Local marketing agency that serves clients worldwide is one of America’s ‘fastest-growing companies’
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IDAHO FALLS — Dalin Bernard and Chris Parrett were just two high school graduates from Rigby when they launched a digital marketing company six years ago.
Today, Social Hustle, based in Idaho Falls, is a multi-million dollar brand with about 30 employees that serves hundreds of clients all over the world. It recently made the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing companies and is one of 25 Idaho businesses to make the list.
Though Parrett has some college experience, Bernard has never attended college, and on paper, Bernard tells EastIdahoNews.com this level of success wasn’t supposed to happen. It’s “a surreal moment” for him as he reflects on how far they’ve come.
“When you have dreams and goals, you’re so focused on the work that time can pass really fast. You forget how long you’ve been doing something and what you’ve been able to achieve. To take a moment and (reflect on that) … is pretty surreal,” Bernard says.
Building a brand
Being an entrepreneur was Bernard’s ambition from the time he was a kid. The 33-year-old came of age when social media was a new concept and people were still learning how it worked.
He tapped into that early on and determined it was the ticket to living the life of his dreams.
“I wanted to have freedom and I didn’t want to be committed to work in one place. I wanted to travel the world and still be able to work and make a difference,” says Bernard. “That led me into digital marketing.”
After high school, he moved to California and got his first job as a digital marketing manager for a software company in San Francisco.
“I was running Facebook and Instagram ads and it was my job to oversee the performance of all that. That’s how I met Chris,” he says. “He was managing our Google ads and I was incredibly impressed with him.”
Parrett is a “genius” when it comes to building brands and generating revenue, Bernard says, and he’s been a vital part of Social Hustle’s success.
The two joined forces in 2018 to launch their brand and a then up-and-coming jewelry business became their first client. GLD, founded by Pittsburgh native Christian Johnson, makes bracelets, pendants, chains, watches and other jewelry that caters to the sports and hip hop community.
Bernard explains Johnson was a photographer for Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa and other celebrities. He wanted to be a part of marketing Johnson’s products.
“We were on a 100% commission basis,” Bernard recalls. “We didn’t have any sort of credibility or track record and they didn’t have any money.”
GLD is now an official licensee for the NBA, NFL, NCAA and Major League Baseball, according to its website. It earns $300 million in annual sales and remains a Social Hustle client to this day.
“We have run all of their marketing since day one,” Bernard says. “They spend millions of dollars in marketing every single month. They were a blessing for us and allowed us to learn and grow our business.”
Bernard praises his employees’ efforts, who he says are the ones working with creators and influencers and are responsible for Social Hustle’s growth.
He’s proud of his team, who don’t get any public recognition, and he hopes the business’s inclusion on the Inc. 5000 list gives them a sense of accomplishment. See the full list here.
Social Hustle is Bernard’s passion and he feels “really lucky” to be at the helm of a successful venture.
“I couldn’t see myself doing anything else,” says Bernard. “It doesn’t matter the size of the business. I am a dreamer and I believe anyone can do anything they want and I’m here to facilitate that.”
Most of the Idaho companies who made the Inc. 5000 list are on the western side of the state. A Chubbuck business, Idaho Fire & Flood Restoration, is also on the list.
Two other Idaho Falls companies are on the list as well: Blue Phoenix Branding powered by PROforma and Stukent, which EastIdahoNews.com highlighted in a story earlier this year.