MAGNA Global's "Eternal Optimist" Michelle Aragon on Lessons Learned

quotWhat I love about my professional journey is that I39ve found value in every role and situation and each experienceamp160good or badamp160has ultimately helped me become a multifaceted leaderquot she told me over a recent conversationamp160 Michelle39s diverse background has equipped her with a wide range of knowledge and perspective versus expertise in a singleamp160subjectamp160 This versatility has served her well in both her current role as the quotstrategic connectorquot across a varied set of discipline groups at IPG Mediabrands and as a member of the board of the John A Reisenbach Foundation JARamp160 As an active member of the board Michelle cochairs the newlydeveloped Trailblazers CouncilMichelle and I met when I joined the Trailblazers Council last yearamp160 Together we work with other young professionals to provide a better safer New York through grants and strategic support to nonprofit partner organizations throughout all five boroughs in the areas of Youth ampamp Education Neighborhoodsamp160and Criminal Justiceamp160 While JAR was formed over 25 years ago the Trailblazers Council is a new initiativeamp160 quotThe Trailblazers are activating the next generation of New Yorkbased professionals who want to make a difference in the local communityquot Michelle explainedShe knows all about making a differenceamp160 Inamp160addition to her work with JAR Michelle serves on the boards for Friends of Mount Sinaiamp160and the New York chapter of Step Upamp160and cochairs the She Runs It Executive Achievement Committeeamp160 quotA lot of people want to give back but they struggle with how they can do itquot she saidamp160 quotOrganizations are looking for people with not only skills but new and different ideasquotThe Trailblazers Council just announced its 2018 grant recipient Bottom Line an organization offering support services to lowincome and firstgenerationtocollege studentsamp160 This recipient is especially meaningful to Michelle as she was the first in her family to attend college at the University of Idahoamp160 It was challenging for Michelle to go through college without role models in her immediate circle and equally as challenging upon graduating to enteramp160the workforce without a mentoramp160 quotI was really unprepared and didn39t know the importance or value of a mentorquot sheamp160recalledamp160 quotThere are a lot of unwritten rules and nobody is just going to automatically tell them to youamp160 On most of my career path I39ve had to stitch things together and learn lessons the hard wayquotMichelle was eager for a career on Madison Avenue and moved to New York City from Idaho where she had grown up and always felt out of placeamp160 She had no contacts to leverage in the city thoughamp160so while tirelessly submitting resumesamp160she began work as a hostessamp160 Ultimately with her finances dwindling and few job prospects she moved back to Idahoamp160quottotally crushedquotamp160 The unexpected reroute and opportunity that followed taught Michelle her most important lesson amp160be nimbleOnce back in Idahoamp160she got a job as a field marketing manager with MillerCoors where she was tasked with launching a new beer brandamp160 In fact Michelle was the only one in the Boise market representing the brandamp160 quotI did everything from soup to nuts amp8211 marketing events sales working with distributorsquot she recalledamp160 quotI had to be all things to everybody and I was building a brandamp160 That to me was such an amazing opportunityquotamp160 From early morning meetings with distributors to latenight promotional events Michelle was learning how to be flexible and adaptable around the clockamp160Michelle was able to parlay that experience into a position at a promotional marketing agency servicing a large spirits brand a role which brought her back in New Yorkamp160 A couple of career moves later and the decision to forgo fulltime employment for a sixmonth internship at a digital innovation agency which she looks back upon asamp160quotthe best thing I ever didquotamp160 Michelle found herself clientside as a brand manager for Constellation Brands where she wasamp160surprisingly tasked with creating a brand plan for Svedkaamp160VodkaquotI was focused on the fact that someone had just dumped this on me and I needed to figure it outquot she admittedamp160 quotI called a former colleague from the promotional agency who reframed it for me as 39think about it as a huge opportunity to learn something critical39quotThe adviceamp160clickedamp160 Michelle was able to draw on her multidimensional experience as aamp160field marketing manager at MillerCoors to build the brand planamp160 quotSolving a problem or approaching a challenge in a new way that39s really what I truly lovequot she saidIt makes sense that Michelle has found her way to MAGNA which offers the industry a birdseye view of where business is headedamp160 She notes that it is both fun and exciting to be quotat the nexus of everythingquotamp160 Her boss MAGNA President David Cohen refers to her as an quoteternal optimistquotamp160 It39s a moniker she hasamp160picked up through her own perseverance and selfdeterminationamp160 Michelle used to look upon her career hurdles as reasons for selfdoubt but now she sees them as opportunities for strength and growthamp160 quotI used to beat myself up about the challenges I facedquot she notedamp160 quotThe most important thing is learning from obstaclesquotIt also makes sense that Michelle is sharing her lessons with those she encounters both in the office and through her nonprofit work serving as a mentor and role model to manyClick the social buttons above or below to share this story with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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MAGNA Global's "Eternal Optimist" Michelle Aragon on Lessons Learned

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MAGNA Global's "Eternal Optimist" Michelle Aragon on Lessons Learned

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