We recently had the chance to connect with Jensina Graydon and have shared our conversation below.
Jensina, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. Have you stood up for someone when it cost you something?
Wow, some of these questions are intense, and this is the one I had an immediate answer for.
After leaving my abusive ex-husband, the people who were truly there for me were gay and lesbian. I felt welcomed and loved for who I was with all my flaws. They became my closest friends and extended family.
But I was raised in a religious household that felt being gay was something you chose and minimized the things the LGBTQ+ community has gone through to be themselves. At a point, my parents asked me to choose between my beliefs and life with my friends and one within their religion. My family decided my choices weren’t the right ones. It cost me deeply, but I know I did the right thing.
Doing the right thing is never easy, but if you don’t take a stand for what you believe in, who are you really?
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Jensina Graydon, and I started my digital marketing company, Purple Ivy Digital Marketing, when I was let go from Walt Disney World due to COVID. I enjoyed running my own company, but I ended up going back to corporate for 2 years, working at Universal Resort Orlando. I continued to work with a few clients during that time, but I realized within those two years that I really missed working with smaller businesses and helping them achieve their goals with digital marketing. There is something powerful about knowing you are helping a family business grow. I have a soft spot for family businesses because my father had his own business that my brother and I worked at for years. So in December of 2023, I decided to leave corporate for good and take my side hustle to my main hustle.
I have enjoyed expanding my product offering from strategy and social to offering all components of a robust digital marketing strategy. I realized the knowledge I gained working at two entertainment giants was things that smaller businesses didn’t necessarily know. So it has been great sharing that information and bringing that experience to help other businesses.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who taught you the most about work?
My father taught me about work as far back as I can remember. He always had his own business, so my free labor was utilized quite often. I remember going on jobs with him overnight during the summer to clean the floors of grocery stores. I would help with the filing, or go on deliveries, eventually moving up to doing the accounting. In my 20’s I even joined his company for quite a few years. So that tutelage lasted a long time. Within that time, he taught me so many key lessons and qualities I carry to this day and try to instill in my children.
Some of the things that I still value in my life and business are: 1. Any job worth doing is worth doing well. 2. Always be humble, no matter how far you advance in life. 3. Honesty in business will get you farther than being deceitful. 4. You have to be prepared to be able to take advantage of any opportunities you are given.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
I was in an abusive relationship for 12 years. Within those years, I feel that I died inside so many times and for a long time, just accepted my fate and where I was in life. When I left that person, I learned there are things in life only you can do. It doesn’t matter what support you may have; you have to find the courage and strength within yourself and take that first step. Nobody is going to come save me. I need to save myself.
I also learned that it’s not failure if you keep trying. I left them too many times to count, but there was a last time, a time I never went back. Every time I went back, I didn’t fail, because I kept trying.
The last thing I learned was to be uncomfortable. After 12 years, that situation was my comfort zone, as horrible as it was. I had to be ok with being uncomfortable because leaving them was such a life shift, and my whole world changed, multiple time in the coming years. Being uncomfortable leads to amazing things if you are ok with it.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. How do you differentiate between fads and real foundational shifts?
In my industry of marketing, especially digital marketing, there are so many things that come and go so quickly. The latest social platform that everyone is on, the newest AI model that will be surpassed in 2 months, the algorithm, all of these things are moving quickly and constantly changing. What doesn’t change is good marketing and quality messaging.
So how do you know what is a fad and a core foundational shift? I believe that it’s determined by how it affects us. Does the thing, idea, or value being viewed and felt broadly across demographics and/or businesses? Is it an entirely new way of thinking about a problem or a solution? Does it shape or change our lives? If so, I feel that is a fundamental shift. Think of AI. It is something that has changed the way we go through our daily lives, and is so integrated into what we do, it would be odd to go back to before AI. Or is it something that is an interim solution or a quick fix till we find something better? Is it something that is not needed, and we can return to normal when it’s gone? That is a fad. Digital marketing is riddled with fads that businesses waste time chasing, which don’t help the bottom line or help with connecting with their target consumer.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. Are you tap dancing to work? Have you been that level of excited at any point in your career? If so, please tell us about those days.
I have only had two jobs I hated, where I despised going to work, so I enjoyed most of my roles throughout my career. I have definitely had some amazing days at the companies I worked at where I had to pinch myself to see if it was real. Working at Disney had some pretty amazing moments, and working with my father over the years, we definitely had huge wins. But I think the biggest surprise for me about being an entrepreneur is that I am really content. You have a vision in your head when you start, from 16-hour work days to being able to take days off whenever I want because I’m the boss, and I thought the hard work and flexibility would bring me joy, which it has. But it has also brought contentment within me that is constant. I don’t dread getting up for work (it hasn’t happened yet), I love working with my clients, and seeing the results we produce is definitely a high. But I also know if my kids or a friend needs me, I am there. No matter my husband’s schedule, I can adjust. And that makes me smile with happiness.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.purpleivydigitalmarketing.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/purpleivydigtitalmarketing
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jensinagraydon/
Image Credits
Kevin Meza
