What have you accomplished in your professional life/career since your 40 Under 40 selection?
When selected in 2001, I was still at an ad agency, Malcolm Marketing Communications, as vice president, account services. Shortly thereafter in 2003, I chose to close my creative and marketing career on the brand side at American Family, where I remained for 16-plus years until my retirement in the first quarter of this year. For the vast majority of those years, I was in sponsorship/events either managing the team or serving as partnership lead or on project teams for the likes of the Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United, University of Wisconsin, University of Oregon, Milwaukee Summerfest, Milwaukee Brewers, consumer home/garden shows, and more.
What accomplishments, milestones, or endeavors have you attained in your personal life since your 40 Under 40 selection?
- Led cause-marketing merchandise program through American Family’s partnership with the Green Bay Packers to raise needed research dollars for a) breast cancer, b) heart disease, and c) veterans support. Sales of pink Packers caps to benefit breast cancer research bested unit sales of Packers Super Bowl Champion hats from 1996.
- Led similar merchandise cause campaign for American Family with the University of Oregon Ducks to raise research dollars to stem the tide of young adult cancer. Worked in concert with the likes of Nike, Lance Armstrong Foundation, Oregon Health and Science University, and U of O’s Department of Molecular Biology.
- Had the privilege of leading American Family’s Events team for six years endeavoring to drive brand awareness and lead generation in providing growth opportunities for the company’s dedicated agent force throughout its 19-state footprint.
If you were to “do it all over again,” what (if anything) would you do differently throughout your career?
I have no complaints with my career path and wouldn’t want to have done anything differently. Doing what I did, when I did it, and how I did it shaped me into who I am today. And after 36 years of employment in creative, fast-paced industries like of advertising and sponsorship, I believe all those experiences set me up to have the successes I was blessed to enjoy throughout my career.
How did your 40 Under 40 selection help your career?
It greatly broadened by contacts, which was very helpful at the time when I was trying to either a) find new clients for the ad agency or b) broaden the contact list within existing clients.
What is something that you have a new passion for since the time of your induction — either professionally or personally?
Since 2014, I have had two careers: one business, one musical. I decided to get back on the proverbial throne and see if I had the chops to drum for local bands and, hopefully, land on some impressive stages. That passion just blossomed in me and also gave me a tremendous work-life balance. Starting in 2015, I have been blessed to have drummed for bands that have opened for the likes of Darius Rucker, Jennifer Hudson, Peter Frampton, and Trace Adkins. I am also humbled to say that I’ve been on musical stages in St. Louis, Dallas, and for the Green Bay Packers (3 times), Indianapolis Colts, Cincinnati Bengals, Summerfest (3 times), and even during Super Bowl Week 2015 on the campus of Arizona State University. Today, you’ll find me keeping the beat for Madison’s Tent Show Troubadours, which keeps me so excited, happy, and thrilled. There is truly no bigger rush than killing it when you’re on stage in large settings/venues. You get to lose yourself for two to three hours and simply create, on the fly, beat by beat by beat, in tandem with other highly creative and talented individuals. It is a rush that cannot be explained as well as it can be felt.
Based on your experience, do you have any advice for today’s young professionals (under 40)?
Follow the advice given to me by Dr. Fred Hartenstein, College of Business, Western Michigan University: “You manage by walking around.”
Show those either you personally manage or are on project teams with that you value them as people first. Get out from behind your desk AND from behind your devices and take an interest in who they are as people. Show up in their space. Don’t ask them to come to you. You take the initiative and approach them. With each new device we’ve become better at “transferring information” but worse at “communicating.” Be active and transparent in managing teams or projects. The results, and the lasting partnerships, will humble you.
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