Let us march against Philip

As I flipped through the pages of Ogilvy on Advertising, I came across this quote that captures the essence of my understanding of what marketing really is:

“When Aeschines spoke, they said, ‘How well he speaks.’ When Demosthenes spoke, they said, ‘Let us march against Philip.’”

It’s this very aspect of marketing that gets me so excited—the power to influence human decisions, to make someone believe that you have something so valuable that they absolutely must have it. I’m at a point in my life at which I’m seeking affirmation through real world exposure to what marketing really is—affirmation that goes beyond the piles of business books I have pondered and advice I have accumulated from corporate world veterans, and into the corporate office place…bringing me to my time here at Freesource Agency.

I’ve read one too many stories about people who don’t discover themselves before the age of fifty, a concept that terrifies me. This fear has inspired me to search for something that could invoke within me a spark, a curiosity, a drive to do whatever it takes—in other words, a passion. I knew I’d have to get to work to find this passion. By the end of January, I had reworked my resume tirelessly, communicated my story through cover letters, and sent both out to over fourteen companies.

Since my junior year of high school, I have been searching for opportunities to explore marketing. Although I’ve done DECA competitions, participated in Drexel’s Camp Business, and become PR Chair for our Asian American Club at Villanova, I’m here at my first real job at Freesource Agency and I’m realizing how little I still know. Having watched The Office religiously for the past three years, I came in with this false notion that I would rock office life. I couldn’t have been more wrong. In just one week, I’ve managed to get lost in the city looking for Staples, forgotten the name of a woman who called the office during my first phone call, and unintentionally slipped tidbits about Patrick’s personal life to Nathan quickly becoming the Freesource gossip queen. Luckily, despite the slip-ups they have me doing real things, a benefit of working at a young company with enormous growth potential. They have me studying the industry, conducting market research, writing blog posts and tweeting, and sitting in on strategic business meetings.  I’m realizing that I’ve been so focused on learning about the business world that I’ve neglected to notice how many general life skills I’m going to pick up just from being here. I’m also realizing how much opportunity there is for growth and discovery.

Fortunately, the two things I have gained from all my past experiences are inspiration and drive. I’ve been told over and over again that marketing majors make the lowest starting salary, work to the bone the first ten years, don’t get to be all that creative, and often never really make it. My answer: I will. I may find one day that I was wrong about marketing, that it will no longer be something that inspires me and I will become one of those fifty year olds who are forced to re-evaluate their passions. Hopefully within this time I can learn enough about myself, about the world, to be okay and find something else that gets me excited. For now, I’m excited to be at Freesource, continuing to make a fool of myself while learning a thing or two.