5 Things You Don't Know About Me

I was tagged by the "5 things you don't know about me" meme by Jeff Larche, of VP Interactive Services at ec-connection, a full-service interactive marketing agency headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Jeff writes Digital Solid: Marketing Technology ROI.

So, here goes. Five things you don't know about me:

1) When I was 14, I met my future husband at Girl Scout camp. (He was the lifeguard. I like to say "he was scouting for girls.) Even now I am a Girl Scout leader for my daughter’s troop; this is her 10th year in the program... My son has been in boy scouts for 12 years. I helped with the advancement with his troop for 5 years and was the advancement chair for 15 Eagle Board of Reviews. I think scouting is one of the best programs to teach and reinforce working with other people, honesty, hard work, courtesy, service and doing the right thing.

2) Between my sophomore and junior year in college, I spent the summer waitressing in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and camping in a tent in the Grand Teton mountains. I like to say that waitressing helped prepare me for working on a lot of different products or with different clients because it taught me good customer service skills and the ability to juggle lots of projects with varying priorities!

3) My first job at Hasbro was in copywriting. I had to create the names and profiles for "My Little Pony" characters. (Sunshine, Moonbeam, Star Dancer, etc.) This is something that my good friend from elementary school finds very ironic because back in 3rd grade, I was always getting in trouble for drawing pictures of horses & naming them, instead of writing my spelling words over and over.

4) I’ve done marketing for hundreds (maybe thousands) of products. Maybe you already knew that. I've sat for hours listening to 5 year old boys describe the most perfect toy, dog owners describe their pet's toiletry habits, and people who didn't buy describe what should have been different with the product, the offer or the price. Although every time I swear I'm not going to get involved with another first time entrepreneur, there are a few that have actually made it. There are so many new products launched each year, the odds are really stacked against you in the consumer market.

5) When I need to renew my spirit, I find that there is nothing I like better than moving plants around in my perennial gardens. Pulling weeds, digging in the dirt and rearranging the plants is very calming to me and helps me regroup after a crazy week of marketing. I especially enjoy the early morning hours on the weekends. I can let my mind drift, daydream and brainstorm. I find my best marketing ideas come to me when I stop focusing on a problem. It seems like working in the garden really releases the tensions and just lets the creativity flow!!

So as part of the meme: Here are the people I've tagged to tell us "5 Things You Don't Know About Me"

Phil Gerbyshak "Blogger at Make It Great!" Milwaukee Phil's 5 things
Drew McClellan McClellan Marketing Group, where passion and strategy collide. Des Moines
Sandra Renshaw Co-founder at BIZolution; Graphic Designer at Purple Wren, Des Moines
Toby Bloomberg President & Marketing Diva, Bloomberg Marketing, Atlanta Toby's 5 things
David Rothaker Writer, Rothaker Reviews, Tampa
Todd Andrlik director of marketing and PR for one of the nation’s largest construction firms.

Tag! You're it!

UPDATE: I was tagged again recently by Deborah Brown at Bizinformer.com with five new questions. Here goes:

1. What have you learned so far from visitors to your blog?

Most people like to come and read; few comment. I'm still surprised when I meet someone for the first time and they already know me because of the blog. Its a great way to connect.

2. If someone would offer to pay for a course (or more) for you, what would that course be?

I love photography, but I'd have to say lessons from the dog whisperer: Cesar Millan.

3. Are you satisfied with what you've achieved in 2006, in general?

Yep, 2006 was great. Achievement is sometimes overrated -- it sounds like a destination. Personally and professionally, 2006 was a great year, but most of all I enjoyed the journey... and am looking forward to what awaits me in 2007.

4. Has blogging changed your life or your personality in any way?

Blogging, like toastmasters, has helped me to be more aware of what's around me, living in the present, noticing things. Everything connects. I read something in the paper, on the internet and it connects with a conversation with a client or a friend. Blogging has helped me to expand my horizons a little more beyond my immediate world. It has made me more confident in the future.

5. If you had the opportunity to meet one person that you admire the most in the world, who would that person be?

Too hard to narrow it down to one person. (What a cop out... it's like Time's person of the year!!)
Okay, pick some: Oprah, Mother Theresa, Steve Jobs, Katie Couric, Jimmy Carter, Walter Cronkite, Jon Stewart, Anne Frank.

The Next 5: tag-- you're it!

Ron Hudson, The Marketing Pro blog
Eric Friedman and Lee Jones at the Marketing and Advertising Network
Andy Beard, at Niche Marketing... Check out his MyBlogLog comments... very interesting!!
Patrick Schaber - the Lonely Marketer