How I went from being a college student in Missouri to a digital marketer in Indiana:

My start at 1909 DIGITAL was a serendipitous, “right place, right time” phenomenon. I graduated from the University of Missouri this past May with a degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing. I felt like a caterpillar breaking free of my cocoon and out into the real world: Corporate America here I come!

My excitement was quick to wane when I realized how tedious and impersonal the job application process was. Things weren’t going anywhere on traditional job search apps like LinkedIn or Indeed after months of searching, so I took matters into my own hands. I knew I wanted to live in Indianapolis–that part was easy. My partner and I (who were long-distance throughout college) had decided Indy would be the first place we’d call home.

“Where am I going to work?” was a more complex question.

I started searching for various agencies in the Indianapolis area, scanning through different websites when I came across the 1909 website. I noticed their personable aesthetic, the land acknowledgment in their website footer, and also their team’s broad experience right away, and knew I would be so lucky to have exposure to that type of environment. I immediately knew I wanted to reach out. In the Contact section of their website under “Goals you would like us to help you smash,” I wrote “Helping me land my first full-time job!”

To my surprise, it worked!

Meeting the Team

The 1909 team took time out of their very busy schedules to meet with me, were very quick with updates, and even personalized a role for me where I can pursue and practice my design passions as well as explore new opportunities in account management. My role, Digital Account Specialist, was born and my job search was finally over. WOOHOO!

I am excited to bring my experience in web design, social media strategy, and content coordination to the 1909 team, and learn from them as much as I can.

Background

Outside of 1909, I have a passion for the beauty industry and started a side hustle doing event and bridal makeup in my final year of college after years of doing it for friends and family.

I love entrepreneurship, so to be able to combine business with passion is always a win-win in my book. I was very active in volunteering in my college community, and I am currently searching for opportunities in my new city. I am most passionate about the climate crisis movement, sexual assault awareness, ESL and aiding Hispanic communities, the Black Lives Matter movement, and DEI in general.

I worked at a Mexican restaurant from when I was sixteen up until a week before I started this position and I consider them my second family. They taught me not only everything I know about the Spanish language but also everything I know about Mexican culture and the trials and tribulations their community faces. They will always be a part of me, and they will always be the first place I go when I return home to Louisville, Kentucky!

You can usually find me curled up with a blanket and my cat reading a sci-fi fantasy book to whisk me away on weeknights and weekends. If I’m not reading, I’m most definitely watching a documentary or a reality tv show. I love traveling and hope to spend some time abroad in the coming years as well as finish touring all 50 states (I’m on state #38 currently!)

I’m most looking forward to my future with 1909 DIGITAL and getting acquainted with the city of Indianapolis. Both already are starting to feel like home.

Fun Facts

• I love tarot cards and frequently do readings for my friends and I whenever we need some introspection and worldly guidance.
• I worked in Valencia, Spain for a summer and designed a website in both English and Spanish.
• I am a musical theater geek, I listen to Broadway music 75% of the time I’m listening to music. My favorite musical currently is Hadestown.

Multitasking has always been a strong suit of mine. The more the merrier. No, really!

I fell in love with logistics while searching for a true passion after college. What started as managing third-party logistics (3PL) warehouse relationships and over-the-road (OTR) freight turned into running 60% of a company’s supply chain. This led to three promotions in two years, including a position made just for me where I managed logistics and an external sales territory. Eventually, I managed over $40 million dollars in e-commerce in the duration of a year and over $200M in revenue in under three years.

Life is wild, and my career hasn’t been an exception.

Joining Team 1909

In 2021, I had an opportunity to join friends who had created a digital marketing startup (1909 DIGITAL!)–and I took it. Going from managing sales and logistics to my current role was a no-brainer. At points, the transition had a learning curve, but also felt seamless.

Instead of talking with freight brokers and warehouse managers, I now talk to business owners and marketers. On any given call the discussion can range from strategizing about SEO to paid advertisement, new web design and database migrations, writing copy, and more. As the Director of Accounts for 1909 DIGITAL and TrustEngine, I value partnerships and collaborating with our clients. Years of logistics and supply chain management taught me to have an unparalleled hustle and a love of grinding to reach goals. This has allowed me to help businesses with their digital marketing focus and strategy.

My Passion Project: TrustEngine

When I joined 1909 DIGITAL leadership told me every month companies ask about services that required marketing implementation, rather than strategy. Together, we saw an opportunity to turn those inquiries into a chance to impact more businesses. In the name of short-term projects and implementation, TrustEngine was born.

How Did We Get Here?

1909 DIGITAL focuses primarily on digital marketing strategy. We set up your foundational documents that give you the tools and actionable plan to make a splash in your sector. We’re experts in creating capital campaigns, messaging frameworks, personas, content plans, in-depth digital audits, and competitor analysis.

While our core 1909 DIGITAL team focuses on strategic work, business owners have reached out for help because they’ve heard of us through our network or current clients. These businesses might already have a strategy, a smaller budget, or need immediate implementation. We listened to the needs of these potential partners and developed a business that fit just that.

Introducing TrustEngine

In July of 2021, 1909 DIGITAL launched TrustEngine–a brain trust delivering on content creation, building small-business websites, blog copywriting, social media, email marketing, paid advertising, and more. Knowing these businesses are typically on a budget, we figured out how to provide top-class delivery at a budget-friendly price.

We turned to family, friends, former team members, and our network to establish our brain trust. These are people who we’d trust to have on team 1909. They might own their own agency, work as full time freelancers, or already work a 9-to-5. This brain trust is not another “white pages” of faceless freelancers, they are vetted colleagues who we know do awesome work. They’re ready to smash goals.

Another great perk? TrustEngine is stewarded by 1909 DIGITAL to provide exceptional account management and strategy oversight.

What’s Next?

We are now a full year into TrustEngine. The journey has been absolutely amazing. We’ve designed and built websites, created new copy for brands, paid advertising for local businesses. We’re learning, streamlining, and growing every day. We’ve had the privilege to work with great clients and develop an amazing team to support digital delivery. We’re so excited to see what year two brings.

From those early hours working OTR logistics and walking warehouses, to developing marketing for brands and project managing digital delivery– I’m living the dream with 1909 DIGITAL and TrustEngine.

Check out the TrustEngine website at trustenginedigital.com and follow our LinkedIn for the latest updates.

Hey! I’m Jarred, one of the co-owners of 1909 DIGITAL. I’ve worked for agencies and Fortune 500 businesses in Indianapolis for the past decade. Many come to me for my expertise in digital marketing strategy & thought leadership, web optimization, digital advertising, digital transformation, and content creation. But when I’m not thinking about marketing, there’s a whole other world that I’m living everyday–Magic: the Gathering. 

No, Not that Magic

It’s a little confusing, but Magic has nothing to do with wands. Magic: The Gathering is a tabletop collectible card game first released in 1993. It’s easily the most popular game you’ve never heard of and has  produced tens of millions of dedicated players and enthusiastic collectors over the past thirty years. The community is thriving.

Locally, it is represented by thousands of vendors and gamers each year at Indy’s famed Gen Con, the largest tabletop game convention in North America. There are new, beautifully illustrated “set” releases every few months, an international competitive professional league, a convention circuit, and a billion-dollar card resale market.

That’s where I come in.

Making Magic Work

Remember when I said, “when I’m not thinking about marketing, I’m thinking about Magic”?

I lied.

Even when I’m thinking about marketing, I’m also thinking about Magic. I’m an incredible multitasker- I promise! Doing three things at once keeps me focused. The 1909 team knows that when I’m talking marketing strategy, I’m likely also sorting Magic: The Gathering cards. The perks of owning your own business, right?

What does “sorting cards” mean? It’s my process for reselling some of the most sought after cards throughout the 80+ released sets. Here’s how it works (and how my 1909 sales and marketing skills transfer to Magic.)

1. I buy someone’s old collection. I offer the fairest prices possible. Success means building relationships and simply being a good guy.
   
   These are important tenets of 1909 as well. We avoid the BS of big agencies who inflate prices and don’t provide the appropriate work for the cost.
2. I sort the cards. Smaller collections are often 1,000-15,000 cards, and larger collections can be upwards of a million. I can sift through the collections very quickly, pulling individual cards that are worth more and setting aside the “bulk” or cheaper cards.
   
   This is not dissimilar to 1909’s digital marketing auditing process. We sift through a client’s current digital state and prioritize the changes worth investing in, setting aside those that are less relevant.
3. I list and ship the cards. Magic isn’t all cardboard. There’s a robust online sales ecosystem where sellers and collectors coordinate and share Magic products. I maintain an online store where I list cards and ship them all over the world to collectors. Any given card could be worth a fraction of a penny, $.25, upwards of eighty dollars, or even $511,000 USD. Like gas prices, the cost of each card fluctuates depending on the ebb and flow of the market.
   
   Our job at 1909 is to stay on top of trends and best practices to give clients the most up-to-date strategies and tactics. We don’t want to sell a product (or produce a document) that’s not valuable and helpful both now and in the future.

Jump-Starting a New Business

A year or two ago, I would have considered Magic: the Gathering my hobby, not my business. That has all changed in the last nine months.

I now seek out larger collections to build up my online store more often, and it’s allowed me to bring in significantly more money than when I treated selling as a hobby. These larger collections also started taking up more space in my home, which proved unsustainable. The time was right to pursue any nerd’s dream–to open a game shop. Tabletop game shops are more than a place to buy cards and supplies. It’s a space for local players and families to grab a snack and gather for a fun game or a competitive tournament.

Paradigm Games is my new business and brick-and-mortar game shop located in the heart of Indy’s near-northside. And in a lucky turn of fate, the space is immediately behind my home where I work for 1909 each day. It takes me twenty steps to get from my garage to my new shop’s back door!

Things are feeling more real by the day. Cards are in the display case, supplies are on shelves, the tournament tables are set up, and the Mountain Dew and Doritos are ready. We open Friday, July 15, 2022, with our very first Friday Night Magic tournament.

1909 DIGITAL is going strong, and I’m excited to continue to help our amazing roster of clients and lead our solid team. In fact, the 1909 team has helped me in my journey to open Paradigm Games from day one. Lori, my partner in life and business, is Paradigm Games’ co-owner and chief organizing officer. Logan, 1909’s Creative Director, created the logo and brand colors using the same collaborative process for 1909’s clients. Kelly, our Digital Project Manager, used her administrative savvy to track down permits and vendors for our new street sign. Chris, our fearless co-owner, strategized the e-commerce workflow and Point of Sale system. And Brittney, 1909’s Director of Digital Strategy, wielded her high-visibility influencer status to get the word out. I’m grateful for my 1909 family’s sincere and enthusiastic support for this crazy dream of mine.

I wasn’t one that knew definitively what she wanted to be when she grew up, other than maybe a famous photographer. While that didn’t work out like I had planned, I HAVE worked in multiple industries over the years, from food distribution to medical billing and collections. Each of these experiences taught me many things, but none really piqued my interest or challenged me. This changed years ago when I landed at one of the nation’s largest media companies. There, I did a bit of everything as the Administrative Assistant for their largest sales team, and I was able to be involved in all aspects of digital marketing and sales. I love that the digital world is ever-changing—there is always something new to learn. Especially now, digital platforms are important because they keep people connected when we are often physically apart. 

That brings me to today, where I’ve now joined Team 1909 Digital! I’m so impressed with 1909’s vision and core values, and I can’t wait to put my skill sets to use—my love of organization, collaboration, and problem solving.

10 Things to Know About Kelly

• • Hoosier: I’m a born and raised Indiana girl.
  • Loss: I lost my Mom in 1993 when she was just 37 years old. It has molded me and made me more empathetic and adventurous. I treasure the time I have with those closest to me, because you never know how long you’ll get to have them around. 
  • Co-adventurer: This year I will have been married to my husband Kyle for 18 years! He is an amazing partner and makes me laugh every day. He is many things: mechanic, scuba instructor, photographer, backpacker, blogger, luthier, and woodworker. He’s a busy guy! 
  • Big Sweetie: Coco is our lovable German Shepherd. We adopted her into our family in 2017 at the age of three. She adores cuddling, belly scratches, and chasing squirrels in the backyard.
  • Aunthood: While we still have never been blessed with children of our own, I am “aunt Kel” to countless kids and I love spending time with all the kiddos in my life. Nieces, Nephews, and all my best friend’s kids as well. It takes a village! 
  • Musick: My Dad was a member of several bands while I was growing up, so I’ve always been surrounded by music. I even married into a Music(k) family! I love attending live shows, but ALWAYS have music playing of some type or genre.
  • Travel: I love to travel and experience new places and cultures, domestic or abroad. There are so many places on my to visit list, but Italy, Ireland, and Hawaii are right up there at the top!  
  • Besties: I am honestly so lucky to have the group of friends that I do. Friends can make all the difference in the direction your life takes, and mine have for sure steered me down an amazing road. They make me feel supported, valued, and accepted in all things. Some of my favorite things to do with the girls: movie nights, wine tastings, crafty things, and road trips. 
  • To Do: I love lists, organization, and I CAN be a perfectionist when it comes to some things. 
  • Nerd: I love all things Harry Potter (I’m a Hufflepuff), Star Wars, and Marvel. I love watching the movies, visiting the theme parks, and just geeking out in general. 

Lori comes from a strong museum background, clocking 10+ years as Manager of Digital Content at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. She’s passionate about mental health and the museum industry, so it was no surprise to see her using her expertise to write about both—the exodus happening with professionals in the museum sector. This phenomenon is one piece of a much larger picture, what psychologists and economists are calling “The Great Resignation.” For four months in a row, nearly 4 million people each month have quit their jobs due to a number of factors related to the pandemic, from front-line health concerns to work-life balance. Museum workers come upon both of these issues, and many others besides. 

But for the cultural sector, this didn’t start with the pandemic. 

Lori wrote her original post, The Great Museum Social Media Manager Exodus, in August 2019 to specifically address the issues among social media managers. The concerns laid out in this first blog certainly hit a chord: The lack of proactive support for burnout and mental wellnessthe challenge of being overworked but unvalued; and the fact that, simply put, there’s a lot of better-paying work elsewhere.

Now, Lori has written a follow-up blog focusing more broadly on the museum sector as a whole.

Some interesting tidbits

1. Mission-guilt is fading.
2. Staff appreciation increased. Resources didn’t.
3. There’s no patience for fake virtue.
4. Words are not being matched with action.

Why is this important for 1909 Digital?

Everyone on the 1909 DIGITAL team has a breadth of experience while each has a depth of expertise. We have a number of team members who came from the museum industry, so we love to support museum professionals through our work. Their expertise has been invaluable while we have worked with the Canadian Museum of Immigration, Museum Computer Network, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, and the Akron Art Museum, with the most recent being the National Indo-American Museum.

Our motto is “Family first, Health first, Mental Health first.” We truly aim to keep these three things top of mind in how we manage our workflow and processes. Our experience with the toxicity of social media and the broader museum landscape has directly led us to do our best to stay on top of our mental health. We are happy to continue to share the sentiments in Lori’s blogs, especially as they relate so closely to 1909 DIGITAL’s core values.

Feedback on The Great Museum Exodus has shown that it’s already making an impact for people and industries outside of the cultural sector! We urge you to read the blog and then consider how you and your company utilize social media, content breaks, and time management to keep mental health as a top priority for your team.

Click here to read Lori’s full post, The Great Museum Exodus.