Meet Eric Webb | Brand Strategist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Eric Webb and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eric, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I had recently been laid off from my job in tech marketing. At the time, I was looking for work but wasn’t having much luck. I had acquired a wealth of knowledge from the e-commerce and marketing space and wanted to see if there was something meaningful I could do with all the skills I had gained. My friend, now business partner, was in a similar situation. We had collaborated on a few projects before, so I was eager to see if there was something we could do together. We grabbed coffee in Silverlake and did a little caffeinated vision casting and eventually landed on the idea of Mellow Co.

I had a lot of reservations about starting the business. The commitment is enormous. You’re putting your heart, soul, time, and energy into something that may not turn out. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure if this was what I wanted to do. I just knew I had a solid vision, a great business partner, and the tools to execute. I spoke to a few friends who had also started their own agencies, and it was helpful to hear their stories, both the good and the bad. However, as is with any leap of faith, you won’t know until you do it. So after a few weeks of building our brand, we launched Mellow Co. at the start of this year.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Mellow Co. started as an idea when I noticed that many small to medium-sized businesses wanted to succeed in e-commerce but didn’t necessarily have the tools to create memorable branding and an intuitive website. By helping businesses address this one area, I felt I could give them a way to stand out in their market and ultimately help their dreams to flourish.

The journey wasn’t easy. One of our biggest challenges was developing a business infrastructure and standard operating procedures. Greg and I were building the ship as we sailed, learning things like sales, business administration, taxes, LLC formation, contracts, and more. Even when starting our first projects, we had to figure out how to work as a team and how we wanted to operate. But once we got a few reps in, we were able to rev back up and move with pace. I’m honestly so proud of our communication and how our friendship remained a priority, despite the pressures of the business.

I’m super excited about where our business is headed. I think there’s a lot of open space for us to try new things. Now that we’ve proven to ourselves that we can do it, we have the chance to dig in and innovate even more. We have amazing clients and fantastic relationships with other entrepreneurs we’ve met along the way, which opens the doors to all sorts of possibilities.

I want people to know that it’s worth it to take the leap and just do the thing you’re thinking of. I mean, vet a few ideas, of course, but at a certain point, you just have to go for it. You’ll learn whether it’s the right path real quick, haha. The experiences you gain along the way will be invaluable.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Take a hike at Echo Mountain

Grab some brunch at Cafe Jane in Highland Park (best bang for your buck brunch)

Drinks at 1886 in South Pasadena

Swing by Porto’s for some guava pastries

Pine and Crane DTLA for shareable dinner

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My incredible wife, Amy. She has been unwavering in her support through all my endeavors. Her patience and personal sacrifice have allowed me to chase my dreams. She believes in me even through my doubts and pushes me to be better every day. Amy, it’s only good times with you.

My business partner, Greg. If not for him, our business wouldn’t be where it is today. He’s a visionary and a good friend. Working with friends can be weird—unless your friends are dope, which he is.

Website: https://mellowco.co/

Instagram: @mellowco.co