Today we’d like to introduce you to Ferdinand Senior.
Hi Ferdinand, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Growing up I was always interested in art and being able to express my ideas. I grew up in a small town in the hills of Jamaica and education was extremely important to my parent. I discovered really early that I had a knack for telling stories and developed that skill during my early schooling and right on through college.
Art was added to the mix in high school and I flirted with it through the years.
But, my focus had to be on getting ‘a real job’ so I went the ‘smart’ way and got a Bachelor’s Degree and tried to do things that way. But sadly, or gladly maybe, it didn’t work out and in 2010 I decided to start a graphic design business with the focus on branding businesses. I left the hotel in 2011 to pursue this goal full time.
Over the years my entire plan has been to pivot to stay ahead of the curve and give my clients a competitive edge. I went into motion graphics in 2012, animation in 2014. I never lost sight of the fact that the whole aim of a good brand, is to tell a story to the potential client.
Fast forward to 2022, my client and business mentor said to me, “You already offer all the services, package them and offer Social Media Management.” I did so and two months later I started down that road.
I’ve managed multiple clients in and around the South Florida area and have seen my work on billboards, in stadiums and viewed by millions. My main focus has been those in the legal profession as it is very hard for them to both be good lawyers and manage a relevant social media presence. That’s what I offer, to make their lives easier. My team handles the socials, telling their story and developing their brand voice, while they do their important work.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Oh goodness no, it hasn’t been smooth.
There was a time when a relative offered to invest in my business. We did everything that was required and in the end the individual offered me a pittance for a healthy chunk of my company. I walked away from the deal but there were some repercussions that caused me to go through a few years of very lean times.
I laced up my shoes in July of 2019 and went for a hard run. I needed something to take my mind off what had become a really difficult period of time in my life. Six years later, I haven’t stopped running, in fact, I have been running every day for 2,305 days. Recently I ran across Jamaica’s north coast from Negril to St. Mary as a test of my physical and mental fortitude. I took that daily challenge and used my discipline to surpass my challenges.
That’s the same discipline and thought processes I use to run my agency. When I started Alphonso Elm Communication, I was ready to give up on art. The industry that I had come to consider as my professional home, just wasn’t feeling inspiring anymore. But I applied myself and pivoted, creating the Alphonso Elm Communication agency in the process. I haven’t looked back since.
There was one period of time that truly tested my mettle. A client of mine had a horrible smear campaign launched against them and I got thrust into the deep end and learned on the go how to create and handle a crisis management plan. Those few weeks came at a time when my private life was falling apart and it was quite the challenge. I made it through and learned lessons that will only strengthen how I serve the brands we represent.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At Alphonso Elm Communication, we specialise in telling stories. We are a social media marketing agency, but we aren’t the typical agency. We specialise in offering custom plans to high performance professionals who seek to build their presence on social media, but want to do so with both branding and storytelling in the mix.
We call ourselves Digital Stylists because we ensure that when you see our client online, they are prepped and ready for the occasion. In fact, there is a point of pride we feel when people accuse our clients of always being online, not knowing that we’re the quiet hand, guiding them from the background.
We have a strong background in branding and as a result, when we take on a brand, we treat it as we would our own brand and ensure that that brand becomes the best version of itself, within the parameters possible. Our clients are a healthy mixture from those in the legal profession with their mountains of rules and scrutiny, to auto parts stores, and even interior designers.
It is my firm belief that if we can take a lawyer and make them appear fun, while breaking down what they do into interesting chunks, we can (and do) help almost any professional.
We offer branding, social media management and content creation services. Some of our clients contract us, and once they’ve been onboarded, they just send us info regularly and don’t even check their socials. They know we will protect their image.
What were you like growing up?
I was always looked to as the smart kid. But, I really didn’t care to put out much effort as I felt it was pointless as I was always told I would amount to nothing.
But, I was always a curious kid, always interested in telling stories. I grew up in a home where I wasn’t allowed to do much outside of school and church. I had to then get creative in order to actually have a fun, memorable childhood.
I weaved stories that would be built on for years, my siblings and I all played our little part as we were all well-read kids.
Outside the confines of home, I was shy, but I was always quick to share an answer or two in class for the more difficult questions. Something I think which has helped me today as I don’t shy away from the difficult choices and conversations.
I had a HUGE interest in sports, football came to be something that I would obsess over as the years progressed, though I had periods of time where I was into F1, basketball, athletics and even cricket.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.alphonsoelm.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alphonsoelm
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alphonsoem
