Marketer Spotlight: Dijana Ilieva

How did you get into marketing?

Funny story – I was in nursing school, while also helping my family pizzeria, New York New York Pizza in Tampa, Fl with their marketing efforts when I met the CEO and Founder of Patron, Ed Brown. After a short conversation, he told me to call him when I was finished with school, because he believed I’d be better suited to help him with marketing at Patron Tequila. A few weeks later, I flew to Boston to interview for a marketing role through their agency, Next Level Marketing, to help with the launch of Ultimat Vodka and the rest is history.

What is your biggest marketing challenge right now?

One of the biggest challenges I’m seeing right now is maintaining authenticity while leveraging AI-generated content.

AI makes it easy to scale—faster production, more content, wider reach—but it also risks diluting a brand’s voice. I’m finding that the real challenge isn’t just about using AI, it’s about using it well without losing the emotional resonance or originality that makes a brand feel human.

Audiences are quick to scroll past anything that feels generic or soulless. So the sweet spot is in blending machine efficiency with human storytelling. That’s where the magic happens: scale with soul.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Take more risks. It’s ok to hear “no,” as it helps you grow and build character. Be open to trusting others, but stay grounded in your own values when choosing what to accept.

What were you missing out on before you joined SUM?

Before SUM, I was marketing in my own lane. Since joining, it’s felt like someone handed me the keys to a room full of CMOs, founders, and execs who actually want to help you win.

The network I’ve built here has been a game changer for me. Whether it’s referrals, resources, or real talk from people who’ve been there, it’s already opened doors to client opportunities and projects I wouldn’t have found otherwise. SUM isn’t just a community, it’s a growth engine.

What’s the most underrated marketing tool in your toolkit?

It’s not a platform or a plugin—it’s my imagination.

Growing up, I experienced a lot of trauma—like escaping a war-stricken country and starting over in the U.S. As a kid, storytelling became my escape. I learned to build worlds, characters, and emotions that felt bigger than the chaos around me. Today, that same imagination is my edge as a marketer.

It helps me craft narratives that resonate, build brands people remember, and find creative angles others overlook. Pain taught me to tell stories—and that’s been my most powerful tool.

What’s your marketing superpower?

I’m a people person, through and through.

My years in liquor marketing gave me the chance to work across all kinds of verticals—sports, music, entertainment, tech—and that range has helped me think way outside the box when building influencer programs.

It’s never just about the obvious pick. The real magic happens when you actually take the time to know people. You learn their interests, their communities, and sometimes discover that they’re influential in a space you never would’ve expected.

What’s your go-to resource for staying ahead of marketing trends?

I’m on all the social platforms—scrolling, observing, saving, and sometimes doom-scrolling (let’s be real). But my secret weapon? My four much younger brothers.

They keep me young, plugged in, and fully immersed in what’s trending with Gen Z and even Gen Alpha. Whether it’s a new meme format, a viral song, new lingo, what’s cool and what’s not, or an underground creator movement, they put me on game before the rest of the industry catches up. It’s like having a built-in focus group at home.

What’s the one marketing myth you’d like to completely debunk?

That “influencer” means someone with a huge following.

I’ve seen campaigns move the needle because of a niche voice with deep credibility, not just follower count. Influence is about trust, not just reach. The myth that you need the biggest name in the room to make an impact holds brands back from tapping into real, authentic connections.

Some of the most powerful marketing moments happen when you give the mic to the right voice, not just the loudest one.