How long have you worked for Brightspot? What brought you here?
I’ve been with Brightspot about a year and a half. Jessie Kennedy, our VP of Marketing, was my first boss. I interned for her in college and loved working with her. We stayed connected on LinkedIn, and when I saw she’d posted about an opening on the marketing team, I reached out. The rest is history.
Can you tell me more about your role as Brand Marketing Manager? What is a typical day like for you?
My main job is managing our brand voice: in a nutshell, how we talk about our products in writing. Most days start with a LinkedIn post or a check of our page for comments to respond to. I write our biweekly newsletter, The Content Edit, which means research plus drafting each edition. Beyond that, I work on whatever campaign is live or coming up. During the Esca launch, that was building out Esca’s brand messaging. Right now it’s logistics for Content Marketing World. The day-to-day shifts with the team’s priorities, but it’s writing most of the time.
What inspired you to become a marketing professional?
I was very leadership-driven in high school and college, so business was the obvious major. Once I hit my core classes in the business school, marketing just clicked. It was the one I was best at, hands down. I like that it’s both creative and analytical, which fits how I’m wired: writing on one side, data on the other, watching what’s actually working.
How have you grown professionally since starting at Brightspot?
A lot. This is the first role where I’ve had real creative ownership over our brand voice, and it’s made me a much better writer. Campaign management is the other big one. I’d never run campaigns before Brightspot, and building that skill set has been great.
What’s the best piece of career or life advice that you’ve ever received?
I’ve gotten a lot of good advice, but the one that’s stuck with me is to treat people with kindness and lead with empathy. If you’re good to people, they’ll be good to you, and that pays off career-wise too. A lot of the jobs I’ve gotten have come down to knowing someone, like Jessie here at Brightspot. They liked me and enjoyed working with me. That’s the slightly selfish reason relationships matter. The bigger reason is that they’re the spice of life. They’re what give your life purpose. So focusing on your relationships is the best advice I’ve ever gotten.
What opportunities are you most excited about for our company from a marketing standpoint?
The Esca launch. It’s an innovative new tool for the platform, and it’s generated real buzz in the market. I got to build Esca’s brand voice from scratch, which was one of the most fun, creative projects I’ve worked on here.
Besides the people, what is your favorite part about working at Brightspot?
Ownership over my own projects, and how open leadership is about where the company’s headed. That context is what lets me actually own my programs instead of just executing someone else’s plan. (I know that’s still kind of about people, but it’s a different thing than the people themselves.)
What are your favorite activities or hobbies to do outside of the office?
Music, mostly: concerts, shows, and I picked up DJing this year, which has been a blast. I read a lot, and I love long walks with my dogs and an audiobook. And I travel with my husband whenever I can.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Mexico City is next. I’ve heard great things about the culture, and a close friend just moved there. After that, Vietnam. My manager, Chloe Scolari, has traveled everywhere, and Ha Long Bay is the one place she tells me not to skip. I want to explore more of Asia in general.
What would your perfect day be in Austin, your hometown base?
Coffee and breakfast first: Cherrywood Coffeehouse or Cenote, my two go-tos. Then a walk around Town Lake with a podcast or audiobook, assuming it’s not 100 degrees (which it is this week). After that, swimming at Deep Eddy Pool. Then a nap, because a perfect day still needs a break in the middle. And I’d end it at a show, either Scoot Inn or Concourse Project.
