Welcome to the first of 8 Questions with the people of Kwasi. Meet Woj Kwasi – the founder of Kwasi, web experience strategist, mentor and reubenthusiast! After becoming a connoisseur of SEO, Woj saw an opportunity to help “educate people on doing better no-bullsh*t digital marketing”.
Woj is never happier than when he is building a great culture and mentoring those around him. And when he’s not busy, he can be found mastering the arts of boxing and enjoying a delicious reuben!
Q&A with Woj:
Tell us a little bit about what you do at Kwasi
It’s changed a lot over the years since I founded Kwasi. Right now, I’m closest to being the coach in the coach’s box. I’m not running around the field with the players, which I’ve always wanted to get to do. The good thing about that is I can really look at things at a macro level and let people thrive and be their best selves. Right now I have more time to spend on building the business as opposed to trying to run it.
What inspired you to start your own digital marketing agency?
When I moved back to Adelaide from Sydney, primarily I needed to survive. I saw there was a gap in the market and I really wanted to help educate people on doing better, no-bullsh*t digital marketing ’cause there was a lot of that in those days.
When I came back there were slower advertising agencies. I referred to them as the Jack-of-all-trades – really trying to master everything, but not really specialising in anything. So, there was an opportunity for the right type of agency to specialise in SEO.
The agency itself came as a result of doing great work, getting results and eventually needing helping hands as there was only one of me. Pretty much all our leads still come from word of mouth to this day.
What is your favourite part of your career that isn’t a part of your job description?
“My obsessions are building a great culture and ensuring that we have our values set early.”
Like a lot of companies, I just do my thing! But for me, it was just trying to blend all the best parts of the previous places I’ve worked. When I started Kwasi, there were six values: people, creativity, respect, fun, passion and productivity. Now we’ve distilled our core values to four: master, straight shooter, playful and care.
But we really made them lessons because values are kind of like things after the fact, but they’re more personality traits. It’s like you live and breathe them.
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What is your favourite type of client to work with?
“For me, it’s someone who’s a go-getter, a leader, someone who’s willing to challenge the status quo. Who thinks outside the box and who understands the difference between being a strategic partner and having a vendor.”
A vendor is like when you’re comparing Coke versus Pepsi. But a strategic partner is someone who is part of a business that can help guide and doesn’t really have any biases or set agendas. It’s more about knowing what the business pulse is like and how we can help you.
Where did you grow and what was your childhood like?
I grew up here in Adelaide. My parents migrated from Poland when I was one and a half and shipped me with a weirdass Polish name. So you can imagine all the discrimination I faced. It’s something I joke about. I remember during roll call the teacher would pause and I put my hand up because I knew it was me.
I was pretty introverted, but I was outdoorsy as well, so you’d probably find me climbing a tree somewhere. My parents often left me at home to my own devices, so I pretty much had to be pretty creative and imaginative.
What do you like to listen to when you’re working?
Oh man, I think this is probably one of the hardest questions to answer because I listen to such a broad range of music. My go-to is alternative hip hop, like Apollo Brown. My fave sub-genre of Drum’n’Bass is Neurofunk when I need to focus. Psych rock like the New Candys, Brian Jonestown Masacre.. My fave band of all time is Rage Against the Machine, so their back catalogue gets a play as well as Tool. Right now I’m generally stuck between 80s single snares and some funky basslines.
For some audio inspiration, be sure to check out Woj’s Memphis Roadtrip playlist below.
What’s a fun fact or skill you have that we might be surprised about?
I’ve been boxing for over a year now, so I guess I can call myself a boxer. I also have a secret love of the Reuben sandwich and I just started an Instagram account called Reubeneatz. I recommend going to Fred’s in Aldgate and Brightstar Brewing.
What’s the weirdest thing that’s happened to you?
I was in Sydney for a business trip and I was out one night with some friends at Shady Pines. This Scottish guy just starts chatting to us and turns out he’s a drummer from the Jesus and Mary Chain, and I’ve heard some of their stuff, but I’m not a huge fan.
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Then he was like, “oh you should come see this play we’re just in town, we’ll get you will get you in”, and I agreed. He gave us tickets to the Opera House to see them and they put us in the friends and family section. The concert was amazing! But just being open and chatting to people, you just never know who you’re going to meet.
Meet the people of Kwasi
Now you have met the founder and marketing strategist behind Kwasi, don’t forget to meet the other team members that make Kwasi, Kwasi!
