Strategic Vision and Smart Work Ethic: Building a Future-Ready Team with High Standards
In an exclusive interview with Biz Tech Outlook, Dean Steele, Director and the driving force behind Ungentle, shares insights into their journey and strategies in the dynamic realm of digital marketing. Discover the unique approach and key principles that have propelled Ungentle to the forefront of the industry, setting new standards and benchmarks along the way.
Can you please tell us about yourself and your background? How did you get into the digital marketing industry?
I started my career with private client law firm, after creating and building a small group of businesses in this sector, the business started growing, then I progressively spent more time within the marketing area of the businesses.
In 2020 we created our own digital marketing business to serve the group businesses and also external businesses. From then we started growing exponentially by providing digital marketing solutions to the small, medium and large-scale businesses.
What is the secret mantra that keeps you energetic and productive in your day-to-day life?
I don’t believe there is a secret necessarily. I believe in working smart way rather than working hard, day and night. I wish to keep my work life balance between family and professional life. My secret supportive system is my family, specifically my life partner, she is my backbone of my success today where I am.
Digital marketing is the most essential part of every business today. What is the strategy you follow to differentiate yourself from other competitors?
We have an approach that is heavily reliant on data and cutting-edge testing. Due to our size and specialty within our sector, we are able to accumulate and analyse enormous amounts of very specific data in real time. That gives mileage to small, medium and large businesses. The success rate of digital marketing is 100%.
Successful leaders often face initial struggles. Can you share your struggles with our readers?
I think the biggest struggle that we had was an industry where there was no barrier for entry. This makes it the wild west, filled with scams and hugely incompetent businesses claiming to experts. Our initial struggle was educating the customers on the valuable and importance about digital marketing the current business market, to prove us we had to make the money back guarantee in our initial stage to build the business.
What significant change and benchmark do you aim to set in the digital marketing industry?
While the use of big data is nothing new, the application of such data within small businesses (under $500,000 yearly turnover) was simply not available and, where it was, was not specific enough to be effective.
What is your take on technology and how are you adapting it in digital marketing?
We live for technology. Everything from our work stations to the tools we use within our business are cutting edge. We as a team always open to learn and adapt new technologies round the globe, we do also create our own inhouse tools and software to ensure that we stay ahead of the curve.
What plans do you have for the future?
We are highly focused and we have plans and lineup for the future, we couldn’t reveal much about our future plans, but I can share something interesting that we are currently building and testing some tools through our inhouse team and soon we are planning to introduce to the industry, we are sure that the tools will be helpful for our peers that will help them to offer the best service.
Could you provide some tips to the next generation of businesspeople on how they should plan their journey?
I know it is a bit of a cliché now, though the industry doesn’t require any basic education to enter into the business, to with stand in the industry we need a basic education, though the world is moving towards stating that qualification of basic degree is not much required, I would say that even a basic degree of qualification is not enough, everyone should possess at least masters in their respective field they work. Only through education your vision will get wider and sharper, even after getting into the industry regularly updating yourself with the current technology is more important in the business you are in. Keep yourself focused and keen in grabbing the knowledge that requires for your success. If your keen about the digital marketing or graphic design industry, get into an entry level job learn the basics in graphic designing understand what the industry is create a network with the people in the industry that will help you keeping you updated on all aspects. Every industry is growing wider and wider day-by-day it doesn’t get satisfied with basic knowledge it requires more innovative ideas and sharp out. keep yourself educating to be more successful.
“We are highly focused and we have plans and lineup for the future”
“Everyone should possess at least masters”
“I believe in working smart way rather than working hard, day and night”