Questions for AMA Member Spotlight:

1. Describe what your job duties are at your current position?

I am part of a team that helps San Antonio businesses appear correctly on Google Maps, and help them claim their places listing. After they have claimed their listing, I show them how to use the Custom Analytics Dashboard to grow their business. I also teach workshops for Google called “Texas Get Your Business Online.” These workshops attract business owners and marketing managers who want to learn (1) how to create a website;  and (2) how Google Analytics, Google AdWords, Google Apps, and Google Places work. I am a professional networker and I am a resource to teach others about Google and their services .

2. What is your professional background?

I graduated in May 2011 from Texas State University in San Marcos with a BBA in Marketing.  During my senior year, I enrolled in an online Masters Certificate Program in Internet Marketing from the University of San Francisco.  I learned the history and current environment of pay per click (PPC), search engine optimization (SEO, mobile marketing, email marketing and social media marketing).  I was President of the collegiate chapter of AMA at Texas State during my senior year and won International Student Marketer of the Year. My work experience includes: SEO Intern, Leverage Marketing, Austin, Tx; Sales Trainer, Brinker International, Addison, TX; Sales/Marketing  Intern, Walt Disney World, Orlando, FL; Telesales, Bank of America, Dallas, TX; and Social Media Analyst, Austin AMA.

3. How did you decide to pursue a career in marketing?

Originally, I pursued a career in radiology at Brookhaven Community College in Dallas. But marketing is in my blood as my dad is in real estate sales on a national level. Through Brookhaven, I did an internship in sales and marketing at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. That’s when I decided to pursue a marketing career. The internship lasted 8 weeks, with a different guest executive each week discussing his experience with his part of the company (for instance, Disney cruises, Disney Channel, Disney hotels).  The internship also included working in Downtown Disney where I worked in retail, as a food server and then with convention goers.

4. What was the most impactful marketing campaign you’ve ever been involved with and why?

During my junior year at Texas State, I was VP, Consulting of my collegiate chapter of AMA and I was tasked with creating an integrated marketing campaign for the Environmental Service Committee, a university committee that was created to promote energy conservation on campus. This was the first time I was able to map out a large project (500 hours and 7 teammates.) We did social media marketing, print marketing, direct marketing, viral videos and guerilla marketing. In the end, we were able to make a difference. One of the ways we measured this was how many student energy conservation proposals were received. Based on our work, the committee saw a 300% increase.

5. If you could have any job in the world, what would that be?

I would love to be an international disc jockey.  But seriously, what I am really striving to do at the moment is continue building my company. Eventually,  I want to be a CEO who manages a few e-commerce companies.

6. What is your favorite part of being an AMA member?

I love meeting people. Networking is a fancy way to say “making friends.” I love making friends, learning from them, and helping them. The people at the AMA love marketing and it is awesome to meet people who love what I love.

7. What is your #1 pet peeve in a job environment?

Lack of or no communication. I have found that it is very important to communicate with others often and be able to be found and responsive when needed.

8. What do you think is the next big change that will occur in the Marketing profession?

Analytics will be the next big change. Marketers love numbers (or they should) because numbers are evidence. When you apply numbers to a profession such as marketing, it changes to more of a hard science rather than a soft science. Also, analytics provides feedback. The feedback loop is changing to be much faster and smaller. The more feedback you have, the better you can create a value proposition. This translates into both online and offline sales.