Wow, What a Year!
It’s always a good practice to stop, take a breath, and reflect. As you study some of the world’s most influential people, you’ll find this as a common theme. Bill Gates used to take a month off every year. He did this to simply reflect on his accomplishments, and he’s not alone. Unfortunately, I’m not in the position to take a whole month off. I’m much too busy for that, but can certainly take a few minutes to share the successes from this past year.
Focus on Marketing
I’m extremely proud of my accomplishments in two areas. The first is the work I was able to accomplish through the American Marketing Association (AMA). This year I completed the first professional series training program on Marketing Technology. The program was well received and allowed for meaningful interactions with professionals from independent companies as well as large organizations like KPMG. In addition to teaching the class multiple times again in 2019, my business partner and I are pursuing a Marketing Technology podcast. I’ve been interested in radio for decades and will finally have a chance to reach marketing professionals in a new and meaningful way.
In addition to the MarTech program success, we had an opportunity this year to consult with a multi-billion dollar organization on their Marketing Technology framework. It was meaningful work and allowed me to learn even more about aligning marketing technology to corporate strategy. Definitely a win win in my book.
On a separate but related note, I continue to participate on an exclusive AMA board. My role as Professional Council member has me advising chapters, working with about 10 local AMA chapters to provides guidance and support. In 2019, I’ll be taking on additional responsibilities with the board and am truly grateful for the connections and friendships I have made as part of this group.
Develop Software
The second area has been around software development. Another business partner and I have been working on developing a software application for freelancers. As the gig economy accelerates, supporting this meaningful audience is near and dear to my heart. After having had my own business, freelancing and consulting, we understand the need to provide meaningful reports to clients. This shows the value of the work that marketing/digital consultants provide. It also helps keep customers engaged throughout the working relationship. We made significant progress on the software this year and will be launching sometime in 2019.
These projects have really excited me over the past year. In addition to pursuing these opportunities further in 2019, I’ve decided to seek a new marketing leadership role. After working on a project for 4 years and accomplishing all of my big goals, it’s time to explore new opportunities. I’ll have more to share in the months to come.
