The Story of My Job

A reader recently emailed me and asked that I share my story of how I got started in my job.

So here’s that story. 🙂 This may be a little longer than my average post.

I majored in journalism with an emphasis in the strategic communications at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I always wanted to be an actress, but my parents said that if I wanted to major in theatre, I needed to major in something practical too.

It turned out I fell in love with the practical major.

I started doing freelance marketing and internships at 19. I was fortunate to have some great opportunities – interning at Lifest (one of the largest Christian music festivals in the country), interning with Mike at the Mic in the Morning on 101QFL in Rockford, IL (I would take a greyhound bus there at like 4 am once a week), freelance writing and more. I came to Nashville the summer of my senior year to intern at EMI CMG in publicity, but ended up leaving that position to intern at an agency instead. After that summer I determined I didn’t want to work in the Christian music industry. It just wasn’t what I thought it was. I was happy with just being a fan.

That summer was also the summer that confirmed Matthew was the man I was supposed to marry.

Matthew and I got engaged my senior year, in September 2003.

I would come to Nashville once a month to visit him for a weekend. (I was an RA in a dorm at Madison, so him coming to visit wasn’t really conducive.)

In January I began setting up some informational interviews in Nashville, trying to get a sense of the market and where I wanted to work. We were getting married in October 2004, so I didn’t want to start work until after that.

Valentine’s weekend I came to Nashville to visit Matthew and do a couple interviews. One was for a small boutique PR firm called Lovell Communications. I liked the website and the owner, Paula Lovell, seemed very impressive. I wasn’t planning on interviewing for a job – just scoping them out.

Well I loved Paula.

I loved the people I met.

I loved the energy.

But Paula was looking for someone to start right after graduation.

I wasn’t planning to move to Nashville until after the wedding.

After much prayer and discussions with Matthew and my family, we agreed I couldn’t turn down the opportunity.

I graduated.

Bought my first car.

Moved into a friend of a friend’s basement in Nashville.

Started my first job at Lovell Communications.

Here’s my headshot and “fun” photos that were taken right after I started. (In our conference room we have the fun photos framed and going around the room.

I will celebrate my six-year-anniversary in a couple months. We just had new photos taken (we are launching a new website soon) and I am amazed how much I have “grown-up”. (That sounds better than aged, doesn’t it?)

I love what I do. (Check out my bio here.)

It is exactly what I went to school for – and more.

Working at a small shop has been so rewarding because I have had the opportunity to be a part of – and lead – some great projects. We have more than 50 clients in 40 states, and the days are never the same. The people I work with are incredibly talented and challenge me to think differently and creatively.

So, when I’m not being a wife and mother, blogging, scrapbooking and taking pictures – chances are I am thinking strategically and creatively for a client.