The last time “06880” featured Jake Motyl, the Staples High School Class of 2021 member was teaching seniors — those at the Senior Center, that is — how to use electronic devices, join a Zoom chat, and otherwise cope with the digital world.
He organized a club: SMORES (Social Media Outreach Educators).
Jake Motyl
Now — with a degree from the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business — he’s working with a much younger group.
They’re even younger than he is: college sorority women. But once again, technology ties them together.
As Jake realized that his first job after graduation — consulting — was not for him, his longtime Westport friend Josh Suggs encouraged him to embrace his entrepreneurial spirit.
(Josh dropped out of Syracuse University to start Street Talk, an advertising agency that turns street interviews into viral social media and TV ads for consumer brands.)
Josh connected Jake to a jewelry brand that needed content creators. They’d pay $1,000, if he could find 10.
Jake messaged his friends, and posted on TikTok. Nothing.
Then his brother’s girlfriend texted her sorority group chat, mentioning free jewelry. Jake’s phone blew up.
He delivered dozens of content creators. He made $4,000.
Jake Motyl, at work.
Jake connected with 2 other brands. But managing so many young women was time consuming.
Then he discovered RushTok.
The viral media phenomenon documents sorority recruitment. It’s huge at Southern schools like the University of Alabama.
Potential members post TikToks detailing their outfits. Chapters also put on synchronized dance routines — the more elaborate, the better.
It’s transformed Rush Week into a massive marketing effort. Big brands have jumped in; some sorority members (and hopefuls) have become major social influencers.
Jake realized he could outfit everyone for a dance video, with clothes and accessories. There was much more power in those numbers.
Jake Motyl, organizing a campus dance shoot. (Photo/Madie Huynh for the Wall Street Journal)
His post about his project went viral. BodyArmor called about their sports drinks. Business boomed.
He was still working at his consulting job. On his lunch hour Jake would bike to the gym, and take sales calls.
He realized he had to take a leap, and dive in full time.
“My parents thought I was crazy,” Jake says. “But I knew if I stayed for a year, I wouldn’t leave. I knew I could make this work.”
A year ago, he quit. He started Campus Launch, and hired 2 interns to do cold outreach.
One contacted Nike. The behemoth company signed on. So did Benefit Cosmetics.
In June, Jake hired his first employee: a former sorority chapter president.
August — when many sororities participate in RuskTok — was crazy. Nike’s campaign went viral. Fox Entertainment called.
Work is hard, but Jake Motyl is managing.
Jake is convinced he made the right move. As he conquers the sorority space, he has a new goal. “I want to be the largest campus marketing agency in the world,” he says.
“I threw myself in the pool,” he notes. “I took business and entrepreneurship courses in college. But I had to jump in and learn.”
In fact, he says, “I learned more in 1 month of work than 4 years of college.” That includes outreach, hiring, building a business.
And everything there is to know about sorority rush.
(“06880” reports often on Staples graduates, interesting business ventures — and, like today, their intersection. If you enjoy stories like this, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
