It's the Capricorn in Me

Let me start by saying I'm not a huge zodiac person. But if there's one thing the stars seem to get right about being a Capricorn, it's that I love to work. Ask any of my close friends. I'm always working on something. I love a project, a challenge, a to do list, and the feeling of accomplishing something meaningful.

So here I am, a 26 year old with multiple job titles, experiences that don't always seem connected, and the incredible opportunity to be the first Marketing Coordinator at Glacier Growth Marketing. The story of how I got here is long, winding, emotional, and a little unexpected, but isn't that life? Here's the trailer version of my journey.

I've called the Flathead Valley home since I was four years old. I have an incredible family who has supported me through everything, and we've been through our fair share of hardships. But this small town girl had a big sense of adventure, and at sixteen I packed my bags and spent several months living in New Zealand. I found lifelong friends, endless blue skies, sandy beaches, and experiences that completely changed the way I saw the world.

When I came home, I graduated high school with a completely different perspective. I was no longer focused on being the perfect 4.0 student or continuing to play a sport in a toxic environment. I wanted to get my hands dirty, learn through experience, and discover what life had to teach outside the classroom and beyond my daily routine.

Ironically, I still headed to Oregon to earn a bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies with a focus in Sustainable Agriculture. I even joined another sports team, officially becoming a student athlete again. Like many people, though, life didn't follow the plan. The pandemic brought me back to the Flathead Valley, where I stepped back into an industry I was already familiar with.

What I thought would be a one year stop to reset at home turned into accepting a new 9 to 5. At the time, I needed stability. One year became three, and before I knew it, I was building a career I had never planned for.

During those years, I worked hard. I learned how to coordinate people, solve problems under pressure, stay organized, and keep moving even on chaotic days. But I also found myself mentally exhausted, undervalued, overworked, and wondering what came next.

Somewhere in that work environment, I had an incredible manager who saw something in me before I fully saw it myself. They recognized my creativity, encouraged me to explore marketing, and helped me discover a field I genuinely loved.

I've always had a creative side. Art, writing, design, organization, and attention to detail came naturally to me. The more marketing projects I took on, the more I realized they inspired me. At the same time, I was stuck in a place where creativity had limits, and that slowly drained me. For the first time, I could clearly picture a career that blended creativity with strategy, but I knew I had to step away from where I was to make room for what came next.

Those steps eventually led me to the incredible opportunity to serve as the first Marketing Coordinator at Glacier Growth Marketing. Funny enough, the place I couldn't wait to leave has become the place where I'm excited to continue building my career. On the side, I sling coffee at a local coffee stand because I love meeting people and hearing their stories. We've also established that I love to work!

In this role at GGM, I'm growing my skills in email marketing, content creation, branding, editorial work, and social media while learning from an incredible CEO. Every day challenges me to think creatively, learn something new, and continue discovering where my passion within marketing truly lies.

Maybe the stars really were aligned after all. Maybe it really is the Capricorn in me. But just know, if I'm not working, you'll probably find me chasing my next adventure, these days just a little closer to home.