BMA Young Professionals: By You, For You

5 Project Management Epiphanies

Something that I always try to do after a project is to reflect personally on what went well, and…not so well.

Right now I am wrapping up some projects for an office move.  My company, Republic Financial Corporation, we didn’t move far, but it was the first time we had moved in 18 years (I was six years old when they moved into the old office!).  Although it wasn’t a large distance, there was a change of address and a shift in culture. 

I was put in charge of new office signage, office labeling, collateral, and move notifications. 

Here are a few of the things I have learned:

Give yourself more time than you actually think you will need.  Life is a lot easier when you get a project done “early”. 

Trust others who are specialists.  They are for a reason.  You are willing to pay someone else to do a job because you can’t do it yourself.  So let them.  

Sometimes you have to spend a little extra.  I am a very frugal person and it kills me to spend money, but sometimes you have to.  Understanding where and when to spend money is a skill that I believe can only be improved over time.

Get second and third opinions.  Others have a different view, and even if you think you have everything nailed down, chances are…you don’t.

Wait.  Sometimes you will freak out, want to make a change, think that a meeting time won’t work for everyone, or give someone an update.  If you would wait the extra 15 minutes, many times you can group all of your changes and avoid canceling and sending out a new email/meeting request.

With a project like this, there are ebs and flows that you simply will not be able to anticipate.  Being flexible and realistic will help to make sure you cruise over those small bumps. 

What Project Management tips do you have?  

YP Meetup with Ad2: Vail Resort’s EpicMix Campaign, Secrets Revealed

Join the BMA Young Professionals as we partner with Denver Ad Club’s Ad2 and Vail Resorts to gather the young marketing and advertising community in Denver for a night of networking, fun, and insight into one of the most successful and widely-recognized campaigns in Colorado; The EpicMix Campaign.

We’ll learn about the EpicMix Campaign and both B2B and B2C sides of Vail Resort’s ongoing marketing efforts, hearing directly from their team on what goes into event planning, acquiring sponsorships, building and maintaining vendor relationships, and points of a successful marketing campaign.  Battery 621 will provide the perfect setting for meeting and networking with like-minded YPs over drinks and food.

• Battery 621, lot and street parking available
• Tuesday, April 24th
• 6-8pm
• BMA Members: Free
• Not-yet Members: $10
• More info and registration here!

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On Purpose: Not what, but who

What am I going to be when I grow up?  After attending the BMA luncheon featuring Roy Spence, I began to think that this is not the question we should be asking.  It is a question whose answer is completely irrelevant to anyone you do business or have a relationship with.  The real question we should be asking is, “Who do I want to be when I grow up?”

Through my first year in the marketing world one thing has become very clear to me.  You can have all the knowledge in the world, but many times, the thing that will get you that next project or responsibility is who you are as a person.

“Where your talents and the needs of the world meet, there lies your calling. Your Purpose.”

- Aristotle 

Who you are is driven by your purpose.  I am sure there are a lot of people out there who are thinking “I could barely figure out my major in college, how am I supposed to figure out my purpose?”  I believe that purpose can change and will change throughout a person’s life.  However, the foundational values of that purpose never will. 

My purpose at this stage of my life is to give people the ability to experience and enjoy their friends and family in the outdoors.  Now, if you know me, my job might seem like the polar opposite of that statement.  Let me explain. 

I understand that I sit in a cubicle and mainly stare into my dual monitors for nearly 40 hours a week, but I am learning tools that will help me later on in my career.  I understand that this is a marathon and not a sprint and that I need to do the proper training to win the race.  I took this job with my purpose in mind.  The cool thing is that through my learning experiences and strengthening of my talents, I have been able to help our operating companies fulfill their purpose and create some unbelievably great friendships as well.  The other bonus that has come out of this first job is that I know that I really do love what I do.   

Do you know who you want to be when you grow up?  If you do, look back, do you know how that happened?  

Carlo Ritschl

Marketing Specialist at Republic Financial Corporation

@CarloRitschl