ELEVATE BEYOND
The Blog of Jake Kelfer
 Success Spotlight with Easton Gray Fier: Brand Manager at Rufus Labs How would you define success? My professional success involves combing three important facets: developing a career that 1) I am extremely skilled in, 2) can change the world for the better, and 3) I am the most passionate about. Most people can achieve one or two of those characteristics in their life, but finding something that combines all three can be a daunting task. I strive for a professional path that will complement my idea of personal success, which to me means having one hell of a time enjoying all life has to offer with the people I love the most. What is your dream? What was your dream? Defining my dream has proved to be a fickle beast thus far. When I was 10 I dreamt of designing the world’s fastest cars. At 15 I aspired to play face melting guitar solos at sold-out Emo rock concerts. At 18 I envisioned myself becoming a powerful corporate litigator. Fast forward to today and I honestly have less clarity about my ultimate pursuits than I did sketching supercars at recess in 5th grade. But as a freshman of the real world at age 22, I dream of forging an idea and company that will dent the universe and bring humanity closer together. With a background in marketing and technology, I hope to combine innovation, the arts, and communication to leave my mark with something epic. What have you done and what do you plan on doing to achieve your goals? As a sophomore at USC I became the first employee/intern of Rufus Labs, an LA tech start-up building wearable technology for enterprise. I had the fortunate opportunity to work side by side with the CEO Gabe Grifoni, observing his dream transform from sketches on napkins to an industry-disrupting product. While my full-time role involves managing our branding and marketing efforts, every day I am exposed to every facet of the company from engineering to supply chain management to capital acquisition. Understanding how to build a company from scratch will be paramount to the success of my future endeavors. While I value my experience at Rufus Labs, work and school aren’t the only outlets that foster my ambitions. I learn from the incredibly passionate and intelligent network of people in my life, while also staying fit, exploring music and art, and staying hungry for more to bring myself closer to that universe-denting venture. What is your biggest failure and how have you grown from it? One of my most crushing failures happened when in the first grade. I was madly in love with this babe named Maggie. I thought I would win her over by giving her a unique and sentimental gift for her birthday at Skateland (for all my la natives). Heavily influenced by my mom, a professional singer and songwriter, I decided to write a song for Maggie. So I got to work, wrote the lyrics/music, recorded it at a professional studio, and even had a photoshoot for the CD cover/insert (thanks mom and dad). After weeks of putting my heart and soul into the love song, I presented Maggie with the finished single… and shortly thereafter she rejected me. I was miserably crushed and heartbroken, but I remember my mom telling me how proud of me she was. I didn’t get the girl, but I learned the potential of what I could build and create if I was truly passionate about something. Maggie and I stayed friends and I’m pretty she still plays the song for old elementary school friends from time to time. What is the best piece of advice you have ever received? My boss at Rufus Labs once told me: “Don’t be sorry, be better.” It’s important to acknowledge fault when you inevitably make a mistake or screw up, but its even more powerful to take action and improve upon your shortcomings. Most of us will eventually take a wrong turn as we march toward success, but our ability to grow and strengthen ourselves will be remembered and speaks volumes about our potential. You can connect with Easton here: Easton Gray Fier LinkedIn Easton Gray Fier Twitter Easton Gray Fier Instagram Rufus Labs
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Hey, I'M JAKE!I am on a mission to help ambitious entrepreneurs and freedom seekers start their dream business, build a world-class network, and scale to 6 figures!
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