What have you accomplished in your professional life/career since your 40 Under 40 selection?
I am still running Revelation PR, Advertising & Social Media and EatDrinkMadison.com, and I am still teaching social media at Madison College. Since 2012, I also:
- Became a digital marketing specialist for the State of Wisconsin’s Center for Business Intelligence;
- Became an entrepreneur-in-residence at Madison College;
- Launched Revelation Events, a corporate event planning business;
- Launched MadisonStartups.com, which covers startup news in town;
- Became a PR/marketing/website instructor for WARF’s UpStart program for female and minority entrepreneurs;
- Earned a certificate in reputation management;
- Won a Dane County Small Business Award in 2016;
- Was named PRSA-Madison’s Communicator of the Year for 2013–14;
- Won numerous PRSA-Madison awards, including “Best in Show” in 2013;
- Served on the Public Relations Society of America’s national board of directors;
- Published a book on Amazon, Using Social Media for Business (fourth edition to come out in 2020); and
- Contributed to the book, How to Succeed in a PR Agency.
I’m now enrolled in graduate school online to pursue my MBA while continuing to work full time.
What accomplishments, milestones, or endeavors have you attained in your personal life since your 40 Under 40 selection?
I’ve been doing a lot of writing. I’ve written three children’s books that are currently in the draft stage. I’ve also resumed writing a movie script I started a few years ago; I’m currently working on the end of Act I/beginning of Act II. My goal in 2020 is to get the three books professionally edited and illustrated and to complete at least Act II of the movie script.
If you were to “do it all over again,” what (if anything) would you do differently throughout your career?
I’ve been asked that question enough times that I now don’t hesitate to answer: nothing. All the past struggles and mistakes were learning opportunities. When I attended a conference for agency owners, I mentioned to another attendee that I wish I could have learned all that we had learned before I started my business. He responded that most of what we learned wouldn’t have helped back then — that we wouldn’t have appreciated or understood the solutions until we encountered the challenges. Upon hearing that, I realized he was absolutely correct.
How did your 40 Under 40 selection help your career?
I have always been appreciative of the honor of being in the 40 Under 40 club. It has given me an instant common ground when meeting with other 40 Under 40 members, and each year I look forward to meeting the new class of inductees.
What is something that you have a new passion for since the time of your induction — either professionally or personally?
I’ve started playing video games again. I had pretty much stopped playing once I got to college, but now that my kids are playing I’ve gotten back into it.
In addition, I’ve become more obsessed with 80s music, as my friends who have been to my house know. Since the induction, I’ve seen Journey, Asia, Mötley Crüe, Alice Cooper, Def Leppard, and REO Speedwagon in concert.
Based on your experience, do you have any advice for today’s young professionals (under 40)?
Don’t stop learning, because when you stop is when you get replaced by someone more knowledgeable.
Keep meeting people, as you never know where the relationship may lead. And don’t be afraid to ask for advice.
Click here to sign up for the free IB Ezine — your twice-weekly resource for local business news, analysis, voices, and the names you need to know. If you are not already a subscriber to In Business magazine, be sure to sign up for our monthly print edition here.
