Marietta Bryant was chosen as our Featured Member this month because we love the boldness of her pitch, her honesty with the client about her career path and overall optimistic attitude toward work and life. Marietta started to work with Ascent as a consultant on a part-time basis and that role recently became permanent– proving the model for temp-to-perm works for both our members and client companies.
You have had a very interesting career that spanned different industries– what has surprised you most about your career path? When you started out did you think you would wind up where you are today?
15 years ago, my first job after college was buying nuts and bolts- literally. My only goals back then were to work hard, get out of purchasing and into marketing – and to see as much of the world as I could.
Back then, I couldn’t predict the specifics. I didn’t know that I would be a wife and mother, a director in the oil and gas industry, or now a consultant-turned-marketing advisor to an exciting startup. But somewhere along the line, I figured out what I liked to do. I learned what I was good at – and more importantly, what I wasn’t – and after that I knew I could fall back on my old standby, hard work, to get me where I wanted to go. What surprises me the most, if I look back on my career to this point, is how strong the correlation is between my success and how honest I am with myself.
What were the pivotal moments that caused you to change paths/ transition/ break with the trajectory of your career?
Two key moments in my career shaped my journey; one early, one late.
Early on, after I moved into marketing, I was fortunate to represent my division in a corporate-wide rebrand. Witnessing the development of a new global brand from start to finish was eye-opening and lit the path to strategic marketing.
Later, around year 14, I chose to hang my career on a hook for a year. Everything I had worked toward was put on hold while I learned a new skill – becoming a mother. Because of my personal goal to spend as much time with my son as I can until he reaches school age- I was so thankful to find an organization like the Second Shift to help me get back into work while still having solid family time.
You recently took a job through The Second Shift and it is a departure from what you have been doing in many ways– what made this seem like an opportunity you didn’t want to miss?
After working with Ascent for a couple of months, they offered to work directly and I jumped on it. They’re an amazing group and they are so excited about their work that it’s hard not to want to be a part of the team. I felt it was a good fit for where I am in my career and personal life and what they need, and I can’t wait to watch the company grow.
Your pitch is below. Would love to know the thought process when crafting it and why you decided to address the time off you took off to raise your son.
When I pitched for the job at Ascent I went all-in. After reading their job description I felt it was such a good fit (kind of like a dating profile!) that I wanted to make 100% sure it would work. So I was “me” as much as I could be. That’s also why I mentioned the recent gap year after my son’s birth. I figured; this is my life – this is my reality. If this is going to work for both of us (me, Ascent) then it has to be based on honesty and truth.
Good afternoon, My name is Marietta Bryant, and I have worked full-time in B2B marketing, most recently at the Director level, for nearly 15 years. My marketing career has been shaped by opportunities to build marketing departments from the ground-up. These opportunities have convinced me that this is all I want to do, which is why Ascent Leadership’s posting instantly appealed to me. I’ve pulled a few relevant highlights and grouped them into three categories below: CRM management, brand leadership, and project management, to showcase my abilities and excitement for working on this project. I have developed a public company’s Salesforce CRM platform and sales realization process from scratch, inclusive of lead generation, lead capture, opportunity management, account management, win/loss analysis, pricing, forecasting, and real-time reporting. Though I was responsible for development, I had to build strong relationships with the sales and customer service teams to ensure the system would be implemented and utilized effectively. This required multiple presentations, training sessions, and dedicated support to a 25-person team. In addition to CRM management, developing and maintaining a communications and brand strategy is a substantial piece of my work experience. Most recently, my company decided to change its name and brand upon having its IPO. This required my leadership to determine “who we are” and then to communicate this new identity to employees, customers, vendors, and investors. This change took place in phases and I led the team through each step of discovery and implementation. Once key messages and the new brand were agreed upon, the visual evolution could take place: signage and internal stationery, digital (web, social media, newsletters), trade shows and events, press releases, published content (articles, blogs), marketing collateral and brochures, and corporate brand standards. I wrote and/or proofread, all content, and designed some pieces as well. Finally, working on such large-scale projects required strong organizational and project management skills. Whether I am leading a team or working independently, every project has multiple objectives, inputs, outputs, and customers, and staying on track and on budget are always a top priority. For the two examples listed above – CRM management and brand/communications strategy – I was able to hand off work seamlessly to members of my team when needed, as well as give regular, succinct updates to management. I sincerely believe I could help Ascent Leadership to achieve its marketing goals. In addition, this role would be an excellent opportunity for me personally as I would love to learn more about the organization and its customer base. I do live in the midwest currently, but could make occasional trips to New York as needed. Of course I hope I am the right fit – regardless, I wish you the best of luck in your search. Kind regards, Marietta Bryant
Thank you so much Marietta. We wish you the best of luck in your new venture and thank you for your willingness to share your thoughts and process with our community.