Back to where I started

By far, the most influential leadership experience of my life ocurred at Fairfield University my junior year. Through the help of many close friends I was elected to serve as student body president. It was an extraordinary experience on so many levels and one that I think about often.

After graduating from Fairfield, it was an easy decision for me to begin my professional career at Fairfield Prep, the Jesuit high school located on the very same campus that was my home the previous four years. My title was Director of Alumni and Public Relations and encompassed nearly every aspect of Advancement (more commonly referred to as Development or Fundraising).

I spent nearly seven years in the Advancement world and enjoyed every minute of it. Advancement incorporates the best of sales, marketing and communication, yet the end result, the so called "bottom line" goes back into the organization and ultimately, benefits students. Students like me, who would otherwise not be able to afford private school tuitions - yet more importantly, students like me who experienced things they didn't even know were possible.

Although I didn't realize it at the time, it was also the perfect background for my current occupation - sales and marketing. If you're like me, you sometimes cringe at the sight or sound of "salesmen" - pushy people pushing products that very few of them believe in. Raising money for schools was anything but easy yet it was genuine; I not only believed in what I was "selling" but supported it personally and financially to the places I cared about (even though I was still paying off student loans and would be for over ten years).

My friends and customers know that I am not pushy, aggressive, tacky, or insincere. That's not how I am wired (thankfully). Had my Dad not invited me to start a business together I'd still be raising money for schools (and getting paid for it). Instead, I keep the drive alive by volunteering my time and resources as often and consistently as time allows.

...

On Thursday, Proforma Printing and Promotion will be exhibiting at the Northeast CASE (Council for the Advancement and Support of Education) annual conference in Boston. Ah...back to where I started indeed! The reality is, since leaving advancement, almost 70% of my customers are private colleges, universities or private schools. We are very excited and proud of our Platinum Sponsorship and look forward to connecting with existing customers (friends) and many new CASE members as well.

There will be plenty of other marketing companies in attendance competing for time and attention of the nearly 700 attendees...yet I am not the slightest bit bothered by the "competition". Very few of my peers come from the Advancement world and while they have experience in servicing CASE members, most haven't lived and breathed it like I have.

It feels good to be back where I started...it feels even better to know that I can use my experiences to better serve them; to listen to their challenges, to ask the right questions, to present creative-efficient-and result-driven solutions...and not "sell" them anything I don't personally believe in.

I was president number 48 at Fairfield and tomorrow we'll be at Booth 49. I've attached a link about the CASE conference and a photo of our creative marketing collateral we'll be presenting at the conference.

Mark