NAI Hiffman is a place that values creativity and innovation. New ideas are encouraged and applauded. People collaborate to make great things happen. I work on branding and marketing projects on behalf of our clients, photography, video and web content creation, presentations, multi-media and large-scale on-site marketing installations, company business and charitable initiatives, and I love it.
I joined the NAI Hiffman marketing department in 2010 after an impressive run of killing entire industries:
I spent my college years earning paychecks at the Blockbuster Video in Quincy, Illinois. While there I got a crash course in customer service fielding late-fee complaints, but reaped the benefit of five free weekly rentals, making it a 100% amazing experience. Thanks to Netflix, that storefront is now a pizza joint.
I graduated with an English degree from Quincy University and began my career in local newspaper journalism (and photography, political cartooning and ad design). Writing and drawing for a living was a dream job, and my role evolved to include some part-time movie reviewing during the early 2000’s. Community newspapers, however, weren’t long for the world. My old Milwaukee newspaper office is now home to an electric company.
Fortunately, I transitioned into another dream job as a graphic design and marketing role with a single-family homebuilder in South Barrington, Illinois. Unfortunately, it turned out I was a canary in that particular coal mine, as well. The housing market crashed spectacularly, and that office became an abandoned building.
All dream jobs, all fantastic experiences for me, and all harbingers of doom. I searched for the next industry to curse with my reverse-Midas touch. I crossed my fingers and transitioned into a marketing role for a privately-owned real estate investment firm. Two years later, on the day I was offered a position at NAI Hiffman, I warned CEO Dave Petersen of my dubious track record. He agreed to hire me anyway, risking the future of both his growing company and the fate of the entire commercial real estate market. Thanks, Dave. I’ve now worked in commercial real estate marketing for more than 14 years, and I’m happy to say it has both continued my streak of dream jobs and broken my streak of sinking entire industries.I live in a far suburb so most days my commute takes, literally, hours. I’ve done it – and will continue to do it – for as long as they’ll have me, because NAI Hiffman is a great place to work, because our projects are interesting, challenging and fun, and because the people are awesome.
“Err in the direction of kindness.”