Ross Simmonds is a Digital Marketing Strategist, Speaker and Founder of Foundation Marketing, a content marketing intelligence agency.
In addition to running Foundation Marketing; Ross has launched a wide range of different businesses, including Hustle & Grind, an eCommerce store for entrepreneurs.
Over the years, Ross has been published or featured in publications such as Forbes, Venture Beat, Huffington Post, Mashable, BET, CBC and more.
He has also spoken at global conferences about digital marketing for small, medium and enterprise brands at events like MozCon, SearchLove, LearnInbound Webbdagarna, CTAConf and others.
Balance the Grind spoke to Ross about his entrepreneurial journey, launching Foundation Marketing, ‘Wired In Wednesdays,’ and more.
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1) To kick things off, could you tell us a little about your background and career?
Im the Founder of Foundation Marketing which is a content intelligence agency that helps B2B brands create & distribute content that drives meaningful results for their business.
It all started with a Fantasy Football blog in university and that evolved into a blog about marketing.
Since then, I’ve started and run a handful of companies including Foundation and have built a reputation by creating content on topics that are of interest.
2) What is your current role and what does it entail on a day to day basis?
No day is the same. It ranges from collaborating with the team and clients to planning and executing the creation of something new.
Except Wednesdays.
On Wednesdays I do something called “Wired In Wednesdays” which is a day dedicated to sitting at my computer, putting in my headphones and just getting things done. No meetings. No calls.
3) What does a typical day in the life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?
It starts with family. I start every day hanging out with the fam and then I go to my office and get to work on the tasks I identified the night before as being a priority.
4) In between everything you do and all your responsibilities, how do you ensure you find some sort of balance in your life?
I don’t think about it that much.
If you’re constantly thinking about balance; it’s easy to beat yourself up and go a little stir crazy.
Instead I think it’s all about keeping a pulse on your relationships and watching your calendar closely to ensure that you’re spending time on the things that matter to you.
5) What are some of the things you do to take time out and recharge?
Travel and fitness are my go-to for recharging.
6) Are there any gadgets, tools or products can’t you live without?
It’s not uncommon but there’s no question that cell phones have changed everything. It’s mind blowing to think that these little devices can provide you with so much:
- Photos of your kid.
- Music from your childhood.
- Access to brilliant minds.
- Tools to improve productivity.
- Connection to friends.
- And so much more.
We often hate on the cultures obsession with these screens but it’s actually quite empowering to know that these devices can offer so much.
7) What is the number one thing you do to make sure you get the most out of your day?
Dance with my daughter. There’s nothing like it.
