515: From Corporate to Creative: How Jessica Lane Alexander and Lori Hall McKissic Built Pop’N Creative into a $4M Agency
Side Hustle ProPlay episode
Show notes
In this episode, I sat down with the powerhouse duo behind Pop’N Creative, Jessica Lane Alexander and Lori Hall McKissic. These two met years ago at Turner Broadcasting and spent years rising through the ranks of some of the biggest names in media and entertainment, including TBS, TNT, UPTV, and TV One, before finally betting on themselves. Their story is one of calculated risk, deep friendship, and relentless creative vision.
I was so excited to finally get them both on the show and dig into the real behind-the-scenes of how Pop’N Creative came to be. They walked us through the eight-week planning process over dinners and drinks that turned into a real business, how they launched in February 2020 (yes, right before the pandemic), and how they survived and thrived when the world shut down. They bootstrapped everything, pivoted their model on the fly, and landed clients like Freeform, Hulu, and National Geographic along the way.
We also got into the money conversation because the glitz and glamour of events and activations has a whole financial infrastructure behind it. We talked about payment terms, cash flow management, how to structure agency contracts, and what it really takes to grow to the $4 million revenue range as a small boutique agency. If you are building something in the creative or service space, this one is full of gems.
Main TakeawaysStart before you are fully ready: Pop’N Creative launched in February 2020, and the pandemic that followed actually forced them to pivot into a social-first model that helped them grow.Use the 60% rule: Before leaving your full-time job, aim to have 60% of your target salary locked in through contracts so you have enough security to leap without operating from fear.Master cash flow, not just revenue: Payment terms of net 60 to net 90 are common in the agency world, so having a business line of credit and a great accountant are non-negotiable early hires.Your network IS your net worth: From their first capabilities presentation to their Cannes Lions shortlist, every major win came from relationships they had built over years in the industry.
Highlights Include00:53 - Jessica and Lori share their individual career journeys through Turner, Kellogg Business School, Microsoft, UPTV, and TV One09:07 - The moment Jessica first told Lori "we could do this ourselves" and how she pitched the idea twice before it stuck10:35 - How they tested the business concept during eight weeks of structured planning sessions over dinner and drinks13:38 - Launching Pop’N Creative in February 2020, just weeks before the pandemic shut everything down14:01 - How Lori's unexpected layoff during the pandemic became the best thing that ever happened to her entrepreneurial journey19:06 - Landing their very first capabilities presentation with Freeform (Disney) and wowing a room of 15 people on their first try25:27 - How they bootstrapped and self-funded Poppin to retain full autonomy, and what happened when their first big event contract got canceled27:49 - The Hulu skating rink at Essence Festival and how they pivoted to experiential work post-pandemic47:14 - Pitching National Geographic on a wild-card Fashion Week idea with holographic animals that got shortlisted at Cannes Lions59:31 - Their parting advice: the 60% rule for leaving your job and why finding a business partner or lieutenant makes all the difference
Links Mentioned in This EpisodePop’N Creative Website: https://www.popncreative.com
Watch & ListenWatch this episode on YouTube and listen on all podcast platforms:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/side-hustle-pro/id1126021323Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/13qDj08lBR4ymzGhXIKy8tYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/sidehustlepro
Social MediaPop’N Creative: @popncreative
Jessica Lane Alexander: @LaneJessD
Lori Hall McKissic: @loriJAY
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