Success leaves clues. Finance Strategists sat down with Don Dodds of M16 Marketing. He shared his thoughts on the past, present, and future of the company, as well as insight gained from running the business. Q: Who are you and what’s your background? I am a husband, father, son, brother, mentor, and friend, and I love helping people become the best version of themselves. I’ve lived all over the world and often describe myself as Belizean by birth. Dominican by heritage. Anguillian by adoption. New Jersey Bred. Atlantan by transplant. American by choice. Ultimately… Blessed by God. I attended Howard University at age 16 in a 6 year accelerated medical program and then decided I was more passionate about being an entrepreneur and helping people in different ways. I’m now the founder, managing partner, and Chief Marketing Strategist at M16 Marketing. My passion is helping to create success stories and guiding startups, small businesses and large organizations to help them better define their digital strategy, user experience, analytics, and overall digital marketing efforts. Q: Who has been your biggest influence, and why did they have such a significant effect on you? My biggest influence in life has been my parents. They were born on a small island with little material possessions but the values, work ethic, drive, and desire for excellence that they instilled in me as a young child has shaped who I am. My entire belief system about what it means to be successful and how you achieve the balance of life comes from them. The desire to give back and uplift and encourage others comes from them. They are walking examples of greatness. In addition to my parents, my 2 young brothers are huge influences. We have a weekly check-in and prayer call every Sunday night for about 4 hours that sets the tone for our week and every weekday we do an ab work out together via video for about 30 minutes. We’re all entrepreneurs and family men who understand that having a strong support system is critical to success and balance in life. Q: Knowing what you know now, what would you have told yourself when you were in your twenties? I would tell myself to beware… everyone who smiles in your face is not a friend. You will experience unimaginable losses but everything you experience is designed to prepare you for the next level. Knowledge isn’t power. It is the application of knowledge that is powerful. Q: What is M16 Marketing? M16 is a web design and full-service digital marketing agency. We’re the #1 choice for results-driven digital strategy, web design, content development, SEO, paid ads, social media, and much more. Q: What makes M16 Marketing different from other design/marketing agencies? We are results-driven with a significant focus on digital strategy. Most businesses know that having a digital marketing strategy is an ideal way to reach their target audience, but it can be complex and time-consuming. M16’s digital marketing strategy framework, PIEARM™, solves this challenge. Q: What led you to start M16 Marketing? My desire to help businesses take a more forward-thinking and strategic approach using digital technologies to shape the future of business processes and customer experience was a significant driving force. Q: What has the experience of building the business taught you? The experience of building M16 taught me that people in a company, before processes, technology, or profit, are the most important asset. Q: Where do you see things headed for you in the next 5 years? My desire is to continue to work to have a greater positive impact on the people I am privileged to serve, work with and call family. For more information, visit m16marketing.com/digital-marketing-strategy 
Introduction
Who is Don Dodds?
Business
True Tamplin is a published author, public speaker, CEO of UpDigital, and founder of Finance Strategists.
True is a Certified Educator in Personal Finance (CEPF®), author of The Handy Financial Ratios Guide, a member of the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing, contributes to his financial education site, Finance Strategists, and has spoken to various financial communities such as the CFA Institute, as well as university students like his Alma mater, Biola University, where he received a bachelor of science in business and data analytics.
To learn more about True, visit his personal website or view his author profiles on Amazon, Nasdaq and Forbes.
