Drew Ungvarsky
Grow
Norfolk, VA USA
"You can’t not deliver. You’ve got to come through on your promises, so find another way, even if it’s not what you thought you were going to do."
Career Roadmap
Drew's work combines: Technology, Entrepreneurship, and Being Creative
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
I heard this from one particular client whose business was going bankrupt and he told me that he wasn't going to be able to pay us for the work we had done. The money he owed us covered our salaries, so it put us in a very bad position. I stupidly agreed to continue doing some work, but in hindsight, I should have done things differently. I definitely used that as a learning moment. Think about your value all the time and who you are most valuable to.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Computer Science
Old Dominion University
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
Growing up, he loved coding and had the goal of one day making video games.
2.
Attended Old Dominion University where he graduated with his degree in computer science.
3.
Throughout college, he worked for different departments on campus to help them make websites.
4.
He learned how to program in Flash and created a website promoting his ability to create websites.
5.
After he started getting a lot of clients, he decided to hire an additional web designer who helped him tackle the workload.
6.
Eventually, this “side gig” turned into a full-fledged business—his first client was his favorite band, which then led to him creating websites and promotional materials for other entertainers.
7.
In 2006, he rebranded the company as Grow Interactive, hired a few more employees, and began working on building out their client base.
8.
Grow is now an industry-leading creative agency that has worked with clients such as Google, Spotify, and EA Games, and has received top honors in international award shows like the Cannes Lions.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Peers:
I'm not going to be able to pay you for your work because my business is failing. The only way I can pay you is if you keep doing the work to help me get out of this hole.
How I responded:
I heard this from one particular client whose business was going bankrupt and he told me that he wasn't going to be able to pay us for the work we had done. The money he owed us covered our salaries, so it put us in a very bad position. I stupidly agreed to continue doing some work, but in hindsight, I should have done things differently. I definitely used that as a learning moment. Think about your value all the time and who you are most valuable to.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
When starting out, I had to take a few jobs for free or well under market value in order to get my name out there. There were also moments where a client couldn't pay me. You just have to learn from those experiences and be willing to grow.