Today we’d like to introduce you to Erin Stafford.
Erin, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I grew up in Orange County and have always felt like an old soul. I excelled in school but was bored out of my mind. I felt like I was wasting my time. So the second I graduated, I moved to Paris for college. For the first time in my life, I finally felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be. I was at an international university that only had about 700 students, but over 100 different nationalities. It was such an enriching and fun experience and to this day, the friends I made there are some of my closest.
I transferred to UCSB after two years in Paris, much to my dismay as I didn’t want to leave, and then promptly moved to London upon graduation. Thankfully I also have Canadian citizenship, so since I was under 30 at the time, I could get a visa to work in the UK.
I started my career at a digital advertising agency in London in 2002 back when NO ONE was interested in digital ads. We were the dark and dirty people pounding the pavement selling banners and pop-ups, but it was an exciting time to be in digital media. I then moved to Viacom and MTV Networks Europe, where I expanded my role and learned more about television, sponsorships and promotions for a large cable network.
I came back to Orange County after a death in our family and began working as a celebrity stylist in Hollywood, image consultant and fashion journalist. It was a fun (and eye-opening) experience into the inner workings of the Hollywood fashion machine. One I’m glad I’ve had, but I don’t miss at all.
My work as a fashion journalist helped me transition into working as an assignment editor and field producer for a local television news channel in Sacramento. I had always thought I wanted to be a reporter, but after working in news for a couple of years, I realized it wasn’t for me. I then moved on to become the client services director for a full-service marketing and branding agency.
All of my diverse media and communications experience ultimately set me up perfectly for my current role as the VP of Marketing for a large healthcare staffing agency. Because I’ve dipped my toe into so many areas within the general marketing and communications realm, I’m able to lead a diverse team and oversee a broad department.
On top of my day job, I’m also a speaker and writer. I speak at women’s conferences across the country about living an authentic life and finding joy in your journey. I’m currently writing my first book called No Man’s Land: Still Searching for Mr. Right, which is based on my life as a successful, single, 39-year-old-woman who has yet to check off even one thing on society’s romantic to-do list.
You get to a point in your dating life where you think, “You can’t make this stuff up!” I’ve had so many highs and lows and funny things happen, I felt I needed to write a book. I needed to tell my story and help other women know they’re not alone on this journey.
Has it been a smooth road?
I don’t think there is such a thing as a smooth road. No one gets an easy ride. I always love that Thomas Jefferson quote: “I find the harder I work, the luckier I get.” I couldn’t agree more. I think the biggest key to my success has been my tenacity and work ethic. Once I decide I’m going to do something, come hell or high water, I’ll figure out a way to make it happen. Whatever roadblocks come my way and no matter how long it takes, I’ll just keep plugging away and make it happen.
You have to put in the hard yards to get anywhere in life. No matter what it is you want, you’ve gotta do the work. I think so many people in this instant gratification world we live in right now want things to happen instantly. They see people faking it on Instagram and then beat themselves up that they aren’t there too. But you can’t compare your year one with someone else’s year ten. Of course, you’re going to be behind them, they’ve been at this for a decade! But that doesn’t mean it’s too late for you.
Take my book for example. There are a zillion dating and relationship books on the market, but none have been written by me, from my perspective, with my voice, my funny stories and my social commentary. There also haven’t been many written for the successful, single woman who isn’t a divorcee, widow or single parent. I’ve read tons of books about dating, and guess what? I still want to read more. I say all this to encourage people to stop looking at everyone else, and just do you!
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I’m the Vice President of Marketing for a large healthcare staffing agency as well as a writer and speaker. I’m currently writing my first book called No Man’s Land: Still Searching for Mr. Right, which is based on my experience as a 39-year-old successful single woman who’s been on more dates than I can count. It’s for the woman who’s never been engaged, married, divorced and without kids – the woman who is literally in no man’s land.
It’s a candid and hilarious guide full of entertaining stories, social commentary, raw emotion, honest advice and the occasional F-bomb helping women to make sense of the lies people tell them to make them feel better, understand what supposedly got them here, gain insight from the trenches on the entire relationship lifecycle and laugh along the way to stay sane. It’s like hanging out with your bestie who’s been there too and says all the things you think but haven’t said.
As a speaker, I speak at companies and conferences around the country. My passionate keynotes take many forms, but they all revolve around inspiring women to live authentic lives and find the joy in their journey. We all have such diverse and complicated lives. And we’re all just trying our best. I’m radically transparent and vulnerable with my audiences to show them that they’re not alone. Audiences leave feeling seen, understood and inspired to start living a more authentic life.
Finding a mentor and building a network are often cited in studies as a major factor impacting one’s success. Do you have any advice or lessons to share regarding finding a mentor or networking in general?
Thankfully, I’m naturally a very outgoing and extroverted person. I love meeting people, learning about their passions and what makes them tick. I’ve only been in San Diego for a little over three years, so I still feel like there is so much I want to see and do.
I always suggest finding groups of people with similar interests. When I first moved to San Diego, I was single and only had two friends here. My theory was to get out and about as much as possible because I wanted to meet men to date as well as find my tribe of girlfriends. I started playing beach volleyball and tennis regularly. I got involved with the chamber. I went to events at Balboa Park and would try new restaurants and bars. In short, I did things that interested me and eventually, I met a lot of great people.
Again, like anything, networking and growing your social circle takes time and persistence. Mentors take many forms. It’s rare that you have one person to call a mentor who gives you guidance on multiple subjects. Instead, I look at it as finding a collection of mentors who can each offer you help or insight on a specific area. I probably have four people that I consider mentors that I go to for completely different reasons.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.erinstafford.com
- Email: erin@erinstafford.com
- Instagram: @erinmstafford
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