MATT LIGOTTI: Working with VaynerMedia to Co-Founding a Creative Agency

In this podcast episode, Kellan interviews Matt Ligotti, a creative professional and co-founder of NOX, a creative agency. Matt shares his journey from an internship at VaynerMedia to working with major brands like Pepsi and Budweiser, and eventually starting his own agency. He discusses the importance of collaboration, personal branding, and balancing work with personal life. Matt emphasizes perseverance, financial preparedness, and surrounding oneself with supportive individuals. He also highlights NOX's focus on providing social media services for musicians and small to medium-sized brands, and the challenges and successes faced along the way.

Matthew Ligotti has his BFA in graphic design from New York Institute of Technology, where he received the Marvin Horowitz Sculpture Award for his creative work. He spent over 4 years as a senior videographer at VaynerMedia, one of the leading media companies in the world. 

He went on to co-found NOX, where he operates as the chief creative officer. He helps talent and brands increase their brand awareness, improve their social media channels, and grow their revenue. NOX is a digital agency that specializes in content production, paid media campaigns, influencer marketing, audience growth, and conversion optimization.

Find Matthew Ligotti online:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/matthewligotti/
NOX's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nox.media/
NOX's Website - https://wearenox.com/

Timestamps:
The internship and early career (00:00:00)
Matt's experiences working with Bieber, VaynerMedia, and co-founding NOX.

Lessons learned at VaynerMedia (00:10:18)
Lessons learned about creative collaboration, client interactions, and adapting to client needs.

Working with Gary Vaynerchuk and Vayner Talent (00:14:37)
Matt's involvement in the Vayner Talent team and its impact on personal branding.

Creation of NOX and career transition (00:17:24)
Matt's decision to start his own agency, NOX, and transition from VaynerMedia.

Founding NOX (00:18:20)
Matt and his partner, Sam, decide to start building NOX, a creative agency, and their reasons for wanting to run their own business.

Client Acquisition (00:22:15)
Matt explains the methods used for client acquisition, including networking, word of mouth, and referrals, along with the role of press hits in gaining attention.

Collaborations and Building Rapport (00:23:23)
Matt shares experiences of collaborating with artists such as Justin Bieber and O'Malley, and the importance of building rapport with celebrities during shoots.

Challenges Faced with NOX (00:26:20)
The challenges faced in the early years of NOX, including the impact of COVID-19 and the need to pivot the business to adapt to the changing circumstances.

Adapting to Social Media Trends (00:28:51)
The importance of staying updated with platform updates and trends to maximize the return on investment for clients' social media content.

Transition to Entrepreneurship (00:29:54)
Matt discusses the challenges and adjustments involved in transitioning from the corporate world to starting his own company, including the importance of advisors and finding a reliable bookkeeper and CPA.

Personal Branding (00:31:44)
The importance of personal branding and the challenges of prioritizing personal brand development while managing client work.

Work-Life Balance (00:33:36)
Matt's approach to finding balance between work and personal life, including transparency with his partner and utilizing dedicated time for personal activities.

Advice for Creative Professionals (00:35:51)
Perseverance, financial planning, and surrounding oneself with the right people as essential advice for creative professionals and business owners.