With 25 years of experience working as a marketer, Jamie Crystal has partnered with sales, client and product teams across digital media (Yahoo! and Federated Media), television (FX Networks and Hallmark Channel, and print media (LA Times) to drive revenue opportunities and partnership, meet market trends and develop competitive marketing solutions for large successful brands.
Jamie took a leap 8 years ago into the world of consulting and it has paid off personally and professionally. Thus far, Jamie has had over 12 clients and frequently wins projects through The Second Shift. Here she tells us about why she left the corporate world and her #pitchtowin tips.
You worked in traditional media companies until going off on your own in 2010. what was the turning point when you decided to leave the corporate world and start your own consultancy.
There were turning points personally and professionally that motivated me to start my own consultancy. I returned from maternity leave from my 1st daughter to my 8th boss – I had to prove myself all over again. Typical office hours were 9-10 hours per day and I was missing out on so many things professionally waiting for a promotion that might never happen and personally at home missing my daughter’s milestones, etc. As a consultant, I just focus on work that is meaningful and stretches my skills without the corporate bureaucracy of promotions, etc. If I do good work, clients are happy, I expand my network and get more work. I also pick the type of work I want to do, rather than taking on many projects I didn’t really have a passion for just for a promotion.
How did you find out about The Second Shift and what would you tell other women thinking about joining?
A peer of mine, who was also a contractor/freelancer recommended The Second Shift to me, so I checked it out. It was that simple. She mentioned that she heard a lot of companies were starting to use Second Shift more.
When I first applied, I didn’t realize Second Shift was a female-focused model, but when I realized that, I was even more excited! I am open to whatever organization can help me get good clients and expand my experience. When you are a Freelancer/consultant it is challenging to find work, and it’s always nice to have reliable resources to help. I am very thankful for Second Shift!
Since going off on your own what has been the biggest benefit to you personally and professionally?
The biggest benefit of consulting has been having flexibility in my schedule to be available for my family. I have been able to show my daughters that you can stay in the workforce and still be available as a parent. I am able to work during school hours but still pick my daughters up from school, hear about their day, help them with homework and take them to all their activities without having to completely give up having a career. Consulting allows you to focus on the work at hand and doing a good job and getting it done when it works with your schedule, not just clocking hours in an office.
The biggest benefit of consulting professionally is the ability to take on many different types of marketing projects and stretch my skill set beyond my initial networking circle. In the traditional corporate model you have a primary skill set and just move up the corporate ladder and take on a larger team but mainly keeping the same skills and field. With consulting, I am able to grow and learn new skills, new industries, new clients and grow professionally in areas I would have never been exposed to. It also allows me to work with companies I wouldn’t necessarily be interested in working with on a full-time basis but now I get to take on exiting projects and get exposure outside of full-time employment
You’ve landed some highly competitive jobs through the second shift– How do you think about pitching and what are the secrets to your success?
I try to jump on the pitches as soon as I receive an email alert. I find the good ones go very fast, and I want to be in the mix. I immediately reach out that I am interested and show them to my experience. I am fortunate that I have some good larger brand names on my resume and I send my own company overview with client and project experience to help them see the level of companies I work with. After getting the initial conversation, I do think a lot is just chemistry with the clients and if it’s a good fit for them personally to work with a Second Shifter.
We love that consulting allows for women to show up for their families and become role models for their daughters–thank you Jamie and keep up the good work!
If you know of any amazing women, like Jamie, who should be part of our talent pool please email us at members@thesecondshift.com.