Lifestyle

Canadian born Marcus Troy is the mastermind behind creative branding campaigns for some very big names in sports and entertainment – not to mention he’s got an upcoming project with a Hip-Hop super producer. Besides being a creative marketing genius, Marcus Troy represents fashion, tech, all-around creativity, and most importantly, education. So, like a true renaissance man, he took to the digital space to share what we know as the "Marcus Troy Experience." In this lifestyle blog, he shares his past, present and upcoming projects, as well as his worldwide travels, personal style musings, favorite music and more. We had a chance to catch up with Canada's creative cool kid to pick his brain about his successes and the "real" Marcus Troy.

How did you get your start in the industry?

MT: There was no magical potion that I drank. No, one, two, snap. A lot of times people are always just trying to figure out if they actually wanna do something. You just gotta do it unfortunately – or fortunately. You just gotta start it, and do it. That's how you things get started. That's how I got started.

Did you work for an agency before?

MT: Never in my life. I've never worked for an agency. I worked for companies that dabbled in fashion and fashion companies, but I never worked for an agency. I never worked for a marketing firm. It was never really part of what I wanted to do. I guess that's what a lot of people think they have to do, but that was never my journey.

What is one tech device that you can't live without?

MT: To be honest with you, I can live without anything. All I really need is the higher power, God, to guide me. But in terms of the things that I use daily, that are part of my everyday carry, I'd have to say it's my cellphone. I have a blackberry, and I have two other smartphones.

…Why three phones?

MT: So, one phone is my U.S phone. My blackberry is for emails and business, and the other is for pleasure like Instagram and Twitter.

When you're not blogging or creating, what is Marcus Troy doing?

MT: I like to hang out with friends. I like to host friends and act like I'm a bartender, and make drinks. I actually created a drink called the Marcus-Troni.

And what’s in that?

MT: It's only gin, but the contents change all the time. It doesn't matter what it is. It's called the Marcus-Troni.

How did you get to the level of success you are now?

MT: I've worked with a lot of great people, I've done a lot of great things. I've had so many great opportunities. I've been extremely blessed in my life, but... I'm not successful yet, I'm on a journey. I'm on a successful path. 

What inspires you in your industry?

MT: I haven't really been feeling inspired as of late, to be honest with you. I'm looking for a deeper inspiration. I'm looking for something that's gonna push me to the next level. But, creative people inspire me, people with new ideas inspire me. Right now, everybody just seems to be on the same wavelength, same thing, same path, the same frequency. That's probably why I'm not being inspired right now.

How would you define style?

MT: Style is very personal. It's the way you groom yourself, the way you put things together. It's really unique. Everyone has a style. Some people have bad style, some people have great style. It’s personal. If I were to define my style, I would like to say my style is more like water.  It's very flexible. It's very accommodating. I don’t follow trends. I like nice things. I like things that fit me properly. Fitting me properly could either mean fitted, or it could be baggy – I just need it to fit. My style is very flexible.

Have you faced any major setbacks since you’ve been in your industry?

MT: Every setback to me is an opportunity to move forward and to work harder. I've done projects that weren’t as successful as others. I put things out to the world that didn't resonate the way that I intended them to. But it's not really a setback; it’s more of a step forward. I'd rather be that person who tried a lot, than the person who never tried anything because I was afraid to fail.

What advice would you give to young people wanting to follow in your footsteps?

MT: I wouldn’t say follow my footsteps. I’d tell them, our parents were right. Education is so key. It’s so important. Finish school, get a hundred degrees. Just learn everything. Learn as much as you can. Become undeniable, by knowing everything that there is to know about anything. I think when you learn as much as you can, that puts you in a position where you’re able to make things happen for yourself.

My advantage that I had when I was like 16 was that people liked the way I thought about stuff. Because I was perceptive, I wanted to know anything that was happening in a given industry. And I knew anything and everything about an industry, or you thought I did, at least. I knew enough to peak people’s curiosity about who I was and what I was about. And I think now, as I consult with brands and I work with companies, and I try to guide them to do things a certain way, what they appreciate about me is that I pay attention, and paying attention is free. Getting educated on your industry and what’s around you and learning things is so valuable. If I could give advice to anyone it would be to learn as much as you can.

What's next for Marcus Troy?

MT: Aside from my upcoming collab with one of Hip Hop's greatest producers, I’m dabbling in giving my readers and people who are down with my movement tangible things from me. I have ideas. I like to try new things. Trying my hand in products and things that are tangible excites me a little.

To find out more about Marcus Troy, visit his website at marcustroy.com or follow him on Twitter at @marcustroy.