Nicole Marshall
Posted by Communications2 on Aug. 1, 2022 / Member Spotlight / Subscribe 0
Name: Nicole Marshall
Company: Curated Communications
Title: Founder/President
Board Role: President
How long have you worked at your company?
I established Curated Communications in late 2016. I had previously worked as an independent contractor for a couple of years prior, but I have been full-time operating under this version of my business for almost six years now.
What are the rewards of your job?
I love being able to help my clients get the right attention on the right projects, people and ideas, and I feel rewarded when they become “known for” the very things that I work hard to help them promote.
Shifting perceptions can be a long, patient game, but in the last six years I have certainly seen it happen and get such a thrill when the “word on the street” suddenly begins to align with the very messaging we drafted.
What are your challenges?
One of the hardest parts of my job can be having to act as the “bearer of bad news.” Sometimes firms think that they have a very original idea or a unique design solution or a particularly spectacular project to talk about, and I have to be the first filter to point out to them the similar things that already exist amongst their competition. This role as “bad cop” can be the hardest part, but ultimately it helps my clients push themselves harder toward more originality or toward better, stronger ideas before they go external.
In addition, in my work I do a fair amount of media relations and the media industry has really suffered through the pandemic. From a large-scale reduction in advertisement spending, many publications have less space for less content, so the newsworthiness filter is getting tougher and tougher. This means that both my clients and I have to be even more clear and more targeted in our media relations goals.
How long have you been an SMPS member?
In 2007, fresh out of college and working for an architecture firm in New Orleans, I learned about SMPS through my boss at the time. He was a great believer in marketing and the power of professional organizations. At the time, there was no SMPS chapter in Louisiana, so I connected with the only three other members in the State and worked hard to create the SMPS Southeast Louisiana Chapter.
I have remained an SMPS member for most of the years since that time, taking only a brief break when I left the industry for a couple of years.
What led you to serve on the Board?
Since I played a role in starting that chapter, leadership was always embedded in my relationship with SMPS. So when I moved to Utah in 2018, it was natural for me to get involved in our local chapter as a volunteer. I was soon recruited to a Board position, as our Chapter leaders were excited to have a new, fresh perspective and to learn from my prior experiences with SMPS as well.
How has SMPS membership helped you?
‘How has it NOT helped me’ would be a better question! From learning the ropes as a marketing department of one in my early twenties, to making dear personal friendships, to growing in my confidence and leadership capabilities, SMPS has been a wonderful part of both my personal and professional growth.
I love volunteering at the local chapter level and connecting with nearby peers, and now I love helping other young marketers carve out their own path in the A/E/C industry as well.
What’s the best career advice you’ve received?
Don’t be afraid to take a break. Whether it’s for travel or for personal reflection or for your mental health, I had a wonderful mentor early on who set that as a standard at his firm and it really shaped successful careers for so many who worked for him.
What’s the best career advice you’ve received?
You can be an influential leader in many different ways. You don’t have to be the loudest person in the room to be powerful. Find and own your power — then use it to have a positive impact on your career and organization!
What’s the best career advice you’ve given?
Establishing sustainable personal boundaries from the start of a new job or a new contract is a critical step to success. Whether it’s creating unwavering deadlines for receiving proposal content or stating exactly how many evenings per week you are willing to work late, we have to be very careful to not set standards that we aren’t willing to live with in the long haul.
You don’t want to have to leave a job in order to get a fresh start or in order to create a new baseline.
What’s on your bucket list?
I actually can’t say I have a bucket list! The truth is, I try to live my life in a full, vibrant way and say “yes” to things more than I say “no.” I find this means I don’t build up too many bucket list items because I make them happen as the ideas and opportunities emerge.
I’m a big traveler, a big fan of live music and a lover of food, so if I did take the time to build a bucket list it would probably include lots of those things.
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