After working for a large Chicago public relations firm, Jill Felska and Jenn Korducki decided to branch out on their own. What that branch led them to was founding their own social media branding and management shop.
POP! Social Media, Inc., has kept Felska and Korducki on their toes as they navigate being new business owners. Different from their former large counterpart, POP! has provided the opportunity to work with small- to mid-sized businesses and directly with the people at the top of those businesses.
“Not only can we often skip time consuming content approvals, but we are often able to give customers a first hand look at the workings of the business and the brains behind it,” said Felska.
Korducki also spotlighted their ability to “wear many ‘hats.’”
“When we are both the managers and the doers, our job descriptions grow exponentially!” said Korducki. “We’re the bosses and we own every detail, good or bad, small or big, from the insignificant to the game-changing.”
At the core of POP’s success is a “fluid business plan.” Felska explains this as “listening and reacting, instead of preaching,” and knowing what their company is responsible for.
“We don’t build websites, oversee SEO or facilitate ad buys, but we will connect you with a great company that does!” said Felska.
Korducki does not knock the traditional business plan, but places more emphasis on learning from different experiences and client needs day by day.
Both Felska and Korducki were trained in journalism fields, so as a journalist myself, I was itching to know what skills had transferred over to social media business. Korducki comes from a broadcast journalism background, which she claims pulled her out of a very shy place. Since broadcast journalism makes people focus on clear and concise communication, the short tid bits of information used in social media came easier for Korducki.
Felska’s strategic communications degree helped her understand that social media is, above anything else, a tool that needs to be manipulated in the right way in order to be successful.
“Companies are slowing learning that it’s not just about ‘being on’ the different platforms, but about their strategy behind their use,” said Felska. “Whether that be customer relations, brand awareness, sale generation or a variety of other things, someone still needs to be able to communicate clearly and quickly to the customers they are trying to reach and who, in turn are trying to reach them.”
A separate dual entity, or passion project if you will, is their blog Pursuing Our Passion. The blog chronicles the obvious passion for what is going on in their professional lives, but in their personal lives as well. It’s a great read for anyone starting a small business who is passionate and fearless all at the same time-just Felska and Korducki.
Michelle Doellman can be reached at and
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