Alumni Spotlight: Parisi on Careers in Marketing and Advertising

Nick.Parisi

When Nick Parisi (Pardee ’05) began his career as a digital project manager, creating platforms and campaigns for brands including TaylorMade-Adidas Golf, Vizio, and Qualcomm, the field of social media marketing was just beginning to emerge. Parisi decided to take a risk and join a startup, which allowed him to work on campaigns for major brands like Nike, Kodak, Procter and Gamble, Intuit, Samsung, Sony, and The North Face.

In 2010, having moved back to New York City, Parisi was able to leverage his experience to join R/GA, a full service 2,000-person digital agency network with clients including Nike, Samsung, Google, and Verizon.

“From 2010-2016 I led production for Nike and played my part in growing the relationship from a handful of people to a group of over 100+ staff delivering a mix of campaigns, apps, platforms, and events,” Parisi said. “I would routinely travel between different U.S. cities, and I even was able to do a stint in China and Argentina. I was able to work with some of the biggest sports names in the world creating innovative content and experiences.”

The work Parisi contributed to at R/GA  was recognized with more than 100 major industry awards for clients including Nike Basketball, Nike SB, Nike Football, Nike Women, and Nike.com. During this time, R/GA received multiple “Agency of the Year” awards and gained an impressive reputation of leading the industry.

Over the past year, Parisi has served as the Managing Director for HUSTLE Los Angeles, an R/GA Company. HUSTLE is a company that connects brands with culture through innovative and emotive storytelling that has received more than 160 awards since 2012, most notably for work on Beats By Dre, Twitter, Nike, Converse, and Jordan Brand.

“Becoming one of the youngest Managing Directors in the network has not been without hard work and sacrifice. I have never worked just 9-5, I have done stints in other cities and countries that have required me to be away from my wife, family and friends for long periods of time,” Parisi said. “I have developed a reputation for ‘getting it done’ by never saying no and figuring out how to find a way to make the impossible possible. I am a big believer in following your passion, but more importantly, following your talents to discover what drives you.”

The beginning of Parisi’s studies at Boston University coincided with the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, which he says led to a desire to gain a better perspective on the rapidly changing global landscape at the time.

“I pursued a degree in International Relations because I entered BU when 9/11 happened. As a native New Yorker, it rocked my sense of the world,” Parisi said. “I knew that I wanted to obtain a deep understanding of what was happening globally and how it affects what happens in your own backyard. I was also aware that this was a unique opportunity for me to learn a global perspective. I did not know at the time how important that would be in my day-to-day work.”

Parisi said the global perspective that he developed as a student at the Pardee School studying international relations remains crucial to his current work at HUSTLE.

“What my education at Pardee instilled in me is the importance of the role culture plays in global business. This affects everything from macro decisions on where in the world a business can thrives to micro decisions including how daily policies and processes should account for local customs,” Parisi said. “Understanding that local norms and ways of working need to be accounted for can be the difference between success and failure. Insuring that you have global perspective when doing business outside of the U.S. is critical.”

Parisi said his advice to current Pardee School students who are contemplating what kind of career to pursue after graduation would be to pursue your passions.

“Finding your career begins with looking inward. Understand what you are passionate about, regardless if you feel it will pay off one day in your career or how much money you will make. Finding the intersection of your passions and talents can make for a rewarding journey,” Parisi said. “Once you’ve outlined what you think you want to do, make a list of the companies you want to target, and use your connections to just talk to people in those industries. Don’t be shy about asking people what you can expect on the day-to-day, and how they got to where they are. Those connections and conversations can get you closer to figuring out what your dream job really is, while making connections and opening up opportunities.”

According to Parisi, it’s also crucial to continue to develop your professional experience once you have a job so that you are constantly growing in your career.

“Once you have begun your career, progressing your craft means staying on top of industry trends and obtaining real-world experience. The right experience can make or break a career, so when you’re evaluating different job options think about the manager you’ll have and if they have the time/willingness to help grow you,” Parisi. “There’s a value exchange with starting entry level and the continued education and mentorship you can get from an organization. Evaluate the opportunities holistically, as money should not the sole deciding factor. Anything can be accomplished with effort, persistence, and passion.”