I Do Cool Shit.

I don't really know how to explain to people what I do for a living.  I plan events.  I'm in marketing.  Sometimes I do PR.  Branding?  Definitely.  The one thing I can say for certain is that I do a lot of cool shit.

I work really hard.  I often work long hours, live on airplanes, and deal with jerks.  There are many days that I have not the slightest clue why I stay in this industry.  

But I've also gotten to plan, experience, and take part in some of the coolest events in the world.  

Let's review:

• Sat court side at too many NBA games to count 
• Been on the field at the University of Alabama looking up at 102,000 fans
• Watched an NFL game on the sidelines with the team
• Led the event planning for the first ever Cheetos themed restaurant (which Mariah Carey attended)
• Been on ESPN (terrible hair day guys, that one I’m not proud of) 
• Took dancing lessons from Casper Smart
• Worked with the Commissioner of the NBA
• Played a prank on PJ Tucker
• Ate a $5,000 dinner at a steakhouse at The Wynn
• Flown private multiple times
• Planned a bowl game tailgate
• Stood beside Tiger Woods at the Waste Management Open
• Assisted the College Playoffs in planning their hospitality for the National Championship
• Attended Super Bowl media day behind the scenes
• Met Elton John by running directly into him in the basement of an arena
• Started tailgating at my alma mater
• Interviewed Randall Park 
• Planned the first ever State of the Suns 
• Published an article in the Sports Business Journal
• Worked alongside Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi (two of the best to ever play) 
• Haven't paid for a ticket to a sporting event since 2010
• Led the planning for the first ever Wendy's college tailgate tour
• Written talking points for athletes, owners, and Presidents of teams
• Sat in John Elway's private suite at Mile High Stadium
• Engaged in some joke telling and witty banter with Joel McHale
• Executed the auction that helped to raise over $500,000 for my Alma Mater Athletic department  
• Put on a private event in a home that housed the 2007 NBA All star court 
• Traveled to Hawaii 3 times completely paid for by my company
• Exhanged emails with Troy freaking Aikman  
• Calmed down nervous NFL players before they took part in half time just for fun games  
• Executed the most successful WNBA All Star fan fest in league history (with truly the most talented group I’ve ever worked with)
• Had my photo(s) hung in an arena as part of the apparel Shop campaign  
• I have a WNBA championship ring  (with Diamonds, duh) 

...and the list goes on.

The things is - I often get so wrapped up in the work of it all, I rarely stop to take a look around at what I've had the honor of being involved in.  Recently I've made it a goal to stop at each event and take in the magnitude of what I've done (usually in conjunction with one bad ass team).  

As much as I often question this world I work in the older I get, I also don't know what I would ever do if I didn't get to check off my bucket list because of what I do.  

My challenge to you - take a look at your job and if even on the worst days you find a reason to smile, understand that you've found your fit.  And if you can't say that, for the love of everything short in life - get a new job! 

Career Journey: An Update

I'm officially 6 months into this new journey in Texas and as I'm settling into my new apartment, I thought I'd update you all on my new career! 

A lot of people see my social media posts with my travel every other day and the events that I've been working on and I've gotten a lot of "What the heck do you do?" questions. So lets start with what I do:

I work at a marketing agency.

But my agency isn't like other agencies I'm told (I have no frame of reference so I just smile).  We have different procedures and specialties and are more diverse and all encompassing than other agencies.

SO - I am an account supervisor at this agency and specialize in experiential marketing.  That means I supervise activations (events) for various brands and ensure that we are meeting (exceeding) all expectations for the brand goals. 

Whether it be a media event, product launch, food truck tour, movie partnership promotion or PR stunt - I help to figure out how we do it, how to give it a wow factor, and then make sure we deliver on all promises. 

Essentially I'm still planning events - but I'm doing them in a different way.  I'm less hospitality, more consumer or media based.  I'm working with big brands to tell their stories and build consumer engagement worldwide.

Got it?  GREAT.

Now 6 months in is still early - but I love my job.  I love the company, I love the people (most), my boss is awesome (unclear if I'm too much sparkle for him), and I'm constantly learning.  The biggest thing for me is feeling challenged. 

I miss hospitality, I miss "planning parties" for every event - but every day I'm growing my skillset and I get to actually choose projects that excite me.  I'm less informed on the agency life and I'm sure a complete frustration to operations at times - but I like to think I bring a level of excellence to the team that makes them ok dealing with my shenanigans. 

I'm lucky that my team is one of the strong ones in the company.  Meaning we are treated like adults, I have a lot of responsibility, a lot of flexibility, and a really powerful support system (Our VP is my actual boss babe life goals, she's truly superwoman).  Having a leadership team that I respect and want to work hard for is a gam changer that I've never experienced before. 

Do I have days I'm unhappy?  Absolutely.  Am I frustrated?  Certainly.  Would I ultimately rather be on a yacht sailing the world?  Obviously.  But as far as being happy with my decision to move to Texas, take a risk on a job that I really didn't meet all the qualifications for - I made a solid decision and I'm happy this team took a chance on me. 

So career journey: an update?  #CrushingIt

The Business of Events

I've been in the business of events for awhile now.  And a lot of people think that all I do is pick out flowers and choose linens.  While I do those things - I also have a strategy behind every decision and detail at each event.  More recently my job entails big brands and more marketing than traditional hospitality events.  But the basics behind event planning remain the same.

Events are the face of your company.  They are how people directly engage with your brand and become familiar with your products.  Events are a big part of business, and treating them as any less, is a big mistake for your brand. 

When planning events, there's a basic outline for ensuring success.

Have a Goal

The first thing I want to know when I'm tasked with an event is what's the goal.  Is it financial?  Is it a feeling?  Are we tracking impressions?  There needs to be a clear goal that leads each and every decision moving forward.  Everyone involved needs to understand that goal and be able to tie every event detail back to that overarching goal.  Without a goal, you're having an event for the sake of having an event - in which case, just throw a bunch of money in the trash and call it even.

Know Your Brand

What does your brand stand for?  What are the colors, feelings, sounds, vibes - what represents that brand?  Every décor choice, entertainment decision, menu plan - all of that works together to create a representation of your brand. The things people see, hear, taste, and feel will all remind them of your brand.  If you've got a fun brand, make the event fun.  If your brand thrives on more serious engagement - don't bring in a comedian.  Stick with your brand messaging and get innovative in how you showcase what that means.

Invest in the Details

The details are what matter.  Don't phone in the color choices, the food, the music.  Every single detail comes together to create the total package.  When you get sloppy, neglect something small - someone will notice.  And that reflects back onto the brand.  Be obsessively detailed.  Annoyingly so.  There are enough uncontrollable pieces that go wrong at every event.  If you are obsessive over what you can control, you're better equipped to handle the things you can't control.

Be Budget Conscious

Budget is everything.  Be diligent about sticking to your budget.  And be knowledgeable about what a realistic budget is for what you want to achieve.  It's unrealistic to expect to wow the attendees on a peanuts budget.  But even with a limitless budget - focus on spending wisely.  Even if your bottom line goal isn't financial, its just plain stupid to spend when you don't need to.

Recap

For every single event you need to do a post event recap.  I don't care if it's lunch for five executives or a ball for 5,000.  Recap what you did, what worked, what didn't.  Get feedback from everyone.  Talk to guests, staff, vendors, everyone.  Be diligent in getting this done.  Do not wait.  How can you possibly improve if you don't have explicit details about what you've done in the past? 

Events are anything but simply picking out décor and tasting menus.  Events are an opportunity to create a feeling to your consumers.  Make sure you're understanding the importance of events and the potential they have for consumer loyalty.