Earlier this week marked my 2 year anniversary of being a member of the My Way Leases family. I thought this would be a good way for me to reflect over the past 2 years as well as talk a little about what I’m looking forward to in the future. I’m not one to get real emotional or talk about things being meant to be but from the moment I read the job qualifications and expectations I knew this position was exactly what I had been looking for and working towards since graduating college with a marketing degree. Since graduating it seemed every job opening in the marketing field required 2-3 years of experience in the marketing or sales field. Wanting to stay on the eastern shore also made this difficult as there is obviously a much smaller amount of businesses compared to a more densely populated city area like Baltimore or DC, especially for entry level positions. So I had to either move or take a sales job to gain experience for a position I wanted and was passionate about. Ultimately I knew I liked where I was at and am never one to back down from a challenge so I decided to try my hand at sales. To say I had to earn every dollar is an understatement. Working on full commission and not having a guaranteed paycheck was stressful but I also credit it for improving my work ethic as I was working from morning till night 6-7 days a week.
After 3 years in sales and constantly looking and applying for marketing positions I came across My Way Leases on Indeed. I’m already a nervous person but when I thought about; how perfect the fit was, how long I’ve been looking for an opportunity like this, how few there have been, how much I did not enjoy sales in the slightest and a myriad of other reasons I really started to feel the pressure. Because of that, honestly the interview was a blur. I was worried if I was talking clearly, my sweating was noticeable, if my hand was about to be all wet when I went to shake his. I remember Ben being extremely friendly and thorough but I couldn't even begin to try and remember any of my answers. Somehow despite the 30 minute anxiety attack that was the entire interview I somehow left it feeling good. Well, in my head I felt like I looked like a nervous wreck but the conversation went great and I was even more sure that this was the right fit then before. Waiting for that call was pretty gut-wrenching but I’m as much as I worry once things are out of my hand I do a pretty good job accepting that. The interview was over, I did all I could and now all that was left to do was wait and hope for the best. Also years of job rejection had prepared me for the worst.
When that call finally came, it was one of the best feelings in my life. Just thinking about all the things I didn’t have to do anymore and all the possibilities for what was next was overwhelmingly amazing. From there, we hit the ground running. The fit was seamless and I was surrounded by extremely knowledgeable and helpful people. Between Ben, Bud, Jon, Keith and others, they made sure every question I had was answered and their help learning the ropes and getting acclimated was irreplaceable. In no time I was doing what I have wanted to do since starting college. Working on the website, managing social media, designing print advertisements. It’s why I love marketing. It’s still the thrill of business and data and numbers but the creativity or art and design and psychology. Since then there have been countless projects and updates and events and I truly enjoy every minute of them and getting to work with the amazing people of the eastern shore.
While I think back about all that we have accomplished and done in these 2 years I’m hit with a mix of pride and hunger because I know we have done a lot but it’s just the beginning. The past year has thrown some things awry for example, taking away our customer appreciation cookouts that were the most fun days I’ve had at work in my life. But new challenges bring new opportunities and we have been able to focus a lot of effort on bringing My Way Leases to the digital age and becoming more accessible to you guys. Going forward I want to continue to adapt and take advantage of the ever growing digital world and make shopping at my way leases as enjoyable and efficient as possible. I want to continue to grow with the communities and be as involved as possible and help the eastern shore continue to prosper. I want to have regular interaction with as many customers as possible whether it be face to face, or online! The relationships between the staff and customers at My Way Leases is the main thing that stuck out to me when I first started and I am excited to see that grow. To wrap it all up, it’s been an amazing 2 years at My Way Leases and I want to genuinely thank everyone who's made working, a word with such a negative connotation, so enjoyable for me and I am looking forward to doing a post like this every year for a long time coming!