Mario DeBlak Robinson RSS

I still remember the late nights at Kinko’s—designing, printing, and trimming projects well into the early morning. Sometimes I’d get home just in time for a quick nap before an event. I worked like a madman back then, but I took pride in getting the job done. Decades later, I still can’t shake that work ethic. There’s nothing like the feeling of accomplishment. I don’t need praise or recognition. I’ve always been self-motivated.

My nephew didn’t know who Jay-Z was. I told him, “You’re always singing the New York song with Alicia Keys.” He replied, “I didn’t even know the lady singing." I was confused. How could he know every word to a song, but not know the artists? Then he said something simple: “That doesn’t matter.” Sometimes wisdom shows up in unexpected places.

This week was hard. Yet, I grew. I adapted quickly. I grew up with a pastor for a father. One of the songs we would hear comes to mind often. In church, one of the elderly mothers would take her time and stand up and with or without a microphone, she would sing, “Lord! You don’t have to move my mountains. Just give me the strength to climb….”

At 8 Robinsons Brand Management I have spent the last decade building tens of thousands of followers across social channels — a careful blend of paid strategy and organic heart. Promoting our own brand is easy because we don’t try to be something we’re not.

Marketing and design software and hardware changes keep me on my toes — new MarTech appears constantly, job requirements shift, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.