First Person: This Michigan Ross Alum Changed Her Life and Gained her Dream Job
I always knew that I wanted to be a marketer. I started my career in the business management associate program at General Mills and learned that brand management was the career path for me after working on strategy for iconic brands like Cheerios and Yoplait. I knew my best bet to get into brand management was to get an MBA and Michigan Ross was my top choice.
Following the completion of my degree in 2012, I spent four years at Mondelez International (formerly Kraft Foods) focused on marketing for brands such as Oreo Cookies, Stride Gum, and belVita Breakfast Biscuits. I went on to work for Anheuser-Busch, where I focused on Bud Light and worked on major marketing campaigns, including ads for the Super Bowl.
From a career perspective, my life was amazing – but personally – things were different. I was obese, weighing 245 pounds. I had low self-esteem and was depressed.
In June 2018, I got a wake-up call that would completely change the course of my life. My doctor told me that I was on the path to developing serious health conditions if I did not change my ways. I was walking the fine line between health and disease at 35 years old. Little did I know that what I would do next would set me on a journey that would completely change the trajectory of my entire life.
After two years of hard work and determination, I was able to lose 90 pounds and completely turn my physical and mental health around. I changed my lifestyle and focused on building a team that consisted of doctors, trainers, friends, and a really good therapist who supported me on my health journey.
I also got real with myself about my future and what I wanted my life to look like. I reflected on the fact that a major reason why I wanted to attend Michigan Ross for business school was that I wanted to be a purpose-driven leader.
My passion was to help other people who are on their own health journeys by working in the health and wellness industry. I was ready to start chasing fulfillment and align my career with my new, personal values, so I took one of the biggest career risks of my life and took time off to find the right opportunity for me.
At the start of 2020, my health transformation story got featured on Shape.com, and I continued to hone in on what part of the health and wellness industry I wanted to be in. I also took advantage of Ross Alumni Career Services with coaching from Lisa Morgan to help set myself up for success in my job search.
Throughout the pandemic, I doubled down my efforts and stayed focused on my target – fully believing that if I did the work and had faith I would find the right role. One day my patience and hard work paid off. Through my network, I was offered the opportunity to work on a member marketing project for WW (formerly Weight Watchers) and I accepted the role on the spot.
WW was at the top of the list of companies I wanted to work for as I am fully aligned with its mission and values. I am so passionate and excited by my work at WW. Every day I get to work on marketing strategy and messaging that is inspirational and has the potential to completely transform someone’s life for the better! It’s truly purpose-driven and makes a positive impact on millions of people around the world.
