Hello stranger.

It’s been almost a year since I posted and wanted to get you up to speed before I begin posting regularly again. I know you cannot wait to hear all about my latest shenanigans like how I accidentally kinda broke into an open Uber car or how I deleted all of my dating apps, and I cannot wait to share all of it with you!

Where I Left Off —
Celebrated my first year in advertising and everything was going incredibly well. I was living the dream in New York City and I couldn’t be happier.

What Happened Next —
Things started to go downhill at work when members of my account team began to depart from the agency. It happens. It’s the way the industry works. I spent the summer trying to keep up with the overwhelming amount of work as senior management scrambled to fill the vacancies. It didn’t take long for the consistent 12-hour work days to burn me down. During this time I was tired, frustrated, emotionally fragile and ultimately felt lost. I’d always been one to juggle a million balls and when I struggled to keep all of the balls from hitting the floor, it felt like every ounce of who I was was quickly draining. Work haunted me every minute of every day. It’s all I ever thought about and it was tearing me up from the inside. Eventually I’d lost sight of why I even wanted to work in advertising.

The Big Move —
After a rough summer, my team was finally restaffed by the fall and it seemed like things would go back to order, but they didn’t. I still wasn’t happy and my confidence was at its absolute lowest. While my new team was keen to identify my self doubt, they did little to help restore my spirit. I didn’t feel like I could go on working at a place that caused me so much pain. I was ready for a change and I wanted that change to be meaningful – to my career, to my life.

By the end of September I’d been offered a new position in San Francisco and agreed to move across the country. Never once did I feel nervous or scared about my decision. Everything about it felt right.

Where I Am Now —
Next weekend will mark my fourth month in SF but it feels like I’ve been here longer. I’m so especially grateful for the opportunity to come here. Every morning I wake up excited and inspired to go to work. My team is brilliant, empowering and kind, and we have the privilege to work with the best-in-class clients that are smart and trusting. Here I actually have work-life balance. When I leave work I don’t feel terrorized by any lingering thoughts from the day.

The people I’ve met here and the friends I’ve made are wonderfully compassionate and unique. They’ve already taught me a lot and have opened my eyes to new interests I would have never considered before. They too are adventurous, and brave. So many of them have uprooted their lives to be here and have provided the most amazing support during my transition to a new city.

What Is To Come —
There is so much still to come! Being in a new city with so much new territory to explore and new characters to meet. I’m sure I will have a ton to share!

To be continued… 

1 year. 

It is hard to believe that I have been working full-time at 360i for 1 year. I often joke when I get the message to updated my email password saying, “Yay! I’ve made it another 90 days.” This month my supervisor turned to me and said, ” Marissa, if you’re proud that you’ve made it another 3 months then we are clearly giving you the wrong impression.”

I can’t help but swell up with pride and happiness when I think about the year I’ve had. To say I’ve learned a lot would be a remarkable understatement. I’m so thrilled with the journey that has brought me to where I am today. Beginning as a trainee 2 months out of college at a company that not only values innovative thinking, but continuous learning was true blessing. The company culture was a huge player in fostering this year of growth. My first six months included working on two complete different accounts, providing me with diverse experience I could bring with me as I took on my permanent position in September. I’m grateful for everyone who not only noticed my hard work, determination and passion for advertising, but also saw my potential and rooted for me along the way.

Each day I feel privileged to not only do a job that I love and feel rewarded by, but also do it along side a team that inspires me to be the best. I could leave the office after a 12-hour workday with a smile on my face. I never feel defeated by my work, and always look for ways to do something better than before.

To another amazing year of doing what I love with people that inspire me. 

During my last job interview my interviewer asked me a simple questions, “So why do you want to work in advertising?” I’ll admit that I gave a pretty stupid answer for a question I should have nailed. I’ve written blog upon blog about the industry, yet I could barely gather a true reason why I want to do it. My answer included, “I like the story telling” and “I enjoy transforming a brand’s impression in its consumer’s mind.” A pretty average answer.

After the interview I analyzed each question and answer, thinking about how I could have answered better. This question stuck with me the most. I just spent 3.5 year studying advertising/marketing and now I’m working my butt off to get a job in the industry and I don’t even know why? I reflected on ads I’ve been most fond of in the near and distant past. That’s when I realized that I love advertising because it can set trends, defy norms and exploit current events. 

Here are three examples:.

1. Old Spice setting a trend

This campaign not only spiked sales for Old Spice but brought back an older brand was not selling to a younger audience. I remember speaking to older women I knew who had teenage sons that specifically asked for Old Spice after this campaign launched. They were smart to refresh the brand, placing it into a position to compete agains other popular men’s body care brands like Axe, Nivea, Irish Spring, Dove, etc.

2. Cheerios defying norms

I love these ads but hate how controversial they have become. I applaud Cheerios decision to use a biracial couple for their last 2 spots, including their 2014 Super Bowl commercial. Interracial marriage has been legal in the U.S. since 1967 and the backlash that this ad has experience is incredibly embarrassing. By now we should be so much farther in the area of tolerance and acceptance. Honestly, I’m so excited for the brand that features a same sex couple because I think advertising in a great space to continue to push the boundaries and defy social norms.

3. Audi’s Fake Ad exploits current events

Although this is not a real ad, it’s a great example of use of a recent event exploited perfectly to a brand message.

Aso this great Las Vegas ad from 2012 which poked fun at Prince Harry’s arguably unfitting behavior during this trip to the city. It brilliantly used the famous British “Keep Calm…” slogan.

Yes, television and film can push the envelope and offer intense or risqué subject matter but require audience “consent” to be viewed. Advertising is often not by choice (unless you are watching TV via DVR or change the channel). Viewers are exposed to hundreds to thousands of advertisements every day, sometimes without even knowing it. Advertising is unlike any other medium, art form or entertainment outlet is capable of bringing different messages to viewers.

This past January marked 50 years since the Surgeon General published that landmark report that stated that smoking cigarettes were hazardous to health. Through the years advertisers and marketers fought the tough battle to encourage people to stop smoking. We’ve seen warnings added to packaging and bans restricting advertising as early as 1967.

Today another step was made in the fight against smoking as the second largest U.S. drugstore chain, CVS, announced that they would stop selling tobacco products in their 7,600 stores. Though this decision to focus more on the health of their consumers could cost them billions I personally feel this was a great decision made by the largest U.S. pharmacy healthcare provider. I think what CVS may lose in cigarette sales they will earn back in respect from consumers that do not purchase tobacco products. They are not the first to give up the habit. Retailers like Target and Wegmans stopped selling cigarettes years ago. I bet most people now don’t even realized they ever sold them to begin with.

I’ve been asked, “Is there any brand/product/client you would not work for?” Hands down I would not work with or for any tobacco or cigarette company. When I was 14 I lost my grandmother after a long battle with emphysema, cause by 50+ years of smoking. She and I were very close and it was incredibly painful to see her suffer with such a horrible condition that could have been prevented.

Though many will argue that smokers will just go to other retailers to get their fix but Dr. Richard Wender of the American Cancer Society said, “Every time we make it more difficult to purchase a pack of cigarettes, someone quits.”

I commend CVS’s decision in hopes that they can help prevent someone from suffering like my grandma and me.

Women’s equality is a huge topic I care strongly about. I’ve done a few blog posts before regarding the topic like how few panels at Advertising Week Europe were represented by women and a book review for Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In.

I’ve decided to revisit the subject after reading this great Adweek article by Cindy Gallop. She talks briefly about the lack of women in executive creative director positions. She quotes The 3% Conference founder, Kat Gordon, about how it’s not a gender problem our industry faces but rather a “How we define what constitutes great work in a male creative leadership-dominated industry where what is deemed creative is set and reinforced year after year by predominantly male ecds, creative directors and creative awards juries” problem. When male executives are called out on such an issue as hiring an entire white, male executive staff they are never quick to comment. Gallop says, “Applying female-informed perspectives to redesign the way our industry works and makes money and creates a happier, more creative and more productive working environment for all of us.” Isn’t that what we should want for our industry? Then why aren’t people changing the status quo?

This past summer I interned at an advertising agency with 36 other interns. Of those interns 34 were women, 2 were men and it happened all by complete accident. Once HR narrowed down the 1,400 applicants to 350 candidates, the candidates were interviewed and selected by their own individual department or team. It was exciting to work with other young women who have the same drive and passion to not only work in advertising but also change the industry.

While working at the agency no one would ever expect gender discrimination was even an issue within the industry. There were so many women who worked at the agency. But most of these women worked in entry or mid-level positions. When you began to examine those sitting on top, men were dominant.

One of my friends this past summer was a creative intern with aspirations to be an art director after she graduated. As someone who wanted to enter the typically women dominated account management department, I didn’t realize the challenges women faced trying to be hired as art directors. But then I look back to remember the creatives who worked on my account and I realize that of the 6 creatives only 1 of them was a woman.

Also, it’s no secret one day I want to be a top advertising executive. I does worry me that somewhere in my path to my success I could be set back just because of my gender and that infuriates me. It bothers me that people don’t have faith in women’s abilities to perform as well if not better than a man if given the chance.

Yes, no matter what women are biologically the only gender that can produce offspring and as long as that is true women who choose to birth children in the middle of their career will be set back. That is not me saying that women who have children will never find success in their career, but until there is more gender equality they will forever be at a disadvantage.

My hope is that one day women will be more respected in advertising as leaders, creative leaders, and this predetermined notion that men are superior creatives to women will cease to exist. The industry just needs people who want to see change and make that change happen.

For those who know me, know I am not only a vigilant goal setter but a stubborn go getter. Maybe it’s the only child mentality that I posses but always think I should get everything that I want, and when I want something, if it isn’t handed to me right away then I’m going to work as hard as I can to get it.

Many people don’t like to set New Years resolutions in fear that they will be let down when they fail to achieve their their “promise” they’ve made to fulfill something. Not that I am planning to “keep it safe” or just pick easy resolutions, but rather I want to set goals that I can work hard on to achieve. Here are my 5 New Years Goals for 2014:

Curse Less
Sadly I curse like a sailor and it’s hard to even control my swearing around younger family members. This year I vow to learn how to control my potty mouth.

Take more risks
I hate to gamble. I always make the safe decision. I rarely put myself out there in ways that are unpredictable. This year I really need to take risks, and do things that send me outside of my comfort zone. Who know’s what I could find when I’m not confined to my safe space?

Finish one of my books
Writing is by far one of my biggest passions at the moment. By the end of the year (or sooner), I would like to finish one of my books so I could share them others.

Lose that last 15lbs 
This is a pretty personal goal but it comes as a result of past issues with eating and weight. Over the past 3 years I have changed so much mentally and physically, and I just hope I can continue to move toward an even healthier lifestyle.

Don’t give up on relationships
This year starts with a completely new stage in my life. I’ve just said goodbye to the life I’ve lived for 3.5 years and with that I said “goodbye” to many people who have made a remarkable impact on who I am. I think one of the hardest parts of when goodbye to everyone is just knowing how terrible I usually am with maintaining relationships, especially ones with people I don’t see regularly. My goal is do everything I can to not give up on the incredible relationships I’ve made in college no matter how far away I may be.

Thank you so much to everyone who has followed my blog over this year. Though I don’t really post in hopes of receiving hundreds of views, I’m really pleased with the overall reception. This year has been truly a blessing despite some moments of despair and unhappiness. Through each moment of darkness I had amazing support from my family and friends to guide me back to a brighter place and I just can’t thank you enough. Without further ado, here are my top 10 moments of 2013:

1. My first weekend in London and all 14 after
To keep this brief, spending 4 months in London was by far a dream come true. To this day I still think, “how was this real?” Over the semester I visited 15 cities in 7 different countries, saw dozens of shows, attended different sporting events and drank hard cider until I couldn’t drink it any more. Although it was sad to leave I cannot wait until the day I am reunited with the city that still has my heart.

2. Trip to Cambridge on Valentines Day
On Valentine’s Day I spent the afternoon alone wondering around Cambridge, UK. Although that sounds super depressing, it was actually incredibly refreshing to be out of the city and see another spectacular British town. In the evening right before my train “home,” I attended a church service at Kings College and heard the elegant voices of the young men’s choir.

3. Birthday weekend in Salzburg, Austria
After major 21st birthday celebration in London with friends, I hopped on plane to Salzburg, Austria, where they filmed my favorite movie, The Sound of Music. On Saturday I experienced the world of the Von Trapps in a new way by walking through some of the movie’s top film locations. The sights were breath taking and the food was marvelous. Not even a hangover, a lost iPhone or a little bit of snow could have ruined this trip.

4. Advertising Week Europe
While taking the tube one afternoon I saw an ad for the first ever Advertising Week Europe. Everything about that week was magical. I learned so much about advertising and the industry in Europe. The experience was wondering and hope that one day I could go back and attend the event again. (For more about my experience check out my Top 7 Take-Aways Blog Post)

5. Moving to Boston for my dream internship
When I got back from London I wasn’t sure what my summer was going to be like. I had no internship lined up yet and hadn’t spent more than 2 weeks at home since 2011. Within a few weeks the offer from Mullen in Boston arrived and I was foolish to even consider turning it down. So I moved to Boston for 11 amazing weeks. One of the best days of my summer was when I was talking to the Mullen CEO, Joe Grimaldi, about One Direction and he asked if I was British.

6. Porchfest
There is nothing more Ithaca than Porchfest. In a nutshell it’s a town-wide music festival in which local musicians perform on porches around Ithaca. Sadly this year was my very first and probably my last Porchfest. As sad as I am that I’ve only enjoyed one Porchfest, I’m so happy I did and I got to spend it with my wonderful friends.

7. Last Creative Crunch (as a student)
When I was a freshman I helped put together the very first Creative Crunch, an advertising competition hosted by the Ithaca College chapter of the American Advertising Federation. Since then I have either been a project manager, the president or studying abroad, preventing me from participating in the competition. For for the first time in like 3 years I was able to participate in the competition and compete with my talented friends. With hard work and outstanding teamwork we were able to clench 2nd place and I couldn’t have been prouder. We nailed it!

8. Cortaca
This had to be on the list for this was probably one of the most fun days I’ve had. Even though we lost the football game for the 4th year in a row, I was surrounded by the people I love as we “enthusiastically” cheered on the Bombers.

9. Semi Formal
This was the first dance I had attended since my semi formal my freshman year of high school. Even though the weather was miserable I truly enjoyed being all dolled up and surrounded by so many people I care about making what was probably one of my last memories to make as an IC student.  

10. Graduation 
There is no better way to end the year than graduate college a semester early magnum cum laude and with job plans in the works. I know I couldn’t have done it with all the truly amazing family and friends who have supported me along the way.

As you could see 2013 was quite spectacular and 2014 has giant shoes to fill, but boy am I excited to tackle this year head on. I will forever look back on 2013 with fond memories as I have the years before it. I can’t help but get excited just thinking about the memories I will make this up coming year. Thanks to everyone who made 2013 so fantastic, I hope/know you will remain in my life in this next year and the years beyond.

While in college who you are often defined by your involvement; whether that’s in a club, organization, sports team, sorority or fraternity. At least that’s how I’ve felt for the last 3.5 years. When people would ask, “Tell me a little about yourself” I would say like

Hello person reading my first blog post as an Ithaca College graduate,

I’m proud to say, “[I] did it!” like Elle Woods does at the end of Legally Blonde. I’ve survived 7 semesters at this fine institution and to no surprised I’m sad to leave. I’m not sad because I’m afraid of what comes next, but rather I’m sad to say goodbye to the life I have here. I can confidently confess that I’ve lived each semester to its fullest, participating in virtually every opportunity I ever wanted. I held 6 eBoard positions, worked 5 different campus jobs, studied abroad, graduated with honors and made memories I will cherish forever. There isn’t really any more I could have asked from my college experience.

As I say farewell to the amazing college life I have lived for the last 3.5 years, I wish to leave behind 5 pieces of advice to those who are entering, in or about to graduate from college.

1. Surround Yourself With Amazing People
Saying goodbye to Ithaca has been so hard because of the amazing friends and people I’ve had the privilege to get to know and work with over the last few years. When you surround yourself with amazing people as I have you have no choice to be the best person you can be. They truly motivate you to work hard and never give up. They make you laugh when you’re down (aka “you’re arm is soft” & the “ha” game), they listen when times are tough. They buy you lotion when you’re car is broken, let you watch them eat chocolate bunnies and bake you muffins when they’re stressed. They let you mooch off their Macbook chargers and pimp out their roommates.

Don’t give up on surrounding yourself with amazing people after freshman year. I met some of my closest friends sophomore, junior, even senior year.

2. Never Do Something That Doesn’t Make You Feel Good (Except for Homework)
College is expensive. Why would you ever pay thousands of dollars to do something that doesn’t inspire you, make you happy or teach you something? Exactly. Find clubs, organizations, activities that just ignite this flame of passion inside of you. Take classes outside your major that introduce you to new ideas and make you think outside of your comfort zone. Pick up that minor is COMPLETELY irrelevant to your possible job but interests you.

3. Study Away
Get off campus. Go to New York City, London, LA, Beijing, South Africa, DC, France, Germany, Italy, some place! Do it for a semester, a summer, during a break! No matter what, spend some time away from home or campus. You not only get to learn about the place you’ll be, you’ll learn about yourself, you’ll learn about other people and you’ll learn about yourself through other people. My experience abroad was unlike any other experience I’ve ever had and I know personally it will stay close to my heart forever.

4. Worry About the Real World A Little Bit
I’m probably the first person to encourage people to worry. Yes, worry. Worrying about your future isn’t a bad thing to do because it means you care. You don’t need to know what you want to do next but it is important to care about it. Worry about where you’re going to live, where you’re going to work and what you’re going to do. Once you’ve done all the worrying you can start putting all of the piece together which is incredibly exciting.

5. Be There Now
This is cliche but live in the moment. I cannot tell you how many times I kept worrying about tomorrow, or next week, or next month and before you know it time had past me by. Enjoy what is happening right now, right in front of you. If not you’ll blink and it will be all over.

So there you have it. My advice. Nothing you probably haven’t heard before but now I have a Bachelor’s degree so it has more value. Just kidding.