Marty Martinez is the first in his family to graduate high school and college.

As the son of immigrant parents who were both farmworkers, he learned the value of hard work, but his reality growing up was glaring.

“When I went to college, I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up… I didn’t really know what a successful Latino looked like,” said Martinez.

Furthermore, he noted that he knew more individuals who got caught up in gangs and drugs than those who graduated high school.

When Martinez got accepted to the University of Missouri, his choice of what major to declare was determined by a Google search.

Upon searching for majors with the highest average salary, he landed on finance and accounting. 

“I was going to college and I took a lot of accounting courses and realized very quickly that it wasn’t something that I was passionate about,” Martinez reflected. 

Sitting in a cubicle and doing the “rinse and repeat” model of accounting during a few internships confirmed that it wasn’t the career path he wanted to pursue.

After earning his degree in finance from the University of Missouri-Columbia, Martinez accepted a position with a Dallas-based winery and distributor, which is what originally brought him to Dallas. 

His nearly two-year tenure as part of the company’s management development program taught Martinez a lot. 

“I really loved the job, but I had a really bad boss,” he said. “And that’s when I learned really the importance of leadership.”

The experience taught him what not to do as a leader. However, while everyone around him was quitting and seeking other job opportunities, he stuck around for longer than he likely should have.

Then one day, Martinez woke up upset, coming to the realization of how unhappy he was at his job. From there, he went to his boss, expressed his concerns, and resigned from his role. 

“And so I ended up quitting. I had no idea what I was going to do,” he said. 

Starting a New Chapter

After leaving his job, Martinez started going to networking events to see what other opportunities were out there.

From there, he learned about startups. Growing up with such humble beginnings, he wasn’t initially aware of what a startup was, but was eager to learn. 

“I was inspired by meeting these young entrepreneurs that were mid-20s that was the founder of this and the founder of that, and I had no idea that I wanted to start my own company, but I knew that I wanted to work in a startup,” he said. 

It intrigued him to wear multiple hats and feel like his work had meaning and purpose, while he could see his impact taking shape “as opposed to working in a big company where you’re just one cog in this large system,” he said.

As he imagined what the future landscape of the marketing and advertising space would be, Martinez had a strong feeling that social media would have a huge role to play. 

“I had a feeling that social media would start to change the way businesses interact with consumers,” he said. 

Subsequently, Martinez decided to join a startup marketing agency, becoming just the second person to work at the startup aside from its founder. 

During his tenure, he picked up as much information as he could about the marketing world with the goal of eventually launching his own company. 

Founder of Social Revolt

In 2014, Martinez took a leap of faith and decided to launch his own startup. 

Martinez is the founder and CEO of Social Revolt, a multicultural marketing and advertising agency that seeks to create insightful digital solutions for its various clients.

“In hindsight, I was not ready to start my own company, but there I was, putting a flag in the ground and trying to start a business,” he reflected.

Martinez admits that the first year was “probably the hardest of my life,” he noted. 

He was just starting out, very little money was coming in, and he was struggling to navigate how to operate a business at the time as a solopreneur.

That first year, however, helped Martinez learn how to be resilient. Despite the challenges and the uncertainty surrounding whether his company could survive, Martinez stuck with it. 

Fast forward nearly a decade later and the agency has partnered with some of the biggest brands from American Airlines to Live Nation, Toyota, and countless others. 

Social Revolt is at the forefront of digital advertising and social strategy with the goal of shaping conversations to build brands, grow influence, and accelerate business growth. 

Advocating for the Latino Community

In addition to running his business, Martinez is also a dedicated advocate for Latinos and has developed into a prominent thought leader in this space.  

One of the slogans that drives Social Revolt’s mission is: “Advocacy is in Our DNA.”

It’s a slogan that ties perfectly to Martinez’s mission. 

“I think the most fulfillment comes from the work I do in the social impact space,” said Martinez. 

In 2019, Martinez took part in the first-ever Hispanic delegation at the World Economic Forum.

“Ever since then, I’ve kind of viewed the work that I do within the Hispanic community as my calling in life to dedicate the time and resources and expertise that I have to help change the narrative within the Hispanic community,” he underscored. 

That desire has helped Martinez go beyond helping the Latino community in Dallas or the state of Texas. His impact has gotten to the national and global levels. 

“I’m playing a small role on the global stage and thinking of where I started and where I am now, I feel very fortunate. It’s honestly kind of surreal sometimes to think just how far I’ve come,” he concluded.