Alumni Spotlight: Taylor Brown, Class of 2011
This summer, we had the pleasure of catching up with Taylor Brown, a 2011 Marketing alum and the dynamic owner of GoToMan Marketing Agency. Taylor shared his inspiring journey from JCBE to his first job and ultimately starting his own business. One key takeaway from Taylor’s story? The power of networking. As he put it: “We were coming out of the 2008 economic slump. So, things were a little bit tighter. But as we were exiting that, I did find an opportunity, and it arose from an internship that turned into a growth of my professional network, knowing somebody at the company, and that's what kind of got my foot in the door at the first workplace I had.” Read the full interview below and get more insights!A: Yeah, thank you for having me. My name is Taylor Brown. I graduated in 2011 with the marketing degree here at the George, and I currently serve as the president of the Alumni Advisory Board.
My current position is I'm the owner and digital strategist of GoToMan Marketing. It's a marketing firm based here in Spartanburg.
Q: Is it your own company?
A: It is, yes. We just celebrated our 12th anniversary.
Q: Oh, wow. That's cool. Congratulations.
A: Thank you.
Q: Please describe your career journey since graduating from JCBE.
A: So interestingly, I started in traditional print media and knew that based on trends in the industry as well as where my passions lie. I really wanted to get into the digital space. So even though I worked at a traditional media company for three years, I very proactively worked to get into the digital space at that job and then found opportunities at marketing agencies starting in Spartanburg for three years and then moving over to Greenville for a couple of years as well really emphasizing the digital opportunities with analytics and targeted advertising. And then during the pandemic, when everything seemed to kind of upend, an opportunity arose for me to take a passion project, which has been this marketing firm, and turn it into my full-time role. And I've been doing that for three years now.
Q: So, having your own company was always your goal, or you just came to this understanding that you do not want to work for some agency or some in-house marketing department, but have your own company? How did you get to this decision?
A: I think it's always been in my bones. My dad was an entrepreneur very early on, and I remember that mindset and that drive that I saw in him and others like him and knew that it was something I probably wanted to get into. And as I learned at agencies, as I grew my network of fellow professionals, it just made sense to be able to offer a more hands-on approach to marketing rather than churning out results far beyond a multitude of clients to be able to really get to know, to connect, and to kind of be in the corner of just a select few.
Q: Okay. How hard was it to get your first job after graduation within marketing?
A: I would say it was a little bit difficult. We were coming out of the 2008 economic slump. So, things were a little bit tighter. But as we were exiting that, I did find an opportunity and it arose from an internship that turned into a growth of my professional network, knowing somebody at the company, and that's what kind of got my foot in the door at the first workplace I had.
Q: Another evidence of how internships are important for students.
A: Yes, absolutely. Not only the practical experience but also just the connections that you'll make.
Q: Yeah, I agree. Do you have any interesting transitions or challenges during your career, and how did you overcome them?
A: I would say probably the largest transition was going full-time, working for myself without the safety net. Employers, you know, steady paychecks. Transitioning into the... You're kind of on your own, but also kind of that excitement of you're not kept by... a monthly salary that you can really pick and choose who you want to work with and really dive headfirst into the people that you can make a difference with. And you can say no to the clients that either will be difficult to help or perhaps aren't the best fit personality-wise.
Q: Yeah. And how did you tackle those challenges? What helped you maybe? I realized that having your own company, it's a lot of pressure on yourself and a lot of anxiety because you're becoming responsible for other people as well. So, what helped you to deal with this?
A: I would say it really goes back to building and, you know, further maturing that professional network that you have or having like-minded colleagues of, you know, friends and co-workers that eventually turn into clients. Having that support that I've already built out through starting day one with the internship through the other, you know, full-time jobs that I had over the prior decade before launching my own, that if I didn't have that, that it would have been much more difficult to go out on my own.
Q: All right, thank you. What is your favorite memory or memories from your time when you were a student here at the George?
A: That would be difficult to pick.
Q: No favorite memories? Or too many of them?
A: Luckily, I was among the first class who actually was able to move here. I took initial business classes at the media building on the main campus. And knowing that this was being built, that eventually we would be able to come into this state of the art building located right in the middle of the downtown business community was a really exciting moment. I would say academically that probably my senior year and especially my entrepreneurship class was really kind of a breakthrough moment. I hate to be cliche, but being able to see how all those foundational and underclassmen courses came together. The entrepreneurship class. Being able to tie in Marketing with accounting, with management, which I use all of them today. But being able to see how they come together and be able to take those kind of intangible skills, and put it into a tangible business plan at the end of that course.
Q: It was like a puzzle which you could collect, and then you've see the entire picture, how it will work together.
A: Yes, absolutely.
Q: What advice would you give to current students facing similar challenges that you had on your career path? If somebody will decide, okay, I want to have my own business. So, what advice would you give that person?
A: I would say, you know, don't neglect your coursework. And I would say that being able to seek out application and practicality in what you learn not only helps you to retain that knowledge, but be able to turn around and leverage that in going to the workforce. So not just memorizing certain marketing terms or ideology, but being able to say, how would this translate into this particular industry. And then not only, like I said, does it help you remember those skills for when it comes to exams or, you know, coursework, but also being able to see how you can use that down the road.
Q: Thank you. Can you share some maybe proud moment of your career?
A: I think it goes back to being able to launch my own business, to tell an employer who I didn't necessarily care for at the time that I would be putting in my notice and starting my own business.
Q: Was it scary?
A: It was a little bit scary, not to have a huge nest egg saved up just in case, um, to only have a few clients starting out, but it was also exciting that, you know, it's up to me, um, to make a difference. And again, you know, relying on that network that I've built to kind of be there for me to give me referrals, which is where most of my business comes from is word-of-mouth referrals. Um, and to be able to kind of help me through, to coach me, to motivate me through the process.
Q: Yeah, I actually admire people who start their own business because I realize how stressful it is, especially when you're just taking this first step forward in this direction. How did your time at JCBE prepare you for your career? Maybe you gained some... crucial skills or some knowledge, maybe network was the major turning point.
A: Yeah, I would say not only the coursework. I think that we have a strong business program here, which is accredited. Also that, but the smaller network of a smaller school that you have the ability to network with professors to really be able to partner with some of the resources and the specialists that we have here in crafting resumes to preparing for internships interviewing that you don't necessarily have on that scale at a larger school.
Q: I've seen examples of people who graduated from big business schools, and they listen about my experience, and they are so surprised that we have such a personal approach. You can literally build a relationship with professors because they do care about you. And they didn't have anything like that in their big universities, which is kind of cool and benefits our school, like, very much, I think.
A: Yes, and even, you know, 13 years after I've graduated now, I still run into professors out and about in the community at fundraising events, at restaurants who know my name, who know what I'm doing, who make active referrals to my business that you just wouldn't have when a professor is turning out hundreds of students a semester.
Q: Yeah, exactly. What advice would you give our current students about making the most of their time at JCBE? So, how can they get the maximum out of this experience?
A: Yeah, focusing on the coursework, not neglecting that.
Q: Like, study hard?
A: Obviously, study hard, but there are opportunities outside the classroom as well. Any type of student associations that you can get involved with, opportunities to volunteer, to do internships outside the classroom as well, help to balance that academic knowledge and ideas with real-world application. And not only at school but also transitioning into your young professional career and looking at opportunities just to say yes to things, to take on additional work, to participate in additional groups, rather than strictly saying that's not my role and being kind of pigeonholed. You don't want to take on too much work and do other people's work, but at the same time, opportunities to learn from other professionals, to just get in as many projects as you can to really build that knowledge. That is important.
Q: And how they can get ready for the ever-changing job market, especially now, when the job market is going down, literally? So, what would you advise them?
A: For students who are graduating and looking at making that big transition, definitely pursuing internships. I know that that's a topic that's addressed a lot and we've spoken about it a lot already. But being able to make those connections early, but a lot of jobs do come from those initial internships either at the place that you intern or perhaps at someone they know or just being able to show that you have some experience before you go into the full-time job. Again, you know, seeking application in what you learn. So, rather than coming out with a piece of paper, being able to know how to, you know, boots on the ground, start on day one and be able to make an impact for the place that you're seeking to work.
Q: Definitely. What are three things students should keep in mind to be successful in their transition from college to their first real job?
A: So, in transitioning to that first job, I would say not only internships, which is kind of for granted that it's a big thing, that approaching the resume creation, building a professional resume, using the tools available here at the school or perhaps free platforms like Grammarly just to make sure that you don't have any typos on that first resume. And then when you approach interviewing, if you are able to put those pieces together to get you to that step with a company, being able to approach it in a relational, personal way that seems approachable to the recruiter or the hiring manager not coming off as, you know, impersonal to robotic, someone that they would remember, somebody that they would want to work with. Obviously, you don't want to come in and slouch down and, you know, use slang or anything like that. But just kind of being yourself, being a little natural, relaxed goes a long way.
Q: Yeah. You can tell it as the business owner, you definitely hire people. And this is probably that approach that you use when you, like seeking for candidates for some roles in your company.
A: Yeah. Other board members have made the metaphor and I would repeat it. It's definitely not mine. I'm stealing and paraphrasing, but interviewing is kind of like dating that you want to see. Is this someone that I can be around every day? Is it somebody that I think could contribute to the mutual relationship, you know, quote unquote. And yeah, looking for potential red flags, making sure that the resume doesn't have any typos, that, you know, things that they're posting on social are just anything outside of that interview process is also buttoned up in the way you want to present yourself to the world.
Q: And what skills or qualities do you think are most important for success in the business world today?
A: That's a big one. Not only the hard or the technical skills, which are obviously important to fulfill a job position, but I think something that really goes a long way in career longevity and being able to navigate economic upticks and downturns is those soft skills. Being able to connect with other individuals, being able to take technical data, and be able to present in a conversation or a narrative.
And then adaptability, being able to, you know, kind of hit on a swivel, be able to roll with the punches that if AI essentially takes over one aspect of your job that you're able to take advantage of AI and be able to use it to your benefit or that, you know, perhaps if that's a role that's kind of going by the wayside. You're able to quickly adapt into something else that's in high demand in the workforce.
Q: As a marketer, what do you think are the most crucial skills for recent grads who are seeking job opportunities in marketing? What are must-haves for marketing majors?
A: Upon graduation, I would say the general skills that being able to move from one role to the other because you may want to work in you know, social media or analytics or, you know, a different role, but that job may not be available right off the bat. Just like I knew that I probably wanted to get into digital early on, but that job just wasn't available at that time and being able to intentionally and proactively make that a reality. Even though it might not be an opportunity at the immediate time. So, I would say there are general skills, but also soft skills, definitely. I had mentioned of being able to take data or something technical and being able to present it to either your boss or a client, which goes a long way rather than reading off report and sounding scripted but being able to analyze and pick out key data points are you know key value in what you're trying to present if you're trying to advocate for a campaign or for a new tool that you think would assist your job being able to show that value I think goes a long way in that initial entrance into the workforce.
Q: What advice would you give yourself when you were back in the George, like at that age?
A: Um, I would have plugged in more, um, to other opportunities. I was working pretty much a full-time job, for most of my college career and attending courses and extracurricular activities. I didn't really plug in as much as I had the opportunity to. And even though I'm pretty satisfied with my career path and where I am now, I think it could have maybe accelerated or enhanced had I taken advantage of more opportunities while I was here.
Q: And what would you wish our students in the upcoming academic year?
A: Success, being able to not only navigate their coursework well, but also being able to turn around and use that in a way that benefits them down the road, their holistic well-being, their economic states, being able not only to graduate or advance to the next year but being able to find that value in what they're learning as soon as possible.
Q: Thank you so much. These are all questions I have for you. And thank you for your time.
A: Yeah, absolutely.
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