Hidden Gems: Meet Aaron Mullen of The Ambitious Group

Today we’d like to introduce you to Aaron Mullen

Hi Aaron, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Eight years ago I moved to Raleigh after graduating from East Carolina University. Being a native of Elizabeth City (NC), I didn’t know much about Raleigh, or the RDU area in general. After a while, I got tired of going to the same places and doing the same things every weekend. So me and my friends had the idea to create an interactive way to connect with other young black transplants in the area. That idea birthed, RDU BP (the Raleigh-Durham Black Professionals), a community-based organization founded on social networking, professional development, and community service. Our first networking mixer was held in 2017; about 20 people attended and we didn’t know what we were doing at the time. But everyone who attended really enjoyed themselves and spread the word about our group and what we were all about.

Fast forward to now (8 years later), we’ve been able to build a platform of over 5,000 of the best and brightest black minds across the area with networking and community management being at the core of what we’re about. We’ve partnered with Northwestern Mutual, Habitat For Humanity, The Durham Rescue Mission, Keep Durham Beautiful, and several other community-based organizations in the area. I’ve been able to meet a lot of people at events we’ve hosted and seen folks land jobs, build businesses, make friends, and even find their spouses at activations we’ve had over the years.

The success I’ve seen with RDU BP gave me the confidence to create several businesses of my own. I studied business administration and marketing in college so I’m always thinking about ways to make money and also build brands. So in 2017 I bought my first camera and started taking photos at events we hosted, which ultimately led me to create Art x AM, my photography business.

RDU BP also gave me experiential production (event planning) experience, and with me having a background as a creative, specifically in painting and graphic arts, I wanted to build a community for creatives like myself who had an appetite for elevated cultural experiences that you’d find in the larger cities that allowed you to showcase your creativity. This idea led to me creating Studio Vibes, (a creative pop-up collective) during the pandemic in 2021. Studio Vibes events promote creativity and collaboration, and our activations are held in partnership with innovative spaces and cultural tastemakers across the area. Since our inception, we’ve collaborated with Fabletics, Artspace, VAE Raleigh, Glas Neon Light Studio, UNLMTD Studio (Atlanta), and various other local stakeholders in the community to curate new and creative experiences.

After college, I was blessed to land a good job in social media analytics. But I always wanted more for myself, and the careers I truly desired always told me that I “didn’t have enough experience”. I’ve always been the type to “build my own door” and walk through it myself when faced with brick walls in life. So this led me to create, The Ambitious Group, a boutique creative marketing agency in 2018. Our goal is to serve as a cultural connector for ambitious brands where art, design, and strategy intersect to assist our clients in accomplishing their goals through digital strategy and creative execution. My biggest dream was always to work for myself and give other young aspiring Marketers opportunities to get amazing experience and build their portfolios. I received my share of no’s over the years from jobs I’ve applied for, and I know what that does for somebody’s confidence over time. My company provides an opportunity for young and upcoming marketers of color to build the skills and confidence that are necessary for a successful career in digital marketing.

I’ve always been passionate about people and building meaningful relationships in underserved communities. The skillset that I’ve been blessed to develop over the years allows me to do so at a high level and I’m excited to see what new opportunities are presented to me and my team in the future.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I’ve always had lofty expectations for myself and what long-term success ultimately looks like for my life. I would say that making mistakes early on in my career and not paying attention to the fine details probably haunted me the most. When you’re building out marketing campaigns and providing your audience with pertinent information, they’re looking at you to be the subject matter expert, and when you have errors/typos in your ad copy. That will leave a bad impression on folks who don’t even know you or what you’re capable of accomplishing, and it’s an uphill battle at that point.

We’ve been impressed with The Ambitious Group, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The Ambitious Group is a boutique creative agency founded on digital marketing, creative production, and event management.

Our goal is to serve as a cultural connector for ambitious brands where art, design, and strategy intersect to assist our clients in accomplishing their goals through digital strategy and creative execution.

At The Ambitious Group, we pride ourselves on building our reputation as a diverse group of ambitious creatives addicted to overachieving the goals of our clients. Our core competency lies in our ability to optimize digital performance through a creative lens while making impactful recommendations supported by analytical insights.

We provide best in-class services in brand development, social media management, experiential marketing, web development, media strategy, photography/videography, influencer marketing, and creative ideation.

How do you define success?
I define success as one’s ability to motivate others and help them solve problems they didn’t even know they had initially. The saying is “If you give a person a fish they’ll eat for a day, but if you teach a person how to fish, they’ll eat for a lifetime.”

I also define success as one’s ability to be free whether it’s financially or having the free time to pursue their passions in life.

Pricing:

• Marketing consultations are free!
• Marketing campaigns and social media management services range from $500 to $1,500 monthly based on the size of the campaign.
• Photography/videography services starts at $125 for a headshot and scales up to higher priced packages for things like corporate events and weddings.
• Murals and other painting projects are priced based on the size and scope.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ambitiousgroup.co/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ambitious.mktg/
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/rdu.bp/

Image Credits
Johvone Smith, Rocky Mount, NC.