"McCormick Company, this is Emily..."

Wow!! 11 comments isn't bad for the first day!! :) I had a little help from Amanda, which is fun because that means all of you are reading her blog too!! So thanks for getting me off to a great start!!

I have several topics I'd like to blog about eventually, but I'll start with a fun one - my job! It's literally a new day, every day here at McCormick Company (an 83-year-old advertising agency in Amarillo). I'm always meeting new people, taking on new challenges and as a result, becoming a professional at something I never dreamed possible. Ok, think about the movie "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days." In that movie, Matthew McConaughey works for an advertising agency. He does the DeLour pitch, plans a marketing campaign, etc. Well, that's basically what we do at my job (in a much less glamorous, less McConaughey way!!).

One of my projects at work today was to go to Caprock High School to conduct a focus group on whether or not students would attend a "technical academy" in Amarillo. I led a discussion with about 10 high school students. I always enjoy doing these focus groups with students, because it makes me feel like I'm using my inherent "teaching skills" that I know have to be in there somewhere ... afterall my WHOLE family teaches, ya know. :) As a matter of fact, I was doing one of these focus groups last week and one student was laughing and giggling. So, I just asked him if something was funny because I'd like to laugh too if there was. After the session was over, my colleague, Mary, was giving me a hard time about the teacher coming out in me. I guess that's bound to happen growing up in my household!

Anyway, focus groups aren't the only exciting part of my job. I also really enjoy meeting with clients about all of their marketing needs ... TV ads, radio commercials, billboards, online media, PR ... the whole gamut. I can actually say I love what I'm doing. I never dreamed I'd wake up and go to a job that I love EVERY day, but I do!! It makes life so much more enjoyable, including working with people that share the same interests and talents.

Sometimes I wonder how in the world I got to the place I am ... sometimes I feel like I'm in over my head - at a job that I don't deserve ... and more than once I've said to myself, "Just act like you know what they're talking about!" But all things considered, I've learned a lot from watching people who are experts here and have grown to LOVE what I do. And this is just the beginning for me. I hope I'm still blogging 20 years from now about my experiences at McCormick Company. If so, I'm one lucky AE (account executive). If you ever want to know more about what I do, just ask! I'll be glad to share!

Until next time ...
Toodles from Doodles!