Hunter, I am.

I'll start out explaining my absence. The past month has been another whirlwind. A couple things that have gone on in our lives:

July 2-5: Attended Dave Matthews Band concert in Alpine Valley! A M A Z I N G.
July 6: I got smacked in the ankle with a fly ball at our softball game. Hubby rushed me to ER. After one xray, three nurses, one doctor and three hours it was determined my ankle was not broken. Just very bruised and damaged nerves.
July 10: Sister's high school graduation party - State Fair style! We had corn dogs, mini donuts, funnel cakes, popcorn, grilled marinated chicken and pork skewers, and Sweet Steffi's Cookies (our version of Sweet Martha's)! Yumm!
July 17-18: Wisconsin Dells for Steffi's National Dance Competition at Kalahari. So fun!
July 24-25: House projects and landscaping.
July 30: Last day of internship at Bloom Health
July 31-August 1: Grandpa and Grandma visited to help finish our bathroom remodel. Such wonderful help!
Uffda! Life is always so interesting and keeps us on our toes!

(This is a long post, but it's full of goodies!)

Now on to the good stuff:
For the past two weeks my full time job has been job hunting. I've applied to about 30 different positions. My goal has been to not only apply to jobs, but to get connected within the industry and to stay up on industry news. It's one thing to just apply to a job - but another to make some sort of connection to the position I am applying for. The connection can be anything from knowing someone at the company of the applied position to finding a unique way to explain how I would be perfect for the job and the company. I am thrilled to say I have an interview on Thursday at a local ad agency and possibly another at a different ad agency.

I always watch Twitter closely for interesting tips, insights, articles, blog posts, etc. I'm always fascinated by what I learn through Twitter. Today I came across a post from @PrestonKelly, who tweeted a blog post written by the Creative Director. He interviewed the VP/Account Director about what he thinks makes a great account person. AWESOME! I was so excited after I read the blog that I want to share it with you. To give proper (and much deserved) credit to Preston Kelly, here is the blog link: http://prestonkelly.com/blog/?p=193
Chris Preston, EVP/Creative Director and Mark Jenson, VP/Account Director are the contributors to the blog post. The list was developed by Mark Jenson.

1. Be an idea generator – develop, nurture, and successfully convey new and fresh ideas.
2. Be knowledgeable about the client’s business and the advertising business – know it better than anyone else.
3. Be a “people” person – be someone that others want to work with.
4. Be curious – cultivate an insatiable appetite to learn something new each and every day.
5. Be self-motivated – take the initiative to make things happen.
6. Strive for high standards – have the desire to do the best work you can and the best work that your team can deliver.
7. Develop outstanding communication skills – aim to become a better writer and presenter every day.
8. Be collaborative – bring together the full resources and experience of the agency to solve problems.
9. Make the complex simple – dig deep strategically to provide insights that lead to better ideas.
10. Sweat the details – everything needs to be done well and you’ve got to focus on all aspects of your job

This list is so great!

I could be intimidated by the list, but what good would that do me? I look at this list as a great resource that came directly from someone who is very experienced and currently working in the industry - plus, it was free! At the end of the interview, Mark Jensen states, "If a young account person uses these 10 tips as a foundation, they’ll be building a strong platform for the future. And it would be safe to say that our business will be in good hands for many years to come." Jensen also gives a few other resources that account people should pay attention to. So, what do you think I did after reading this?
Added Jensen's suggested blogs to my Google Reader and wrote down the list in my handy-dandy notebook:

10 Tips!

This week has been so encouraging. I've found a few great resources, helpful tips, new inspirations and even set up a three hour interview for Thursday! It is so easy to get down and discouraged in this job market. However, if you aren't proactive in your hunting, have a negative attitude and always feel sorry for yourself, you may miss out on the hidden gems that can help prepare you for - or even lead you to - your next job. I admit, I have had my share of down, dreary days, but I never let those days get the best of me or define who I am as a full-time job hunter!

Love.

Encouraging Momma

My mom always knows when I need encouragement and how to give me encouragement. This morning she sent me an email about a daily devotional she had read that pertained to me. The part I want to share with you is what she wrote in the email. It's a little personal, but I know that I am not the only one that needs to hear these words. There are many of you that are in the same situation as I am - looking for a job in a tough market. Read this and be encouraged.


You ARE gifted by God!  But, in a way that doesn’t pertain to the particular job situation you are in now.  Ask God to help you nurture those gifts that He has blessed you with and to lead you in the right direction.  Get the most out of the job you are in.  Ask to be taught.  Show interest in learning and go with an attitude that, no matter what, you will leave a lasting impression on the people in that company.  Touch their lives in a way that only you can!  You are an incredible young woman and don’t forget that.

Have a great day!

I love you,

Mom

I hope you all have an "encouraging momma" in your life like I do - whether it be a parent, grandparent, cousin, best friend, brother, or sister.  

Here are two of my best encouragers. So blessed. So thankful.




Love.

Mastering the Art of Account Planning

Put my portfolio on SlideShare. I hope you enjoy. Leave a comment and let me know what you think (and don't hold back any comments)!

Mastering the Art of Account Planning

View more documents from alyssakz.

New girl

It's the middle of my second week at Bloom Health! Today I was reflecting on my last two weeks, which makes my head spin a bit. From the week of finals, straight into prep week for the portfolio show (with the help from my wonderful, generous Grandma!), and onto my first week at Bloom didn't allow for much breathing room.  The weekends are full of graduation parties and weddings. With all that said, I'm ready to let go a bit and relax. Which brings me to tell you about this weekend!

About five months ago Charlie bought us tickets to see Dave Matthews Band perform at Alpine Valley (second year in a row seeing him perform there!) over the 4th of July. We can hardly wait. However, to be completely honest, it's a little bittersweet for me. The 4th of July is always a big celebration at my grandparents home in Iowa, so this year I'll be missing out on all the festivities, delicious food, and family time. On the bright side, this is the best concert I've ever been to. It's an experience I can't really put into words. The band won't be on tour next year, so it was a must to see them this year. My family isn't very happy about us missing out, which is totally understandable - I just hope they know how important they are to us and we really do value spending time with them.

A little more about my first experiences at Bloom Health. The first day was a little overwhelming, which was expected. A lot of information, meeting new people, and getting to know the office. My favorite part of the day was when a new MacBook Pro was delivered for me to set up and use for work! I could hardly contain my excitement. It's so beautiful. I'm very thankful that Bloom provided me with such a great resource to use for all the projects they have for me!

From my desk I can see the new Target Stadium, which makes for a very jealous girl when there are afternoon Twins games. I will say that it is nice to have big windows to look out at - makes me feel more energetic and productive. From day one to today I've been given about 10 projects to work on. This isn't counting the quick little assignments I'm given during the day. It's so great to have a lot of work. There is a good variety, which helps keep it interesting. I'll never be bored!

I really like the culture at Bloom Health. Everyone is willing to help you out and answer any question. Since I am so new to the company and to the health industry, I have a lot of questions. I've never felt stupid for asking a question; very comfortable and welcomed to ask away.

There is much more to talk about, but I think this entry is long enough. I don't want to bore you.
Oh, but there is one more thing: last weekend we went to a dear high school friend's wedding - it was absolutely beautiful. Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs. Leen! Thank you so much for including us in your day.

Love.


ps. If you're on twitter, you can follow Bloom Health here: @bloomhealth

Yes, I'm still here.

It's been too long since I've blogged. The last couple weeks have been absolutely insane for me. The insanity will continue for the rest of the month - but I wanted to quickly update you on everything that is going on.

First. GREAT news. I accepted a job offer! It was the internship I told you about a couple posts ago. I will start out as the marketing intern and will hopefully begin as a FT employee at the end of August-beginning of September. The people are great - the culture is amazing - the space is beautiful - the opportunities are endless. I can't wait to start. My first day is the Monday after graduation, June 21st. I won't have a break between school and work, but I am just fine with that because I am so thankful for this opportunity!

Second. Great/not-so-great news. My portfolio is complete!! Printed, bound and in the hands of my instructor so that I can graduate! Some blood, sweat and tears were shed while creating that little book but it was all worth it.  The not-so-great part is when I presented my portfolio to an industry professional yesterday. First thing that wasn't good: I was presenting to a creative person, not an account. There are significant differences between the two disciplines, so pitching an account portfolio to a creative professional is a big challenge. The whole time I was presenting, this gentleman (I'll call him Bob) had a puzzled look on his face like I was trying to explain quantum physics to him. At the end of my presentation, Bob told me that presenting my portfolio as a cookbook is a major risk and not many people are going to like it or even understand it. Bob said that if I presented my portfolio to his coworker, who is an account person, he would laugh at me and say that I'm crazy. I stood up for myself and said that I am willing to take that risk - my main objective is to set myself apart from all other account portfolios. If someone doesn't like what I've done with my portfolio, than I'm not right for the position or that company. Bob said, "Well fine - if you're ok with not having a job." I pushed right back, "I have already secured a job, so that's not an issue for me." He let out a sarcastic chuckle.

A couple weeks ago I met with a senior account planner at a top ad agency in Minneapolis. I explained to him the concept behind my portfolio and his response was: "That is excellent. You can't have a portfolio without a concept. Everything you do in the industry MUST have a concept behind it." I told Bob what this senior account planner said to me and of course, Bob just rolled his eyes.

I went into this presentation expecting criticism - constructive criticism. Bob should have embraced the idea of a concept within a portfolio without shooting it down right away. My portfolio is cutting edge and risky. Being a risk-taker is what gets you to places in life. I am a risk taker.

Some of my risks:

1. Going to a non-traditional school, The Art Institutes International MN
2. Writing a petition to the school president about major scheduling issues
3. Getting married while in school full-time and working part-time
4. Presenting my portfolio as a cookbook
5. Accepting a position that is a 3-month internship, with the hopes of a full-time position
6. Sticking up for myself. Telling Bob that if someone doesn't like my portfolio, it's not my problem.

I want to be ahead. I want to be cutting-edge. I want to set myself apart.

I was very upset last night after my presentation but as I reflect back I have realized that Bob is behind, I am ahead. Just because Bob is a professional and I am a new graduate, doesn't mean he is above me. I think I could teach him a thing or two.

Now, I'd like to invite you to come see my portfolio! An open house, Friday, June 18th from 9-12 is our portfolio show at Solera restaurant in Minneapolis. I hope to see you there!

Love.

ps. If you come see my portfolio, I'll have a tasty treat for you! Handmade!

What about me?

The past week or so I've been struggling to write an "about me" section for my portfolio. It is so difficult to know exactly what to write in the few short paragraphs I have to make a great first impression. I have had some advice here and there, but nothing that has really inspired me to know what to write about.  So far I have two small paragraphs that will kick off the concept of my portfolio: cookbook and account planning. I'll share with you:

Every great dish deserves the perfect hint of salt. Salt marries the ingredients together, enhancing flavor and releasing beautiful aromas. The cook’s job is to find the right amount of salt that equals the perfect hint.
Every well-crafted creative brief is motivated by brilliant key insights. The account planner’s responsibility is to discover those insights within the research findings. These insights infuse inspiration into the minds of the creative team when they dive into the brief.

What do you think? Does it make sense? Do you make a connection between cooking and account planning?
Now from here I need to talk about me. It is so difficult to talk about yourself. Do you have any experience with this? My "about me" isn't just about me. It has to demonstrate who I am as a future account planner. I was told I need to talk about how I think digitally - since the digital world is so important in the way we communicate.  I understand why I was told that, but I want to tell more - like what inspires me and my interests. As I have expressed before, I think it is important to know someone on a personal level if you are going to know them on a professional level. The two intertwine and work together. I've always been told that it is important to leave personal life out of work life, but there is no possible way to keep the two completely separate. How many times do we come home and talk about work at home? Or how many times we talk about home at work? It probably happens more than we think.

With that said, I'm just stuck. I have an informational interview tomorrow to review my portfolio and I would really like a rough draft by then. Ufta!

I'm open to suggestions/advice if you have any. :)

Love.

Today is another beautiful day. Praise the Lord! 

So, what is account planning?

 I have been getting a lot of "what is account planning?" questions since I started this blog. I haven't blogged in awhile, so I thought this would be a good time to further explain account planning. Today I'm blogging from a sun-filled deck looking out onto ocean blue water. Ocean blue water in Minnesota? It's possible with the help from a beautiful pool liner!

Account planning is all about looking to the consumer to help develop advertising. The importance of research has really grown. In the 1990's account planning was booming in the U.S. as advertising agencies realized that this new department was just as essential as the creative department. When I was doing my research on account planning I came across a paragraph from Wikipedia that I think does an excellent job describing the position and importance:

 "The ultimate goal of the planner is to work with consumers as partners in the process of developing advertising. This relationship with the consumer allows planners to involve their input at every stage of the process and to inform and inspire creative ideas that guide and validate the resulting campaign in the consumers interests. Planners are the “consumer’s representative” of the account team. According to Jon Steel advertising can exist without account planning, but planners add an element of creativity to the advertising mix. They are typically people who are interested in meeting people and talking to the consumers. Planners want to find out what makes people tick and use that market information and research data to guide the campaign process. It is the planner’s job to take all this information and funnel it down into a short idea that helps inspire and directionalize the creative department." 

I wanted to write my view/definition of account planning but I really couldn't find a better way to explain it than the paragraph from Wikipedia. The only point I want to clarify from the paragraph is the "short idea" it talks about. This "short idea" is what I call (and many others) an "insight". Insights are the most important thing that come from all the research account planners conduct. Ultimately, account planners are searching for some insights that will help kick off the campaign. Insights give direction for the creative brief and should inspire the creative team to develop a great campaign.

I hope you don't feel cheated that I used Wikipedia's description for account planning. It was so well written that I had to refer to it in this post. There will be plenty more posts that I will write about account planning from my perspective, so stay tuned.

Here's a great image that illustrates account planning:

Photo credit: Royal Society of Account Planning

A side note- The past two weeks I have had several interviews with a company based in Minneapolis. The position starts out as a marketing intern with the possibility of filling a full-time marketing position after the internship. I was so happy to hear about the possibility of a full-time position!  There is room for me to grow within this company and plenty of opportunities for me to bring new ideas/perspectives. Prayers lifted and fingers crossed!

Enjoy this beautiful day!  

Love-

I'm on a horse.

Lately I have been really disappointed in so many new campaigns. 

But then I saw Old Spice's "Smell Like a Man, Man." The first commercial I saw from this campaign was "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like." I could not stop giggling. I immediately got online to see if it had gone viral. Sure enough, the commercial was on YouTube and spreading around the internet like a wild fire. I wanted more - I could care less that this was for a men's product. The next ten minutes was devoted to replaying this commercial. Bravo, W+K, your target was intrigued.

Wieden+Kennedy is the genius behind this campaign. The target audience was men and women - according to the ad agency, a first since Old Spice relaunched its brand. Searching around the world wide web I found that I'm not the only one loving this refreshing campaign. This writer (a girl) also found it amusing. Of course, the campaign budget was a good chunk of change, so W+K had a bit more liberty in creating the commercials. Blending physical and digital made my favorite spot possible. Here you can see the making behind "The Man You Man Could Smell Like." It's a bit long (19:36), so watch at your own discretion.

The stud, that all of us girls want our men to smell like, is Isaiah Mustafa. I heard his acting career has experienced a little boost since his appearance with Old Spice (I can't imagine why). 

I would LOOOOVEEE to see the insights that inspired and lead the creatives to these successful executions. It is so interesting to me to see the insights account teams identify from extensive research that is conducted for campaigns - especially successful campaigns, like Smell Like a Man, Man. Hey, @WiedenKennedy, can you release those insights and the research findings? I'm sure that I am not the only one that would be interested to see what you stumbled upon! Enlighten us! 


Do you enjoy this campaign (especially the spot with Mustafa) as much as I do? I'd love to hear your reactions. 


That's all for now. It's time for some relaxation with a hint of Dave Matthews on Blu-Ray and a glass of cab - something my love and I really like to indulge in!


Love.
I'm on a horse.

Shake that booty

This morning the Today show had a segment on Glamour magazine using "real" women in its latest issue. Two models and a Glamour editor were interviewed about what it is to be "plus size" in our society. In the modeling world, if you are over size 8, you are considered to be a plus size model. The two models (who are sizes 10 & 12) spoke up about growing up being insecure with their shape and curves. Society puts a lot of pressure on girls to be rail thin.  The skinnier you are, the more beautiful and desirable you are. They both explained the realization they came to after high school that there is nothing wrong about having a curve here and there. It's about feeling confident and being happy with what you have. It's important for me to make this clear: these women were not talking about it being ok to be obese or unhealthy. They eat healthy and exercise daily. Their point was that being super skinny is not the most beautiful body - it's being healthy, confident, and happy in what you have. Take a look at the article interviewing a couple of the multi-sized models in the cover shoot for Glamour.

This segment was so good. It is so frustrating how society, Hollywood and the media have shaped the way we define what is beautiful. I have an issue with Adobe Photoshop. On one hand, it's an amazing program to have to edit and create. On the other, it can be so damaging and harmful. Have you seen Dove's Evolution on YouTube? So powerful. It really captures how powerful Photoshop is. Every image in a magazine, online, in a book, etc are edited in Photoshop. Those images are not raw images - unless noted. Dove has done an amazing job at speaking out about what beauty is with its Campaign for Real Beauty. 

 Photo credit: Dove

I had an instructor tell me that he is dreading the day that his little girl is old enough to pick up magazines because he knows the truth behind the "fake" images she will be exposed to. He said he wants her to grow up confident in herself and not affected by the media's definition of beauty. Impossible. This really effects him because he once was the person behind the edited photos you see in the magazines. He knows how shifted, erased, increased, decreased, smoothed those images become after a little Photoshop session.

I think Dove started a trend.  A trend of using real woman of all sizes and shapes. It's been slow for our society to catch on. But I think that the more magazines and other media begin publishing images of women of all sizes, the more it will catch on. It is so inspiring that Glamour is making an effort to change the models they use in photo shoots. I hope the trend continues to build momentum and it become the norm - no longer a trend. 
This issue of confidence and image is important to me. I've struggled with it all my life and continue to. I really try to be confident, but always have my low days. It's important to remember that my hips (love handles are really what I call them) are part of who I am. God has blessed me with good health through my entire life and I need to be thankful for that.


My hope is that this post touches you or helps you touch someone you know that has low confidence or self-image issues. It isn't about how skinny you are or how many sit-ups you do in a day. It's about loving what God gave you. If you have a booty - shake it. If you have some hips - show them off. Your figure is unique to you. Make healthy choices and exercise. Live a healthy lifestyle and love the body you have.

That's it for today. I hope you enjoyed the weekend and feel rejuvenated for this week.

Love.


PS I'm leaving you with some instructions on how to shake your booty. Credit to ehow.com. Enjoy.

Things You'll Need:

• Booty Shorts
• Hip/Hop Music
• Internet Access
  
  
  
  
  Step 1
  Start to stretch first.  Make sure you get in a decent stretch, after all booty shaking is a serious business. Bust it down low.
  
  Step 2
  Make sure your booty is loose. Shaking your booty will be a lot easier once your warmed up. Spread your legs and try to in a sense "vibrate" your booty to the music. Practice makes perfect!
   
  Step 3
  Turn on some music and start to shake that booty the best you can, remember that practice makes perfect! Repeat and Upload to bootykush.com for review and feedback on your booty shaking.

Friday Friday Friday. It's job hunting day!

Fridays: they are my job hunting days.  It is very easy to get discouraged in this market but I've decided that being discouraged isn't going to get me anywhere. Determination and persistence will take me much further. So, as four hours have passed by, I have applied for 2 internships and 1 job. Applying to jobs/internships is time consuming. It's a job in itself. This week's postings looked a little better than last week, which I hope will continue to be a trend.

This week my mom had a patient, who works at an ad agency in town, tell her that this is the best time to be graduating because companies are beginning to loosen their belts. Gosh I hope this is true! Although, this isn't the first time I've heard that tip, so I'm thinking it's not just a rumor.

My brain is about done with job searching for the day.  A little blogging will be a good way to end the hunt. Tonight we're having Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches and Fingerling Potatoes. The guts of the sandwich have been slow cooking since 11am. The steak, green pepper, onions, butter, garlic, salt & pepper will be done cooking at about 5:30. In the meantime we'll toast some french rolls and bake the Fingerlings in olive oil, salt & pepper. Then top those toasted rolls with the steak, green pepper, onions and melted cheese...serve up baked Fingerlings...we have a savory Friday night dinner!

Hope your weekend is pleasant and relaxing. Take a break, rejuvenate. Be sure to rest on Sunday.

Love.

Cooking and Account Planning

Today I met with a chief strategy officer to review my portfolio at its current state. Right now I have a lot of content revised (which need more revisions) and little bit of design done. I desperately need an art director, which I have someone special in mind (Ahem, Lauren) and hopefully I can lure her in to help me! :)

The chief strategy officer thought my cook book concept is good, just needs to be executed better. One of the ways to execute better is by a "forward" at the beginning. If I can give a vivid description of who I am, how I'm participating in social networking, how I think digitally, and describe the link between cooking and account planning - I'll be set. So I better get working. She also suggested to have someone write the forward for me, so if you'd like to volunteer to write my forward, let me know. :)

Account Planners develop creative briefs for the creatives to follow when developing the campaign. She described CB's like the blueprints for a home. Great way to describe creative briefs. Just to let you know, CB = Creative Brief. I'll probably continue to use CB in my posts.

Cooking a beautiful meal takes a lot of time, effort, and patience. The perfect amount of spices, the perfect amount of ingredients, the perfect amount of baking time, the perfect amount of love.  The savory tastes and the beautiful smells of a perfected meal are worth the amount time and effort put into the cooking.

A tightly crafted creative brief takes a lot of research, time and effort. All the information taken from researching consumer behaviors, preferences, motivations must be analyzed carefully.  From all the information gathered from the research, key insights that are identified and pulled by an account planner will help effectively craft a creative brief that has an edge, something unique, an exciting direction to give the creatives.  The research, time, and effort is all worth it when a creative brief sparks inspiration and excitement into the creative team.

My descriptions of cooking and account planning will be a work in progress in the next couple weeks. When I feel like I'm getting closer, I'll post the descriptions and see what you all think.

A delicious meal and an inspiring brief takes diligence, patience, and thoroughness. 
I'm hungry now.

I would love to make this for dinner but chances are I don't have all the ingredients.

 Photo Credit- Food Network

Grilled Chicken Recipe with Spiced Mint Yogurt

Ingredients:
- 6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
- 3 tbsp diced green onions
- 2 1/4 cups plain, fat free yogurt
- 2 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp curry powder
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tbsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 3/4 cup whole, fresh mint leaves
- 1/4 cup finely chopped mint leaves
- 1 tsp ground cumin

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine 1 cup of the yogurt, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoons olive oil, the salt, pepper and spices. Add the chicken and turn until well coated. Marinate at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes. While the chicken is marinating, preheat the grill. Stir together the remaining 1 1/4 cups yogurt, the 1/4th cup chopped mint leaves, and 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice and salt to taste. Reduce the grill to moderate heat. Discard the marinade and grill the chicken on a lightly oiled grill rack (you can use non fat grill cooking spray for this), turning occasionally, for about 10-12 minutes (until the chicken is cooked through). Transfer the chicken to a serving platter. In a small bowl, toss together the remaining oil, shallots and mint. Drizzle the chicken with the yogurt sauce and top with green onions and mint mixture.

I hope all of you are hungry now too.

Love. 

 

My new best friend: Art of French Cooking

As I was researching how to put my account planning portfolio together I stumbled upon someone who designed her portfolio around a passport. I thought this was brilliant because not only are we seeing what she has accomplished at school as an account planner, but we are seeing what she has a passion for aside from work: traveling.


My big task was to do the same: tell a story behind my portfolio and my work.

My mom and I like to go on walks with our pup, Lexi (a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel). We always have good conversations on our walks. Whenever I am stumped about something or need advice, our walks are the perfect time for me to talk to her about what's on my mind.  It was a Thursday evening. We were walking along Birch Street towards Rice Lake School.  The temp was a little cool, but the spring evening sun felt good on our faces. I brought up my dilemma on what to shape my portfolio around.  Within just TEN MINUTES we had an idea. My mom began talking about things I enjoy to do.  Cooking and baking came up because the two of us are always talking about the new recipes we've tried and the old recipes we love. It's something we enjoy together.

Cooking has always been enjoyable for me. I remember my first cookbook - it was Minnie Mouse's cookbook - full of fun, colorful, kid-friendly recipes. We made all sorts of yummy food from that cookbook together. I have many good memories that have cooking or baking in them. For example: the first time Charlie came over to my parent's (before we were dating), he saw the big bag of chocolate chips that my mom always buys and couldn't resist from digging in. He decided to make himself at home in the kitchen and bake some chocolate chip cookies. Everyone RAVED about those cookies! My family ate the whole batch by the next day. We still talk about those cookies. Great first impression. Who knew that would be the guy I'd marry?

A portfolio with a cookbook theme. I want this to be a classic cookbook. My inspiration is Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The challenge is to make sure that my theme won't confuse the person looking at my portfolio. The most important part of this is my content - I need it to shine, be the center of attention.  The cookbook theme is just a compliment to my content - it needs to spark curiosity and interest when one picks up my portfolio. I really believe if I can pull this off, I will set myself apart from my competition and stand out.

As of right now, I am using a vintage green/blue with a splash of dark purple for my color palette.  For typography, a classic serif font. 

Not only will someone know what I have to offer as an account planner, but they will also know someone about my personal life through my portfolio.  My hope is that this will make me memorable because I am giving more than what a typical portfolio offers.

I have a portfolio critique tomorrow - so I'm trying to get as much of the layout completed as I can. I'd like to show the person critiquing a base of what the whole thing will look like.  Much of my content is revised, it's just the design that needs work.  SIX short WEEKS until graduation!

Thanks Momma for that Thursday evening walk! It has changed my life the past couple weeks and I'm sure it will continue to have a lasting impact. Love you!

-------

I've tried so many yummy recipes that I'm going to start sharing them with you.  So much to tell you and blog about - wish I had more time! Stay tuned.

Love.

I want to spend time with you.

I finally feel a sense of accomplishment because I have successfully chosen a direction for my portfolio. Although I really love creative, my talents would be better used on the account side. The good news about account planning is that I will be engaged throughout the whole campaign process. My job doesn't stop at the research. Creatives tend to think anything to do with the account side is dry and boring - they're so wrong. Account planning is where it's at.

Account planning is fairly new to ad agencies - I think sometime in the 80's account planning really launched in the U.S. The importance of research has grown in developing campaigns - even more in researching consumers.  That's where account planners come in. They spend quality time with consumers - searching for important insights that can bridge the relationship between the client and the consumer.  There's more to it - but I'll continue to explain planning throughout my entries.

I want to know what makes you tick. Where do you buy groceries? Where do you go on vacation? Do you cook? Do you have a favorite brand? Do you shop online? What are your interests? Do you have a morning routine? So many questions! I could go on and on. 

I could pick up on so many different insights into what makes you tick, unique, interesting, boring, happy, sad, motivated by just spending time with you and asking the right questions. 

Since I love people I knew that being a planner would be a good option. There's more reason as to why I'll be a good planner - more on that later. Stay tuned.

Love. 

PS I had a dream about pie last night. Next time I write an entry at night, I'll be avoiding food.

It's the full pie. Not just a slice.

Recently I've noticed that I am attracted to blogs and tweets that are more than just business talk. I enjoy tuning in to people who are well-rounded in their posts - meaning talking about their careers/industries AND personal life. I want to know more than just the trends/latest news on what is going on in their chosen field. Give me substance. Who are you? Do you have a cat? What did you do last weekend? Did your kid just discover his/her boogers and begin eating them?

It is forced down my throat that anything and everything that you post online needs to have content and substance - something to give the reader to chew on. I'm tired of always seeing controversial statistics, new facts, the latest trend, etc. Don't get me wrong - I like to see those things and learn about them but give me something out of the ordinary every once in awhile. I have started to unfollow/unsubscribe to twitter accounts and blogs that are stale and have a stench of ordinary. I'm sure there are others out there that agree with me. However, I don't think too many are vocal about it.

With all that said, I think you can tell what kind of blog this will be. Yes, I will talk about account planning, advertising industry, social media, new media, creative research, cultural/social trends, branding, creative briefs, cultural briefs and so on. There are so many interesting things in this category I will gab about! However, in addition to all of that, I will be telling you about my life, my faith, my adventures, my struggles, my love, my family, my goals, my passions and much more.

I firmly believe for you to know who I am in my work life and my personal life - you need to know both. Each are unique and different but similar. My goal is for this blog to set me apart from other blogs. I want this to be memorable and interesting. Authentic.

More to come. Time for sweet dreams.

Love.

PS My favorite kind of pie is pecan. But it's not just any pecan pie. It's Grandma Crouch's pecan pie. It's heavenly and sinful at the same time. YUM

Step One: Write first entry.

Although I have followed blogs for a long time, it's taken me awhile to get going on my own. The problem was defining my blog. I knew I wanted to write about my life, but I wanted more to it - more depth - more content. So I sat on my blogger account for a couple years pondering what to do with it. Honestly, this task was daunting for me.

I am now the proud owner/writer/contributor/mind/creator behind heartofaccountplanner.blogspot.com, The Heart of an Account Planner! I'm sure you are puzzled by the title. No worries, I'll explain. Actually, every post will explain!

I have now (FINALLY) entered into my last quarter at The Art Institute International MN. I have been attending since fall of 2007. Long story short, after I graduated high school ('04) I attended Century College and transferred to AiMN to get the creative side of education. My degree will be a BS in Advertising. It's been a long journey, but I can see a light at the end of the tunnel.


Through the advertising program at AiMN students will develop a portfolio by the time they graduate that will typically have an emphasis on the creative side of advertising or the account side. I am going the account side - thus the title of my blog!
This about good for a little intro. I'm headed out to a long, long night class. Trust me, I'd rather continue my first entry. More to come soon. Stay tuned.
Love.