Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in marketing services but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Rikki Rincon, Brand Partnership Director of The Flo Lab, located in New York, NY, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I am the Brand Partnership Director for The Flo Lab based in New York. The Flo Lab is a full-service marketing agency that provides digital marketing, develops and creates social media campaigns, produces branded content, and manages brand partnerships for influencers, celebrities, and athletes. In addition, the agency has experiential events for national brand clients and organizations. Our celebrity roster includes Jennifer Lopez, Maluma, Karol G, Rauw Alejandro, Ozuna, Mau & Ricky, Carlos Vives, Nicky Jam, Anuel, Casper Smart, Will Valderama, Leli Hernandez, Maffio, Al Cover, Latin Prince, and more. Major clients in the event space are the Latin Grammys, Lo Premio Nuestro, and Premios Juventud. More mainstream include American Music Awards, Golden Globes, and others.
Clients we have worked with product placement, music videos, commercials, movies, and influencers include Hispanicize, NGL Collective, RichMusic, WKK, Google.org, The Rockefeller Foundation, DCP/Dick Clark Production, La Industria Inc. Brand Clients include AT&T, Amazon, Colgate, Facebook, Prudential, Fashion Nova, Netflix, Pretty Little Things, HBO Latino, McDonald's, NBC, Toyota, United Airlines, Cantu, P&G, Walmart, Kaiser Permanente, Barcardi, SBS, Instagram, and Pluto.
Tell us about yourself
I began many years ago working as an actor for Universal Pictures alongside British Actor Michael Caine in "The Island." From there, my interest grew in the area of entertainment, from acting to radio broadcasting, as I worked 14 years in radio from Urban, Latino, CHR, and other formats. As time moved on, I worked a heavy amount in media/public relations for clients in the entertainment arena, from record labels, festivals, and tours to actual recording artists. My involvement in actual live festival producing took off, and I grew in that arena in all genres of music and live entertainment. Working with the likes of Selena, RUN DMC, Cover Girls, Stevie B, Luis Enriquez, Celia Cruz, DJ Laz, SWV, En Vogue, and the list goes on and on.
As the world began more digital, I fell heavily interested in data as my physical world of entertainment, music, and more made sense for me to move in this direction. This was before everyone became reliant on this, and I saw it coming very early on, so that led me to work in the brand space, and this world of relationship building and brand alignment made perfect sense with my current situation.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
With regard to The Flo Lab, I am not the business owner of this agency but do co-own other businesses, such as a plant-based hair care company, BellaGeneration Hair System. I am a managing partner, having run day-to-day for several years, including two very rough years while COVID-19 was taking over our worlds. My biggest accomplishment as co-owner of BellaGeneration Hair System has been working very diligently to create awareness and never giving up where I know most would have. We celebrate all wins along the journey, and to be currently peaking the interest in Series A investors with what little we had is major for myself and the team.
My biggest win with The Flo Lab to date was having less than two weeks to pitch, sell and close Lexus for our very first music video contract for Jennifer Lopez and Maluma's "Pa Ti Lonely." This led to our next biggest accomplishment, which in many aspects is larger in the sense of opportunity, and that was leveraging Lexus for 2 US Cities for the 2022 Maluma Tour, both Los Angeles and Dallas.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
One of the hardest things that I have experienced with being a business owner of my other ventures is making sure all those on the team remain consistent with our "brand," which is the single most important part of the business to me, reputation management as well. I have a vast amount of experience in staying on brands with my clients and our own business. When you find anyone that can learn, grasp the idea and apply it, then you are off to a wonderful journey, but that has been a huge area to keep consistent on.
The hardest part of things relating to my position at The Flo Lab is listening to what the brands want and educating them on what the Latinx true audience is with respect to the many Latino subgroups and not placing our market lumped into one "Hispanic Market" which is so far from reality. We learn from listening to what the brand's target is and its goals and provide them with solutions on how to accomplish them.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Know your purpose.
- Know your market.
- Never give up and remain consistent.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.theflolab.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rikkirinconlive
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rikkirinconlive/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rikkirincon/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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