But What Do You Do?

I have luckily been the Marketing Director for Westside Pizza for about five months now. I really love my job and I actually enjoy going into work during the week. I love talking about how awesome my job is which includes highlights of playing darts with my hilarious bosses and doing photoshoots with pizza. As much as people know that my job is "a good job" they have no idea what a marketing director does.

People ask what I do on a day to day basis; however, my job isn't a typical 9-5. I should start off with saying that I don't work on Mondays and our work day start at 10. Yes. You are allowed to feel jealous. :P 

On Tuesdays, we have our group meeting. I meet with my bosses and we talk about how our projects are doing and what needs to get done this week. After our meeting we work for a couple hours and then we have a dart tournament to see who gets to pick where we get to eat for our weekly office lunch. 

Now the actual work bit. 

First, I clock into work. Then I check the social media accounts and see if I need to respond to anything or put out new content. I respond to emails about menu proofs or questions from franchisees or sales people.

Next, I get to work on whatever project I have going on. The project depends on where we are in our promotion cycle. If a new promotion is coming up, my day consists of a lot of planning, graphic design, photography, designing emails. 

When I am done with the next promotion, I have time to work on other projects! That can range from fixing something on our website to creating TV menu slides to compiling a marketing report to
editing footage. I was working on upgrading our app for the past several months, which included getting certain rights and certificates and now we're on to the next to continue to improve and help our consumers. I have also been working on a project to help my bosses rate how our franchisees are doing. I have worked on several internal projects to help certain aspects run smoother. I help with the set up of new locations with regards to setting up their Facebook, Website, Menu, and App. 

At the end the month I go over reports with my boss to see how our promotions are doing and we analysis the effectiveness of what we are doing.

I am also continually seeking out new marketing opportunities for us to try out. I think this is one of the hardest parts of my job because you can't tell if something is going to work until after you try it. So we could be throwing our money down a drain and not know it until months later. 

2017

2017 was quite the rollercoaster of a year.

I graduated from Boise State University in May with my BBA in Marketing with Distinguished Honors from the Honor's College. I was also recognized as the Outstanding Marketing Graduate from the College of Business and Economics.

Shortly after I graduated, I was admitted to the hospital for two weeks where I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, which is an autoimmune disease that currently doesn't have a cure. I found out at the beginning of December that I currently don't have any active disease, which is the best thing I could have hoped for!

I started working at Westside Pizza this fall as the new Marketing Director. So I get to take a lot of photos of pizza and play a lot of darts with my bosses.

My family grew by two more members this year! My sister Gabby had a son, Elliott, in April, and my sister Bizz had a son, Beckett, in August. Gabby asked me to be Elliott's Godmother, and he was baptized in October! Also my best friend, Claire, had her first son a couple months ago!

I think it has been a great year.

I am thankful for everything that has happened. I think I am even the most thankful for my chronic illness even though it has been a difficult journey. It has helped show me who and what is important in my life. I know that my friends truly care about my well being. My friends and family mean the world to me because they make me forget about my illness and let me be a normal person. I also know that they are able to help be when I have to get another infusion or write me a funny card when I have to get a colonoscopy. I don't know how they do it, but when I am going through a rough time, they are able to make a little joke about it and makes me realize yet again how thankful I am to have people in my life who try to make me smile if even for a moment.

So, thank you for every smile and joke and laugh. These are the moments I live for.

Thank you for continuing to push me to be the best version of myself.
Thank you for believing in my potential.
Thank you for pulling me out of my problems and into a tea party.
Thank you for the nights that turned into mornings.
Thank you for the road trips and sing a longs.
Thank you for teaching me how to dance, to skateboard, and to do a magic trick.
Thank you for the nights spent sitting on the kitchen counters laughing.
Thank you for taking the time to listen and be there for me during the difficult moments.
Thank you for bringing peace when there was so much chaos.
Thank you for investing time no matter how much or how little.
Thank you for reaching out when I forget or get to caught up in my own world.
Thank you for believing in me.
Thank you for helping me realize that work isn't everything, and it's good to get out of my office and play a couple games of darts.
Thank you for all of the new babies because that means I get to love more amazing people!
Thank you for choosing me to be a Godmother to my adorable nephew.
Thank you for smashing pumpkins and going on random errands with me.
Thank you for surprising me and being able to catch up after many years.
Thank you for the silly Snapchats.
Thank you for taking the time to visit me!
Thank you for your music.
Thank you for the study sessions and late night party planning.
Thank you for the flowers and notes.
Thank you for the happy hours, movie nights, and game tournaments.
Thank you for your patience.
Thank you for turning me down from the market research position because I love my job!
Thank you for the 'safe space' talks.
Thank you for giving up time to make sure that I'm healthy.
Thank you for trusting my crazy, insane, fun ideas.
Thank you for your vulnerability.
Thank you for the warm hugs and even the awkward hugs.
Thank you for being my partner in crime.
Thank you for being there to celebrate my successes.
Thank you for the bike rides, runs. and star gazing.
Thank you for helping me make our house a home.
Thank you for sharing a part of your world with me.

Thank you to all of my amazing friends and family that have been a part of my life this past year! I am so grateful for each and every one of you! I know that 2018 is going to be a great year since I have you all.