15 years in the making.

I don’t usually write about work here.

But today I’m making an exception. Partly because I like my job, mostly because people don’t really get what I do, so I basically wrote this to send them back to when they ask. Ha!

My journey towards digital marketing

Back in 2011, I landed my very first internship at The Lad Bible, the UK media giant that built its brand on viral and shareable content before TikTok was a thing. It was my first experience with digital content at scale.

By 2014 I was working in PR at the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa. A year later, I moved to Buenos Aires and joined Mundo Lingo, helping with event marketing for their international language exchange meetups. Mundo Lingo was (is?) an event program that held gatherings for hundreds of strangers, usually in pubs or “boliches” and gave them sticker flags to stick to their shirts. The flags showed where the person is from, which languages they spoke and which languages they wanted to improve. My job was to help those events grow and thrive.

In 2016, I chose to focus on the digital side of marketing and complemented my MBA with a second Master’s in Digital Marketing and E-Business in Bordeaux. In 2017, that path took me to Barcelona, where I interned in event marketing and social media management.

By 2018, I was back in France, working as a digital marketer in a startup in Bordeaux, and later as a traffic manager in France’s biggest online retailer, Cdiscount. Each role taught me something new about how audiences behave, how campaigns succeed or fail, and how strategy ties everything together.

Finally, in 2019, I took the leap and created my own business. I started as a digital marketing consultant and social media manager, and eventually carved out a niche as a Meta Ads specialist. This endeavor allowed me the freedom to shape my work around both my skills and my life.

Realizing what marketing really is

Here is something I discovered along the way. Most people know marketing exists, but very few understand its power.

They don’t see how it influences their decisions every single day. Sometimes in an obvious manner, but most times in subtle ways.

That is what pulled me in. Marketing is not just about selling. Done right, it’s about understanding people and connecting with them in ways that feel real.

What I actually do

If I had to strip it down, my job has two main parts:

1. Marketing strategy, the why
2. Marketing plan, the how

It’s like building a house. The strategy is the blueprint. The plan is the hammer, nails and step by step work of putting it all together.

Most of my clients usually have their “why”, so they bring me in to put the “how” in place.

The hats I’ve worn so far

Digital marketing covers a lot of ground, so over the years I’ve worked in:

• Social media marketing
• SEO and copywriting
• PPC advertising
• Event marketing
• Content marketing
• PR
• Direct marketing

Here is what that actually looks like.

Social Media Marketing: I create content calendars, mix promotional posts with user generated content (UGC) like reviews or photos, and keep things engaging across platforms.

Copywriting and SEO: I write blog posts, optimize websites and landing pages, run keyword research and help content get found by the right people.

PPC and Meta Ads: This is my specialty. I have managed campaigns in difficult industries like health, crypto and finance. The results have been high conversions, low costs and strong traffic. The trick is constant adaptation. Algorithms change all the time. What worked last month might be useless today.

Why I stick around

Do I love every single part of it? Not always. But here is why I stay.

I can work remotely.
I have flexibility and rarely more than one meeting a week.
I get to choose ethical clients and projects I believe in.
I learn about new industries all the time.
I have independence, creativity and variety.

I don’t know if I will do this forever. Change will come eventually. But right now it works, and sometimes that’s enough.

Lessons learned along the way

If you’re thinking about a career in marketing or copywriting, here are three lessons I’ve learned so far:

1. Experiment early and often. I would never have landed in copywriting if I had not first tried PR, events, social media, and ads. Each experience gave me skills I use today.
2. Adaptation beats perfection. Marketing changes constantly. Strategies that worked yesterday might be outdated tomorrow. Staying curious and flexible is far more valuable than chasing a perfect plan.
3. Choose work that aligns with your values. Learn how to say no, only the right clients and projects make this job fulfilling. Fulfillment gives you the energy to keep going long term.

There you have it! Welcome to my world.

Till next time,

Teekay