Bless Us Oh Lord and These Thy Gifts

Dave and Joyce were kind enough to have me as a guest in their home for Thanksgiving this year. (Lynn can’t resist a chance to take some time to visit her family in New Jersey and I’m fine with staying put in Saint Louis.) It is a rare pleasure to see the Cox girls (Sammy, Dannie and Nicole) together. Dave often brags on his daughters chronologically with Samantha working as event marketing specialist based in Ann Arbor, MI; Dannie prospering in digital marketing in Saint Louis; Nicole as a budding broadcast producer at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. Clearly, they are on their way in the world with business acumen and finesse inherited from the founder of Sandbox Creative. Dave never misses an opportunity to boast about his girls. (He always does it in a diplomatic way that spreads kudos evenly). He recognizes the effort each invests into their endeavors.

One only needs to examine the three pre-stretched canvases hanging adjacent to the family television viewing area to note they are different individuals. They indulged their father who asked that each create a painting with decorator palette sure to complement the room. Nicole signs with a boldness in gold that is the mark of a confident Drake University freshman. Dannie goes for a geometric abstraction and Sammy’s composition features three circular elements that suggest unlimited possibilities in the universe.

Dave’s mom and mother-in-law (Marilyn) are delightful people to talk to. Uncle Mike (Dave’s brother) and Aunt Heather arrive with crock pot of mashed potatoes. (I showed up with two cans of Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce.) Already the young generation includes cellular technology exchanges with Robbie Cox (an animator/artist) in LA; A quick portrait of the sisters three (with Danny’s boyfriend Adam photobombing in the background); and Mike and Heather’s daughter and Robbie's sister, Emilee marveling at her “cuteness” (while her boyfriend Jared patiently endures before they split to be a part of friends' wedding planning prior to a weekend ceremony).

Well I know Dave and Joyce are Thankful. I am too. Bless us Oh Lord and these Thy Gifts…   

College Students Thinking about Marketing

 

\

Marketing Study and Marketing Students 2021

I am honored to have an opportunity to speak to marketing students at the University of Missouri Saint Louis (UMSL) and Saint Louis University (SLU) this week. My ongoing affiliation with the American Marketing Association/Saint Louis Chapter (for 24+ years) and the Marketing Advisory Panel at UMSL (8+ years) and my genuine interest in the study and practice of the profession of Marketing add up to a number of recurring themes. My commitments this week are for  Wednesday November 17, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. and Anheuser-Busch Hall at UMSL College of Business Administration and Thursday night at 6:00 at the Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business room DSH 274.

The UMSL event is the latest edition of Speed Networking that allows a relatively small group of students an opportunity to test drive their elevator speeches and get comfortable being uncomfortable in interview situations. I expect to repeat a brushed up version of my advice to anyone looking to get started on their career quest. In the speed networking format the advice needs to be consumable, relevant and compelling.

1.      Think about how you will answer the open-ended question “So, what to you want to do?”

2.      Seek courtesy interviews with individuals and/or companies you admire.

3.      Establish your own “board” of advisors who can help guide your journey.

4.      Follow up and set yourself apart from the crowd.

The SLU event is a more formal classroom sort of presentation hosted by the school’s Marketing Club. These students are also interested in learning a bit about the benefits of membership in the American Marketing Association. They want to know how to get in to advertising or marketing as a career.  

In both cases, I hope the marketing students will rally around the notion of bonding at collegiate chapters of the AMA and be among the 300+ active chapters in the United States. In all cases, I wish the best for future marketers.