Derek Champagne

Biography

A true entrepreneur from an early age, Derek has always been interested in fostering connections and finding an audience, in both the marketing and music fields. The son of touring musicians, Derek quickly became comfortable engaging audiences and had formed his own band by age 10. He became obsessed with connecting services and products with the end user using the most effective message and marketing tools available. Derek developed and sold his first two businesses before the age of 25.

Now CEO of The Artist Evolution (http://www.theartistevolution.com), a marketing, design and campaign management firm he founded in 2007, Derek helps businesses of all budgets design and implement marketing strategies that work. He has developed and managed brands and marketing campaigns in multiple industries from start ups to household names. He has pioneered marketing strategies a variety of industries, and has used his twenty-plus years of advertising, branding, and marketing experience to build a formidable business.

Derek Champagne is also the best selling author of: Don’t Buy a Duck: Stop Wasting Money and Only Do Marketing That Works (www.dontbuyaduck.com). Derek’s formal education is a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a Masters in Business Administration. He also attended Musicians Institute in Hollywood, CA where he focused on bass guitar and performance arts.

Derek also hosts a podcast, BusinessLeadershipSeries.com, which engages with leaders who are making an impact on their worlds, and want to share their knowledge and experience for the personal and professional growth of others. Derek’s guests include notable guests from the hit tv show Shark Tank and other shows.

Derek Champagne is endorsed by the ASDA as a trusted marketing resource, and he is an advisory board member and a guest contributor for the national publication, Dental Entrepreneur Magazine. He is a frequent guest lecturer at business conventions and college business marketing classes covering marketing and social media subject matter. Derek is also a nationally published musician who has made musical contributions to the soundtracks of television shows on ABC, MTV, Bravo, Oxygen, and the E! Channel.

When he’s not making music or marketing strategy, he enjoys volunteering for non-profit organizations in his home state of Arkansas, spending time with his wife and two children, playing his guitar, enjoying the occasional game of golf, and staying actively involved in his church.