Annie Liao Jones

An Epitome of Finding Strength in Yourself

Annie Liao Jones
An Epitome of Finding Strength in Yourself

The success story of a business largely depends on the marketing strategy it deploys. An effective business marketing strategy helps in boosting growth as well as growing the number of consumers for a business. Even when a business provides the best products and services, it is important for people to know about it. This is where marketing firms come in as the providers of quality consulting, enabling the right reach focused towards the right people. Annie Liao Jones’ story as a capable women leader in marketing, began on these very lines, serving as the Founder and CEO of Rock Candy Media, in turn, helping several businesses build a reputation of their own, leading towards a better trust among their customers.

Born in Dallas, Texas to immigrant parents from Taiwan, Annie Liao Jones is proud of her position as a dual-citizen. Since her early years, she clearly stood out in terms of her future goals and always looked forward towards starting something on her own. She often dreamt of types of companies and businesses that existed around her, and always found someone to get inspired by and eventually worked towards it. Born an outsider and being different from the other kids made her more observant, and have a totally different viewpoint on life, which guided her through her career. Also, her brief stay in Taiwan led to the company’s name – Rock Candy Media, taking inspiration from Taiwanese desserts, which were just made from sugar.

Today her role at Rock Candy Media as a Founder has morphed into a partnership, which is beneficially leading towards expanding their video division. “Rock Candy Media has its own ventures in the form of Case Studies – to show the world that we walk the talk”, shared – Annie Liao Jones, elaborating on the current position of her marketing firm. She continued – “To maintain our brand value and stay relevant, we make sure each venture is treated as a genuine business we are passionate about and are determined to succeed because we always have something to prove”.

An untapped reservoir of talent and hardwork

A very adamant admirer of the head of GoPro and his quote – “early success can make you prone to fail later”, Annie Liao Jones always believes in staying five years ahead. She regularly engages with her clients and reads about their industry trends. She’s a complete go-getter and likes open-minded people who can always bring something new to the table, be it visions or perspectives. A person who doesn’t like being pigeon-holed as a female, but wants to be judged on my accomplishments as they are, regardless of gender, Annie Liao Jones shares – “I’m also not politically correct and I find that helps our clients succeed, and in terms of my second foray into retail”. She adds – “I suspect customers will want authenticity and the passion one has in creating something and communicating that truth into the world will resonate”. Beyond Rock Candy Media, Annie Liao Jones is the founder of Royal Malady, a lifestyle brand, Bag the Format, a sponsorship marketing disruptor.

Operating as an underdog for the 3rd time in her illustrious life is her motivation to progress effectively. Aiming towards making a future bright based on her innate talent and dedication, she feels as the Founder of 3 companies is to admit being in denial of sorts for longer than she has ever been before, and to get herself out of it on her own terms. Being straightforward is her MANTRA, which sometimes can be risky, but Annie Liao Jones enjoys staying in this zone.

One more important aspect of her life which has always got her going is that she is well-prepared before doing big things. Adding a point on this, she states – “Do it when you have nothing to lose and never stop making fun of yourself, Stay humble or you won’t learn”. She always advises budding entrepreneurs to be wary of ‘yes’ people, but suggests keeping the ones that provide endless support and know you around as well. She also adds – “Don’t let people you don’t know bring you down”.

Pandemic and beyond

As the world changed drastically during the pandemic, life of serial entrepreneur Annie Liao Jones was no different, and she had her share of joys and sorrows that came along. Even though it was challenging in terms of communication, she and all her brands thrived in this chaos and she efficiently navigated her role as the leader, helping all her subordinates and colleagues in their respective times of need.

A firm believer of bloom where you are planted, Annie Liao Jones never sought outside investors, as she knew this would hinder her freedom and ability to adapt, and make changes. Also, being that person who is always striving towards reversing the inevitable, especially when it comes to mindsets, Annie Liao Jones feels it’s important to acknowledge fear. She states – “By acknowledging fear, we can then overcome obstacles standing in our way”. Furthermore talking about how she envisions a bright future for Rock Candy Media, Annie Liao Jones states – “My current goal in life is to always be thinking about adapting, and making more projects under RCM Labs, as work is life to me”.

Leading towards change

Even though in many societies across the globe, gender relationships are changing and inequalities between men and women are questioned in virtually every sphere – at work, in the home, and in public affairs. Yet the cold, hard facts show that gender gaps and inequalities persist even in the face of startling social and economic transformations. Annie Liao Jones’ opinion on gender equality is and will remain very clear – people should be judged in terms of accomplishments and not think in terms of gender. In terms of society as a whole, she feels that we are regressing, and finds it annoying that the herd mentality seems to be winning. “I always want to know what’s trending and curiosity seems to be waning and that isn’t the type of world I want to live in so I’m working hard to see if I can expand hearts and minds”, she concludes.

An open message to all the girls of the world by Annie Liao Jones

Dear girls of the world,

Keeping it real will get you far in life if you speak up for what you want, stand up against anyone who says you can’t do big things, and challenge convention. And by that, you first have to challenge yourself. Go out of your comfort zone and you will be rewarded. Don’t suffer in silence. The choice is yours. Also, always be on the lookout for mentorship opportunities, and don’t seek a mentor who is exactly like you. Seek someone out that you admire but do not know yet to keep things interesting.

Company

Rock Candy Media

Management

Annie Liao jones
Founder & CEO

Description

Annie Liao Jones is the founder of Rock Candy Media, an Austin-based full-service advertising agency specializing in areas like branding, digital marketing, design, and earned media. Jones says starting her company was one of the scariest things she’s ever done, ranking alongside having a child. “They both required making ‘heart over head’ leaps,” she said.