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Up & Comers: Giving A Young 'Un A Chance
Tiffany Patterson links a luxury brand to a consumer’s self-image.
by Mary Welch
September 26, 2008
T
iffany Patterson relies on two core beliefs. The first is her faith. "I'm on a crazy ride
so I'll sit upright, be safe and be glad I'm not driving."
The second is the motto from her alma mater, Clark Atlanta University. "It was pressed into
my head for four years: I’ll Find a Way or Make One."
The two tenets
made for a powerful combination as the 29-year-old founded The Opulent Influence Agency, a
marketing, public relations and event-planning agency that focuses on developing strategic
initiatives that promote a luxury lifestyle for top brands. Among the 2-year-old agency's clients
are Island Def Jam, Procter & Gamble, Cadillac and the City of Atlanta.
A native of Plano, Texas, Patterson came to Atlanta to attend Clark Atlanta University,
intent on being a lawyer. "I thought that my character, skills and the way I delve into
issues would make me a good lawyer."
However, Clark Atlanta University "opened up the entire world of possibilities" to her and
she graduated in 2001 with a degree in business, with a concentration in marketing. She took a job
with the Chubb Group as an underwriter and was enrolled in its leadership program in which she
developed skills such as contract negotiation, sales, brand development and business
development/management consulting. "There were a lot of disciplines bundled under one business
umbrella, and I really thrived on the sales and business development end."
She was selected by the management and professional liability (MPL) department to develop
sales and marketing initiatives and manage loyalty programs throughout the Southeast.
At 23, she was approached by CNA Financial Corp., a major Chubb competitor, to open and
develop a MPL department. "I kept asking, 'why me?' But I've been blessed to have people see the
light in me even if I couldn't." She eventually built up a $5 million portfolio as well as managing
sales programs, forecasts and events and portfolios.
"Though my environment molded me I did not quite fit in such a grey world. I am more
abstract, and I thrive best when I am able to be innovative and create in color. I wanted to leave
but didn't know what path I would take. Then one day HR came in and announced the department was
being reorganized. I was out of there."
Without any job offers, she didn't work for a couple of months. "And then it happened just
like that," she says. "I'm a spiritual person, and I had faith. I stood still in place, and it just
happened. My mentor Vicky Free told me that even in my darkest hour I'm still shining and that my
future would be so bright. It was positive people like that who kept me going."
To expand her services, Patterson brought in two partners, Stacey Lee and Bria Bryant. A
former Miss Michigan USA, Lee is a graduate of Clark Atlanta University and Georgia Tech with
degrees in math and industrial engineering. She also has an MBA in marketing. Lee is in
charge of the events and promotions division. Bryant, who is in charge of the public relations
division, is also a writer and fashion consultant.
She adds, "We started out doing events, and then we started taking on more responsibility.
... I made some cold calls and networked, and I really think there were some people who decided to
give the young 'un a chance. And then after we exceeded beyond their expectations, we were given
another opportunity."
"We understand the needs of our clients, and we have a commitment to them that we will
position them in the best way that will affect their bottom dollar. We want them to secure a
relationship with their consumers and in the marketplace. We provide clients with information
regarding multi-cultural lifestyles and transform this information into a program that will create
a mirror affect between the brand image and the consumer's self image. We may be beginners, but we
understand branding and where and when customers are going to spend their money."
Vicky L. Free, vice president of entertainment marketing for Turner Broadcasting System, TNT
and Turner Classic Movies, believes strongly in Patterson's talent. "When I first met Tiffany
approximately three years ago, her passion for marketing and entrepreneurship was electric," she
says. "She has an incredible sense of focus, and her passion gives her an unmatched drive. Tiffany
embodies the spirit of the classic phrase 'young, black and fabulous,' and her infectious smile and
energy wins friends and business."
The Opulent Influence Agency has often been partnered with larger, more experienced agencies
to pull off events and other promotions. That may soon change.
"We have had the honor of working alongside one of the most respected ad agencies in the
world.," she says. "We are so grateful and honored for theopportunity to learn from the best. We're
willing to waitour turn, and it'll come."
She continues, "I know I'm still a rookie, and that's OK ... But the experience I have
gotten and the journey I've been on is priceless. I've been blessed beyond anything I could have
created by myself."
