My passion for marketing began with a fascination with commercials at a young age. I interned at Junction59 in high school, and later pursued a Bachelor of Commerce. I was attracted to marketing because it combines creativity with strategy and allows you to make meaningful connections between brands and consumers.
Young marketers must develop resilience, creativity, adaptability, and empathy.
Resilience helps you navigate challenges and setbacks.
Creativity drives innovative solutions.
Adaptability ensures flexibility in an ever-changing landscape.
Empathy fosters an understanding of consumer needs and desires.
These values will contribute to your professional success and enable ethical and impactful marketing practices.
To break into the marketing profession, I recognized the importance of speaking up and tactfully voicing my ideas. That was the only way to overcome self-doubt and find my voice in meetings. When transitioning from agency to client-side roles, to adapt to new environments and responsibilities, I sought mentorship and embraced growth opportunities.
I advise marketing students to find their voice early, embrace challenges as learning opportunities, and build a strong network of mentors and peers. It's also essential to prioritize self-care, seek diverse experiences, and remain open to continuous learning and growth.
One trend I've noticed in marketing is the increasing emphasis on social responsibility and purpose-driven branding. These days, consumers gravitate toward brands that align with their values and actively contribute to social and environmental causes. This shift necessitates a strategic approach integrating technology with ethical marketing practices to drive positive change.
My proudest moments stem from building meaningful connections with clients, colleagues, and communities through my work and volunteer efforts. I have also successfully led marketing campaigns, won industry awards, and leveraged my experiences to enrich my professional skills.
I credit much of my success to my passion for travel, volunteer work, and exploring diverse interests. These experiences have profoundly shaped my perspective, helping me gain a deeper understanding of the world and the people in it. They have also honed my interpersonal skills and taught me the importance of work-life balance. I believe authenticity, empathy, and a focus on social impact are critical to creating meaningful connections with audiences.
My ideal marketing role involves leveraging technology to drive social change and promote sustainability. I envision collaborating with diverse stakeholders, innovating creative solutions, and positively impacting society while advancing the goals of the brands I represent.
If you’ve made it this far, you must see the value that the CMA NXT Fund can offer your post-secondary club, association or event. You can start applying for funding on Monday, September 8, 2025.
The NXT Voice is your one-stop shop for tips, tricks and inside information about all things marketing, where Chartered Marketers share what they've learned with you. Today's topic is Purposeful Networking featuring Letty Wong, CM, Freelancer, Digital Marketing Consultant.
AI can become a detriment when we use it to replace creativity instead of amplifying it. Peter Drucker an Austrian-born American management consultant, educator, and author once said, “The best way to predict the future is to create it” [1] so, maybe using AI isn’t an issue if it isn’t being relied on to complete all the creative work.
