I didn't anticipate writing so soon after I published the "Not What I Pictured..." blog yesterday; however, after submitting my final project for the second grad course I took this semester, I experienced a moment of realization, excitement, inspiration, and empowerment. Quite honestly, even I was surprised by this at first, but as I parsed out what led up to that moment, it wasn't that big of a surprise anymore. I was experiencing confidence in myself like I hadn't experienced in about eight or nine months.
I've been wondering on and off if continuing with my grad program over this fall semester was a smart choice. I went ahead with it partly because one of the classes was Content Marketing, which I've worked in for the past 15 years, from jobs I had in college to my "big girl" jobs and my freelance work after my layoff in April. The second I was a bit nervous about, as I wanted to be sure to have the experience to expand my knowledge and understanding of marketing and how higher education marketers and leaders approach our roles, campaigns, and strategies, was the course on Emerging Media in the Market.
Usually, with my grad courses, I bring a higher-education approach to my discussion boards and assignments. In the latter course, I had to choose from a list of Fortune 500 companies. The one I really wanted to focus on was in the top 30 companies, which we were not allowed to utilize, and there were only two companies out of the other 470 listed that I was interested in: VMware and Lululemon Athletica. Vastly different industries and companies, but it also speaks very well to my interests, desire for continued learning, and never-ending curiosity. Also, I worked for Lululemon for about a year (retail side), and its marketing strategies taught me a lot, but that was ten years ago now, so I was interested to see what they were up to (they have that smart fitness mirror which seemed right in line with the class). I emailed my professor about these two options, and she replied, "I have you marked down for VMware - thanks, and good luck!" (or something to that effect).
She essentially chose for me, and it was the one I knew very little about but have been intrigued by for many years now - but it is also completely out of my wheelhouse. I started getting nervous as I headed into the first homework assignment; I felt like my brain was experiencing some "inception"-level shit of explaining how a cloud computing and virtualization tech company could utilize new media and marketing techniques that included virtual and augmented realities. Like - this company is creating this technology and developing services and products built on cloud and virtual tech...and I'm supposed to come up with how it can use new and different techniques as part of its marketing practices?? OK - what did I get myself into?!
I'm sure if I sent my project to my friend who works there, she could poke a bunch of holes in it, but also, utilizing the information I have access to, I really started feeling good about what I was doing about halfway through when all my assignments were receiving perfect scores and very detailed, helpful, as well as supportive feedback. As the course's final weeks approached, I worked on getting ahead to have as much free time as possible during the week of Thanksgiving. The second weekend before the final was due (technically tomorrow), I quickly read over the instructions for the final project to see if I wanted to start it before the holiday week to, again, get ahead. I strategized but didn't go down a rabbit hole (which I'm very good at doing, especially in my free time/for class!).
I started on my project Sunday, and part of the instructions stuck out to me like a sore thumb: " In your classwork, each idea was separate. Now, you are combining them, adjusting them to be part of one bigger idea. While you will use some of what you have already written, you will need to start fresh in describing the integrated campaign so that it is succinct and comes across as one idea and not several different ones."
Nope. That's not how my brain works. I'm not a "jump..." then jump person. I'll probably pause before asking "how high" or jumping to the level I deem appropriate at the time. So, in this instance, each week, I saw the potential bigger picture. I knew there was a compiled final project, but I hadn't checked the parameters of that at the start of the class like I usually do (yes, I read through the entire syllabus and map out my calendar based on what I need to do each week - I did this in undergrad and it when I worked FT in different grad programs, it helped me keep some balance and sanity). I noted some of my bigger picture ideas in my Google Drive folder for the class (oh yes - I may have ADHD, but this ADHD girlie don't play y'all. I have and keep receipts cause I'm an embattled millennial coming from no generational wealth and low paying gigs).
Starting on this project was rather simple for me. It was like I'd taken all the quilting patches I'd sewn and began piecing them together to create a cohesive quilt top, and finished it off with the binding, batting, backing, and finally, the quilting itself (my mom makes quilts and I know how to sew, so its a pretty comparable analogy, but here's more on quilting if you don't know!). There are a million analogies I could compare the process to, including baking, but on with the point, which is that rather than stressing out about my final project, it actually was one of the easiest I had to do for the semester because my brain looks ahead and breaks down what is needed to get to that final result. And I can do this for plans A, B, C, D, E, and F through Z. So that made me feel really good as I spent a few hours each day stitching my final project together and using extra time to edit and create more comprehensive visuals as it was to be done in the style of a campaign proposal.
I usually feel a sense of relief and excitement in turning in a final project, but it hit me how relaxed I was. Realizing how I strategically set myself up for success with this assignment, I also realized how much experience, knowledge, and value I bring to my work. I felt empowered. I went from feeling like I was gonna lose myself in some multiverse of inception madness and insanity to creating a seamless marketing campaign for a company in an industry (which, by the way, the only "real-world experience" in marketing this industry for me is connected to college programs for AI technology and robotics, mechanical and computer engineering, cybersecurity, and IT) entirely out of my comfort zone AND FEELING THE MOST CONFIDENT I HAVE IN MONTHS! All in a matter of 8 weeks.
I emailed my professor to let her know how I was feeling and what it meant, and I've discussed this with my husband in-depth and with a friend, freelance/consulting colleague, and mentor. Tomorrow, I may need some more pep talking as I go through a laundry list of job applications, follow-up emails, and a litany of other tasks to help set up a successful December and the start of 2024. Still, I wanted to share one of the many reasons I love continued learning and working in higher education.
It's a constant reminder of who we really are and what we can do, not the voice in our head that tells us what we think we are or have become.
I'm a strategic multichannel integrated marketing leader with experience in a wide variety of marketing strategies and techniques that creates positive KPIs, ROI, and authentic enhanced human connection and engagement.
I've done this in TV and Radio News, local businesses, at a higher ed institution also creating various forms of content, and then at its foundational arm, marketing to every industry program, college, and audience possible, and at an ed tech agency where my level of relationship building, commitment to learning, and a positive working environment were apparently a threat to someone.
I don't do great work to show off or advance my title and pay, which certainly has never worked for me.
I do great work because I want others to enjoy, appreciate, and learn something from it.
I hope that what I put out in the world helps make people's lives a little easier, maybe inspire them to take the next step toward their goals, or connect them with someone or something that creates positive change.
I'm a community connector and storyteller using marketing as the medium for my creative outlet.
And I'm damn good at what I do.