked including ConAgra Foods, Walt Disney, Time Warner, Citigroup, Mattel Toys and GM.
My reputation is one of an executive that can translate marketplace and competitive insights into exploitable gaps for our clients and ultimately develop/lead programs that drive top line growth.
Pricing:
- All engagements are custom configured and price accordingly
- We do not work by the hour – but rather support clients with integrated targeting, marketing, sales enablement programs
- Our engagements often extend 9-12+ months in length
- Our entry level integrated engagement typically involves support from 8-10 of our associates
- Typical engagement is priced at $100K+ many clients retain us for 3-5 years
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ascensionstrategy.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ascension-growth-&-innovation-strategies/?viewAsMember=true
- Other: My personal LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigapatov/
