Back from Chapel Hill

Area Sales Manager training in Chapel Hill for University Directories was a success. It was an amazing experience that really expanded my knowledge about managing and working with people. The first day we were at the Triangle Training Center. We had some really great topics come up like trust, direction, and team work. It definitely was fun. Taylor, the TSM in my region and I did the ropes course together. I know we are going to be such a great team, especially working under Kyle, our regional manager. I just can't believe the challenge I have for this summer! It seems like such a big task this summer to manage 27 interns! I'm so thankful for the opportunity. I'm currently reading the book, Self Leadership & the One Minute Manager. It's really intriguing and has some great insight. Hopefully I will be able to apply everything in the book to my interns!

The more I think about it, I know that I really would like to be on the Marketing or Public Relations side of business instead of sales. Sales is a great place to develop my skill set and learn how to put things in the perspective of the consumer; however, I'm ready to apply that to marketing strategy and practice. After this summer, I hope to find an internship to supplement my internship with Allied Integrated Marketing to really put my marketing and public relations skills to the test. In the middle of the semester I was doubting my switch from Marketing to Integrated Marketing Communications; however, now I know I am studying the right coursework.

Wikipedia defines IMC as: Integrated marketing communications (IMC) is a process for managing customer relationships that drive brand value primarily through communication efforts. Such efforts often include cross-functional processes that create and nourish profitable relationships with customers and other stakeholders by strategically controlling or influencing all messages sent to these groups and encouraging data-driven, purposeful dialog with them. IMC includes the coordination and integration of all marketing communication tools, avenues, and sources within a company into a seamless program in order to maximize the impact on end users at a minimal cost. This integration affects all firm's business-to-business, marketing channel, customer-focused, and internally directed communications.^[2]

Summer Goals

So I will be in North Carolina tomorrow, and I have been thinking a lot about the summer. Traveling all over California for this job is going to be amazing and I will have a lot of time to myself and explore. I've decided to create a bucket list that I hope I can accomplish

1. Hit my sales goal as an Area Sales Manager
2. Surpass the region's sales goal!
3. Scrapbook my time at: SDSU and Disney
4. Network with some people who work at Corporate Disney
5. Visit all 4 Kappa Delta's or at least see the outside of them
6. Take 1 picture every day for the whole summer
7. Save at least 85% of everything I make
8. Read a book on SEO/online marketing
9. Find cute things for my new room in my new house!
10. Blog at least one or twice a week!
11. Scope out the best places to shop.
12. Perfect my resume!
13. Workout at least twice a week!
14. Tan?...no SWIM (since it will be the first summer I'm not working as a lifeguard!)
15. visit as many people I can
16. GO TO DISNEYLAND whenever possible :)
17. Visit my little!
18. See a concert
19. Roadtrip to Vegas?
20. Buy my 21st birthday outfit!
21. HAVE AN EPIC 21st birthday!

I think 21 things on my summer bucket list are pretty symbolic because I am turning 21 this year. Maybe when I turn 21, I will realize that I'm an adult. I know everyone says you are an adult at 18, but there are still things as a 18/19/20 year old that you can't do. For example you you can not rent a car, and you can not go on a cruise without a "guardian". I'm sure there are a lot of other things, unfortunately I can't think of them all now. That's it for now though!

My, my Time Sure Flies

It's pretty amazing that this semester has passed so quickly. Most likely due to crunching notes, racing to my internship, filling my planner, and tons of events. I finally have finished most of my midterms for the semester which is really relaxing. I just need to hold out until the end of the semester. I'm on my way to my best semester yet, which will be a great accomplishment for me as I took last semester off to do the Disney College Program.

Marketing370 is probably the most interesting class I have taken at state. Most likely its because it directly correlates to my major and the internships that I have been taking. I think one of the reasons why I am doing so well in that class is because I see how my internship jobs relate to actual concept. It's making learning so much easier. My courses are finally closer to home than they have been since my college career. I've also started to notice how many of my courses are now overlapping in content. There are many times where I've started to notice the content in my intercultural communications class, my management class, and my marketing class have the same underlying content. Finally everything is cohesive and it makes me excited for the upcoming semesters and future jobs.

Lately, I've really become intrigued by Search Engine Optimization and building my online brand. Online marketing has increasingly become so important in today's market. I'm intrigued by what opportunities SEO and online marketing has to offer. I'm going to spend a lot of my summer attempting to teach myself all about online marketing while I'm traveling from market to market. Hopefully I will be able to keep this goal when summer comes closer.