In the marketing world, Behdad Jamshidi’s (CEO of CJAM Marketing) story is unusual: switching from a profitable career as an engineer to a founder, his journey captures the essence of determination that many entrepreneurs and founders will recognize. By forging his own unique path, Jamshidi’s story provides insights into mastering the art of marketing and running a successful business.
After earning an engineering degree and working as an engineer for a mid-sized telecommunications company, Jamshidi became the youngest Senior Sales Engineer in the company. His promotion allowed him to continue to develop his communication skills with business owners. Utilizing his off-work hours to study comprehensive programs in business and marketing skills, he began freelancing before founding his company while still working as an employee. Jamshidi remember,
“It was not easy, for about 3 years I worked 10-16 hours a day to get things done.”
Early on, he realized there was a gap between marketing and business, and that many business owners don’t know how to find trustworthy marketing partners. On top of that, marketing agencies didn’t understand business and weren’t truthful about their capabilities. As an engineer, Jamshidi was well-versed in iterating and problem-solving, so he started trying to solve this core problem with his freelancing skills. Once he started passing these projects to other contractors and agencies, he realized that they weren’t doing it at the level his customers deserved.
“Many agencies wouldn’t be honest and say they were a full-service marketing agency, but they were only really good at 1 to 3 things,” Jamshidi said.
Instead of putting up with mediocre marketing agencies, what if someone could vet them ahead of time? Jamshidi decided to do just this, and worked to build out an entire network of people that he trusted, who performed at the highest level, and match them with business owners who needed help.
After 3.5 years of juggling both roles, Jamshidi finally took his business full-time in 2021 — and by 2023 he was generating close to half a million dollars in revenue. A number that he never thought would be possible. Carving out a niche in the competitive marketing industry, he has maintained success by providing his clients with incredible results from his trusted marketing network. Reducing the time it takes to find partners by not just months, but years.
After vetting over 800 agencies, he has created an A-list team of over 100 marketing and development agencies and partners. Their skills range from FCMOs, Branding, Website, Ads, Social Media Marketing and many more. By fostering these valuable relationships, Jamshidi has proven to be a strong resource for his customers.
He also understands that teamwork is critical in business operations, and has built a skilled team with diverse talents and perspectives that work together to achieve his long-term goals.
Behdad Jamshidi’s story showcases his relentless pursuit of growth, a commitment to personal values, and the ability to recognize opportunities where others see challenges. Even after meeting with over 800+ marketing partners and being able to match businesses with a high success rate of 88%, Jamshidi believes there is still room to improve.
His journey teaches several lessons for aspiring marketers: the importance of continuous learning, the significance of networking, the benefits of stepping out of one’s comfort zone, and finding a balance between professional and personal goals.
In essence, Behdad Jamshidi is what every marketer should aspire to: resilient, adaptable, and creative, yet grounded. This makes him not only a leader within the industry but also a constant source of motivation for those looking to make their mark in the world of marketing, just as he did.
Want to follow his journey, follow on LinkedIn.
Published by: Nelly Chavez
