Ep 26 Sanja Komljenovic - Quitting Isn't an Option.

The Marketing Marriage

Desire to be in charge of her own destiny while still creating iconic brand marketing with some of the greatest companies in the world led Sanja Komljenovic to start ONA Creative - a boutique, female-driven brand strategy and creative agency based in Los Angeles. Having spent a good chunk of her career leading digital marketing for men’s basketball - first at LA Clippers then at Nike - she tried to prove that a woman can make it in the men’s world. Her initial motivations have evolved into a deeper purpose - using her voice and the agency’s success to advocate for and to help other women make it to the top. In our candid conversation, Sanja shares:

• The rocky yet rewarding road of entrepreneurship - Her athlete mindset hat doesn’t allow an option to quit
• Thoughtfulness as the secret sauce of ONA Creative
• The power of tapping into authentic communities
• What is keeping her and her clients up at night
• Why you should hand over social media to young people

An immigrant and refugee from Bosnia, Sanja is a living proof of the American Dream. Since founding ONA, she has worked with global brands like Nike, Nordstrom, and Snapchat — as well as well-funded startups, including Zooey Deschanel’s Lettuce Grow and JLo’s Niyama Sol. Most recently, she successfully launched a new campaign for Nike’s basketball at the All-Star Weekend in Utah. And yes, her agency built a court in the middle of salt flats to bring their creative to life in Salt Lake City.