The Liquid Digital Story
We understand that marketing is storytelling, and to be a great brand no matter how big (or small) you are, you need to tell a great story. We're here to help, so let's start by telling you our story.
How It All Started
Founded by CJ Millar in 2017, Liquid Digital Solutions was a concept born years before, at an agency far far away, in a different galaxy (or so it seems now). You see, the concept of being liquid when it comes to marketing is something that originally started with Coca Cola, and a great video that CJ stumbled upon when working to build another agency towards its Inc. 5000 goals.
Coca Cola produced a video about how the world of marketing was changing, from push marketing (sales focused, where brands tell the consumers what to do), to engagement marketing in a more liquid form. They had the vision to see that marketing was changing, and liquid content was a key part of telling a brand's story and their video is the core concept that Liquid Digital Solutions is based on, applied to small to mid size and local businesses.
CJ's History
Originally from the NYC metro area, CJ was always a combination of a creative and a math brain. She loved things to be beautiful and inspiring, while also being efficient and functional. In addition, she was a talker - storytelling came naturally to her, from a very young age. In college, despite her parents urging to choose more traditional majors, she followed her passion and majored in equestrian studies with a minor in English literature. Shortly after graduation, she realized that while both majors were things she was passionate about, they were not exactly agreeing with the "functional" and "efficient" sides of adulthood, and through a stroke of luck, an equestrian friend got her a job at an up and coming marketing agency in the area in late 1998 at the dawn of the digital age.
An Introduction to Digital Marketing
In the early years of the millennium, CJ was able to gain experience from the ground up learning e-commerce, and managing websites and fulfillment and the corresponding marketing for such notable names as BMG Records, MAC Cosmetics, Clinique, HBO, and more. As technology grew and expanded, she was the Account Manager at the time of MAC Cosmetics' first website launch in the early 2000's featuring Ru Paul on the home page and touting online ordering and fast delivery at a great price. Something that - at the time - was a brand new concept.
From there, she went on to work directly for Estēe Lauder Companies, on Madison Ave. in New York City in what she she refers to as her "Carrie Bradshaw years." Hopping from fashion show to sample sale, while being the youngest manager in the new and fast-growing ELC Online division, she had hands on experience in one of the best and foremost e-commerce companies of the time. After several years doing the NYC hustle and bustle, she shifted back to her agency roots, and worked at the legendary DigitalGrit, a company that formed such great clients, friendships, and colleagues, many of the original members still stay in touch today. Their vision was "the best is yet to come," and CJ carried this with her throughout her career, to this day.
The Best Is Yet To Come
In 2008, she started to offer consulting services, while still working to help various agencies with serious growth. Working with agencies such as the UK-based Steak, creative-turned-full-service-agency Horsefly Group, blogging and e-comm dynamos at Element Associates, link building and SEO focused Teknicks, and several others, she was able to hone her experience and build her professional network, for the benefit of clients and agencies alike. Many of these agency relationships she still maintains today.
As her agency work grew, and her consulting work focused just on small businesses, over time there became the demand for local and small to medium size business support throughout her network. Most of her work had focused on larger companies and she felt there was a need to fill that gap for companies that had under $5k/mo to spend on marketing, but still wanted experience and excellence, at an affordable rate. And that is how Liquid Digital Solutions came to be.
Growing Together
Launched in early 2017, Liquid Digital Solutions draws on CJ's almost 20 years of experience and professional network to provide local and small to medium business solutions to companies around the world. With a team and network that is global, talent that is limitless, and experience spanning decades, we're here to help. Our goal is to take Liquid Digital Solutions to the Inc. 5000 list. So join in on our story, and let's grow together!