Joining the team at Midwest Marketing makes me feel like I’ve returned to my roots. Over a decade ago, my love for language and literature helped me complete my English degree at Black Hills State University. In return, that allowed me to fulfill my dream of teaching English in Japan. I wasn’t sure what I would do after that, but I firmly believed that if I followed my heart, took opportunities as they appeared and put my very best into my work, I would find myself exactly where I needed to be.
But along the way, I’ve learned life always has its surprises and not everything goes as planned. I ended up on career pathways I never expected and I might have learned more about what isn’t a good fit for me rather than what is. I felt lost and it took moving home, back to Rapid City, South Dakota, to find my place to thrive again. I feel so grateful for this opportunity to grow and learn with Midwest Marketing as their Account Coordinator and I have nothing but ecstatic things to say about my first month on the job!
My first week was all about discovering the magic in what we do. Megan, the agency president, gave me her time with one-on-one learning about our clients and our history here at Midwest Marketing. I loved digging through our share drive, admiring what we’ve produced and exploring our creative direction for each client. I felt like being given this time to understand and absorb information really allowed me to begin sharing our agency’s vision and see my own role in the big picture.
Each and every day, I was so impressed by how well the team works together and absolutely blown away by the support given to me right from the beginning! I could immediately feel the atmosphere in the office stays uplifting and amiable yet focused and driven. Everyone is very professional while also maintaining connection and a desire to understand each other. My last position involved working independently for an international corporation so I adapted to only connecting remotely with my peers and superiors. I always knew it affected my performance but I didn’t realize just how much I missed working in a tight-knit group where support is only a few feet away!
My second week was dedicated to shadowing each staff member in order to learn what they do day-to-day. This included graphic design, SEO & content writing, digital marketing and social media management! I was impressed by everyone’s creativity and skills. I experienced from start to finish the behind-the-scenes of how we provide high quality service to each of our unique clients. It was so cool to hear the client share their goals and then watch ideas manifest into reality to meet their needs!
By my third week, I was ready to start taking on my own projects and introduce myself to our amazing clients! My background in both English and customer service allows me to not only help coordinate our client relationships but also aid the team in web content and copywriting. I cannot begin to express how exciting it is to be back in a role where my academic foundation can shine! I know I have so much to learn but I’m ready to step up to the plate.
When it comes to my career, I might be a bit of a late bloomer. But I feel like at Midwest Marketing I have found a place where I can place roots and truly blossom. Everyday I feel thankful for the crazy winding road that led to me joining this amazing team and I’m so excited to keep growing with them!
