Tru Champions - Vol 3 - Jessica Ross

We’re so excited to see you back for the third instalment of our Tru Champions series. This month we caught up with Jess Ross from Smashtag Social. We can’t wait to share with you our heartfelt catch-up with Jess, a look at what it takes to run a successful social media agency, and how this amazing business was birthed out of some really tough times.

Our Tru Champions series is all about sharing the stories of some of the most influential people in our sphere! These are people who inspire us, challenge us and who naturally live by our Tru Talent values of ‘Grow, Empower, Nurture’.

Last time we caught up with Will StJames, Director and owner of St James Studio and St James Racing. This is definitely not one to miss, especially if you like life in the fast lane, 140mph to be exact. Remember to take a look after you’ve finished here if you haven’t yet read our exciting feature on Will StJames. 

The story of Smashtag and its inception is a true testament to Jess and her character. We try to mention the C-word as little as possible nowadays but there is no way we can share the story of Smashtag without mentioning Covid-19. 

Like many good stories, Jess’ starts with a seemingly insurmountable obstacle. Its late March of 2020, the global pandemic is in full swing, uncertainty and fear have gripped the global economy and our own hearts and minds to match. To top it all off, Jess is to be furloughed and would ultimately go on to be made redundant in August of that year from her marketing position at a local recruitment agency, due to covid-19. 

Like many who were made redundant due to the pandemic, Jess had to re-enter the job market at one of the most volatile times in history. In a flurry of activity, she applied for many highly sought-after roles and was fortunate enough to be offered a position at a marketing agency after a very competitive interview process. 

This joy was short-lived as Jess soon discovered that not all agencies are built the same. She had stumbled into a terrible and toxic work culture that did not align with who she was in any way at all. Long nights of tears and worry would ensue. 

Enter the catalyst in our story… Jess’ then-fiancè, now husband, began to sow the seeds of an idea that Jess could start her own business using her wealth of skills, knowledge, and expertise, but most importantly her unique take on how companies and brands can connect powerfully with their audience through social media. 

This seed of an idea began to grow and build momentum over the following weeks to a point that would require a leap of faith from Jess. After much thought, planning, and much trepidation, Jess decided to take the leap and start her own social media agency. 

Jess couldn’t just jump ship immediately though, she had to work both jobs while she built up her client base. After countless late nights, networking events, and client meetings, Jess had built her business to a place that would require an even greater leap of faith. For Smashtag to really take off and for Jess to live her dream of working full-time in her own business, she would have to quit her existing job. With the belief and encouragement of her partner, Jess took that final step and hasn’t looked back since. Smashtag has grown experientially, not only have the clients multiplied but great new members have joined the team to further the impact of Smashtag and the work it does for its clients.

Jess shares that she still struggles with imposter syndrome and in particular ‘pandemic guilt’. We’re not sure if this is a phrase coined solely by Jess, but she goes on to explain how unbelievably thankful she is for how her business succeeded in a time when so many lost so much. If it wasn’t for a string of seemly unfortunate events coupled with the belief and encouragement of her partner, Jess wouldn’t be here now with the thriving business she has. She encourages others to bet on themselves and surround themselves with those who believe in them because she is a first-hand example of what happens if you do. 

It’s now time for our Big Three! For each instalment of the Tru Champions series, we ask our Champions to answer our big three questions. Here’s what Jess had to say. 

Q. What’s something people seem to misunderstand about you?

A. “With a tagline like ours ‘Content marketing your mum will hate’, I think people assume the work and especially the content we produce is going to be purposely loud, abrasive, and totally over the top. But that’s not the case at all, Smashtag is all about utilising our deep understanding of the behaviours of social media users and how the consumption of content is continually changing. We use this to create strategy and content far beyond the general noise on social media platforms. We believe that in many cases the business owner is not the target audience, therefore we help owners get into the mind of their audience but more importantly create content that resonates with those they are trying to reach.” 

Q. If you could have a billboard with anything on it, what would it be and why?

A. “Put your phone down and speak to the person next to you! This might seem counter-intuitive because my business is dependent on people spending time on their phones. However, I know how these apps are designed to suck users in. With attention being the new commodity, we cannot forget the importance and benefit of real human connection.”

Q. If you could turn back time and talk to your 16-year-old self, what would you tell her?

A. “Don’t be so hard on yourself! Because being 16 is hard enough already, especially as a girl. Give yourself a break, you’re already doing better than you think.”

It’s tradition for our previous Tru Champion to leave one question for the next. Here is the question Will StJames left for Jess: 

Q. ‘What is the greatest risk you’ve ever taken and how did it turn out?’ 

"The biggest risk I’ve taken has to be the leap of faith to start my own business. I still can’t believe the success I’ve had so far and how different my life would be if I hadn’t taken the leap".

You’ll have to stay tuned for the next instalment of our Tru Champions series to discover who our next champion is and hear the great question left by Jess for our upcoming guest.

To learn even more about Smashtag, their amazing team and the services they provide to take your social game to the next level visit smashtagsocial.com or as you’d expect find them across all social media platforms by searching @smashtagsocial. 

We can’t wait to bring you our next instalment of the Tru Champions series with another incredibly inspiring champion. Don’t forget to follow us across socials and sign up for our newsletter for all the best new jobs around, helpful recruitment tricks and tips, and updates on our popular HR forums.