As I try to mature gracefully, I realize that careers happen in phases. And I’m truly thankful for each of those phases. For me it went something like this:
Phase 1: Working my but off in publishing, healthcare, banking, automotive (and more), and eventually running my own agency.
Phase 2: Moving to St. Louis with my new husband to start a family and becoming a PR and feature writer while attending night school for my master’s.
Phase 3: Returning “home” for my husband’s job as a professor of engineering and beginning my own career as a college instructor.
Phase 4: Leaving academia to (again) pursue a full-time career in marketing…specifically, consulting, training, coaching, and writing.
I’ve learned a great deal in every phase: (1) Hard work pays off. (2) Family is more important than any job or career. (3) Change is often good and necessary. And (4), change is sometimes scary
In a way, I’m back where I started, so it’s not like starting over. And between Phase 1 and Phase 4, I’ve learned a great deal and further honed my skills while teaching them to others. Teaching and writing about social media, digital technology and trends in marketing has challenged me to stay current. And I’ve gained more experience, education and hopefully wisdom on which to draw.
While I’ve continued to work with clients throughout all these phases, it’s particularly thrilling to focus on helping clients full-time. I want you to be as successful at your job and career as you dare to be.
Since it’s Thanksgiving and as I enter Phase 4, I’d like thank those who have recently placed their trust in me in both professional and volunteer endeavors including Scott C., Misty B., N. Herron, Susan M., Lauren F., Sonia & Brett C., Sharla J., Pam E., Diane D., Brad & Liz R., and Coach B. And thank you Nancy L. for the meeting!
Thank you also to those who read, like and share my weekly Marketing Momentum columns on tedmag.com, LinkedIn, Twitter and my Katrina Olson Strategic Communications Facebook page. It’s not yet clear if this column will continue into 2016, but I will still research and share information that you as marketers, PR people, and professional communicators will find helpful.
Finally, if you’re entering a new phase of your marketing career, whether you’re in a new position, your responsibilities have grown, or you just want to keep learning…give me a call. Let’s enter our next phases together.
Have a relaxing and blessed Thanksgiving Day!