PowerPlayer: Mike Mota

Friday, August 07, 2015

GoLocalProv Business Team

Mike Mota

Every week, GoLocalProv shines the spotlight on one individual who is making an impact on Rhode Island. This week, GoLocalProv sat down with Mike Mota, CEO of Atom Media Group.

Tell us about how you became a leader in the marketing and advertising community?

As the VP of Sales for a local advertising agency Mediapeel, I helped secure Alex & Ani as an account when the company was still in its infancy and then assisted in delivering a creative way to market their story to the consumer. It was a big bet and a wonderful experience.

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

After 8 months, I was a key component in setting up the acquisition of Mediapeel by Alex and Ani and the creation of Seven Swords Media.

Seven Swords Media grew to be recognized as one of the fastest growing agencies in the country (ranked by INC 500). Our team was instrumental in taking Alex and Ani from sales of $1 million to $225 million and brought Seven Swords from $500,000 to $22 million in just a few short years. We created conditions that allowed us to employ 35 Rhode Islanders. Contributed to national creative campaigns, including Super Bowl spots for three consecutive years. Helped secure additional clients the likes of Benjamin Moore and The Smithsonian Institution. I then founded my company, ATOM Media Group (AMG) - which is my name spelled backwards - in 2014.

What are the three biggest issues facing your firm, either locally, nationally, or both?

GROWTH: Being able to keep up with demands of a rapidly expanding client base, including multiple, often simultaneous deadlines and otherwise staying ahead of an ever steepening creative curve.

RESISTANCE TO INNOVATION: Our industry, despite its core creative component, is resistant to the change AMG represents. It’s not easy finding the perfect employee that understands our culture.

THE CHOICE TO BE TRADITIONAL OR CUTTING EDGE: Almost on a daily basis I’m asked if AMG is a traditional agency OR one devoted to cutting-edge ideas and practices. My answer: YES! AMG marries the best tried-and-true practices of our industry with daring new concepts; as a result, the totality of AMG is greater than the sum of its parts.

View Larger +

Take us through a day in your life.

A typical day starts with a phone call to my COO on the drive into work to review pending business. Once at the office, I typically have an “all hands” meeting to discuss initiatives, hear any problems and hopefully inspire the AMG staff to have a great day. As the day progresses I meet one – on – one with clients, meet with prospective clients to diversifying our portfolio, and reach out to vendors. Most importantly, I make a point to reach out to each client personally everyday; because that’s the way I do business. I always end my day by spending time with my son and fiance, making sure he continuously smiling, is the most important task of my day.

What are the challenges you face in continuing to be successful, now that you have launched a new advertising agency?

One of the biggest challenges we face as an agency is finding new talent to meet the needs of our growing company. Rhode Island has nine Colleges and Universities that develop talent, that end up leaving the state once they graduate because of lack of opportunity. It’s up to local business owners to find ways to help develop talent in R.I. instead of exporting talent.

To be a successful agency we need talented hardworking people who are committed to living in and working with client in Rhode Island.

Tell us something nobody knows about you.

I have a Master’s Degree in Education. I was an elementary school teacher for third and fifth grades, and received my degree to be a principal. In college, I wrote and published a children’s picture book.

Here are a few quick questions:

Role model: My Mom and Dad who both taught me hard work. They came to this country when they were 12 and 13, respectively. They had to go right to work to help their families. Each morning they woke up at four o’clock to go to work to take care of my sister and I. We watched my parents sacrifice everything so their children could have a better life. I am who I am today because of their hardships and sacrifices.

View Larger +

Favorite restaurant: Hemenways – Lobster, Crab and Shrimp Salad.

Best Business Person in RI right now: Giovanni Feroce. I watched him and worked with him to grow Alex and Ani from a small company that nobody knew, to a billion dollar brand. It was his genius that made such a meteoric rise possible, and I was able to take his vision and help make it a reality. I now watch what he is doing with BENRUS to create a muti – billion dollar lifestyle brand. His loyalty to his friends and employees and his love of Rhode Island are like nothing I have ever seen before. He is a visionary entrepreneur who is willing to risk it all. I look forward to assisting him once again.

If you could have dinner with anyone in the world today, who would it be? One person I would be excited to share a meal with is Robert Iger, CEO of Disney. As a creative person, I find Walt Disney World to be a very inspiring and special place for me to visit. Being able to gain perspective through the eyes of Robert would be amazing.

I am inspired by how they have accomplished creating their world – one that millions of people love to visit.

PowerPlayer: Mike Mota

Related Slideshow: 25 Ways to Support Small Businesses in RI

Grab a Snack

Shop for Dad

Shop for Mom

Shop for Someone Special

Shop for a Difficult Buy

Take a Break

Grab Some Lunch

Even More Lunch!

Do Something Creative

Participate in and Event

Get Some Retail Therapy

Get Ready for a Night Out

Grab Yourself a Treat

Improve Your Space

Out With the Old

Gear Up

Solve a Problem

Don't Forget Fido

Grab a Drink

Enjoy Local Atmosphere

Enjoy a Show

Buy Cool Memorabilia

Bar Hop

Grab A Late Night Snack

Pick up New Music

Related Articles

Enjoy this post? Share it with others.

Sign Up for the Daily Eblast