Hi Stephanie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’ve had many pivots and redirects in my professional life, and through life experiences and growth, those pivots and redirects have gotten me to where I am today. When I was young, I wanted to be a doctor. At 10, I was diagnosed with a heart condition and wanted to help others like me. I went into college in the pre-med track and quickly found that path wasn’t for me. After some self-exploration and taking elective courses, I fell in love with communications and marketing and made a pivot. Once I started taking classes and declaring my major, I was thriving and loving everything about marketing. During college, I interned at a local television station and later with a public relations firm. While I enjoyed both of these jobs, I wasn’t passionate about either. My next pivot was into event marketing and event management. I’ve always loved planning events and found a certificate course through the University of San Diego. By continuing my education and networking, I was able to land my next role as an event planner at PRA Events here in San Diego. I loved the six years I spent at PRA and had a fantastic time. After six years, my next pivot was in marketing in biotech. At the time, biotech was an up and coming sector in San Diego, a place I wanted to grow and learn. Getting into biotech was able to bring me back to my roots of wanting to help people. If I couldn’t help people as a doctor, I wanted to find another way. I joined a small biotech company in San Diego as a Marketing Manager and one of the first things I did was hire a marketing agency, CG Life. After a year and a half, I joined CG Life as a Sr. Account Manager working on the Illumina account. After three years with CG Life, I left there and joined Illumina in the house as a Marketing Programs Manager.
I spent over ten years of my life at Illumina, and I would do it all over again. My former co-workers and I joke that Illumina was four companies over the time we were there because of the amount of growth and change we endured while we were there. It was a fantastic time for the company and for me professionally. I launched the first diagnostics next-generation sequencer, built and launched the Reproductive and Genetic Health Business unit. Over the years, I was promoted four times, my most recent role as the Head of Global Brand for the company, re-branding and launching the new identity. In February of this year, I decided to leave Illumina and pursue my dream of being an entrepreneur. I started Hoyle Marketing Group, a marketing and branding firm in San Diego, focusing on bringing together a brand’s purpose with storytelling and beautifully creative.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Ha! If the road were smooth, I wouldn’t be where I am today. My first job out of college was an internship at a PR firm where I was later hired on as an Account Coordinator. This was in 2000 when tech and online companies were going gangbusters! But in 2001, the tech bubble collapsed, and I was laid off and devastated! I could pick myself up, continue my education and eventually land on my feet with a full-time role. As I’ve grown in my roles over the years and received promotions, those promotions came with added responsibilities and moving from an independent contributor to a people-manager. My goal was to be the best leader I could be (and the leader I would want as an employee). I hit some struggles along the way, doing the best I could but having to let people go via a RIF or performance was one of the biggest challenges I faced. The last struggle I dealt with most recently was a personal, health-related issue that made me re-evaluate my entire life. My stress level was so high with my role that it was causing health issues. After taking some time off to re-evaluate what I was doing and not taking care of myself, the best thing I could do was leave corporate America and start my own business. From this, I learned that I need to take care of myself first and foremost.
As you know, we’re big fans of Hoyle Marketing Group. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?
Hoyle Marketing Group is a boutique marketing agency focusing on integrating marketing strategy with creative execution. Our strategists and creative teams partner together throughout the entire process to ensure seamless integration of strategy and creativity. Our services include brand strategy, identity development and execution, product launch strategy and execution, marketing programs and execution of marketing campaigns, event design, event management and on-site event execution, and much more. We’d love to know more about your brand and how we can partner with you to define your purpose and strategy.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
When I was young, I was timid and quiet. I enjoyed playing sports, dancing and being active, and spending time with friends and family. My parents divorced when I was a teenager, so I grew up fast, becoming a second parent to my sister as my mom went back to work. My grandparents owned a retail business, so I have fond memories of spending lots of time with them, working in the store, and learning from their successes and failures. A lot of my entrepreneurial spirit comes from them.
Contact Info:
- Email: stephanie@hoylemarketing.com
- Website: www.hoylemarketing.com
- Instagram: @stephhoyle
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HoyleMarketing
Image Credits
Chris Nelson Photography
