Article taken from Voyage Phoenix
"Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Pezzullo.
Hi Daniel, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’m originally from Southern California; I moved to Arizona to attend Grand Canyon University. I studied Business Marketing & Entrepreneurial Studies. I found my passion for the digital marketing & creative landscape early on. I remember making short films of my dog in my backyard and using my skateboard to stabilize the footage as I moved around the backyard. I enjoy traveling, working out and staying active, cooking, spending time with family/friends.
I started part-time freelancing in graphic design and website design shortly after I graduated college. Ultimately, I held various roles within the marketing and creative industry that helped me dial in the direction I wanted to go. After working in my corporate roles at Grand Canyon University and American Express’ Centurion Department, I knew I was preparing for a season to embark on my own entrepreneurial journey full-time.
At my core, I’m a people person. I have always wanted to help people. I wanted to combine my experience, my passion for the entrepreneurial landscape, and people together. I strive to lead well, produce excellent work, and be a good steward of my resources. I knew that entering the saturated marketing & creative world on my own would not be easy, but I was ready to be different. All of this led to the creation of Digital Prodigy.
Working with the entrepreneurial community is the best! You really get to sit down with someone who is about to go all-in. They believe in themselves enough to take a giant leap of faith and risk. Hearing their vision, their passion for their business, and the why is amazing. We believe in every client we take on. Whether they need help with the name for their brilliant business, are stuck on what they want their branding to look like, need a website or systems to help automate their business, or need an extra hand hanging their “Grand Opening” or “Anniversary Sale” banner… We are here to help every step of the way!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not! Starting a company is a lot of work, and there is something to learn every step of the way. It’s important to surround yourself with the right people. Like-minded people who push you to be the best version of yourself on the days you can’t do it for yourself. I think if you were to ask any entrepreneur what the biggest challenges are, it would be work/life balance or resources! After leaving the corporate world you realize you don’t have the support from the various HR, Payroll, Marketing, Sales, Operations, and Administrative departments you once did. You really have to get creative and find ways to make it work! That’s when leaning on your circle is important; you want to partner with connections to make things easier and more efficient on yourself.
Starting your own business is awesome. You gain a lot of freedom, but you also become restricted in other ways. Balance is crucial to the success of your business. At the end of the day, you are responsible for providing for yourself, your team, etc. – It all falls on you!
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Digital Prodigy?
At Digital Prodigy, we’re passionate about helping entrepreneurs turn their ideas into successful business ventures. We empower entrepreneurs with captivating branding, innovative design, and strategic business solutions.
We’ve grown to become a full-service marketing and creative agency. We offer a range of services, including business consulting, branding, website design, graphic design, email marketing, social media marketing, and more. Over the years, we’ve had the privilege of working with a diverse range of clients, from startups to established companies. At Digital Prodigy, we believe in building long-term relationships with our clients and delivering exceptional value. We want to be your marketing partner not just another company or third party you have to work with.
I am most proud of the partners we have and the incredible work we’ve done together. We have clients in Arizona but also nationwide, including New York, Indiana, Iowa, Hawaii, Alaska, and California.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I am part of a business owners’ group called “The Boardroom.” We meet every Wednesday morning for 1.5 hours and it’s been very beneficial to Digital Prodigy but also for me as a business owner. We talk about our businesses and challenges in our businesses and celebrate each other’s wins. We also review different materials that cover topics in leadership, sales, marketing, and health; I recommend everyone join some sort of group where you can chat professionally and personally amongst colleagues in the same boat as you!
If anyone is looking to join a group like this, they can contact me at theboardroom@duophx.com
One of my favorite podcasts is the “How I Built This” podcast and I tend to watch a lot of Shark Tank in my free time."