Some of us know what we want to do “when we grow up” from a young age. However, Ivana Taylor, President and Chief Marketing Officer of Third Force, took a while longer:
“I got into marketing the day I registered for classes at Penn State.
I was there to register as a Chemical Engineering major and as I sat and waited my turn, I realized that I wasn’t nearly as passionate about engineering as I needed to be.
As I flipped through page after page of the different majors I landed on Marketing right when they called my name!”
She’s been immersed in marketing for the past 25 years – and loves it.
Curiosity Fuels Her Business
Whether she was working in a corporation doing marketing or running her popular DIYMarketers blog and community, curiosity has always been the driving force behind Taylor’s marketing efforts:
“My curiosity and interest in how people buy and why people buy has never changed. It’s just grown. I went into consulting in 1999 and when I had to convert my “jobs” into a service offer, I realized that my gift was in helping my clients become THE ONE their ideal customers choose regardless of price.”
Taylor focuses on helping small businesses with their marketing. Her clients tend to have sales of less than $1 million, and are overwhelmed with not knowing the best way to market their brands. She says she loves the commitment that small business owners have to build and create something that makes the world a better place.
“Tayloring” a Marketing Solution
Realizing that there was not one marketing strategy that suits all business types, Taylor recently launched a unique marketing style assessment that helps business owners choose their three best marketing strategies based on their unique marketing style on DIYMarketers. Once a visitor fills out the assessment, they are sent a customized report that helps them define their unique selling proposition and develop their brand to leverage the marketing strategies.
“My favorite part of the SMBInfluencer Awards is the focus on putting a spotlight on what I call the invisible heroes and influencers of small business.”
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Editor’s Note: This article is one of a series of interviews of key players in the Small Business Influencer Awards.
Martin Lindeskog
Great line: “Tayloring” a Marketing Solution! Ivana: You have to start to use this as a slogan! 🙂 Love the photo of you with plenty of books!
Haha. Thanks Martin. I think she should use it too!
Susan
Martin Lindeskog
Susan: Definitively! 🙂 I will ask you for help to come up with a memorable “memory hook” / slogan for my business at some point!
Anita Campbell
Hi Ivana, somehow I can’t picture you as a chemical engineer — you seem like a marketing natural!
See, after all these years of knowing you, I learned something new. Thanks for all you do for the Small Business Trends community.
– Anita