Growing up, 10 years seemed like a long time to me. It’s a milestone we set for birthdays and anniversaries in our personal lives and, for me, every new decade seems to be coming quicker than the one before it. 

Growing up, 10 years seemed like a long time to me. Now, as I celebrate my decade-long digital marketing journey with The Harbinger Group (THG), those years have flown by. It feels like yesterday when I first met our CEO, Eileen Rochford, at a Starbucks to discuss a graphic design project for THG’s client Golden Apple.

Life has brought many changes since then – two amazing kids, a new house, moving out of Chicago, celebrating a 10-year wedding anniversary, and the loss of my mom. However, being at THG has been a constant part of my life through it all. 

When reflecting on my digital marketing career at our agency, what stands out most is the culture Eileen has built. The talented professionals I’ve collaborated with have made exploring other opportunities unnecessary.

People often say, “Find a job you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” I disagree. Whether in digital marketing or personal relationships, anything worthwhile requires dedication. There’s value in putting in the work for what matters most.

My career is important to me. My family is important to me. My hobbies are important to me. All of them require work and the need for balance between them. THG has provided me with the ability to have that balance because it’s prioritized for our team. 

There have been many moments with our clients over the past 10 years that have shown how the core values of our agency really come to life. Those core values are: Efficiency, Curiosity, Decency, Enjoyment, Collaboration and Dedication. 

Enjoyment is probably the easiest core value to connect with. From the annual surprise visits with Golden Apple to the monthly meetings we hold in-person with Powering Chicago, enjoying this job is not difficult. 

The digital marketing landscape constantly evolves, requiring perpetual curiosity and collaboration. I spend significant time analyzing digital advertising campaigns and researching optimization strategies. Presenting these insights to clients and developing action plans together is always rewarding.

Curiosity and Collaboration go hand-in-hand. In my role, curiosity is constant as I spend a lot of time reviewing analytics and researching ways to optimize digital advertising campaigns. Presenting these reports to clients and collaborating with them on next steps is always exhilarating. When my work piques their curiosity, I know we are going to have a strong collaboration. This is something I always strive to do. 

When Eileen presented these core values to me for feedback, Decency really stood out. We work with great people on our team but that also extends to our clients. I like to tell people our clients are good, caring human beings who feel like an extension of our THG family. Because we show decency and act in good faith in our relationships, they thrive. 

Finally, there’s Dedication. You can’t be somewhere for 10 years without being dedicated to your company, your clients and your teammates. But, in my experience, here’s where dedication has really shined through… my relationship with our CEO, Eileen. 

Eileen has not just been dedicated to growing this agency, she’s been dedicated to growing my career in digital marketing and dedicated to being a mentor for me – both in and out of work. 

She’s supported me through really difficult times in my personal life that I don’t think many leaders at a company would do. It’s a special thing when you can call your boss crying and know there’s going to be compassion and empathy on the other end of the line. 

She’s never let me get comfortable in my digital marketing career, and that’s been a blessing. I guess she saw some potential in me because she helped me grow my career from a graphic designer to a Vice President of Digital Marketing. Complacency is a killer, and every time I’ve gotten comfortable in my role, there’s always been a curve ball or a push to do more. She’s pushed me beyond my comfort zone, fostering the ambition that defines my approach to digital marketing today.

So, when the question is asked of me, why have you been at The Harbinger Group for 10 years? It’s because when you find a leader who actually leads and expects you to reach your potential, you’d be crazy to go somewhere else.