It’s funny because I didn’t even know what marketing was until I was a sophomore in college. I headed into my freshman year telling everyone that I was going to be the next Katie Couric – a trailblazing television journalist reporting on foreign wars and politics - and went into school as a Communications major. Toward the end of my sophomore year, I was involved in a class discussion with a business professor who was teaching a communications class (who just happened to be head of the Business Dept). At the end of the discussion, he shouted me out to the class – asking me why I wasn’t a marketing major. He called me out as having the personality for it and told me to sign up to be a Marketing major before I wasted any more of my life and money on useless Comm classes. The best part is that I actually listened to him (not sure if it’s me being young and naive or that I knew deep down he was right) and changed my major with limited research on the topic. I just knew that it was something that I was drawn to….something that was made for me and fit like glove…..its funny how little moments in your life like that can change it forever - so thank you Professor Stamm!!! Love you.
So after graduating from college, I decided that I wanted to work at a real agency in the “big time” in New York City. I went to college 40 miles north of NYC, so could only afford to work there if I continued to live in an over-priced shit-hole 1 bedroom apartment and commuted 1 ½ hours each way by both bus and train. I took the first job I could get as a Group Assistant for an account team at Young and Rubicam. According to me during that time - I hit it big. Which is really funny because I made $24K and couldn’t even afford to buy food or anything for that matter. But I was sooo excited that I was going to learn about real advertising from a real reputable agency located on Madison Avenue. And who doesn’t want to be 22 and work on Madison Avenue?? Little did I know what I was getting into – loooonnng days and nights which also included weekends and holidays. All I ever did was work. My first boss ever was a true workaholic (yes she actually had the disease – I could tell you stories). I remember falling asleep one late night my desk, only to be woke up by the sound of fat rats running around (just my luck that there was a dog food acct on my floor, which meant they had an endless supply to feed all the rats in the neighborhood). My husband who was my boyfriend at the time, threatened to break up with me because he thought I was cheating on him because I never came home. It’s funny because he was right - I was cheating on him with the agency and that life. It was hard, it was cruel, it was cut-throat… it was addicting - and I loved it. Because along with the rats and work-a-holics, I was exposed to some of the best creative minds, thinking and work of that time for Fortune 500 clients…work you would see on TV or online…. some work that may be remembered to this day…
I’ve worked at numerous agencies since then – four to be exact. Some better than others. I’ve also worked in New York, Boston and Wilmington, DE (don’t ask). So I’ve been lucky to have various experiences on all sorts of clients. Needless to say, I’ve worked my way up – sometimes pretty quickly and other times not as quick as I would like. Ok – so never as quick as I would like. But I’ve been through everything from screaming fights with my bosses, creative teams at odds to the pure adrenaline rush of winning new business, selling in new creative work, or just really nailing a presentation.
If life wasn’t crazy enough, last year I got pregnant and had my Dylan. I had the worst last few months of my pregnancy at work which I fear has affected my career. Coming back to agency life after maternity leave was really hard and it’s been a tough, bumpy road since then. I wish I could tell you that having a child actually helped my career, but well, you know how it goes. I think it takes a certain type of person to lead this life and being a mom at the same time. But my Dylan is beautiful and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world!
Needless to say, I’ve paid my dues. And still continue to pay them everyday. That’s how I got here.
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