It seems ironic to be writing a biography of myself on May 20, 2009. It was exactly 23 years ago today that my story begins.
My parents, Dave and Pam, along with my 4-years-senior brother, Mike, welcomed me into the world in Kansas City, Missouri. I was tiny and reserved with a bald head until 2, but I was bold and brave when I needed to be. Like the time I was 5 and threatened a bully three times my size who was blocking the slide by telling him “I know karate.” I had a very happy childhood, really, but it was that toughness that got me through my parents’ divorce and the horrifying aftermath of switching schools in fourth grade. I quickly distracted myself by making new friends and focusing on my new-found love for soccer. Despite being undersized, inexperienced, and cursed with a lack of aggression, at age 9 I made the 11-year-old traveling tournament team. It was clear that I would need to play smarter and work harder than my teammates and opponents. By my freshman year of high school, I was moved up to the varsity team, and my senior year I was named captain. I wasn’t the MVP, the top scorer, or even a starter for many games, but my coach told me that I could lead, that the other girls listened to me and learned from me because I played smart, that I could see the field, the bigger picture and I could plan my moves. But that wasn’t just a quality I possessed on the field.
Around the same time I had made that tournament team, I started visiting my step-mom at her job as a copy editor for the Green Bay Press-Gazette. It was then that I decided I had to do something with the media for my future career. As the end of my high school days rolled around, I had formed a plan. I was going to attend the University of Minnesota’s journalism school and keep up my competitive edge by playing intramural soccer and hopefully find a job coaching. Since my life had revolved around soccer for so long, resulting in only slightly above-average grades, my parents and teachers were somewhat shocked when I drove to Illinois at 4 a.m. to take the last possible ACT with no studying under my belt and came out with a clearly above-average score of 30. Did I mention procrastination is my biggest downfall? I like to think of it as “working well under pressure.” I easily made it into the University of Minnesota and made the controversial move from Packers territory to Vikings land. I strategically planned my class schedule so I could apply early to the School of Journalism, organized a co-ed intramural soccer team, and found a job coaching a U-11 girls tournament team. As I started taking classes in the J school, I realized that the Mass Communications program was made for me. I got to take classes, participate in clubs and competitions that developed my skills in writing, client and public relations, market and consumer research, branding and communication strategy and development, and principles of design. My most valuable experience and accomplishment was outside the classroom, being part of the team that won the National Student Advertising Competition in 2007. Being a part of NSAC provided me with the experience of working with a team to design a full campaign for Coca-Cola. Operating as an agency, we conducted research, created a strategy and brief, and applied this to creative executions. Our presentation of the campaign to a panel of industry experts and representatives from Coca-Cola won us the 2007 national title. The following year, after four years of studying and stressing, I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Strategic Communications and a minor in Design. Shortly after graduating, I landed a gig doing some freelance account planning for a small design firm called Mind Spark Creative. My network there led me down the street to Fusion Hill, a research and design shop. I earned a position on the team as a Research Strategist Intern, and will be finishing my six-month run there at the end of June. As a part of the research team, I have had the opportunity to collect and analyze qualitative research for clients such as Medtronic, Hormel, US Bank, and Discover. Actively assisting in ethnographies, discussion groups, homework collection, and secondary research then gives me the chance to help the team create personae, target markets, and opportunity areas. We then work with the design team to translate our research into a deck format, supplemented with narratives, posters, and highlight DVDs. Needless to say, this has been an invaluable experience to start my career in planning.
And that brings us back to today, the last day I will identify myself as a 22 year old and the first day of my 24th year. I have an education. I have a little experience. I want more of both, which is why I’m writing this “short” bio, to tell Miami Ad School who I am. And defining who I am is a lot harder task than I thought. Telling you about my degree and my job is easy, but to get at my essence, what makes me, I asked my family and closest friends for help. After 23 years, with their help, this is what I learned about myself.
I am sensing. I look beyond the obvious and have an innate ability to sense what is below the surface. I listen intently and consider all the details with a level of analysis that can land me sweating the small stuff, but I like to think I’m getting more level headed with age. I am fun and upbeat with a sense of humor that can bring laughter to the best and worst of times. I am adventurous and creative, open to trying almost anything at least once. I possess humility and know my place and purpose while visualizing the bigger picture. Often times I don’t take enough accountability, but I’ve also been known to take a bullet for the team, even if I don’t deserve it. I am compassionate and loyal. I have been there for everyone in my life at one time or another and my caring nature is beyond my years. This has at times set me up to be the vulnerable victim and I still have some learning to do about trust and sensing the qualities in other people beyond the benefit of the doubt. I am a determined procrastinator. Once I set a goal I can always reach it, it just might be last minute. I persevere. I’ve been dealt a few rough hands, but use my creativity and determination to translate the tough times into motivation and inspiration. I am understated. I can rock heels, pin stripes, and pearls, but I’m most comfortable in a 24-year-old Final Four sweatshirt and soccer shorts with a cheek full of ranch sunflower seeds and Journey blaring on my iPod. I’m a friend, a daughter, a granddaughter, a little sister, a big sister, a cousin, a niece, and today, celebrating becoming an aunt.
Here’s to the past 23 years! Bring on the Bootcamp.
B. Why do you want a career in account planning?
The Six Degrees of Separation theory says that each person is connected to any other person through a chain of no more than six people. Despite a population of more than 6.7 billion, our world is much smaller than it seems. The way each of us leads our lives affects those around us, near and far, much more than we may anticipate. Becoming a professional in the advertising industry, I will be able to use my skills to enhance these connections and make a positive impact on our world. Strategic mass communication can benefit everyone involved; the sponsor, the consumer, the industry, and the economy as a whole. Through a creative and ethical approach to advertising, I will become the bridge from consumer to creators of communications that will connect people to information, brands, products, services, people, and ideas that will increase their quality of life. I want to produce ads that reach people on a personal level, that mold valuable relationships between brands and consumers. In such a small world, we all have a responsibility to give back, and I can't think of a better way than through strengthening the connections that bring us so close in the first place.
C. If you had to explain to someone what the failure of the U.S. automotive industry, DVR (TiVo), the successful campaign of Barack Obama, the popularity of reality television and the rise of social networks (Facebook, MySpace, etc.) all have in common, what would you say?
The failure of the U.S. automotive industry, DVR (TiVo), the successful campaign of Barack Obama, the popularity of reality television and the rise of social networks are all connected by what I like to call “interactive control”. The current cultural trend is to demand both interactivity and control over all facets of day-to-day life.
From bailouts to bankruptcy, the U.S. automotive industry has faced a total meltdown over the last year. Sales plummeted, dealership doors closed, and thousands of jobs vanished. One of the major reasons for the industry-wide collapse was the lack of understanding by U.S. auto makers of consumer needs. They focused on short-term profits while racking up debt and delivering a product that was seriously lacking in customer satisfaction. Manufacturers were not giving their consumers any way to interact with them and take control of what they wanted in their vehicles. While high-mileage, low-pollution, and low-quality cars were being pumped out left and right, consumers were being left highly unsatisfied. Going “green” may be all the rage, but concerns over size, image, and quality still take the top of the list when it comes to purchase decision. When the auto industry forgot to leave the consumer in the driver’s seat, consumers said “forget it” to the driver’s seat all together.
Digital Video Recording technology, better known as “TiVo”, is a dead-on example of satisfying consumers’ need for “interactive control”. The DVR device allows users to interact with programmed television and control when and how they view specific programs. For instance, a user may want to watch Grey’s Anatomy each week, but they also have to work at that same time. With a few clicks of the remote, they can simply tell the DVR that they would like to be able to watch the entire season of Grey’s Anatomy, and the DVR will record and store each episode so that it can be viewed at an alternate time. The user can then also use the rewind, fast-forward, and pause features while viewing the recorded episodes. TiVo will eventually “learn” the household’s viewing preferences and make suggestions on programs that the viewers may be interested in. DVR puts personalized television programming literally at the fingertips of the consumer.
President Barack Obama’s successful campaign was heavily impacted by his use of interactive technology to connect with voters, supporters, and volunteers. From Facebook to Twitter to Youtube, Obama’s campaign team used every way imaginable to interact with and connect potential voters. Supporters used Barack’s Facebook fan page to connect with other supporters and organize events. Twitter followers were able to send direct messages and @replies with questions, comments, concerns, and support for the presidential candidate, while viewing real-time updates of his location and activities. An interactive town hall meeting was viewed by millions via Obama’s Youtube page. The campaign team was then able to analyze and evaluate common concerns, objections, questions, and comments in order to better understand just what the American people were looking for in their new president. This information could even be organized by location, to understand the differences in the diverse areas that make up the United States. Obama’s campaign delivered “interactive control”, and won the heart of the nation.
America’s obsession with reality TV is a direct result of the “interactive control” given to viewers. The nation’s most popular reality program, American Idol, gives the home audience the opportunity to text in votes for their favorite performer, thus controlling the outcome of the competition. The web site encourages fans to join the “MyIdol” online fan community to interact with contestants and other fans. Open auditions even give consumers a chance to appear on the show! Not only do consumers initiate interaction with the show, but it returns the favor with text vote reminders and e-mail announcements. American Idol and the vast landscape of reality TV shows have hit a high note by increasing interaction with viewers and providing opportunities for them to control outcomes.
The recent rise of social networks is perhaps the greatest illustration of the desire that people have to interact with family, friends, peers, co-workers, and others, while controlling what they project to the public as their self-image. Social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, and Twitter allow users to publish information about themselves that they alone have created, as well as stay connected to and share with others through both private and public posting and messaging. Through personal profiles, people can put together their ideal self-image and present it to their entire network. By listing certain activities, interests, movies, music, quotations, pictures, videos, links, and other qualities, users define who they are, or who they would like to appear to be to others. The second highest need on Maslow’s hierarchy, the need for esteem, is the psychological force that makes social networking so popular. Even if a person’s esteem is lacking in the real world, their online self can become a mask that portrays and earns the self-esteem that everybody seeks.
D. How would you evolve the state of advertising to be successful in the year 2020?
I would shift the focus of advertising to building genuine, long-term relationships that result in real solutions. So much advertising is wasted on goals of short-term profits, awards and recognition. Highly creative and flashy advertising might catch attention, especially that of the industry, and may even earn an Addy, but the focus should be on solidifying the relationship with the consumer and truly helping them with solutions that will better their quality of life. Through practice, involvement in industry organizations, and, eventually, teaching and instruction, I hope to spread this theory and see greater success in advertising by the year 2020.
E. What is a good metaphor for how you approach problem solving?
I approach problem solving like waves in a swell.
I’m a big list person. I keep two small notebooks filled with lists, one for work and one for personal stuff. My computer and desk are covered in post-its. One of my favorite applications on my MacBook is Stickies, and my desktop is proof. Each item on my lists is like a small wave that builds toward a breaking point and leads to a swell. It’s kind of like this project. I started by writing out a list of these ten questions. I went through the list over and over, every time adding ideas for solutions to each one. Each individual question built up and developed into an answer, like a tiny wave building up and finally crashing onto the shoreline. What developed from this series of surges was the over-arching theme, the big idea, the swell, the big kahuna. The problem posed by this application was to provide outside-the-box answers to ten open-ended questions in a way that would show my creativity. Ten tiny answers were the waves that led to the swell solution to make my application into an interactive blog. Hang ten, dude. Hope you’re enjoying the surf.
F. What is an essential paradox that defines your life?
I am contemporary and traditional; a young and free spirit with an
old soul. My favorite movie is Bad Boys 2, but I’ve surely spent more hours watching SNL’s Best of Gilda Radner. My iPod playlist starts with T-Pain and ends with Journey. My favorite live music acts have been Britney Spears and the dueling pianos playing all ‘80s every Wednesday at Shout House. I Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, Skype, and text, but my favorite form of communication is a hand-written letter. I have hundreds of digital photos of my friends and I, but my desktop background is a black-and-white photo I took with my grandpa’s old camera (I even rolled the film and developed it in a dark room myself). I look to the future, but never forget the past.G. What is the animal you have most in common with and why?
My power animal is definitely the chameleon. My ability to sense and fit into my surroundings is like the chameleon changing colors according to the scenery. I find it easy and natural to alter everything from my appearance to my attitude to assume the role I’m looking for in any given situation. Sometimes I choose to hide, camouflage myself, blend in with the crowd. But I can also be the most colorful presence in the room.
Plus we share a nickname… Lizard!
H. Make up a story about yourself as an unconventional superhero.
“It’s a bird!”
“It’s a plane!”
“Ummm … there’s nothing in the sky. Lizzy Little Thing doesn’t fly…”
This is the story of a day-in-the-life of Lizzy Little Thing! She may be small, but she packs a powerful punch of motivation through small and simple acts! It’s the little things that matter, and good things come in small packages!
On this particular morning, Lizzy Little Thing woke up bright and early to pack up the cookies she had made the night before for her co-workers. She arrived at work just before everyone else and placed the plate of cookies and hand-written notes she had written on each one on their desks. Susan was the first to arrive.
“Oh my, Lizzy Little Thing! I was having a horrible morning, but this just turned it around and made my day!” she said. The cookies quickly gave her the fuel she needed to finish a major project ahead of deadline.
As the lunch hour approached, Lizzy Little Thing heard something in the distance… It was her cell phone vibrating on the other end of the desk. She picked up to hear her roommate, Kelsey, on the other end in tears.
“Lizzy Little Thing, I feel so sick! I’m so hungry but I can’t eat!”
Lizzy rushed out of the office and jumped in her turbo charged Volvo and drove 35 mph to the nearest Subway. A $5 footlong, Diet Coke, and Cheetoh’s (Kelsey’s favorite meal) was sure to be the cure! Kelsey gobbled it up and soon enough had the strength to get outside for a walk and some fresh air.
The superhero jumped back in the Volvo and headed back towards work. On the way she noticed a voicemail from her step-mom, Julie.
“Lizzy I’m in a rut!” she said. “I’m feeling down-and-out and I don’t know what to do to pick myself up again!”
Back at the office, Lizzy had an e-mail from her Dad that read:
“Lizzy Little Thing, I really want to accomplish my dream of cycling the Tour de France, but I don’t know if I can do it. I already miss my family and I’d have to spend more time biking and a whole month in France.”
Lizzy Little Thing quickly finished her work for the day and, again, hopped in the trusty Volvo. She called Julie and said, “have no fear, I’m on the way… to sunny Omaha, NE!”
Upon her arrival, Lizzy Little Thing whipped out her mini-notebook containing her most important secrets/“to-do” lists. She had mapped out a plan for her and Julie to set goals and complete activities together throughout the summer that would surely pull them both out of any rut! Julie was right on board and rebounded in no time at all!
A few hours later, Lizzy’s Dad was arriving at the airport from a business trip. Julie packed Lizzy Little Thing in the trunk with the two family dogs and off they went to pick him up. As her Dad approached the car, Lizzy Little Thing popped out with the puppies at just the right moment!
“What a great surprise!” he exclaimed.
“I thought I’d come to visit so that we can have a fun weekend together before your trip to France!” she replied.
That night they planned out the trip together and her Dad jumped on his bike and road off into the sunset, thrilled about his upcoming adventure.
Just another day-in-the-life of Lizzy Little Thing!
I. If you were a brand, which one would you be and why?
The permanent tan line around my left ankle leads me to believe that if I were a brand, I’d be LiveStrong.
My whole life I’ve been cheering on my Dad with pride from the roadside while he has competed in the sport of cycling. His passion for pedaling made Lance Armstrong a household name even before his first of seven Tour de France victories. When Armstrong began his battle with cancer and partnered with Nike to start the LiveStrong campaign, we were obvious supporters. I even took a trip to France to witness Lance’s sixth victory ride into Paris. Not long after, my step-mom’s mother, Cindy, began her own war with leukemia. LiveStrong was no longer a cool way to support Armstrong, it became a family support system. We all took turns reading It’s Not About the Bike, decked ourselves out in yellow and black, wore the little rubber wristbands that somehow symbolized and provided a magical sense of hope (mine is on my left ankle, hence the tan line), and distributed them like candy at a parade. Through a twist of fate, Cindy was accepted into a stem-cell research trial at Fairview Medical Center, her window visible from my new dorm room just across the street at Pioneer Hall. Leaving home and heading off to college was so much easier knowing Cindy was just steps away. That’s right, my grandmother, being attacked by leukemia and heading into an experimental treatment plan, was the strong one, having to regularly reassure me that I would do great in Minneapolis. I visited Cindy as often as possible to watch Survivor, witness one of her famous snort-filled laughing fits, and walk laps around the oncology wing. I didn’t see it coming when my parents showed up after my last final of my first semester with tears in their eyes. The plan had failed and Cindy would be going back home with me for one final Christmas.
I was truly blessed to get the opportunity to make the memories I have with Cindy. Like our nicknames for each other: Hiyacynthia and Lizardbreath; catching ping pong balls dropped from helicopters at the annual fall festival in Door County; handing over a towel containing a purring baby kitten for her birthday. But my absolute most favorite memory of Cindy is a simple example of her incredible and inspiring strength. On one of her harder days at Fairview, the nurse convinced Cindy to take one of her walks around the wing. After one lap, she was weak, fatigued, and out of breath. I congratulated her on completing the nurse’s request and turned toward her room when she said “one more lap.” Those three words have inspired me to LiveStrong in Cindy’s absence. I put myself on the national bone marrow donor list. I make yearly donations to the American Cancer Society. I created a short documentary on stem-cell research at the University of Minnesota for a class project. I proudly and regularly sport my black t-shirt with the bold phrase “CANCER SUCKS”. I am running my first half marathon this Sunday and I frequently remind myself of Cindy’s famous words on tough training days. Cindy inspired me to live the brand that inspired her in her valiant fight. Six years later, the same yellow band on my left ankle remains in tribute.
J. Invent a word that could be adopted into the language and change the culture’s attitude to a particular issue.
Ligoreni = Unorganized religion
I was raised Catholic, baptized, and attended religion class once a week for more than a decade. Not by choice. Although, looking back I’m glad I did. When confirmation rolled around and it was finally my choice if I wanted to confirm my faith as a Catholic, I was able to make the informed decision not to. I figured if after that many church services and Sunday school sessions I still didn’t understand how preventing gay marriage was going to result in world peace, I was just never going to.
To be honest, I despise the idea of organized religion.
I believe there is a god, of some kind. I don’t know what happens when you die and I’d rather not. I don’t want to live by a random set of rules that who knows who came up with hundreds of years ago. I don’t expect anyone to agree with me. I know most people don’t, and I’m OK with that. I don’t judge others’ beliefs. I’ve never stolen or killed and don’t plan on it. I have lied. I will never blow up myself or others in the name of my god.
Faith and beliefs should be based on spirituality, not a controlling organization that barks commands and demands your money. It’s time to unorganize religion – Ligoreni!
