Chicago: Taking Care Of Business.
Only two weeks into my new job, and already I was being sent off to pitch new business opportunities.
While that may not be unusual for someone at my level (it's actually pretty much expected the moment you step inside an organization), it is unusual (in my experience) to be leading the strategy as the new person.
"What if I promise something we don't typically do, but that I think we should do?" was my biggest fear. I am passionate about data-driven decisions across all the things a brand does online. Using the learnings and insights from what you do in one area to inform what you do in another area. Everyone has this idea in my industry... But it's rare to see it executed by agencies and brands, because it involves hiring/collaborating with people who have experience in a few different areas. (People like to stick within their "swim lanes" in my industry.)
It was a little odd to be back in Chicago, where I was sent. My last company was based there, which meant I was flying there at least every other month. It's a great city. If it weren't for the Winters, I would actually consider living there.
Because things are well-synched with my new company, we had the plan for our meeting well-established in advance of flying out. Which meant I got to spend some time meandering around downtown. Which is something I hadn't ever gotten to do in previous visits.
It was sunny and gently warm. I got to spend an evening walking around as the Sun was setting between the maze of skyscrapers. It provided me with some beautiful sights... Like this spiderweb on a traffic light...
I hope this little spider was likewise enjoying their evening view after all their hard work building something too.
The Elevated Chicago Subway Line
While that may not be unusual for someone at my level (it's actually pretty much expected the moment you step inside an organization), it is unusual (in my experience) to be leading the strategy as the new person.
"What if I promise something we don't typically do, but that I think we should do?" was my biggest fear. I am passionate about data-driven decisions across all the things a brand does online. Using the learnings and insights from what you do in one area to inform what you do in another area. Everyone has this idea in my industry... But it's rare to see it executed by agencies and brands, because it involves hiring/collaborating with people who have experience in a few different areas. (People like to stick within their "swim lanes" in my industry.)
It was a little odd to be back in Chicago, where I was sent. My last company was based there, which meant I was flying there at least every other month. It's a great city. If it weren't for the Winters, I would actually consider living there.
Because things are well-synched with my new company, we had the plan for our meeting well-established in advance of flying out. Which meant I got to spend some time meandering around downtown. Which is something I hadn't ever gotten to do in previous visits.
It was sunny and gently warm. I got to spend an evening walking around as the Sun was setting between the maze of skyscrapers. It provided me with some beautiful sights... Like this spiderweb on a traffic light...
I hope this little spider was likewise enjoying their evening view after all their hard work building something too.
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