Elevate Global,

Background

Before working at Elevate, Michael was an entrepreneur and business owner within the marketing space running his agency. He worked primarily on business development, client servicing, and overall experiential and brand activation with major agencies and clients including Home Depot on their ESPN College Game Day sponsorship, The National Hockey League, and the Ladies Professional Golf Association to name a few!

He explains what it was like transitioning in and out of entrepreneurship saying,

“The entrepreneur bug got me to start my own business. I wanted to see what I could do, and sink or swim on my own energy and time. It’s been an adjustment after running my business for 10 years, but the ethos and DNA of Elevate Global brought me back to the traditional work style.”

Having the opportunity to run his market and travel the world has given Michael excitement and passion for his work at Elevate. Here he can scratch that entrepreneurial itch as the Managing Director, by being a great leader to his team of over 20 full-time team members in the US market.

“We have a great Industrious office here in Atlanta that we love. We have also loved the opportunities that an Industrious membership affords us because we travel around the country a lot. So, when we’ve needed space to hold meetings or set up a virtual membership, as we’ve done in your Glendale office in California, it's allowed us to do that.”

About Elevate Global

As a staffing company, Elevate Global helps brands activate or put on events, marketing programs, etc., by connecting them with trusted employees who can be advocates and brand ambassadors to help them scale and fulfill the goals of that client’s project. Michael explains,

“A brand will come to us and say, “We need X amount of people for Y” and then we will go to our database and launch the job or opportunity to our employee network. Once someone is in our employee network database, they can easily pick the job or opportunity and start working! If you’re new to brand ambassadors, you can easily apply to be added to our system.”

The clients typically provide Elevate Global with a client brief for the project. For example, if Axe Body Spray wanted to promote a new scent, it would provide Elevate with a summary of the product and its attributes. Elevate would then train its employees on the product so their ambassadors would be well-equipped to educate potential customers. In addition to training, Elevate handles troubleshooting, timekeeping, payroll, and more, making it a full-service staffing mechanism.

Navigating Challenges

In his role, Michael faces the ongoing challenge of balancing profitability with the quality of clients and the demands of client service. He emphasizes the importance of nurturing strong relationships to ensure long-term success, focusing on assembling the right team equipped with troubleshooting skills, problem-solving abilities, and strategic vision. Additionally, the labor market presents challenges, exacerbated by trends like “ghosting” in interviews. Balancing these internal and external challenges remains a key focus for him as a leader.

Another challenge experienced specifically by the U.S. team, compared to their colleagues in London, Paris, or Berlin, is that since the company operates across multiple time zones, the lack of physical proximity poses a significant hurdle to effective collaboration. Despite technological solutions like Zoom and Teams, Michael believes in the efficiency of face-to-face interaction.

Wisdom and Current Projects

After reflecting on how these challenges have changed him as a person, Michael emphasizes the importance of transparency and respectful communication, both upward and downward in the company hierarchy. He believes in maintaining perspective, recognizing that work shouldn't consume or define one's entire life, and he strives to impart this knowledge to his younger colleagues by encouraging them to find balance. With experience, he feels he’s learned what truly matters, advocating for finding value and happiness beyond the job. Lastly, he adds,

“I think the biggest thing to learn from is your mistakes. Those are the biggest teachers, but you can't be afraid to make them. If you're at a place where you make one mistake and it's the end of the world, then you're at the wrong place, with the wrong boss, and the wrong leadership.”

Michael was very excited to share that Elevate Global has secured an exciting five-year partnership with Stitch to provide retail associate staffing at nineteen F1 races worldwide. In North America, they will cover Miami, Montreal, and Austin, Texas. Another exciting project is them gearing up to staff the Summer Olympic Games in Paris!

Collaboration

Michael actively engages in Elevate Global’s mentorship program and contributes to the American Marketing Association’s Atlanta Chapter. His commitment to these initiatives demonstrates his willingness to collaborate with others, sharing valuable knowledge and key learnings. He believes in fostering a mutually beneficial exchange of information and support within these communities. Michael eagerly anticipates offering valuable insights and expertise to those seeking the company's services. By enhancing visibility both locally and internationally, he aims to cultivate new introductions and connections that will further strengthen collaborative efforts.