Network Development Assignment

Marketing offers a wide range of business opportunities and is considered one of the most

exciting and glamorous professions in the business field. This field of business attracted me

because of the creativeness and flexibility it allows an individual to have. Trying to narrow down

my interest to two topics was hard because I really enjoy every part of marketing. So when I

conducted my interviews I tried to keep my options open and really get to know what different

areas of marketing are out there. My seven interviews included John Szczsponik Jr. (Senior Vice

President of Marketing at Texas Instruments), Chuck Schiller (Creative Group Head at Richards

Group), Krystal Mentzer (Marketing Adviser at Kids Care Therapy), Rachel Fowler (Social

Media and Online Marketing Manager for Willie Nelson’s Valentine Road Corporation), Nancy

Smith (Owner of Datasmith Solutions), Jerry DeVries (Managing Partner for TEXO Ventures),

and Laura Stevens (Marketing Communications Consultant for NCEA/ACT).

I was privileged to have been able to interview these seven individuals, however, two of the

seven interviews really inspired me to continue my journey with marketing:

Rachel Fowler is Willie Nelson’s web manager and social media director. She works

with a design and coding team to create new websites. She also runs all of the Willie

Nelson online media outlets (stores, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc.). Record labels,

production companies, and publishers all communicate through her as well to make

sure all Willie Nelson projects are highlighted. I learned that the music industry is

constantly changing. It is very fast paced and you have to be open to change. This

industry has been one of my top areas of interest since I was a freshman in high

school. Talking with Ms. Fowler about her daily routine made me want to be in the

music industry even more. The best advice I received from Ms. Fowler is to be

willing and able to change.

Laura Stevens works for National Center for Educational Achievement (NCEA), a

department of ACT Inc., to develop school improvement products for ACT and

conduct research on the practices of higher performing schools. Mrs. Stevens is the

marketing communication consultant for NCEA which includes responsibilities such

as developing and overseeing email marketing campaigns and social media marketing

presence, create/design marketing collateral, images, and graphics for print/internet,

and study changes and trends in the marketing and social media marketing

environments. Mrs. Stevens interview showed me how much passion one has to have

to work in the marketing field. And talking with her made my passion for marketing

even stronger than before. She left me with the best advice I have learned so far about

working in the field of marketing:

o Marketing is listening. It’s all about knowing your target audience and hearing

what they’re saying as well as what they’re not saying. Ongoing feedback is key.

o Make yourself valuable. Learn as much as you can, not just in school, but also

by working in the real world. Learn the creative aspects as well as the analytical

aspects of marketing. Use both sides of your brain. Understand that you will often

work with people/clients who don’t think like marketing people and don’t “get it”,

so you will need to sharpen your skills in communication, negotiation and

diplomacy.

o Believe in what you’re marketing. If you don’t, your audience won’t either. And

if you don’t like what you’re marketing, then find something you love and market

that. This is something to work toward, and you may have to spend years building

your career before doing what you really feel passionate about.

o Keep up. Look at what other companies are doing; study the trends and changes

in marketing, social media marketing, technology, etc. It’s an ever-changing

industry. Know your competition and stay on top of what they’re doing as well.

One common statement I received from each interview is being willing to change. Marketing

is a monster that never stays the same. The theory is the same though, the need to be able to

create content is the same, and however, your options and audience will change. After reading

and conducting interviews, my passion for marketing has never been stronger. I narrowed down

my interest to sales and brand management or advertising. I know I am in the field that I love

which makes me want to work harder and be better every day to achieve my dreams.