Time With The Boss - JoAnna Dettmann, tSunela

JoAnna Dettmann
tSunela
Website: www.tSunela.com
Industry: Digital Marketing

Education: BA in communications with a minor in marketing

Family: six amazing siblings and nine of the sweetest nieces and nephews ever

What is your mission?
tSunela’s mission is to deliver high-impact digital marketing strategies to clients nationwide. Our extensive expertise in search engine optimization, paid search, web analytics and social media marketing provides online competitive advantages so you get seen right where your target audiences are looking.

What was your first job?
My first “real” job was working as a busser at a local Italian restaurant.

What was your worst job?
My worst job was the summer I worked in the basement of large company filing proxies. There were no windows; I felt like I was in a dungeon.

What led you to your industry?
After graduating college, I couldn’t wait to start my career in advertising. I went into my first job interview at Rodgers Townsend and was offered the job to help start up their Interactive Department (that was the beginning of digital)!

What was the smartest thing your company did in the past year?
We revamped our service lines to bring more offerings to current and prospective clients. The response has been overwhelming! The digital landscape is continually evolving and so must we!

Who is your industry role model?
Tim Rodgers and Tom Townsend, my first real supervisors.

How do you try to differentiate your business from others in your industry?
We stay abreast of all changes in the industry — not a small feat when things change daily. We make sure to continue our education by attending conferences and speaking at conferences on a regular basis.

What’s the hottest trend in your industry, and are you going to jump on board?
Voice search is incredibly important due to all the new in-home speakers. We know how important this is to search engine marketing and have been incorporating these strategies for clients for the last few years.

What’s the hardest part of your job?
The hardest part of my job is knowing how much time to spend in each of our critical areas.

What’s the best part?
Managing our amazing team and watching them grow. I also love seeing clients’ businesses grow as a result of our efforts.

What best advice would you share with new entrepreneurs?
It’s the toughest career you will ever have but always worth it. Your job is never done, but therein lies the challenge and satisfaction.

What’s your favorite place in St. Louis?
Without a doubt, Forest Park. I love to run and bike there.

What book is on your nightstand?
“Nothing to Lose, Everything to Gain” by Ryan Blair.

What do you like to do in your free time?
In my free time, I enjoy training for Ironman races, working out at my CrossFit gym, cooking and planning parties. I also enjoy spending time with friends and family and working on marketing strategies for our business!