Meet SPF social, delivering high-performance product improvement and marketing solutions to meet the most dynamic demands in business. Working with organizations such as Sony, Qualcomm, and Nokia, Sean Farrell has served in influential roles to ensure maximum product exposure, implement cutting-edge online merchandising strategies, and deliver top-notch ROI.
Are you from here? If not, what brought you here to Leucadia?
SPF: I am from La Costa, which is a stone's throw over the Batiquitos Lagoon away from Leucadia. What brought me here was the lifestyle, the beach, and the people! With La Costa being such a small community, I spent a lot of time in Leucadia & Encinitas growing up and always loved the beach lifestyle. In 2009 I moved to Leucadia officially and that is the same year that I launched my agency - SPFsocial. After living here, it is impossible to leave! The people in Leucadia are caring, laid back, and full of life.
How long have you been working in marketing? Did you go to school for it, or are you self-taught?
SPF: I started designing in the early 2000s - so it has been almost 20 years. I was attending Mira Costa College in Cardiff by the Sea - when one of my teachers asked me to design her a website for her. She said that she would give me extra credit, enough to bump me up a full letter grade. It hit me then that I was wasting my time in college and needed to get into the workforce. I put my resume on a job board and was soon hired by Sony. I spent 4 years on Sony's web team and that is what I credit for teaching me digital marketing.
I find that mentors have taught me more than any school could. After working for Sony, in 2009 - I landed with a startup based in Cardiff by the Sea called Trapster - it was basically Waze before Waze. Trapster was a mobile app that alerted drivers to police speed traps and other road hazards. We went from little to no users to over 9 million in the first year, and eventually surpassing 24 million in only a few years. The founder of the company had such a drive & hustle, it was contagious. He showed me how to really put everything into a company - and that spirit is still with me today. in 2010 Trapster was acquired by Nokia and they built us an office in Carlsbad. That same year I went to Las Vegas for CES - and while there I had a meeting with will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas. At that time Will was working on launching his own car manufacturing company - and he liked what he saw with Trapster. I spent an entire week with Will and his entourage, and I witnessed another level of hustler's spirit. Will and his team did not sleep much, they were laser-focused, and kept a tight schedule. It was not all late-night parties like one would think, it was setting up business meetings, and pushing towards Will's ambitions. I ended up doing some projects with Will and his team, and we still keep in touch today.
To pinpoint when I actually got into web design - it was when I was 16, going into my junior year of high school, my parents moved us to Simsbury, Connecticut. After being in California for my entire life, it was a complete culture shock! I didn't have many friends and had a ton of free time. It was at that time, I got into computers - specifically web design, and digital content creation. I was designing webpages in highschool - even my own high school library webpage!
What inspires you to do what you do?
SPF: At SPFsocial, what inspires me is working with local charities and non-profits. After realizing that we could get a ton of exposure to any product or brand, we wanted to ensure we were promoting the right people - so we decided each quarter we were going to be helping people in need. Recently we built a new website for The Shine Project Foundation - and we love what they stand for: helping families with children with special needs. We have also worked with Alliance for Hope International - which focuses on helping victims of domestic violence.
What are your other hobbies?
SPF: When I am not sitting in front of a computer, or on my iPhone - I am planning activities with the family. My wife and I love anything outdoors - traveling, camping, hiking, etc, and our 3-year-old Doberman Pincher keeps us on our toes. We both enjoy snowboarding, and I enjoy all board sports. We enjoy going to our local beaches, both Beacons & Grandview.
How do you balance life and work, working on multiple projects?
SPF: I think that working on multiple projects helps me stay creative. When I find myself too focused on one project, I like to be able to pivot to another. Working from home helps with the work, life balance - but the word balance is a bit misleading. There is not a strict trade-off between work and home life. The key that I have found is ensuring that your home life energy is so great, that you bring it into the office - and the same is true for your work energy, that you bring home. Continue to stoke both energies so that at all times, you bring positive energy into each. No one wants to be low energy and bring down partners or coworkers with that draining feel - be an uplifter!