eWavelength Digital Marketing is a pioneering business organization that is a trail-blazer in the global digital marketing space. To cater to the varied requirements of their clients, the company has created a diversified service portfolio that includes strategic marketing and planning, branding and digital design, website creation, website usability, email marketing and online advertising, content marketing, search engine marketing, and social media marketing. Apart from this, eWavelength Digital Marketing also has a training vertical where the firm offers social media training, corporate workshops and strategy, and customer experience labs to name a few.

Rosie Seldon is the brains behind eWavelength Digital Marketing and this industry veteran has over two decades of industry experience working for industry leaders such as HSBC and Lloyds. Her expert guidance and commitment to never compromise on the quality of their offerings have been the primary catalysts behind the company’s sustained success in the industry. In an exclusive interview with WOMEN ENTREPRENEUR, Rosie shares more insights into her professional journey and her rise to success in the industry.

Take Us Through Your Early Educational Journey And Prior Industry Experience That You Bring To The Table. What Motivated You To Foray Into A Firm That Provides Digital Marketing Services?

In terms of qualifications, I studied At Bristol University which is a beautiful university in the West of England. I met some amazing people including my husband! At that time, Digital Marketing didn’t exist! So, I did a Marketing Diploma straight after university. It took three years at night school but was a really great introduction into strategic marketing, analyzing campaign results and also how to deal with people management. When I left university, I decided to go into advertising.

A dynamic advertising guru wowed us with a presentation at our university about what it is was like to work in the fastmoving field and I was sold! But the world was changing fast and I quickly discovered that there was a new thing called the INTERNET, and people were starting to build their first ever websites.

Within a few months of leaving university the dot com boom was in full swing. And I jumped on the bandwagon. joining a fastmoving internet company. Then, my husband was invited to work in Silicon Valley and so went with him to check it out. It was a time of boom and bust in California! One year later, many of the first startups crashed! Only the fittest survived. Luckily, I landed a job in a bank, building their first ever Digital Fund and Share Trading platform.

The company grew rapidly and I managed the digital marketing. It took London by storm through a series of acquisitions and became number one within the market place within two years. However, the competitors quickly caught on and the global banks wanted a piece of the online action!

What Are Some Of The Most Challenging Aspects Of Your Role As The Managing Director At Ewavelength Digital Marketing Consultants? How Do You Overcome Them?

Starting a company is much harder than what people think. You literally have to be able to turn your hand to every field and aspect of the business. You have to wear the hat of the CFO, the HR Director, the lawyer, the Marketing and Sales Manager and the Head of Project Management!

"Always make sure that you have a plan and ensure that you know the risks that you are taking"

It starts off as an exciting experience, but then it can become overwhelming. You have to take big risks, particularly financially, and invest in people mostly by looking at their potential. Also, you have to take risky business decisions without knowing if you will cover your costs!

How Has Your Past Industrial Experience Helped You In Your Current Role As The Managing Director At Ewavelength Digital Marketing Consultants?

When I arrived in the UAE, and the Middle East, I really wanted to share my experiences from London with the companies out here. In London, working with HSBC and Lloyds, I had done some really inspiring projects. Designing digital services from the customers point of view, rather than the IT Team’s, was a novel approach. I led the Digital Experience team that was able to increase revenues by over a million pounds a month by running Digital Experience and Usability projects.

When I arrived in the UAE, I also noticed that there was a huge skills gap in the region. They desperately needed people with strong digital marketing, and website skills. Experts in digital project management was also lacking. First and foremost we really wanted to focus on having quality digital consultants who can get on the same wavelength of the client. Hence the name eWavelength.com

What Was One Milestone That Gave You Utmost Satisfaction In Your Career?

Shortly after I arrived in the UAE, Google contacted me and asked me if I could be a trainer for their Digital Training Academy. Working with Google in Milan, Madrid, Bucarest, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ethiopia, Belgium and Amsterdam, has been amazing and I’ve been able to share my knowledge with my clients and team. This is something that I take great pride in.

What Advice Would You Give To Budding Entrepreneurs?

My advice is, that whilst it’s important to ‘believe in yourself’ and what you are doing, you really have to make sure that you have the skills to handle the business as well. Don’t wing it and always keep a very strong eye on the financials. Always make sure that you have a plan and ensure that you know the risks that you are taking. Another important facet is to do a test pilot before fully investing in any new service or product.

Rosie Seldon, Managing Director,  Ewavelength Digital Marketing

Under her guidance, eWavelength’s relentless focus on providing the best strategic marketing and digital experience has resulted in phenomenal growth for the agency.