Industry Spotlight is the name of a new series of weekly interviews dedicated to sharing the inspirational stories of key individuals within the entertainment industries.
Firstly apologies for the gap between the last Industry Spotlight and this one. Slight family drama and wasn’t able to post last week, but no problemo; we is back and ready to roll out yet another inspirational interview.
I first met this young lady through Twitter (no doubt) and was immediately impressed by the numerous projects she was getting involved in. There’s something about someone who is willing to take risks and act creatively upon impulse with ideas and Arianna O’Dell is that someone.
If you heard about the ‘One Million Tweeps’ project, then you may have already come across her. An ingenious initiative to gather one million people to sign up and place their avatar on a website which would then be constructed into a book.
Anyway enough of the introduction, as by the time you have read to here, Arianna will surely be working on a completely different crazy project so i’ll let her fill you in on the who, what, where, when and how’s.
Who are you and what do you do?
I am an entrepreneur who is obsessed with marketing and technology. I enjoy the finer things in life like critiquing commercials, coming up with obscure business ideas, and pushing the buttons of society. My life is a big marketing experiment. Some people say Iām creative ā I prefer crazy! Oh yes, and my name is Arianna O’Dell.
Currently I do a few different things:
- Marketing consulting with an emphasis on digital media.
(http://www.ariannaodell.com/hire-me) - Continuing Minds – a service that aims to make technology accessible to everyone.(http://www.continuingminds.com)
- Developing a line of chocolates, stay tuned!
Whohoo!
Author’s note: Did she say chocolate?
How did you get into this industry?
From a young age, I’ve always been a little capitalist. Monopoly is my favorite game and I’m always scheming some crazy business idea. From lemonade stands, car washes, painting rocks, running the student store at my high school, I’ve always had the heart of an entrepreneur for as long as I can remember.
Was this how you had planned things to go or are you capitalising on opportunities and simply rolling with it?
I hate plans. I never have a solid one as hard as I try. I just go with the flow and capitalize on opportunities as they come. So far, it’s been working out great for me.
We’re in a new era where anyone can create opportunities for themselves. Do you agree?
Yes. Anyone that tells you otherwise is full of crap.
“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” ~Milton Berle
You can either sit around waiting for things to happen, or you can go out and make it happen.
Would you rather have 100,000 twitter followers to market to or an extra Ā£10,000?
Extra Ā£10,000 for sure! That works out to about $16,056 here for me. That’s over 4,000 cups of coffee! o.O
What one thing can you not live without?
Internet. My day is never off to a good start without checking Email….Twitter….Facebook…rss….ahhhh!! Okay, I have a problem…
Also, laughter. There is nothing I appreciate more than people who can make me chuckle.
Oh crap, that’s two things.
If you wasn’t in this field, what would you be doing?
I will always be in the field of entrepreneurship. If I weren’t in this field, I would be working for someone else – and be miserable. Entrepreneurship is liberating and the most creative thing that I know of. Ideas can change the world. To me, there is nothing more soul crushing than “working for the man”. I’m not happy unless I am the man. Err, or woMAN that is! š
With so many talkers and gamers out there claiming to be experts and influencers. Do you consider yourself a smooth talker, a real talker or a don’t talk to me i’m not a talker?
A real talker. I tell it like it is – which sometimes gets me in a bit of trouble. I appreciate the use of profanity in everyday conversation and love people that are outspoken.
Name three people who have inspired you in your life.
- My mom – The strongest and kindest woman I know.
- My dad – The greatest business man ever – RIP
- My high school DECA advisor (http://www.wadeca.org) – One of the most caring teachers ever.
If you were a superhero, who would you be?
Sleepless girl. Superpower: can stay awake for 24 hours a day. I just made her up.
What does the future have in store for you?
Ideally, good friends, Internet, coffee, travel, a plethora of domain names, entrepreneurship, marketing. Who knows really? I could be hit by a bus tomorrow. Live in the moment!
And finally, if you could give one piece of advice to young creative minds, what would it be?
Whenever you do anything great, you’re going to have haters. They’re just jealous. Eff ’em.
If you don’t have haters, you’re not working hard enough.
Also, listen to Luca, he’s a smart guy.
Author’s note: This is becoming a trend on these interviews but I assure you I didn’t add this in or tell Arianna to write this. I promise…
Click the links below to find out more about Arianna and to continue the conversation. She’s outspoken and proud, honest, genuine and intelligent. I highly recommend her as someone to follow if you are interested in Digital and want the perspective of a crazy, caffeine addicted innovator within the space. š
http://www.ariannaodell.com
http://www.continuingminds.com
Follow Arianna on Twitter
If you want to suggest somebody who you believe needs a spotlight shone on their head, drop me a line via the contact page.