The fun of business comes from the people with whom we connect and the lessons we learn from those connections. As I look back over my years in radio sales and management, I can see that experience prepared me well for today’s uncertain business climate. You never know what’s going to happen!

I’ve always embraced change, moving to five states where I knew nobody, starting with my first position in Oshkosh, WI and then doubling my market size to Cedar Rapids, IA and doubling again to Little Rock, AR, then Kansas City, KS and Houston, TX.

Journalism launched my radio career when The Bearcat, our college newspaper, assigned KDLX/KXCV as my beat. The late Catherine Cushman, Broadcast Director, urged me to switch majors and I never looked back. I found ways to make broadcasting work for advertisers and discovered authenticity meant the same thing in the heart of America as it did in the Southwest.

The fast pace of media forced me to focus on advertising that worked. My consistency, specificity and follow through built a customer loyalty that played well in every locale. It was a good run, remembered with special fondness for the Broadcaster of the Year award from the New Mexico Broadcasters Association.

Mary Ellen Merrigan, named one of seven “Excellent Women 2007” by the Celebration of Excellent Women

After radio I developed an instructor manual for MARKETLINK, a propietary training program serving hundreds of entrepreneurs from WESST Corp.

Today I continue to cultivate my independent streak as Board Vice President for the Albuquerque Independent Business Alliance (AIBA). In addition, I maintain membership in the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD), serving on the annual conference committee for the New Mexico chapter.

I believe if you’re not learning and trying new things, you’re not growing. And, we should never be afraid to try new things. That’s why I blog about online media rooms and other practical marketing solutions. I also publish a monthly newsletter that gives you short, to-the-point advice, based on my many years of lessons learned…and ongoing.

Let’s talk about your business and how you can blend traditional and new media to increase your visibility. Sign up today for a free small business marketing consultation or call for a no-obligation phone consult.