Q. Describe your background (where you grew up, college, etc.):
I grew up in Blanchard, OK. After earning my nursing license from OCCC, I worked as an ICU RN for 10 years. After my second child was born, I wasn’t sure I wanted to go back to work in the hospital with the long 12-hour shifts. So I stayed home for about a year and then started helping my dad some who was in the wearables industry. After a few months, I began my own adventure of selling promotional products. I was planning to only work a few hours a week and from home, but my business started growing…
Q. What about marketing piqued your interest?
I have always loved talking and connecting with people. I got the opportunity to help the administrator of a hospice that I worked for do a healthcare event. We handed out promotional products and talked to people about our hospice. That was really my ‘Ah ha!’ moment where it crystallized in my mind that I wanted to be in marketing. I then told my husband that one day I would be doing some kind of marketing. I always thought it would be in healthcare and never imagined it would be working with clients on projects and helping them find products that matched their campaigns. But I have found that I love interacting with my clients in this way and it’s super fulfilling to be able to fill this need in the marketplace.
Q. What is your current job and what do you enjoy most about it?
I am the President of Cross Country Specialty Advertising, so I get to have a hand in most every part of the business. My dad still runs our production facility, so I’m not super involved in that part of it. What I most enjoy is digging into the bigger projects my clients have and strategizing with them to come up with on-trend, unique ideas to really drive home whatever message they’re trying to deliver. We start with a fresh whiteboard with the project name at the top, and for however many days it takes the idea to ferment, it stays up on the wall with my team and me making edits. And more edits, and more edits, until we’ve settled on the perfect product mix to meet the client’s desired message. At any given time, we may have a wall FULL of whiteboards for different projects, covered with ideas! I am in LOVE with this part of my job. It’s absolutely why I go to work every day.
Q. How long have you been a member of AMA and why did you join?
I have been a member for almost two years. I joined because I wanted to meet other people that were in marketing like me. I also love the great information that is offered. I love to learn, and in this industry, there is always something new. I want to make sure I keep up with the latest.
Q. Why do you feel it’s important to stay up to date with new practices and tactics in the marketing world and how does it relate to your job?
I feel it is important because if you are trying to move a company forward, marketing is one of the drivers in that. You have to know what is driving consumers and what tools are out there to help you. And there’s actually a lot of really good research on which marketing plans work in various situations, so I like to stay on top of that.
Q. What is the best piece of business advice that you’ve ever been given?
Things are always changing and you have to learn to adapt and change with it.
Q. Do you have a favorite marketing publication, podcast, conference, etc. that you would recommend?
Dave Ramsey’s EntreLeadership. It’s not necessarily a marketing podcast, but it’s my fave all around podcast.
Q. What’s something most people don’t know about you?
I sing and play the piano. I love to sing!