What are the most challenging and rewarding aspects of your job and why?
Implementation of a new or updated brand strategy is typically very detailed and takes some time to develop to correctly define a business. When done right, branding requires changes in behavior and processes, which need to be consistently performed. The ultimate reward is when customers, clients, or patients are attracted to the new or updated brand and the business grows as a result of it.
Who do you look up to or admire in business and why?
My dad has always been my business mentor. He started his career in sales at Patrick Cudahy and then went to Stoppenbach Meats before starting his own business, Doyle’s Wholesale Meats. He began his business in our home and each day I listened to him talk to customers. On days off from school, he would let me ride with him and I watched him interact with people. My dad loved his work so much that he took his last wholesale meat order just a day before his death in 2013. My mother delivered that order in his honor the day after his funeral.
What has been the high point of your career so far?
Strategic Brand Marketing was born in my home office in 2010, but we quickly outgrew the space and moved to our current offices in downtown Madison. Our clients, vendors, and partners love the space we currently occupy at 30 on the Square and enjoy the atmosphere only downtown Madison can bring.
Thinking back on your career, what advise would you give to your 21-year old self?
Find out what you love to do, and then find a way to get paid for it. I absolutely love what I do and wish I hadn’t waited so long to start doing it!
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What would you say are the best things about living and working in Dane County?
Dane County has an incredible variety of things to do all year long. We really enjoy special events, hiking, biking, golfing, boating, and, of course, some of the best restaurants around!
Do you have any secret talents or abilities that people would be surprised to discover?
My oldest grandkids seem to have really taken to my unique fort-building techniques! We love taking blankets, chairs, and furniture to create “cool” forts where we read, have snacks, and enjoy some really great conversations together.
What are your guilty pleasures?
I grew up in Jefferson, Wis., where we enjoyed Wedl’s Hamburger Stand & Ice Cream Parlor, one of the oldest and smallest burger joints in the area. Their secret recipe burgers are the best homemade burgers around and they’ve been in business since 1916. Although we don’t get there as often as I’d like, we enjoy taking the convertible for a ride to Jefferson for a burger and to catch up with folks there.
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