In a digital marketing landscape where authenticity meets innovation, Gabby Gamad is a fresh voice shaping the future of brand storytelling. As co-founder and COO of LV8, a full-service digital marketing agency, Gabby has built a reputation for creating meaningful connections between brands and their audiences.
From her early days hopping on Megabuses to New York for gigs while in college to producing major events for the NBA and global brands, Gabby’s journey is truly a manifestation of calculated risks and steadfast determination. Her mission was clear: she wanted to create lasting impact in an increasingly digital world.
She leads LV8 in collaborations with more than 1,000 influencers in over 30 countries and has learned to navigate the ever-changing landscape of digital marketing, never losing key insight into what the brand is actually saying.
With 12 years in the industry, Gabby’s approach to leadership is refreshingly humble and forward-thinking. She emphasizes the importance of staying curious, valuing relationships, and embracing failure as a stepping stone to growth. Her mantra, ‘show your work,’ encapsulates her philosophy of pushing through self-doubt and inspiring others through authenticity.
As she leads LV8 into the future, Gabby’s vision extends beyond digital marketing into experiential storytelling, proof that in this AI-driven world, human connection is still the most powerful tool in marketing. It is through her work and leadership that she builds up not just a successful agency but inspires the next generation of marketing leaders to forge their path with courage and authenticity.
Her Agenda: I was super excited to chat with you because I’m really into women who have built their own businesses and crafted the life they dream about. You recently co-founded your company, LV8. Talk to me about that journey and why this was the right time to do that.
Gabby Gamad: To be honest, I don’t think there ever is a right time. I am someone who takes calculated risks. There are many other agencies now, and the creator economy has grown significantly. I was adamant about wanting to create something different and unique – a full-service agency that wasn’t just adding to the noise of socials.
The journey started when I met my co-founder, Griffin. We had already been working together at a different agency doing influencer marketing and content creation right at the brink of TikTok. What led us to LV8 was taking those learnings and finding the gaps where we weren’t servicing clients to the level we knew we could. We took time before launching to brainstorm how to better service people, having honest conversations with people we’d worked with in the past about what they needed and then building our business around that feedback.
Her Agenda: I can tell from hearing you speak how knowledgeable you are, but you’re also very young. When you walk into a room, you’re probably one of the youngest people there. What perspectives do you think you bring, and how has that influenced your leadership style?
Gabby Gamad: I stumbled into event production work where I sat in rooms with larger brands, and as a younger woman, I was often intimidated. But I never want to act as the most knowledgeable person in the room. It can be dangerous assuming you’re an expert at anything, because things change quickly. I use my age to my advantage where I’m still curious and ear to the ground. My friends make fun of me and say I’m Gen Z coded even though I’m definitely not Gen Z. Throughout my day, I take note of things happening in the real world and bank that to incorporate into strategy when needed.
Her Agenda: What have been some of the most pivotal moments for you in building your business and brand?
Gabby Gamad: There are many moments of needing to be adaptable. This industry moves quickly and some platforms won’t be around forever, but a good community endures. We’ve become the go-to team because we’re willing to help figure things out. We’re honest about obstacles and challenges, approaching it as ‘let’s figure it out together and put pen to paper,’ and those honest moments have brought some of our most exciting campaigns.
Her Agenda: Did you start in events and then decide to move to social? What was that journey?
Gabby Gamad: I [actually] went to school for journalism. I’ve always enjoyed storytelling and looking back, that’s been the tie through all my jobs. I first started working for a record label, creating marketing strategies. I was an office manager and would pick up management tasks because I was begging for them. That transitioned into working for a production company – we did large-scale events with recognizable global brands, creating consumer experiences for All-Star Weekend and different NBA events. I still feel passionate about my production days, but I gravitated towards socials because it was a different way of telling stories and offered more consistent work. At the end of an event, everything gets torn down, and it’s on to the next, but this felt like I could work with people for longer periods and develop something living and breathing online forever.
Her Agenda: Looking at your experience and now as co-founder, what would you say is the best thing about starting your own business, and what’s the more challenging aspect that people don’t always realize?
Gabby Gamad: I’ll start with the biggest challenges. There are plenty, but the challenges have helped me evolve and grow. My biggest day-to-day challenge is finding balance between operational work and creativity. I’m not naturally a creative person, but I’ve worked hard at it. Running a business, I’m the backbone of how the company runs, and that’s not always glamorous – it’s time-consuming. Learning to stay inspired while juggling the business side has always been challenging. And then there’s self-doubt. Early in your career, you don’t feel you have it figured out, and that becomes a reason not to pursue something.
The best thing is definitely the relationships. I’m lucky and proud to work with great people throughout my career, but especially when building a company, you pick and choose people who align with your values and the company’s values – people who are hungry and want to work. Being part of their journey has been my favorite part of building a company.
Her Agenda: You mentioned not considering yourself creative but finding ways to be creative in your role. What things do you do that help spark your creativity?
Gabby Gamad: This is one of my favorite topics because many of my peers would call me creative, and maybe it’s self-doubt, but I’ve tried to tune into ways to make myself more creative. I would wake up and journal – making it the first thing I did before touching my phone. Sometimes, I had a prompt; I subscribed to something that would give me a morning prompt. It didn’t need to be long or extensive, but it got my wheels turning before consuming everything on my phone and laptop.
I also have a secret Instagram account with zero followers where I post things I enjoy, whether photos I’ve taken or things that look cool but aren’t necessarily for my main page. It’s less about hoping someone sees this – it’s more about energy exchange, putting things into the universe, and hoping the universe will pay me back for contributing.
Her Agenda: As someone many young women will read about, what advice would you give to somebody aspiring to a leadership role or entrepreneurship?
Gabby Gamad: Don’t be discouraged. There are many no’s before you hear a yes. I think about the times I wanted to give up or take another job that wasn’t interesting to me, but constantly pushing through and envisioning what I wanted my life to be became a great motivator.
Learn to be adaptable and proactive. When I hit dead ends, I found ways to tweak and do things differently. It’s trial and error. Value your relationships. It’s easy to get caught up in promotions, salary, and wanting your Instagram to look perfect, but valuing the people around you matters more than that – everything else comes naturally after.
I wish my younger self understood that failure is inevitable – you’re going to fail, and every misstep becomes an opportunity to grow and iterate.
Her Agenda: Looking at LV8’s growth, what’s your vision for your company’s future?
Gabby Gamad: I love what we’re doing now, working with brands and artists. We’re influencer marketing, content creation, brand strategy, social strategy – we’re full service. I want to return to my roots and find more opportunities for LV8 in experiential marketing and event marketing. AI is here to stay, but nothing resonates more than human connection. Living in Vegas, there’s tremendous growth here in sports, entertainment, movies, and film. We can expand into these sectors, especially locally. I love the idea of working with amazing local partners.
Her Agenda: I may have found your Instagram—I think it’s you. Did you do this post where you were Charli XCX for Halloween?
Gabby Gamad: Oh my god, it gets brought up at every party I go to now! I love that you saw that!
Her Agenda: Do you have a dream collaboration – whether hard, easy, anything – or a musician or artist like Charli XCX that you would love to work with through LV8?
Gabby Gamad: We’ve worked with amazing brands and artists – I have to pinch myself with some of them. For music, Charli XCX and Doechii is [also] having quite a year – I’ve been a huge Doechii fan forever. I’d love to get into movies and film. There’s much potential in socials and content creation beyond trailers. We ran fan pages for movies, which sparked ideas about how film companies could better speak to younger generations through influencer marketing or content creation. My dream collaborations would be my favorite artists, plus movies.
Her Agenda: Lastly, do you have a mantra or go-to saying you carry with you?
Gabby Gamad: It changes often, but this year, my mantra is ‘show your work.’ It’s about removing self-doubt and fear of failure, putting things out there even if they’re not perfect yet. Whether you have two followers or a community you’ve cultivated, showing your work matters. I follow people who might think their work isn’t their best, but I find it inspiring. My biggest mantra this year is definitely to show your work.
[Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.]
