We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Harrison Blum a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Harrison , looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
My work ethic is deeply rooted in the belief that success is rarely accidental. It’s something earned, deliberately, incrementally, through discipline, curiosity, and the quiet conviction that the long road is often the most rewarding.
I didn’t take the conventional path as others do in my industry, that’s for sure. I studied music in college, not the safest choice, and definitely not the one that comes with a guaranteed return. My mom and dad, to their credit, didn’t stand in the way, and I think part of my drive still comes from making them proud.
I interned relentlessly, none of them paid. So, I worked two jobs in college while interning every semester. That type of schedule builds character. It wasn’t easy, but honestly, I don’t think I even knew what “hard” was at the time, you just roll with it. I absorbed everything: how teams function under pressure, how to be persuasive and persistent, how to push through a “no” without losing the ability to accept one. My roommate taught me Photoshop, and those early creative skills ended up opening more doors than I ever expected. Those years were about learning to build from zero, which, incidentally, is the foundation of any startup.
When I was finally hired to promote concerts in Dallas, I was essentially handed a blank canvas. The company was in the middle of a major transition, no operational structure, no defined processes, just a small team and a lot of ambition. I worked really hard to build partnerships with LiveNation and AEGLive, which opened the door to bigger venues, bigger opportunities, and significantly higher stakes. Delivering great work mattered deeply to me. I started to see a light at the end of the tunnel. I was getting really good at selling myself, selling an experience, and making my team and other teams look good in the process. That’s when it clicked, I wasn’t just good at marketing. I was great at building teams.
I bought my first company two years after joining as an intern. That was my first rocket ship. I had seen what worked and what didn’t. I believed I could create something better, not just in the output, but in the culture, the ethics, the way people felt showing up to work every day. I remember when my dad asked me if I was worried I’d fail (at running a business). I told him there wasn’t a doubt in my mind that I could do it.
My work ethic today is still shaped by that same engine: a hunger to build, to iterate, and to lead with both empathy and edge. At Social Revolt, I’m constantly balancing paradoxes: vision and execution, scale and soul, client success and team wellness. I’ve learned that being effective is not just about showing up, it’s about showing up as your best.
I’ve built my career on the long game. The slow-earned trust. The compound interest of integrity. And if I ever seem tired, it’s because I have three kids.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Social Revolt is a culture-first brand marketing agency that blends strategy, creativity, and innovation to help brands unlock the potential of underestimated audiences. What drives me isn’t just building a high-performing agency, it’s building one that matters. Social Revolt exists to help brands stand for something meaningful.
We tell stories that move people but the real magic is in finding the right audience. We’re especially proud of the strategy work that powers everything we do, from audience and persona development to messaging frameworks. Because of our success here we’ve activated for brands I once only dreamed of working with, Lyft, W Hotels, Carrier Enterprise, the United Nations.
One of my proudest moments was launching the “Don’t Choose Extinction” campaign with the UN Development Programme. We traveled the world with a seven-foot talking dinosaur (voiced by Jack Black) to raise awareness around fossil fuel subsidies and demand climate action. Our team led the digital strategy and global rollout, and the campaign reached over 1.8 billion people across 75+ countries.
As we look ahead, we’re expanding our capabilities, building smarter systems, and staying grounded in our belief that marketing should be a force for measurable good. One of the most exciting developments is our proprietary Cultural Pulse™ framework, an AI-powered tool that blends data and cultural insight. It’s helping us unlock deeper audience understanding, tell better stories, and give our team the clarity and confidence to move faster.
Outside the agency, I’m committed to mentorship and serving as a strategic advisor for entrepreneurs and creatives across industries. I believe in lifting others as we climb, and that’s at the core of everything I do.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
For those early in their journey, say “yes” often. Seek internships, volunteer on projects, shadow professionals, join committees, anything that gets you real-world experience. Exposure builds confidence and context.
Sharpen your strategic thinking by studying how businesses evolve. Read about founders, experiment with side projects, and stay curious about how things work behind the scenes. Treat every job as a case study.
Build skills around emotional intelligence and communication. Learn how to tell compelling stories (about brands or people), and study what makes teams thrive. Mentorship, both giving and receiving, can be invaluable here.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
My ideal client is a brand that knows who they are, cares deeply about who they serve, and is ambitious to grow in a way that feels uncomfortable at times. I work best with marketing leaders, often at challenger brands, who are hands-on, thoughtful, and aren’t afraid to ask hard questions. They usually have some internal experience with agencies, which means they value the partnership and respect the process. They come to us because they want ideas and also need firepower to execute. I’ve found the most rewarding work comes from clients who are willing to be vulnerable and trust us to challenge them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://socialrevoltagency.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/socialrevolt/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SocialRevolt/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/socialrevoltagency/
- Twitter: https://x.com/socialrevolt_
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