How I Made it in Marketing Nonprofit Marketing: No job is as glamorous as you think it is (podcast episode #63)
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When I was in school, I wanted to be a writer.
And then when I started job interviews with ad agencies I thought, ‘Wow! It would be so amazing to be doing this every day.’
Of course, fast forward to a few years into working at an ad agency, and it was a lot easier to focus on the drudgery.
I was reminded of that when I read a podcast guest application with the lesson, ‘No job is as glamorous as you think it is.’
For me personally, now that I am much deeper into my career, my focus is finding – maybe not the glamour, but the fulfillment – of a job where I get to create and help people every day.
However, I thought this lesson would be helpful for anyone starting their career – what may look glamorous on the outside is hard work on the inside. You just see Michael Jordan hit the game winning jumper, you don’t see the relentless practice that got him there.
I discussed the story behind this lesson, along with many more lesson-filled stories, when I talked to Adam Vasallo, Chief Marketing Officer, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (https://www.bbbs.org/).
Vasallo leads a team of nine, along with four marketing agency partners.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. According to its most recent audit, it received $71 million in public support and revenue in its most recent fiscal year.
Unlocking the Power of Relationships: Inspiring marketing stories
In our discussion, Vasallo discussed stories with lessons about what he made in marketing. Here are some lessons that that emerged in our conversation:
Relationships are powerful. Relationships power change.
- When setting goals, say them out loud and share them externally (and then go exceed them)
- Start at the end
- No job is as glamorous as you think it is
- Always have a point of view
- Always be confident
- Follow your passion
Related content mentioned in this episode
Corporate Communication and Marketing Innovation: The dangerous delusion of safety – playing it safe can hurt you more than you know (podcast episode #41) (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/corporate)
Marketing Operations: Process is the foundation for success (podcast episode #58) (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/marketing-operations)
About this podcast
This podcast is not about marketing – it is about the marketer. It draws its inspiration from the Flint McGlaughlin quote, “The key to transformative marketing is a transformed marketer” from the Become a Marketer-Philosopher: Create and optimize high-converting webpages (https://meclabs.com/course/) free digital marketing course.
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If you would like to apply to be a guest on How I Made It In Marketing, here is the podcast guest application – https://www.marketingsherpa.com/page/podcast-guest-application