The truth about how I became a marketing professional: my three year old daughter made friends with another child.

I’d graduated from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, in 2007, with a BFA. I had studied Photography and Creative Writing. Ten years later:

• I was a professional bicycle mechanic.

• I was a single mother with a three-year-old.

• I struggled to work long hours at restaurants and bike shops.

• I knew I was capable of more.

By 2017, I had tons of experience in sales and customer service, primarily in the outdoor sporting industry and high-end wine sales. When slinging custom bicycles and rare wine you must:

• Understand your customer’s persona.

• Be an expert on the product and know its emotional and logical appeal.

• Spin a good yarn, because people buy experiences, not products. 

• Deliver crisp, clean CTAs. Always be closing.

One day at preschool drop-off, my marketing career began. It happened this way. My daughter, Mardell, was a verbose and outgoing preschooler. She spent a lot of time in daycare while I worked two jobs. One of her classmates, Adeline, was a tender and introverted child. She was developing her linguistic skills nervously. Adeline’s mother was the editor of the local newspaper and she perceived verbal hesitance as a learning delay. Over time, my daughter Mardell inspired Adeline to string together her first complete sentence. It was a request. “Mom, can we go for a bike ride together?”

The newspaper editor, delighted by this development, introduced herself to me. In our first conversation she displayed her aptitude as an investigative journalist. I was peppered with questions about my life, aspirations, and circumstances. She was good. I spilled the tea.

The next time we spoke, Adeline’s mother, the newspaper editor, invited me to apply for a job. I applied to be an Ad Sales Manager. I got the job. Within a few months I was promoted to Director of Ad Sales. My experience and initiative allowed me to excel. I wasn’t just selling inches on a page, I was supporting businesses and nonprofits to design and develop impactful campaigns.

While I didn’t fully appreciate it at the time, I was beginning my career as a Marketing Professional.