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This week, I had the pleasure of getting to know a little bit more about Jonathan Sohn, Market Research and CRM Analyst here at Advertise Purple. He’s been employed here since early August and has worked diligently to support the sales and business development teams at the firm ever since.
He shared some insights on career growth, life at Ad Purp, getting an MBA, and learning how to succeed in a modern data-driven business world.
Enjoy!
Q: Hey Jon, you’re a native Angeleno. How would you compare living in LA as a kid and choosing to live here now that you’re a bit older (and wiser)?
A: When I was a kid I grew up in the Highlands in Pacific Palisades. The mountains were my playground and I rarely ventured into Santa Monica and the rest of Los Angeles. Living here in the city now the roles are reversed. I rarely go into the mountains (going to try to work on that) and use the city to explore, try new foods and enjoy myself.
Q: Where did you go to school?
A: I went to Campbell Hall for high school in North Hollywood. For undergrad I went to the University of Arizona (we are atrocious in football, I know) and for my MBA I went to the University of California at Irvine (ZOT! ZOT!)
Q: In what ways do you think your MBA propelled your career?
A: When I was in college, analytics was a relatively new field and there were not a lot of courses in it. By the time my MBA rolled around the field was expanding and schools began to offer classes in it. My MBA with a concentration in analytics was instrumental to the development of my skills and exposure to new tools such as Tableau & Alteryx.
Q: Tell us how you landed at Ad Purp.
A: I was working at Experian as a sales analyst but I was commuting back and forth between Irvine and Santa Monica. Frankly I was miserable with the commute and wanted something much closer to home. Having worked in the corporate world, I wanted a company that was more of a startup with more agility and flexibility. I came across a posting for the job, reached out and the rest is history.
Q: Talk about your experience working with CRM software
A: CRM software is instrumental to any sales team and I help make sense of the data and organize it in a way that is easily digestible. Before Ad Purp I was working with Salesforce where I created and extracted reports for many of the VPs at Experian.
Q: On that note, how important do you think data is in marketing?
A: I think data is EXTREMELY important for virtually any field, but especially marketing. Data tells you everything. If you don’t know who your consumers are, how your message is being received and how to effectively get your message across you’re essentially just spinning your tires. Knowing how to work with data avoids this.
Q: What skills have you learned either in school or life that have helped you grow?
A: I would say the most important skill is knowing how to bounce back. Life will always throw you curveballs, and learning how to adapt, evolve & continue to move forward is in my opinion the most important skill not just for one’s career, but for life in general.
Q: What is it about working here that you enjoy the most?
A: The culture is unmatched. Everyone is so willing to help each other out and this is perhaps the most important attribute to any organization. As the foundation, if the culture isn’t there organizations most likely will fail, and AP has a terrific culture in spades.
Q: How do you see your career progressing in the next few years?
A: I see myself being the head of sales analytics within the next year or two. I want to continue growing with Ad Purp and I see big things in the future.
Q: What are your hobbies? Besides watching the Eagles get knocked out of the playoffs?
A: I love thinking and writing satire headlines (kind of like the Onion). Also I’m beginning to practice magic so hopefully one day you’ll see me on “America’s Got Talent”. Additionally I’m trying to get into golf as my late father loved the sport.
Q: What’s some advice for any young person looking to build a career?
A: Don’t be afraid to reach out to people for help! I have talked with dozens of people while trying to figure out what I want to do, and talked with dozens more when I honed in on my career. People genuinely want to help and will often feel flattered when reached out to. Don’t be shy!
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Big thanks to Jon for the interview. Hope you enjoyed it!
Photo Credit: Natasha Bhogal
