| Immigrant entrepreneur: | Amanda Ma |
| Company: | Innovate Marketing Group |
| Place of birth: | Taiwan |
| Employees: | 10 |
Show notes
Amanda moved to California with her family from Taiwan when she was 10 years old. Amanda Ma is the Founder and Chief Experience Officer of Innovate Marketing Group, an award-winning live & virtual experience agency that provides full-service event & activation for Fortune 500 companies. Through her leadership, the company has flourished into one of the most distinguished live & virtual experience agencies both locally and nationally. She started her company with nothing and after quitting her corporate job she went all in.
Her vision is to help fuel brands to change lives for the better. Amanda has been running her business for 15 years now. She’s been featured in Inc, Bizbash, Meetings Today and many others. She was recently named “Top 100 Most Influential People in the Event Industry Globally” by Eventex. Bizbash also featured her as: “Top 500 most influential event professionals in the US.”
She is recognized for her business and philanthropic work in the community. A collaborative leader, she is consistently sought out as a trusted strategic advisor and knowledgeable resource, and sheâs respected for uncompromising integrity and expertise.
She currently sits on the board of Entrepreneur Organization- Los Angeles as the Diversity & Inclusion Chair. A strategic Advisor to The Diversity Advisors. Emeritus Chair of the Asian Pacific Community Fund and board of California Events Coalition. Board of Asian Business Center Los Angeles. She is a big champion for diversity & inclusion. When she is not working with the White House or Secret Service, you can find her spending time with her family or traveling.
Quotes by Amanda
I told my parents, âIâm going to start this company, if it doesnât work out, I will just go back.â
I took a leap of faith.
You have to make sacrifices.
Back then, it was a lot of word of mouth.
We got a high school friend to create our website. It was $300.
What I was really good at, was putting it into motion.
I learned to ask for mentors.
If you are a value, anywhere you go, youâre going to be an asset.
Our biggest client generator is actually referrals.
We do very minimal Google ads, and Facebook ads.
Thereâs only so much you can do yourself.
You really need the company to be a team managed company, so that it can run on its own without you.
The very first hire, youâll always hire someone that will help you.
I actually do morning walks, and during the walks I love to listen in different podcasts and audiobooks.
I do different leadership programs.
If you stop learning, you stop growing.
What I learned is, not every platform is for me.
Starting something in this foreign land and being successful, and doing something that youâre passionate about it, to me thatâs what the America dream is.
Take that leap of faith and take action.
When I first started my business, other than the ad, we went to so many networking events, probably say 5 times a week. I wanted people to know me very fast.
Where to find Amanda
Links mentioned
Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO)
Books
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
- Hyper Sales Growth
- The Ultimate Sales Machine
- Traction
- Automic Habits
(Amazon affiliate links included)
