How a Digital Advertising Sales Consultant Became a Content Marketer

It’s been a while since I’ve shared a personal story on my blog and I feel the need to explain who I once was and how I became a content marketer and freelancer writer. The funny thing is that I didn’t set out to be a writer when I first launched my business.

In the summer of 2010, I quit a cushy job in digital advertising sales. Although it was an extreme decision, I listened to my gut which was telling me to get out of a job that was making me miserable – immediately! It was a really tough thing to do and I second-guessed myself incessantly at the time. But today, I know for certain that it was the right decision.

After I quit, I was feeling very lost. So, I turned to friends and colleagues for advice. I even went to see a career coach to try and gain some perspective on how to find the right job for my expertise and talents.

The best thing that happened to me was that a friend of mine, who had just started-up her own online business, asked me to help her with her digital advertising sales “go to market” and B2B marketing strategy. I loved working with her because I felt like I was really making a difference to her business and enjoyed watching a fledgling company grow.

So, I decided that I was going to start my own business, consulting with emerging digital media and technology companies to help them “get a running start” with their online advertising sales and B2B marketing efforts. I did make some money doing this for a while but along the way, I discovered a hidden career that was better to suited to what I enjoy doing the most – writing and talking about digital media trends, entrepreneurship and emerging technologies.

You see, to promote my ad sales and marketing consulting business, I started a blog and experimented with social media platforms to reach out to potential customers. With a strong background in B2B marketing for digital media businesses like AOL and Google in Canada, I knew I needed to write about trends and insights that prospective clients would find intriguing enough to want to learn more about who I am and what I do. Once I started t0 gain traction by writing stories about the digital media and marketing industry, people began to ask me to write for their websites and blogs. That’s when I discovered how much I love the writing process and coming up with creative ways to help businesses attract new customers and partners through compelling online content.

So, I eventually pivoted my business away from digital advertising sales to focus more on B2B content marketing. It’s been a very exciting journey and I continue to learn new skills and strategies to perfect my craft. Most importantly, I’ve seen first-hand how taking a leap of faith in myself and in my career can pay off.

I would encourage anyone who knows in their gut that they are in the wrong place to take a chance and change paths – knowing that the right support system will make itself available to you if and when you need truly need it and ask for it.

I love hearing personal career stories and would enjoy yours if you’re willing to share. Please  post your thoughts in the comments section below.