We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Christina Iskandar. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Christina below.
Hi Christina, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
My work ethic comes from one profound and unwavering source: my grandfather, Anthony Scalice, or as I lovingly call him, Pa.
Born in Brooklyn as a child of Sicilian immigrants, Pa embodies the classic American dream, built steadily and patiently with his own hands. He served as an Army veteran and later became a corporate fixer in New York City. He carved out success in an industry that might seem alien to younger generations today: pay phones. Yet, the lessons he passed down transcend industries and generations.
Pa’s influence didn’t come only through stories, although he certainly has plenty of those. More than anything, it came through his daily actions. At 87 years old, he still wakes up every morning to run a mile. His quiet, consistent discipline has deeply shaped my understanding of commitment.
From his childhood memories of waking early in a packed one-room apartment shared with family to replenish coal in the burner, to rising up the corporate ranks to become CEO of several successful companies, Pa has shown me ambition tempered with humility. One of his favorite sayings captures his philosophy perfectly: “You don’t need to be the smartest person in the room, but you need to surround yourself with the smartest people.”
Beneath Pa’s steady work ethic lay another vital lesson. He believed that to truly control your destiny, you need to own your own business. That unwavering conviction pushed me to embrace entrepreneurship as the pathway to authentic success.
Education also held a special place in Pa’s teachings. He encouraged me to pursue my undergraduate degree and MBA, fully understanding the doors education could unlock, especially as a woman navigating corporate environments. I vividly remember childhood “Bring Your Child to Work” days. Proudly wearing my ID badge, I absorbed firsthand the buzzing energy of New York offices. Those moments quietly taught me the power of confidently using my voice, even in rooms that might feel intimidating.
But perhaps the most impactful advice Pa ever shared was deceptively simple: shoot for your dreams because “you only get what you accept.” He illustrated this by recounting one of his earliest high-stakes negotiations. He asked for a number far greater than he ever dreamed possible—and secured the deal. Now, every time I send out a contract bigger than I could have imagined, I think of Pa and that bold moment.
This lesson lies at the heart of my own work ethic today. Success isn’t handed out freely. It’s earned by showing up boldly, every single day, and never being afraid to ask for what you truly want. Every time I take a leap, I hear Pa’s voice behind me, reminding me exactly why it’s worth it.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I’m Christina Iskandar, founder of Nurture Productivity, where my husband Marc and I help boutique marketing agencies scale sustainably. Our mission is to help agency owners break free from the cycle of reactive chaos and step into proactive, creative growth.
Many agency owners launch their businesses driven by passion for creative storytelling and impactful marketing. Rarely, however, do they get into the industry because they love managing projects, fine-tuning operations, or handling logistics. Yet, as agencies begin to scale, especially around the $500K to $1M revenue mark, operational complexity inevitably starts creeping in. A key team member resigns unexpectedly, or a new major client brings unforeseen demands. Before long, running the business feels more like putting out fires than doing great work.
That’s precisely the scenario Nurture Productivity was created to solve. We build tailored systems, workflows, and automations using powerful platforms like ClickUp and HubSpot. By creating smarter, more intuitive processes, we help marketing teams refocus on their creative strengths without burnout. Marc brings deep experience in AI and automation, while my expertise lies in creating streamlined systems that put people first.
We recently achieved a milestone we’re particularly proud of: leveling up from HubSpot Providers to official HubSpot Solutions Partners. While we’ve always helped our clients integrate their marketing, sales, and service systems, becoming partners takes our capabilities further. Now we have direct access to HubSpot’s partner resources, dedicated specialists, and advanced integrations. That means faster implementations, cleaner system rollouts, and first-hand insights into powerful new tools that benefit our clients immediately.
The results we’ve delivered for our clients speak volumes. In less than two years, we’ve fired over 100,000 automations, saved teams more than 15,000 employee hours, and generated nearly half a million dollars in cost savings across our client base.
Ultimately, our HubSpot partnership complements our existing core offerings beautifully. Whether designing streamlined ClickUp workflows, AI-driven automations, or customized operational solutions, our goal remains constant: productivity tools should serve people, not overwhelm them. With our enhanced capabilities, we’re better positioned than ever to help agencies create clear, cohesive, and scalable systems. Systems that nurture creativity, foster sustainable growth, and bring genuine joy back into agency life.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Looking back, three key lessons have transformed my journey as an entrepreneur: grit, finding my niche, and nurturing genuine relationships.
Grit is the quiet, steady force behind entrepreneurial success. My own path to building Nurture Productivity started after I was diagnosed with a rare, debilitating venous condition. At my worst, I could barely walk, much less imagine launching a business. In those uncertain moments, grit meant patience, hope, and resilience. It meant reframing a personal crisis as an opportunity to create the life I truly wanted. If you’re early in your own entrepreneurial journey, understand that grit isn’t endless hustle. It’s the commitment to persist through inevitable challenges and setbacks, knowing the most rewarding successes are often found just beyond discomfort.
The second pivotal moment was discovering the power of specialization. Early on, like many entrepreneurs, I mistakenly believed success required being everything to everyone. This only led to exhaustion, diluted strengths, and constant overwhelm. My first breakthrough came when I realized my niche didn’t have to be an industry. I could specialize in powerful productivity tools, specifically ClickUp and HubSpot. This allowed me to sharpen my expertise and deliver precisely targeted solutions.
From there, I discovered an even deeper level of specialization: niching down further into boutique marketing agencies. By solving operational challenges uniquely relevant to these businesses, my impact significantly increased. My advice for anyone early in their journey is this: resist the urge to chase breadth over depth. Your most meaningful success will come when you find the intersection of your passion, your strongest expertise, and the market’s genuine needs.
Finally, I’ve learned the importance of nurturing authentic relationships. Early in my corporate career, I was exposed to highly competitive, sometimes toxic environments, where it seemed like opportunities were always scarce. Yet as I’ve built Nurture Productivity, I’ve found the opposite to be true. Every client we’ve secured has come directly from referrals and strong relationships built on genuine trust, care, and mutual value. My advice to others is to focus less on immediate transactions and more on investing authentically in those around you. True networks grow naturally when you consistently give more than you take.
These three lessons form the foundation of sustainable success. If you’re just starting out, remember: embrace challenges with resilience, specialize boldly, and nurture your connections genuinely. The rest will follow.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
Yes, we’re always excited to connect and collaborate with like-minded marketing agency owners who share our passion for building sustainable, fulfilling, and creatively-driven businesses. We’re especially eager to partner with leaders who value both thoughtful growth and the well-being of their teams, and who believe that streamlined operations lead directly to more effective, rewarding work.
If you’re an agency owner feeling the pinch of complexity as you scale, we’d love to hear from you. Perhaps you’re looking to leverage automation and AI to regain control, or maybe you need support to streamline workflows and eliminate unnecessary stress. Whatever your situation, we’re here to support you.
For example, we recently collaborated with an agency to revamp their project management system, resulting in a 27% increase in billable hours. Collaborations like these are exactly why we do what we do.
If this resonates with you and you’d like to explore possibilities together, the best way to connect is by emailing me directly at [email protected] or visiting our website at nurtureproductivity.com. We don’t believe in high-pressure sales tactics—instead, we start each new relationship with a genuine conversation to see how we can best support each other. Let’s connect and build something meaningful together.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://nurtureproductivity.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nurtureproductivity/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nurtureproductivity
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nurture-productivity
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