Maryville teen begins digital advertising company whereas attending MTSU
Jackson Greene from Pursuit Digital explains how he came up with the company name
Pursuit Digital founder Jackson Greene explains how he came up with the name of the digital marketing company
Brianna Paciorka, Knoxville News Sentinel
Jackson Greene does a little bit of everything in the digital marketing world.
Providing services such as web design, SEO, email, social media, and video production for local and regional businesses, he has made a name for himself through hard work and determination.
Greene is 19 years old and is studying at Middle Tennessee State University.
With Pursuit Digital, his digital marketing agency, the Maryville teenager has created a digital presence for companies like M Squared Custom Homes, Hutton Fly, Maryville City Schools Foundation, and Revolution Dance.
As the sole owner of the agency, Greene spends nearly 40 hours a week on Pursuit Digital projects while attending courses full-time.
“I’ve always had a passion for media and technology and knew I wanted to do something in this field for a career from a young age,” Greene told Knox News. “It sounds cliché, but I could never imagine doing anything else.”
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Pursue your passion at a young age
Before becoming an entrepreneur, Greene was a kid with a passion for digital media and computers. He was already working on video editing projects in the 4th grade and was constantly expanding his knowledge.
To improve his skills and give back to his community, Greene began volunteering at his First Baptist Alcoa church in 2014. He worked on the technical crew and was responsible for chases, cameras and other basic duties for about five years.
In 2019, when Greene was only 17 years old, he was offered the opportunity to take over the entire Church media department. Greene answered the offer.
“Working at First Baptist Alcoa allowed me to do a little bit of everything in the media world: video editing, coding … the Church gave me the ability to do all of that at once,” Greene said. “If it had a screen, it was my responsibility.”
Greene’s work at First Baptist Alcoa not only gave him real-world experience, it was also one of the first times people around him really became aware of his skills.
“(Jackson) really took the media position and drove it. He always did everything, always took everything, and made it bigger and better,” Ryan Roach, senior pastor at First Baptist Alcoa, told Knox News. “Most teenagers wouldn’t be able to do the kind of work he does.”
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After graduating from Maryville High School in 2020, Greene decided to study interactive media at MTSU. Moving across the state from Maryville to Murfreesboro meant he had to quit his position with First Baptist Alcoa, but he didn’t stay out of marketing for long.
While he was home for the winter break in December, Greene accepted a temporary position as Director of Digital Marketing at M Squared Custom Homes. After finishing his job faster than expected, Gary McNally, owner of M Squared, suggested Greene start his own digital design company.
Just a few weeks later, Greene filed for an LLC.
Track knowledge
Greene plans to graduate from MTSU in 2022 while growing Pursuit Digital in Maryville and Murfreesboro into something bigger.
He still has a lot to learn, said Greene: Pursuit Digital is not even a year old.
Clients could turn to more experienced agencies for marketing purposes, but Greene believes that his personal touch sets him apart from the competition.
This approach seems to be working. Greene still has a dollar left on marketing, and all of his customers come from personal referrals.
He takes pride in the impact his relationship with Christianity has had on the Pursuit Digital brand. The name of the company comes from 1 Timothy 6:11: “But you, man of God, flee from all this and seek justice, piety, faith, love, perseverance and meekness.”
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“The personal connection I make with every customer is incredibly important to me,” he said. “To be able to text me at any time of the day or night, or have something very special addressed to me at no additional cost … I really want every customer to be successful and I will go the extra mile for them . “
News intern Jake Yoder can be reached at [email protected]. Follow his work on Twitter @jakeywakeyy. Support our local news efforts by becoming a Knox News subscriber.
