Day One 

(Skill Level: Beginner--includes Note Taking, Time Management, Leadership, and Goal Setting)

I sit in on a client meeting and I am immediately overwhelmed. I don’t say much, pose for a picture with our new client, hope they don’t ask me questions and try to soak in everything that is happening around me. I have no clue what it is like to work at an agency, other than the fact that I get to dress cute every day, clients occasionally bring us food, a strong smell of lavender is always diffusing, and there is a basketball goal hanging on one of the office doors.

If you have ever asked me to describe my job, you’ve probably heard me say, “Well, one minute I am creating a clever email to appeal to an audience in need of fasteners and nails, and the next minute I am brainstorming how I could get people like you to purchase a bra that actually fits.”

Day 30

Note taking from college comes in handy as a skill I use the most, second to remaining the quietest in the office. I am loving everything about my job as a marketing assistant but stressing about proving myself to my bosses and the Director of Southeastern’s MBA Program. My lunch breaks consist of bland chicken, green beans, and an ugly GMAT book. If I’m not developing a social media calendar, I am trying to remember geometry formulas I learned in the 8th grade. SOH-CAH-TOA is haunting me.  

This is just a glimpse.

Every day presents a new challenge. Whether it’s strategically thinking of ways to help our client sell more pizzas and event tickets or problem-solving a bathroom leak. Mondays aren’t only filled with deadlines, and Fridays aren’t always as pretty as our stylish office interior.

Day 100

I am brainstorming the next best thing for our clients when I should be jotting down what is on my next Econ test. I am running on a few hours of a sleep each night because my brain won’t rest.  But more importantly, I am hanging in there because of the support from the entire team. I find myself excited about my days working at Anntoine because that means a break from studying and an opportunity to learn something new.

As an agency, we not only have to be flexible, but we have to think on our feet in this fast-paced industry. We have to be ready to cater to each one of our clients on an individual basis at any moment in time.

When people say working in an agency is exciting, they aren’t lying. Imagine thirteen talented young men and women putting their skills to use in an effort to reach a common goal. It can be hectic. It can be loud. And more often than not, it can be demanding.  There are so many moving parts, so trust and listening skills are a must. But the end results, those are even more rewarding.

Technology can become our greatest friend and our biggest enemy. With it, we are able to reach an extremely targeted audience, create a winning- website that grabs your attention, but it also puts more pressure on us to deliver consistently in an ever-changing environment.

Day Almost 365

(Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced--includes Note Taking, Time Management, Communication, Leadership, Goal Setting, Strategizing, Creative Thinking, Patience, Decision Making, Persuasion, Listening, Trusting, Social Media Marketing, Campaign Creation, Email Marketing, Interpersonal Communication, Scheduling)

I now know what it actually takes to make magic happen at our agency. It takes a team of young professionals who dedicate their heart and soul to making clients happy, building their businesses, and telling their story. It takes confidence in yourself to present ideas to your client with poise.

I have learned while being in school and working is that balancing is key to maintaining our young agency.

Yes, you can see us through our massive glass windows shooting a hoop or two because sometimes we just have creator’s block.  Yes, we take an hour lunch break where we are asked to leave the office because our health and sanity is important.

I’ve learned to balance difficult and more time consuming tasks with those of less priority as our agency has grown.

And last, but not least, I have learned that balancing everything when it comes to your job, school or life is easier when you have the right team to support you.