A Day In The Life As A Marketing Director
This month I set a goal to build a project showing my expertise in marketing. My overall goal was to show a hiring manager my ability to self-learn and build a project in a timely manner. Below is a blog post I wrote talking about a day in the life of a marketing director. If you would like to find more information about my project below is a link to my landing page
Mimi Wahlfeldt is Good Samaritans, marketing director. Good Samaritan is an award-winning senior living community that features a variety of housing options including apartments, twin homes, assisted living, and nursing home care in Fort Collins, Co. Mimi was kind enough to take time out of her day to let me interview her and learn a few of her day-to-day duties.
Her Background
Mimi grew up in upstate New York and decided to go to the University of Hartford in Connecticut. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in interpersonal and organizational communication.
Day-to-Day
“No day is ever like the next,” Mimi said. Which is something she enjoys about her career. The variety keeps her on her toes but in general, her responsibilities are two-fold:
- External marketing: Mimi creates advertisements for newspapers, writes press releases, attends professional networking meetings, and creates presentations to educate people about what to look for when choosing a facility, how to know when it’s time for a move, and what resources are available in town to support those who are aging.
Below is an example of one of Mimis advertisements
2. Internal Focus: Mimi responds to inquiries when people call or email wanting to learn more about the facility. She then invites them to tour the village and helps decide what would be the best fit. Much of her job is match-making, she works closely with a resident’s wants/needs and helps decide if Good Samaritan Village is a good fit.
“I see much of my job as educating people about their options and the resources available to them in Larimer County. People never think about senior living until they HAVE to. At that point, they often feel overwhelmed by the whole process, so I love helping them navigate it and learn more so they’re empowered to make good decisions.”
Mimi also creates a quarterly newsletter that is distributed to staff, residents, families, professional partners in the community, and also to people on “Inquiry and Wait Lists”.
What It Takes To Work In Marketing
Mimi advised me that choosing a career in marketing takes listening ears, flexibility in navigating or directing conversations, and having a genuine interest in helping people. Also, believing in the “product/service” promoted.
“I couldn’t ‘sell’ something I didn’t believe in,” Mimi said.
Good Samaritan is exceptional, so promoting it is easy and genuine. Going along with that, having good organizational skills, and being focused on following up with people is key! I asked Mimi what her favorite thing about her career was and she responded:
“I really love helping families better understand senior living, and why living in a community setting is beneficial to seniors. I like when families start to relax and feel like they’re more prepared to handle this often-difficult time.”
Career Advice
I asked Mimi what advice she’d give to a young person pursuing a marketing career and she advised that from experience, the most successful people in marketing are naturally outgoing, friendly, positive people. Sure, this can be taught but those who have that disposition naturally tend to draw people to them. Being able to build a connection with a customer quickly is essential.
Finally, Mimi advised being patient. Most people don’t start careers as a Vice President somewhere! It just doesn’t work that way. Most people start with entry-level, front line jobs and progress from there. The people you meet along the way are also important because you never know where your next job lead might come from.
“Everyone knows someone, and if someone remembers your hard work ethic and positive attitude they will want to help you in the future”
