About Jimmy

Jimmy Slagle, a Fargo native, is the Co-Founder of a Fargo-based marketing company known as Trend Z. Jimmy attended both the University of Minnesota and North Dakota State University before tackling his business idea head-on.  Opportunities such as working at a bank for a summer internship revealed to Jimmy where his passions did not lie. He quickly realized that desire for something is more important than taking the traditional route of choosing a profession. He and his best friend, and fellow Co-Founder of Trend Z, Lucas Sjule, spent numerous hours brainstorming ideas, guiding one another through the creative processes, and focusing on how their content could add value to their audience(s). “The energy and passion I got from the planning, strategizing, and executing made me realize that this was my calling,” stated Jimmy in a written statement. 

 

Trend Z was founded in 2021 by Jimmy Slagle and Lucas Sjule. “We specialize in building your TikTok presence. This is done through content creation and influencer marketing on the platform.” Trend Z has had many high points, such as being accepted into the Future Founders, a fast-growing team, becoming connected with numerous business leaders in the Fargo/Moorhead area, and signing their first business deal at a gas station. Like any great thing, the challenges help the individuals involved to grow and to persevere. According to Jimmy, some challenges with having your own business include the unknown of personally getting paid, overcoming the mentality of always wanting to work, learning to turn off the switch, and learning how to overcome disappointments internally and externally. “We always want to provide more in value than we receive in compensation – that ties our whole business together,” says Jimmy.

 

About Trend Z

Trend Z is a marketing organization that utilizes the social platform TikTok. “Our core mission is to help everyone in our ecosystem achieve their biggest dreams and goals. Effectively using TikTok can completely transform brands and help them achieve their dreams.” Trend Z works with individuals who provide feedback on content creation that follows specific trends, Gen Z insights, and data that helps them to build a loyal following. Many brands have 30+ year-olds working on TikTok content, which tends to swerve from young individuals’ trends. Ineffective marketing is the main issue that Trend Z sways away from; following the directions encourages the younger generation’s involvement with their marketing tactics. Hiring young individuals gives Trend Z insight into their interests, as well as their peers. “The more you can invest now, the better positioned your brand will be five-10 years from now,” states Jimmy. Part of investing for Trend Z is investing in individuals through risk hiring. Focusing on a young individual’s drive and work ethic, rather than focusing on the number of years of experience they have under their belt, is more beneficial than hiring an older individual with fewer insights into the younger generation. 

Give Trend Z a follow on their TikTok and Instagram: @trend_z_team and follow along as they continue to create content that you will love!

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Quinn Wrigley

Quinn is the Emerging Prairie Events Intern, engaging in the organization’s entrepreneurial ecosystem community. In addition, she is also a North Dakota native and a student at Concordia studying Political Science and Business.