This week’s featured team member is none other than Ryan Gushue, Enplug’s Director of Marketing and “House Casanova,” as dubbed by Marie Claire UK. Ryan’s marketing prowess comes from West Virginia University, where he lead the winning project for National Taziki’s Marketing Challenge. He’s been an integral part of Enplug HQ and the Enplug House for over a year. Meet Ryan!
Enplug is one of the fastest growing tech startups in Silicon Beach. Learn more about the team that’s building the world’s first open digital signage software platform.
What were your first thoughts when you joined Team Enplug?
Am I the only one who didn’t go to Berkeley?
How have things changed since then?
We’re much more organized and efficient as a business, it’s been amazing to witness the transition of where we were to where we are now. I’m thankful.
As our Marketing Director, what are the 3 key things that are always on your mind?
1. Do we have enough leads coming in?
2. Is there anything we’re not doing that we could do to grow faster?
3. Don’t wait. Do it now. (Thanks Alex.)
Is there one push or project you’re most proud of?
I’d have to say our Company Culture Cookbook (eBook), which was published a few weeks back. It was a total team effort, and has almost 1,000 downloads in 3 weeks. We’ve received some great feedback from readers.
What’s the most challenging part of your role?
Balancing current initiatives with long-term planning. It’s difficult to take your mind out of current initiatives to think about next month and beyond.
What’s one feature you can’t live without?
The Enplug App Market and SDK. Our goal is to take what the iPhone did to the mobile industry and do the same to digital signage. Essentially, we are creating a new industry, and that’s not possible without an app market or open SDK. Luckily, we have an amazing engineering team!
How would you describe living in the Enplug House to the unfamiliar?
It’s amazing because we all get along so well. Each of us have different personalities and interests, however we all share common entrepreneurial goals and want to make a dent in the world, which trumps all. We’re all very close.
Can you in one word describe David Bowie?
Besides spaceman? Pioneer.
So why haven’t you watched Labyrinth yet?
I’m still in the introductory phases of David Bowie.
What’s the best part of living in LA?
The culture. Between art, fashion, and music LA has so much to offer. You get the chance to meet so many different types of people.
If you had to take on one Enplug team member in basketball, who’d you choose?
Nithin because it’d be an easy victory, and I could quickly get back to the other thing I have to do.
Reigning EnplugHQ basketball champion.
Slack, email, or text?
Snapchat
If you could only attend one designer’s runway show every year for the rest of your life, who would you choose? (Say Kanye and your fashion card is revoked)
Hedi Slimane or John Galliano
What’s the biggest thing you learned about working in tech?
Always think logically and analytically. Our team comes from a strong engineering background, which affects us (marketing team). Everything we do has to have reasoning and ROI behind it. No fluff.
What’s your coffee of choice?
Groundworks (typical LA).
What are you most excited for?
The Slack App for Enplug, College Football Season, and The Summer Ends Music Festival in Tempe, AZ. (To see Kanye).
What’s the greatest thing about visiting Rochester?
The food. It’s the food capital of the world.
How does your family feel about you jumping ship and heading for the West Coast to join a startup?
They all think I’m crazy. But they trust me.
Are you any good at Madden? I’ve heard conflicting stories.
People feed the trolls. I’m very good. I ranked nationally in my heyday.
How does it feel to have your Enplug House, Team Gold, go undefeated this year?
Can’t say it was unexpected.
Who will win this quarter?
There are a lot of up and coming teams. However, we (team Gold) had a meeting last week discussing our plan to volunteer at the women’s shelter in DTLA. That should give us a comfortable victory.
Any advice to the other teams?
Sometimes second place isn’t so bad. But I wouldn’t know.
Any advice to your younger self?
Buy Bitcoin. Buy a lot of Bitcoin.
Whose work do you admire most?
My mom’s.
The Enplug Marketing team’s outdoor meetings.
I know you think a lot about guerilla marketing and creative ways to bring a brand to life. Have any recent campaigns stood out to you?
A$AP Rocky did an awesome Instagram campaign to promote his new album that I really liked. He’d post tons of different photos at once to make collages in his profile, which pissed a lot of people off, and created a ton of buzz right before his album release. I thought it was pretty clever.
If you could coin a term, what would it be?
Mombré – a male that has an ombré
Can you use it in a sentence?
That guy’s mombré is actually pretty dope.
What is one skill yet unmastered?
Leg day.
Which of these was your favorite question?
Man I wish I bought Bitcoin.
What made you decide to work in tech?
My mom is a huge part of why I’m working in tech. She was an inner city high school teacher when I was growing up, with a focus in career development and technology. It was amazing to see the difference she’d make in her students’ lives, which made me realize the importance of making your ‘dent’ on the world while you’re here. Technology gives you the opportunity to change the way people go about their daily lives, whether you’re making them easier or more enjoyable. And with the opportunity Enplug has to transform an entire industry, I’m excited to see our impact in the near future!
When did you first realize you wanted to be involved with marketing?
I was fortunate to have gone to a high school that offered business classes. I took my first marketing class in the ninth grade and had an amazing teacher. I think I really liked the idea of taking a product, giving it its own identity, and trying communicate it to as many relevant people as possible. It’s a similar feeling to showing your friends a new music artist/album. This awesome ‘thing’ didn’t even exist before you showed it to them. Now they are listening the shit out of it.