I began my journey working at PCG exactly one year ago today. Back in June I wrote a blog describing my first month and impressions of how the company stacked up to the promises I was offered during my interview. Well, exactly one year later I can honestly say it was all true. Not only has PCG provided a career path that seems to have no limit, they have also ensured that I have had every opportunity to advance myself in this field.

When I started in marketing almost a decade ago, it was a creative escape from the mundane 9 to 5. I, like most freelance marketers, only came across new tools and strategies as a reactionary necessity when the job required it. Now at PCG, I am part of a team that is pushing and creating the needed changes to keep our clients relevant in today’s digital battlefield. Whether that’s the new CPE Engagement Project or our partnership with VistaDash, we are now providing a condensed and clear perspective of our clients’ presence and success in the market.

Before now, as with every marketer, I fell upon the standard quantity metrics to back up my work. I was able to get a client this much traffic, this many forms submitted, this many product views, etc.  In reality, what we all should be looking at is how engaged each visitor was and how much of an impact our campaigns and content had upon the potential client. This is something clients and I have always wanted but, before now, did not have the means. PCG has made that a reality, and for that they have helped make me a more relevant asset to my clients as well as made me an empowered, credible professional in a sea of digital sharks.

As far as the promised job growth, I have, within the first year, been able to not only move into a new position but also learn skill sets from multiple positions and take on additional responsibilities whenever the opportunity has come along. From working with the Web Design team to building engaging sites that capture the user from the first impression to the conversion, to sitting with the Paid Search team discussing AdWords strategies based on the specific demographic of the clients area—I have been part of a team that strives to take the unique voice of each client and then spread their message to a focused audience and in turn grow their brand where it matters most. As I have always said, you need to sell yourself before you can sell your product.

While working with the content writers, I have been able to pull in my literary background to collaborate on truly custom content written with their audience in mind and not just the templated cookie cutter, “I want to sell my product/service to the world” mentality, which often disregards the client’s own backyard. With the PCG Online Training Center, I have been able to contribute my knowledge and experience to help build courses that can elevate and educate other marketers as well as provide me with the opportunity to present audits and consultations for companies who need an objective set of eyes to validate or direct their digital presence.  

On a more personal note, the flexibility and “people first” culture I observed in my interviews and those first few months has not only been confirmed, but has also allowed me to spend more time with my wife and children than I ever have before. Now that I can work from home when my kids are sick, I can actually use my PTO time for the important things.

The latest example was me getting to experience a dance class photo shoot (I didn’t even know this was a thing) for my daughter, which I can only describe as Dante’s missing 10th ring of Hell. Still, even though I was surrounded by the chaos of 40 dance moms armed with curling irons and makeup making their children look like they were four going on fourteen, getting to be there with my daughter was priceless. After missing all of the important firsts—rolling over, crawling, walking, talking—I was there for this, and that meant a lot to her, but it meant the world to me. So, finally after surviving my first year in a company unlike any I have ever experienced before in my two decades of working, I can say like a fine wine that I’m only getting better with age.