Joly Tematio

Connecting and Introduction

Taryell Simmons: Welcome ladies and gentlemen to another episode of Rise Urban Nation. I am your host, Taryell Simmons, and we have a special guest in the building today. I am excited for you to meet this sister. We connected on Instagram in the direct messages, had a great conversation, and started exploring ways to do business together. Now we are recording a podcast together. Welcome Joly to the podcast.

Joly Tematio: Thank you so much for having me, Taryell. It is a pleasure to be on your podcast, and thank you so much for inviting me.

Taryell Simmons: It is a pleasure to have you. For the people who do not know who you are, I always ask this profound question at the beginning of our podcast: Who is Joly?

Background and Corporate Transition

Joly Tematio: Joly is a young woman based in Frankfurt, Germany. I was born and raised in Cameroon, then moved to Italy where I studied after high school. I studied in Italy, then in Germany, and worked in the corporate world for about three and a half years before diving into entrepreneurship. I felt like I wanted to do more, give more, and earn more. It was a huge transition because I grew up believing my end goal was climbing the corporate ladder until retirement. Three years into my corporate journey, I decided to shift into entrepreneurship, and I have been an entrepreneur full-time since 2019. Currently, I run a marketing agency where we help clients grow and scale visibility and revenue using social media ads. For fun, I like to work out, read, and travel.

Taryell Simmons: How long have you been in Germany now, and how has the experience been?

Joly Tematio: I have been in Germany for the past three years. I was in Italy for four years before moving here, so there was not a lot of culture shock. I live in Frankfurt, which is an exciting, gorgeous city with a lot to do. People are very open-minded and welcoming whether you speak German fluently or not.

Taryell Simmons: What did you study, and what was your corporate career in?

Joly Tematio: I studied actuarial science and data science. I worked as a credit analyst for one year and then worked as a data scientist for two years before shifting careers.

The Shift to Marketing: Math Plus Psychology

Taryell Simmons: That is a big shift going from data science to marketing and entrepreneurship. How did you come to that decision?

Joly Tematio: If you had told me four or five years ago that I would be in marketing, I would not have believed it because economics, finance, and data science seem completely unrelated. In my first job, my boss was struggling to sell our product during a severe cash flow decline. I wished I had the skills to help the company move forward, but in finance and data science, I could not help directly. Growing up, my father lost his company after seven years because he could not acquire enough clients. I also saw friends launching businesses with great products who struggled to bring clients through the door and had to return to corporate jobs. Marketing is a high-income skill set that companies always need. I decided to study it and master it. I started with affiliate marketing on the side, learning copywriting, ads, and essential skills. After a year, I transitioned to freelancing and consulting, and eventually built the agency model. Because of my background in math and data science, I look at marketing as math plus psychology. When you combine data-driven decision-making with an understanding of what makes people tick and buy, it allows you to become an effective marketer.

Taryell Simmons: Break down that math component. How do you use math to make marketing work?

Joly Tematio: Whether looking at organic or paid marketing, you must examine the data to know if your strategy works. For organic content, you track engagement, shares, comments, email list growth, and conversions over time instead of guessing. On the paid advertising side, many business owners make emotional decisions about landing pages or ads without analyzing key performance indicators. Tracking conversion rates and performance metrics using a proven framework is critical to consistently improving results.

The Three Phases of Marketing Campaigns

Taryell Simmons: Is there a specific mathematical formula to increase engagement, or is it all about testing and analyzing?

Joly Tematio: It is all about testing until you find what works. We use three phases: the launch phase, the test phase, and the scaling phase. In the launch phase, you conduct market research to understand your customer desires, uncover messaging that resonates, and refine what makes your offer unique. In the test phase, you test diverse creative formats like carousels, videos, single posts, and quotes to see what your audience responds to best. In the scaling phase, you double down on the winning assets and eliminate what underperformed. Because audiences evolve, marketing requires constant testing and continuous learning.

Taryell Simmons: In that launch phase, what specific metrics do you evaluate to determine success?

Joly Tematio: I focus primarily on engagement metrics like shares, saves, and comments, along with email subscriber acquisition and frontend sales conversions. Moving social media followers into an owned, intimate space like an email list is essential for long-term nurturing and conversion.

Why Email Marketing Is Alive and Thriving

Taryell Simmons: What is your perspective on email marketing compared to social media?

Joly Tematio: Email is an incredible vehicle for increasing conversions. Top-of-funnel organic content draws people in, but trust is built through email marketing where you deliver continuous value. On social media, only two to three percent of your audience sees your content due to algorithms, whereas email campaigns can achieve 50% to 60% open rates in an ecosystem you control. Email allows you to design authentic automated sequences that guide prospects smoothly from awareness to purchase. Across dozens of our clients, email consistently drives 25% to 35% of total revenue.

Overcoming Imposter Syndrome and Committing to Plan A

Taryell Simmons: If you could start your career over again, what would you do differently?

Joly Tematio: I would be courageous sooner. Coming from a technical background, I spent six to eight months battling imposter syndrome, hesitant to publicly share what I was doing. When operating from scarcity and doubt, you make hesitant decisions. Once you embrace your new identity, fail faster, and master your craft, success accelerates. I would tell my younger self to go all in without worrying about what others think.

Taryell Simmons: Successful entrepreneurs do not rely on a plan B; they commit fully to plan A and make continuous adjustments through learning and iteration.

Priorities, Personal Branding, and Family

Taryell Simmons: What deserves your attention but seldom gets it?

Joly Tematio: On the business side, building my personal brand and creating consistent content deserves more focus. In today's digital landscape, online visibility is essential. On the personal side, family time often took a backseat during the early grind. In the first eight months, I had to put my head down and focus entirely on making the business work, which meant temporarily missing milestones with loved ones. Achieving sustainability now allows for greater balance.

The Hawkeye Holistic Marketing Approach

Taryell Simmons: How do you distinguish your agency from competitors?

Joly Tematio: At Hawkeye, we look at the entire customer journey rather than isolating ad creatives. Many agencies expect ads to do all the heavy lifting, but conversions happen across the entire funnel. We optimize the core offer before launch, refine the landing page experience, and implement dynamic backend email follow-ups and retargeting systems. Taking prospects seamlessly from strangers to buyers maximizes customer lifetime value.

Conquering Fear Through Decisive Action

Taryell Simmons: What is your greatest fear, and how do you manage it?

Joly Tematio: My greatest fear is not reaching my full potential. As Bob Proctor taught, most people live below ten percent of their human capabilities. I do not want to look back decades from now wishing I had pushed harder. I overcome fear by taking immediate action. Fear thrives in hesitation, but taking action generates direct feedback, allowing you to learn and adapt.

Daily Habits and Productivity Routine

Taryell Simmons: What does your typical daily schedule look like?

Joly Tematio: I wake up around 6:30 AM, meditate, and work out for 20 to 30 minutes while listening to an audiobook or inspiring music. From 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, I conduct team meetings and deep work. Between 12:00 PM and 3:00 PM, I take a lunch break, handle sales calls, and manage social engagement. In the late afternoon and evening, I focus on another block of deep client work, content creation for Instagram and TikTok, and client calls before unwinding at 9:00 PM.

Mentorship, Proximity, and Building a Team

Taryell Simmons: What is the smartest investment you have ever made, and who do you look to for mentorship?

Joly Tematio: Investing in coaches, masterminds, and mentorship has been my smartest decision because it yields tenfold returns. Proximity is power, and our success is heavily influenced by the people around us. I study industry giants like Jay Abraham, Dan Lok, and Brian Tracy through books, courses, and programs to surround myself with leaders ten steps ahead. When building my agency team, I reached a point of burnout from client fulfillment. I learned to hire for character, chemistry, and coachability, and then train for technical skill sets.

Career Progression and Skill Acquisition

Taryell Simmons: What was your first job, and how did your career progress?

Joly Tematio: In university, I worked cashier and fast food jobs. My first post-graduation role was an internship earning 1,800 monthly, which rose to 2,500 after a promotion. Realizing I wanted higher earnings, I identified high-value skill sets in data science, completed online certifications, and secured a six-figure data science role within one year. However, the long hours kept me from personal fulfillment, prompting me to launch my own business. Marketplaces reward the value and problem-solving capabilities you bring, so investing in yourself opens any door.

Three Pillars of Business Success and Resilience

Taryell Simmons: What are the most important steps you took to build your business?

Joly Tematio: First, deciding on the specific problem to solve and what I wanted to be known for. Second, choosing the right mentors to learn from, which compresses decades of trial into months. Third, maintaining a strong mindset that makes high-level decisions without scarcity or fear. Life has taught me that no matter how difficult a season seems, you can always bounce back by continuing to serve and believing in yourself.

Advice for Aspiring Marketers and Career Changers

Taryell Simmons: What advice would you give to professionals pivoting into marketing or students just starting out?

Joly Tematio: If you feel called to do it, explore it. Entrepreneurship is the ultimate journey of self-discovery. For students and beginners, start by reading books and mastering two essential skills: copywriting and closing. Apply what you learn through real-world client projects, document your journey, and build online visibility through content creation.

The Future of Marketing and Final Thoughts

Taryell Simmons: What does the future hold for the marketing industry, and where can listeners connect with you?

Joly Tematio: Marketing will see increased automation, AI integration, and metaverse expansion. To differentiate themselves, marketers must cultivate irreplaceable creativity, strategic insight, and human connection. I am currently building an online academy to teach high-income marketing skills to minority entrepreneurs. You can find me on Instagram and YouTube at @JolietteMatio. My final advice is to believe in yourself, pursue your goals, and do it scared.

Taryell Simmons: Believe in yourself, go for it, and do it scared. Thank you for joining us on Rise Urban Nation.