I once had a boss who said, "If you're in marketing, you should always be thinking about marketing; even in the shower, you should be thinking about marketing."
I'm not sure if at the age of 22 that I fully understood what he was telling me, although I know I wanted to.
It was my first job working for a fashion brand within a legit marketing department. I had varied positions in the past including wholesale sales, event coordination, managing retail stores and e-commerce websites. A year prior, I had launched my own company where I connected business owners with creative experts. It was called Marka Concepts and it was when I first knew I had a knack for seeing a need and solving a problem. It was my first taste of entrepreneurship and I knew some day I'd want more. However, I decided to put it aside to focus all of my attention on my new role.
This boss of mine was the CEO of a successful wholesale and retail junior denim brand. He had a fiercly strong personality and I always admired his drive. He had created the company from nothing and while many brands in that highly competitive space fizzle out after a few years, he and his business partners have continued to grow the the company since launching in 2000. While working there, I grew from Website Specialist to Marketing Coordinator and finally to Advertising Manager. It was the true jumping off point in my career and I'll never forget the opportunities and exposure I was provided.
Fast forward to today, after launching Written & Styled in August of 2016, I can finally say that I am living those words spoken by my past boss. These days, creative marketing ideas and inspiration come in strange forms and seem to appear most often when I take time to breathe and let go.
By setting yourself up for opportunities to be inspired or gain clarity by getting away from the day-to-day grind and connecting with others, you might find the answer you're looking for was always there, you just have to be open to seeing it. It may come to you on a serene beach or maybe even in the shower.
I hope you take time to recharge in order to let go and dream up some magic for the New Year.
With love,
Arica