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Family can be significantly influential when it comes to what occupation to choose. What our parents did and our grandparents before them can determine what we choose to do with our lives. This is partly the case of JC Polonia, who runs a full-service digital marketing agency.
JC Polonia’s grandmother came to the United States with her mother when she was only 2 years old. Right off the bat, her grandmother started working many jobs in order to provide for her family. From cleaning homes to sewing curtains to sell to others, she was the true definition of a hustler.
“My mother then took it a step further and created an incredible career for herself to set me and my siblings up for success.” JC shares. “Watching her work ethic and that of my grandmother, I had to step up to the plate to build on the foundation that was laid out. As I grew older I started to become exposed to the world of entrepreneurship and things began to click.”
JC’s desire to free his family from financial struggles coupled with his love of entrepreneurship gave him the motivation he needed to start his own business. He set out on the path of financial literacy and began to operate his own digital marketing agency as a side hustle while working his 9-5 job.
“I remember one day in December my anxiety was through the roof because I had just found out that my mom had gotten sick. I remember the feeling of being pulled between wanting to just drop everything I was doing at work to go support my mom, and feeling obligated to stay at work in order to fulfill my duties as a store manager.” JC recounts.
It was then that on December 31, 2018, JC decided to quit his job and go full force into his business. Ever since that moment, he has never looked back. Today, he runs and operates a full-service digital marketing agency specializing in branding, content production, social media management, and online advertising.
Digitality Marketing LLC serves businesses and individuals looking to grow their online presence while generating new customers and increasing their bottom line. They do this through value-driven content and paid ad campaigns that drive results.
“The biggest challenge when starting a business was definitely having a lack of structure and starting alone.” JC says. “It wasn’t until 3-4 months after I left my job that I was able to see real traction in my business. I had clients while working full time, but I was never able to truly scale because I just didn’t have the time to do so.”
JC believes that every day is a learning experience and you need to build on the previous days highs and lows. He can now focus on growing the business instead of just working inside of it because he has been able to build a great team around him.
“In business, there are going to be days that you want to give up. There are also going to be days where you question if it is all worth it. Without having a disciplined mindset, you will not be able to get over those hurdles and will end up giving up.” JC says.
JC advises to treat your mindset the same way you would treat your body, and to train and develop it through books, affirmations, meditation and manifestation. He also believes that it is important to work on something that not only can provide you a stable income, but that it also is something you truly love.
“If you realize that something may bring you money, but that you don’t truly love it, that is a recipe for destruction.” JC states. “While trying to find ‘your thing’, you will come across many obstacles, but if you overcome those hurdles, you will find yourself creating new things and building long term.”
In a time where e-commerce and entrepreneurship is becoming the new norm, JC also makes clear that entrepreneurship is not easy, and you should not get caught up in the hype of social media where “being an entrepreneur” is cool.
“All of these people you see online only show only what they want to show, and it is also probably because they have something to sell you. Make sure you learn from people who are actually doing what they say they are doing, and are taking action. You won’t move without taking steps forward.” JC advises.
Although JC’s next goal is to compete with some of the highest level marketing agencies and work with fortune 500 companies, he will always have a special place in his heart for small businesses, as that has been the core of Digitality’s mission from the start.
“I also look forward to working with an even larger team. I’ve always wanted to create a work environment that everyone loves coming to. I believe you should love what you do and where you do it, so seeing my team happy and continuously growing will forever drive me.” JC shares.
To find out more about JC, go here.
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