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Do Not Just Settle

It has been a while since my last post … but that is because I was finishing up my MBA. Now that college is over, I expect to get back to a regular schedule. Some of the future posts will be about what I learned in school, some about marketing, and other topics or thoughts that come across. You will also see blogs by Cindy, #PMInc’s manager, about her thoughts on various topics including those in business.

I had always heard the expression “Do what you know”, however, when I began Personalized Marketing Inc in 2008 there were many things that I did not know. My journey began as an author who had a dream about a dress. I could not draw the dress, so I decided to write about it. I had written poems and diaries in my youth so describing a dress in words seemed the right thing to do. Then the description changed, it went from talking about a dress, to describing the woman wearing it, the room around her, the emotions and why she was there. In the end, I ended up with a scene and did not know how I got there. I showed my neighbor and friend at the time what I had done, and she encouraged me to write the rest, to only stop when the description stopped. It was then that a man appeared next to the woman and their story began.

 

I had written a book, even ended up with a publisher, it was at that moment I learned about marketing, editing, and all the other various steps into putting a book out there. Thankfully, I had a wonderful friend who was already a published author helping me along the way. I had some bad experiences, especially being new I made quite a few. Everyone knows the next part… Then I was given a webpage and I found other author sites and wanted to know how they were made. I was hooked! I began devouring the different lines of code and seeing how the pieces connected together. At that moment I went from an author to beginning a web developer. While working on my own promotions, friends began to ask me to help them and one even suggested I could run a business doing this. Thus, in the summer of 2008 Personalized Marketing Inc was born.

 

I didn’t know everything when I started, learned some from friends, others by trial and error and eventually I ended up going to college. On my birthday in 2013, I found myself returning to school. Sure, I had contemplated right after getting my GED but I ended up not going then. Looking back, I thought it was the circumstances but today I realize it was because I had not found my calling yet. I cannot tell you what I would have went to school for back then, probably something practical, maybe even in auto. After starting my Associates program, I took an aptitude test to determine what career was best suited for me. I was very happy to see that I tested into the very career I already had; it was like a confirmation that I had done the right thing all those years ago.

When I began school, I had only planned on getting a Bachelor’s degree, thankfully my advisor suggested I break it down and get the Associates as well. You know a way of celebrating a milestone on my journey. I ended up going for a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology with an Advanced Software Development certificate. Four years later, mom was gone, and I was tired. I think that maybe at that moment my time in college was over. However, a year later, I found myself enrolling in the Master’s program. Life had returned and the path waiting for me opened up again. It is now 2020 and I have a Master of Business with a concentration in marketing. In the 7 years it took, I had eye surgery, a hysterectomy, some other challenges, the loss of my mom and the reminder that life does go on.

 

If I had stuck to the saying “Do what you know” then I would not have gotten to where I am today. If I had followed that saying, I would have probably been content in life but I do not think I would have been happy. I guess the focus behind this post is to not just settle for what you can do but find out what you can’t do but want to do and grab it.

Dee

MBA w / Concentration in Marketing Certificate

B.S.A.I.T. w/ Advanced Software Development Certificate

2 Comments

  1. Kayelle Allen

    Oh, I love this advice. I’d say also, after you go out and discover stuff, then do it. Always be learning.

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