Lilli Izumi
Brand Strategist / Digital Marketer / Founder of IZUMI Agency
Los Angeles, CA
izumiagency.com
instagram @izumi.agency
Q What do you do?
“I’m the founder and CEO of IZUMI Agency, a mindful marketing agency that takes a data-driven, yet humanized approach to empowering brands to scale their business.”
But those are all just fancy ways of saying...I help people share their stories and missions with the world (while making them money). I specialize in brand strategy, email marketing, and SMS marketing, and have a soft spot for mission-driven, BIPOC-owned, and sustainably-minded brands.
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
I took some interesting turns right out of college. For a short while, I thought I wanted to be a fashion stylist and shadowed a well-known celebrity stylist in LA. I very quickly realized that that wasn’t for me, and soon after got a job at a small menswear company (which was interestingly enough, run entirely by women). This is where I’d say I really cut my teeth in marketing. I was brought onto the team at age 22 and started by building their social media presence from the ground up. The company was an almost completely wholesale-driven business at the time, and within the first year of working there, I spearheaded the launch of their e-commerce business and brought them onto Shopify. I was there for a little over 5 years and by the end, I was managing 1 full-time Marketing Coordinator, a rotating group of 3 interns per quarter, a handful of freelance marketing consultants, an outsourced PR agency, an outsourced web development agency, and an outsourced facebook marketing agency. I was a one-woman show for a while, and was so incredibly grateful to have the resources and support of agencies and consultants to lean on and learn from.
After this job, I joined a DTC watch company called MVMT right at the peak of their hyper-growth stage. I started as their head of Retention Marketing, optimizing and eventually running a world-class email marketing program, generating millions of dollars of revenue annually. While there, I launched the company's SMS marketing program, which eventually became one of their most successful revenue channels. Soon, I was also managing the brand's PR, Women's Brand Marketing, and Organic Social channels, in addition to Retention. In my 3+ years there, I was lucky enough to ride the wave from hyper-growth through the company’s acquisition, which was an incredible experience in itself.
A few years later, I joined a major LA-based athleisure-wear company as their Director of Retention Marketing. However, what I thought would be my dream job, ultimately ended up being quite the opposite. I joined the company with high hopes, excited to join a team that supposedly valued diversity, inclusion, body positivity, and female empowerment — all things I value myself greatly. Soon, though, I found myself in an incredibly toxic work environment, and desperate to find a way out. I wish I could say there was a happier motive for the start of my agency, but this is the truth. Luckily, I was able to land some amazing clients off the bat and quit my full-time job a few months into starting my consulting work. I've never looked back.
Q How do you stand out in your field?
Above all, I value and honor building relationships with people. Beyond simply the professional/business interactions, it’s the relationships that I’ve built along the way – with coworkers, agency partners, colleagues – that have been the most rewarding. I have coworkers and former business partners that I would invite to my wedding one day...these are the true wins.
Q What are you working on right now?
I feel warm and fuzzy inside when I know I'm helping a brand that I believe in, and more importantly, a founder and team that I love. I'm lucky enough to have had some incredible clients, and am excited to be supporting some truly wonderful brands. At the moment, I'm helping a dear friend Joe launch his purpose-driven company, Backstory Backpacks. The brand donates a portion of sales to Mental Health Charities, and their goal is to help spread awareness and break the stigma surrounding Mental Health. I'm also helping another dear friend of mine, Bonita, with her digital marketing and email strategy. Bonita is the founder of an insanely-comfortable, sustainable intimates line called KYE Intimates. I also recently started working with an incredible woman named Dana, who just launched her high-end women's sustainable clothing brand, dāl the label. In addition to email marketing, I'm helping her strategize her organic social strategy and holiday messaging.
Q What’s your style?
I like to say that my agency has a holistic approach, driven by data and rooted in purpose. Aesthetically, less is usually more for me — I love a good minimalist brand. But more than anything, I value the meaning behind a brand and the purpose that drives the team.
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
I've been asked multiple times if I would ever create a course on email marketing. This is something I'm hoping to launch some time in the next few months, but need to make the time to sit down and create it.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
Real talk, I have a 9 month old Samoyed puppy who is the cutest thing, but is the ultimate distraction — he's very needy, and most of the time is a very bad boy. If someone would take him for an hour or two a day so I could have some peace and quiet, that would be heaven.
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
I would have told the me of 10...even 5 years ago that it’s ok to take up space. I would have let her know that even if she doesn’t see herself represented in senior leadership meetings or in the marketing content that she’s being asked to put out into the world, that doesn’t mean this is the way things are “supposed” to be. For a long time, I was afraid to speak my mind, especially if I was in a room full of people who didn’t look like me. I have now realized that being the only woman, and often the only woman of color in a senior leadership meeting can be an advantage. Also...quit that sh*tty job — the right one will come, and the right people will make you feel seen/heard/valued!
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
I would love to learn more about paid advertising — Meta, Google, Pinterest. These are all things that I outsource to my very talented friends when a client is interested in these channels, but not my area of expertise. It's invaluable, though, so I'd love to learn.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
I love working with brands of all sizes, from solopreneurs to multi-million dollar businesses. I'd love to work with more brands in the health/wellness space, as those are personal interests of mine (I'm a certified Yoga Sculpt instructor and Reiki Master on the side)!
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
I know I sound like a broken record, but it’s the interpersonal relationships for me. I want to surround myself with people who have great energy, big ambitions, and even bigger hearts.
Q What is your rate?
My rates are all customized to your specific needs, so reach out if you're interested and we can discuss!
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
You can email me lilli@izumiagency.com or book a discovery call directly calendly.com/lilliizumi
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
exercise, meditation, puppy kisses, and kombucha
This member profile was originally published in November 2022.