Meet Jessika Frerichs | Head of Marketing

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jessika Frerichs and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jessika, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
I’m still working on balance. When I spent time in Switzerland working at Nestle headquarters, a good friend and colleague from France, Gauthier, once commented, “You Americans, always eating at your desk for lunch! Get out, take a break.” and that stuck with me. It’s all I knew, but he was right. The funny part was that our Director was from the USA, and by the end of that year, Gauthier was also eating at his desk. Growing up in a corporate environment, the balance didn’t exactly exist. My teams worked 16 hour days, and we loved it. We were young, eager to learn, and most of us didn’t have the responsibility of taking care of a family. After I returned from Europe, I decided to take a break from the corporate environment and join my husband in the Agency business, which in marketing automatically signs you up for more hours. That said, we had started a family, and my perspectives changed. I realized that I could still be creative and productive without sacrificing love and attention. I came from a home with two working parents; I knew it could work. Juggling kids and work is always tricky, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love what I do, and my children see that and want to be a part of it. Sometimes they even help with the creative. Networks still have deadlines; features still run the last min, social media never sleeps. Still, the best you can do is try to plan for as much as you can predict and limit the amount of non-dedicated hours you spend away from what you love. To be real, balance is something I’m still working on and probably will be forever.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I joined The Anton Eye in 2014, a year after its creation. My husband had started it with the intent of being a production company. He came from the skateboarding industry, which is built on media and creativity, so when Anton started working with brands outside of action sports, he quickly realized that Anton had much more to offer. In today’s world, brands/projects really need more media support than ever. We focus on what we call “strategic media development and distribution,” in other words, we help clients identify their goals and build strategic media to help them achieve those goals. That can be a social media post, a billboard design, a broadcast commercial, or anything in-between. In my first year at Anton, we shot a snack commercial and all of Lil Wayne’sclothing company and album/tour media within two weeks. It’s always something different, which keeps it refreshing, diverse, and allows us to share learnings across industries. Currently, along with co-managing the agency, I’ve taken on a larger strategic marketing role with one of our clients, an India-Inspired yogurt brand named DAH!.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m not much of an itinerary person, but I’d say: “while I’m at work, here ya go!” Just kidding. If I had a week free with them, I think I’d do the following:

Monday: • Coffee at Zumbar • Visit Balboa Park and check out MOMA and the Museum of Man • Lunch or Dinner at the Prado

Tuesday: • Coffee at Zumbar • Go Horseback riding near the border • Lunch/Dinner at Barbusa in Little Italy

Wednesday: • Coffee at Zumbar • Kayak La Jolla Cove • Grab food at GoodOnYa

Thursday: • Coffee at Zumbar • Beach Day • Grab food at the Fish Shop or Fish 101

Friday: • Coffee at Zumbar (Can you tell I like Zumbar?) • Hike Torrey Pines and check out the tidepools • Set up some time to play on the wheel at Clay and Craft in Leucadia

Saturday: • Spend a night at the Inn at Moonlight Beach; I really love the space the new owners have created. • Set up spa treatments at Four Moons Spa

Sunday: • Coffee at Steel Mill • Farmers Market in Encinitas • Hike the Elfin Forest trails up to the water reserve

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’m not sure there’s enough space in your article! I’ve been extremely fortunate to have stellar humans around me since I was young to guide me, let me fall, and then help me up. Today, who I am is because of all the lessons I’ve learned from my parents, friends, peers, fantastic managers, crappy managers, clients, kids, and my husband.

Website: https://www.theantoneye.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessikajif/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessika-frerichs-941aa63

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theantoneye

Image Credits
Josh Vargo Natalia Wrobel Tamar Levin Ted Newsome Jesse Fritsch